How To File Bankruptcy for Free in Texas
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If you're dealing with debt that feels impossible to get out from under, Chapter 7 bankruptcy may be the fresh start you need. It can erase eligible debts like credit cards, medical bills, and payday loans — and many Texans file without a lawyer or any filing costs. This guide covers everything you need to know to file in Texas.
Written by Attorney Andrea Wimmer.
Updated September 28, 2026
5 Steps To File Chapter 7 in Texas
If you're feeling overwhelmed by bills, collection calls, or the stress of making ends meet, you're not alone. Many people turn to bankruptcy when they've tried everything else and still can't get ahead.
Filing Chapter 7 in Texas involves a few steps — gathering your financial documents, completing two short courses, filing your paperwork, and attending a brief meeting with a trustee — and many people do it successfully without a lawyer. This guide walks you through each step so you know exactly what to expect.
Step 1: See If You Qualify
Chapter 7 has income limits, but most people who need it meet them. You'll answer a few questions about your household size and income. If you use Upsolve's free tool, it just takes two minutes to see if you qualify.
If your income is below Texas’ median for a household your size, you'll likely pass the means test and qualify to file with Upsolve.
| Household Size | Monthly Income | Annual Income |
|---|---|---|
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Step 2: Gather Your Documents
Before you file, you'll need to pull together a few key documents. One of those is a certificate from a short credit counseling course, which you'll complete online. It takes 1–2 hours and costs $10–$50 (fee waivers available).
See the full document checklist →
Step 3: Complete Your Forms and File
The forms you'll fill out are federal, so they're the same across the country. You can find them as free fillable PDFs at uscourts.gov.
If you use Upsolve, your forms are generated for you based on your answers and organized so they’re ready to print and sign.
How filing works with Upsolve →
The Texas Bankruptcy Court is divided into four districts. Each district is split into divisions based on the county you live in. Every court has its own local rules and requirements to know about. We'll cover those in the Texas Bankruptcy Districts section below.
In all divisions, you can file your forms by mail or in person at your local courthouse. Some divisions also let you file online.
Filing Fee Information & Fee Waiver Eligibility
There’s a $338 filing fee for Chapter 7. If you can’t afford it, you can ask the court to waive the fee when you file your paperwork.
People whose income falls below 150% of the federal poverty level may be eligible. A bankruptcy judge will review your income and expenses and decide whether to grant the fee waiver.
| Household Size | State Poverty Level | Fee Waiver Limit (150% PL) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,330.00 | $1,995.00 |
| 2 | $1,803.33 | $2,705.00 |
| 3 | $2,276.67 | $3,415.00 |
| 4 | $2,750.00 | $4,125.00 |
| 5 | $3,223.33 | $4,835.00 |
| 6 | $3,696.67 | $5,545.00 |
| 7 | $4,170.00 | $6,255.00 |
| 8 | $4,643.33 | $6,965.00 |
| 9 | $5,116.67 | $7,675.00 |
| 10 | $5,590.00 | $8,385.00 |
Step 4: Attend Your 341 Meeting
About a month after you file, you'll have a short meeting with your bankruptcy trustee on Zoom. It typically takes about five minutes. The trustee will verify your identity and ask a few basic questions about your paperwork.
Upsolve can help you prep for your 341 meeting →
Step 5: Get Your Discharge
After your 341 meeting, you'll need to take one more short course — a debtor education course on budgeting and managing credit. Once that's done and any follow-up is resolved, the court erases your eligible debts. That's your fresh start, usually within 3–4 months of filing.
What debts does Chapter 7 discharge? →
Texas Bankruptcy Districts
Texas is home to four federal judicial districts, each with its own separate bankruptcy court system. The county you live in determines which district handles your bankruptcy case.
The Northern District covers northern and central Texas, including Fort Worth, Amarillo, Lubbock, and most of Dallas. The Eastern District covers eastern Texas, including Tyler, Beaumont, and parts of Dallas. The Southern District runs along the Gulf Coast and southern border, including Houston, Corpus Christi, and the Rio Grande Valley. The Western District covers central and West Texas, including Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Waco.
Each district has its own local rules, forms, and requirements, as explained in the sections below.
Local Forms/Requirements for the Northern District
The Northern District is split into seven divisions with four main filing locations. You can file your forms in person or by mail at the courthouse that serves your division. Filers in the Abilene, Amarillo, San Angelo, and Wichita Falls divisions can also file online using the court's free Electronic Self-Representation (eSR) tool. Dallas, Fort Worth, and Lubbock don't accept eSR filings.
A few divisions are handled by the clerk's office in a nearby city, so your filing address may not match your division's name.
