Rule 510.24.Administrative Rules for Judges and Court Personnel

Last verified June 28, 2026

In one sentenceRule 510.24 sets the administrative rules for eviction cases — when the justice court loses plenary power, the limits on local rules adopted under Rule 3a, the duty to make the rules available, optional forms, and the civil docket each judge must keep.

Full Text of Rule 510.24

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

(a) Plenary Power. A justice court loses plenary power to modify or vacate a judgment upon the earlier of:

(1) the date an appeal is perfected; or

(2) the date after the deadline to appeal.

(b) Local Rules. A court may adopt local rules, forms, or standing orders in accordance with Rule 3a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure and Rule 10 of the Texas Rules of Judicial Administration. A court must not adopt local rules, forms, or standing orders that:

(1) require content in or with the petition other than the content required by Rule 510.6;

(2) authorize the dismissal of an eviction suit on the basis that the petition is improper if the petition meets or can be amended to meet the requirements of Rule 510.6;

(3) require mediation, pretrial conference, or other proceeding before trial.

(c) Examination of Rules. The court must make Rule 510, local rules, forms, and standing orders available on the court’s website and for examination in person, either in paper form or electronically, during the court’s business hours.

(d) Forms. The court may provide forms to enable a party to file documents that comply with these rules but must not require the use of such forms. Such forms must not conflict with state law or these rules.

(e) Docket. Each judge must keep a civil docket in a permanent record containing the following information:

(1) the title of all suits commenced before the court;

(2) the date when the first process was issued against the defendant, when returnable, and the nature of that process;

(3) the date when the parties, or either of them, appeared before the court, either with or without a citation;

(4) a description of the petition and any documents filed with the petition;

(5) every adjournment, stating at whose request and to what time;

(6) the date of the trial, stating whether the same was by a jury or by the judge;

(7) the verdict of the jury, if any;

(8) the judgment signed by the judge and the date the judgment was signed;

(9) all applications for setting aside judgments or granting new trials and the orders of the judge thereon, with the date;

(10) the date of issuing execution, to whom directed and delivered, and the amount of debt, damages and costs and, when any execution is returned, the date of the return and the manner in which it was executed; and

(11) all stays and appeals that may be taken, and the date when taken, the amount of the bond and the names of the sureties.

(f) Other Records. The judge must also keep copies of all documents filed; other dockets, books, and records as may be required by law or these rules; and a fee book in which all costs accruing in every suit commenced before the court are taxed.

(g) Form of Records. All records required to be kept may be maintained electronically.

(h) Issuance of Writs. Every writ from the justice courts must be in writing and be issued and signed by the clerk under seal of court or by the judge. The style thereof must be “The State of Texas.” It must, except where otherwise specially provided by law or these rules, be directed to the person or party upon whom it is to be served, be made returnable to the court, and note the date of its issuance. The issuance of a writ of possession is a ministerial act not subject to review or delay.

End

Notes and Comments

Comment to 2026 change: Rule 510 has been completely rewritten as a standalone rule to implement changes to chapter 24 of the Texas Property Code. Rule 510 is the only rule that governs eviction cases; the rules that govern procedures in justice court generally—Rules 500 to 507—do not apply.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 510.24 gathers the administrative provisions. A justice court loses plenary power to modify or vacate an eviction judgment on the earlier of the date an appeal is perfected or the day after the appeal deadline. A court may adopt local rules, forms, or standing orders under Rule 3a, but they may not require petition content beyond Rule 510.6, authorize dismissal for an improper petition that meets the rule, or require mediation or another pretrial proceeding.

The court must make Rule 510 and any local rules available, may provide but not require forms, and each judge must keep a permanent civil docket of the cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a Texas justice court make its own eviction rules?

Under Rule 510.24, a court may adopt local rules under Rule 3a, but they cannot add petition requirements beyond Rule 510.6 or require mediation.

When does a justice court lose the power to change an eviction judgment?

Rule 510.24 sets that point at the earlier of the date an appeal is perfected or the date after the deadline to appeal passes.

Does a Texas eviction court have to make you use its own forms?

No. Rule 510.24 lets a court provide forms to help parties file documents that comply with the rules, but the court must not require their use.

Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 510.24), published by the Texas Judicial Branch (txcourts.gov). Promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas. The plain-English summary is original and draws on official sources. Last verified June 28, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: administrative rules evictionplenary power evictionlocal rules evictioneviction docketTRCP 510.24