⬇️ Find your county in the table to see which division will handle your case.
| Division | Counties | Court Address |
|---|---|---|
| Abilene | Callahan, Eastland, Fisher, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Mitchell, Nolan, Shackelford, Stephens, Stonewall, Taylor, Throckmorton | (use Lubbock) George Mahon Federal Building 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 306 Lubbock, TX 79401 |
| Amarillo | Armstrong, Briscoe, Carson, Castro, Childress, Collingsworth, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Donley, Gray, Hall, Hansford, Hartley, Hemphill, Hutchinson, Lipscomb, Moore, Ochiltree, Oldham, Parmer, Potter, Randall, Roberts, Sherman, Swisher, Wheeler | (use Lubbock) George Mahon Federal Building 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 306 Lubbock, TX 79401 |
| Dallas | Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Johnson, Kaufman, Navarro, Rockwall | Earle Cabell Federal Building 1100 Commerce Street, Room 1254 Dallas, TX 75242-1496 |
| Fort Worth | Comanche, Erath, Hood, Jack, Palo Pinto, Parker, Tarrant, Wise | Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse 501 West 10th Street Fort Worth, TX 76102 |
| Lubbock | Bailey, Borden, Cochran, Crosby, Dawson, Dickens, Floyd, Gaines, Garza, Hale, Hockley, Kent, Lamb, Lubbock, Lynn, Motley, Scurry, Yoakum, Terry | George Mahon Federal Building 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 306 Lubbock, TX 79401-4002 |
| San Angelo | Brown, Coke, Coleman, Concho, Crockett, Glasscock, Irion, Menard, Mills, Reagan, Runnels, Schleicher, Sterling, Sutton, and Tom Green | (use Lubbock) George Mahon Federal Building 1205 Texas Avenue, Room 306 Lubbock, TX 79401 |
| Wichita Falls | Archer, Baylor, Clay, Cottle, Foard, Hardeman, King, Knox, Montague, Wichita, Wilbarger, and Young | (use Dallas) Earle Cabell Federal Building 1100 Commerce Street, Room 1254 Dallas, TX 75242 |
The Northern District has some local requirements along with the standard federal forms:
You must bring a copy of your Social Security card and a valid photo ID issued by the state of Texas and present it to the clerk when you file your bankruptcy forms. If you're filing by mail, include copies of these documents with your forms.
You must create a creditor matrix and file it along with your other bankruptcy forms. This is a list of all your creditors' names and mailing addresses, in alphabetical order. You must use the court's specific formatting requirements.
You also have to complete and sign a Verification of Matrix form and attach it as the last page of your creditor matrix.
If you file online using eSR, the court will email you two forms, a Declaration Regarding Electronic Filing and a Statement About Your Social Security Number. Once you've signed them, you have two deadlines.
Within two days, upload those signed forms to the court's Electronic Document Submission System, along with:
A copy of your photo ID
Your fee waiver or installment application, if you're using one
Within 14 days, you’ll need to mail or present the original documents you uploaded to the court, along with your credit counseling certificate and your filing fee payment. Your case isn't filed until the court receives and processes the uploaded documents.
💰 You can pay the $338 filing fee with a cashier's check or money order made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court. You can also pay online at pay.gov with a bank account, PayPal, or debit card.
The court's website has basic guidance for pro se filers.
Local Forms/Requirements for the Eastern District
The Eastern District is further divided into six divisions. You can file your forms in person or by mail at the courthouse that serves your division, or you can file online using the court's free Electronic Self-Representation (eSR) tool.
A few divisions are handled by the clerk's office in a nearby city, so your filing address may not match your division's name.
⬇️ Find your county in the table below to see which division will handle your case.
| Division | Counties | Court Address |
|---|---|---|
| Beaumont | Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Newton, Orange | U.S. Bankruptcy Court 300 Willow Street, Suite 100 Beaumont, TX 77701 |
| Lufkin | Angelina, Houston, Nacogdoches, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler | (use Beaumont) U.S. Bankruptcy Court 300 Willow Street, Suite 100 Beaumont, TX 77701 |
| Marshall | Camp, Cass, Harrison, Marion, Morris, Upshur | (use Tyler) U.S. Bankruptcy Court 110 North College Avenue, 9th Floor Tyler, TX 75702 |
| Sherman | Collin, Cooke, Delta, Denton, Fannin, Grayson, Hopkins, Lamar | (use Plano) U.S. Bankruptcy Court 660 North Central Expressway, Suite 300B Plano, TX 75074 |
| Tyler | Anderson, Cherokee, Gregg, Henderson, Panola, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, Wood | U.S. Bankruptcy Court 110 North College Avenue, 9th Floor Tyler, TX 75702 |
| Texarkana | Bowie, Franklin, Red River, Titus | (use Plano) U.S. Bankruptcy Court 660 North Central Expressway, Suite 300B Plano, TX 75074 |
The Eastern District does have some noteworthy local requirements along with the standard federal forms:
On the bankruptcy forms where you list creditors (Schedules D and E/F), your creditors must be listed in alphabetical order.
You must send a copy of your valid, government-issued photo ID, enlarged to 150% of actual size, to your case trustee along with your other documents at least seven days before your 341 meeting.
You must create a creditor matrix and file it along with your other bankruptcy forms. A creditor matrix is a list of all your creditors’ names, in alphabetical order, and their mailing addresses. You must use the court’s specific formatting requirements and attach a signed Verification of Matrix form to the last page of your creditor matrix.
💻 If you file online using eSR, you’ll get a confirmation email from the court with additional items to submit. Your case isn't officially filed yet.
Within two business days, you'll upload signed PDF copies of these items to the court's Electronic Document Submission System:
The signed copy of the signature page of your petition
A copy of your government-issued photo ID, like a driver's license or passport
A Statement About Your Social Security Numbers
A Declaration Regarding Electronic Filing
After the court receives those documents, it sends you a Notice of Bankruptcy Case Filing with your case number, usually within one business day. Once you have your case number, you'll pay the $338 filing fee online, unless you apply to pay in installments or request a waiver.
Within 14 days, you'll also need to mail or present the original signed documents you uploaded, along with your credit counseling certificate and pay stubs.
💰 You can pay the $338 filing fee with a cashier’s check or money order made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court. You can also pay online at Pay.gov with a debit card, PayPal, or bank account.
The court’s website has basic guidance to help people filing Chapter 7 without a lawyer.
Local Forms/Requirements for the Southern District
The Southern District is further divided into seven divisions. You can file your forms in person or by mail at the courthouse that serves your division.
⬇️ Find your county in the table below to see which division will handle your case.
| Division | Counties | Court Address |
|---|---|---|
| Brownsville | Cameron, Willacy | U.S. Courthouse 600 East Harrison Street Brownsville, TX 78520 |
| Corpus Christi | Aransas, Bee, Brooks, Duval, Jim Wells, Kenedy, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, San Patricio | U.S. Courthouse 1133 North Shoreline Blvd Corpus Christi, TX 78401 |
| Galveston | Brazoria, Chambers, Galveston, Matagorda | U.S. Post Office and Courthouse 601 Rosenberg, Room 411 Galveston, TX 77550 |
| Houston | Austin, Brazos, Colorado, Fayette, Fort Bend, Grimes, Harris, Madison, Montgomery, San Jacinto, Walker, Waller, Wharton | Bob Casey U.S. Courthouse 515 Rusk Avenue Houston, TX 77002 |
| Laredo | Jim Hogg, La Salle, McMullen, Webb, Zapata | U.S. Courthouse 1300 Victoria Street Laredo, TX 78040 |
| McAllen | Hidalgo, Starr | U.S. Courthouse 1701 West Business Hwy 83 McAllen, TX 78501 |
| Victoria | Calhoun, DeWitt, Goliad, Jackson, Lavaca, Refugio, Victoria | Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Building 312 South Main, Room 406 Victoria, TX 77901 |
The Southern District has some local requirements along with the standard federal forms:
On the bankruptcy forms where you list creditors (Schedules D and E/F), your creditors must be listed in alphabetical order.
You must bring a copy of your valid, government-issued photo ID with you and present it to the clerk when you file your bankruptcy forms.
If you're filing by mail, include a copy with your forms.
You must create a creditor matrix and file it along with your other bankruptcy forms.
A creditor matrix is a list of all your creditors’ names and mailing addresses, in alphabetical order. You must use the court’s specific formatting requirements.
💰 You can pay the $338 filing fee with a cashier's check or money order made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Local Forms/Requirements for the Western District
The Western District is further divided into five divisions. You can file your forms in person or by mail at the courthouse that serves your division.
⬇️ Find your county in the table below to see which division will handle your case.
| Division | Counties | Court Address |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Bastrop, Blanco, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Gillespie, Hays, Kimble, Lampasas, Lee, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Washington, Williamson | Homer J. Thornberry Federal Judicial Building 903 San Jacinto Blvd, Suite 322 Austin, TX 78701 |
| El Paso | El Paso | R.E. Thomason Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse 511 E. San Antonio Avenue, Room 444 El Paso, TX 79901 |
| Midland | Andrews, Brewster, Crane, Culberson, Ector, Hudspeth, Jeff Davis, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Presidio, Reeves, Upton, Ward, Winkler | (use Austin Division) Homer J. Thornberry Federal Judicial Building 903 San Jacinto Blvd, Suite 322 Austin, TX 78701 |
| San Antonio | Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kenney, Kerr, Maverick, Medina, Real, Terrell, Uvalde, Val Verde, Wilson, Zavala | Hipolito F. Garcia Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse 615 East Houston Street, Room 597 San Antonio, TX 78205 |
| Waco | Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Freestone, Hamilton, Hill, Leon, Limestone, McLennan, Milam, Robertson, Somervell | U.S. Courthouse 800 Franklin Avenue, #140 Waco, TX 76701 |
Along with the standard federal forms, the Western District’s does have some local requirements:
You must bring (or mail) one original and one copy of the bankruptcy forms you file with the court.
The court has detailed filing requirements for your forms.
You must complete a Pro Se Questionnaire and file it along with your other forms.
You must create a creditor matrix and file it along with your other bankruptcy forms.
A creditor matrix is a list of all your creditors’ names and mailing addresses, in alphabetical order. You must use the court’s specific formatting requirements.
You must complete and sign a Verification of Matrix form and attach it as the last page of your creditor matrix.
💰 You can pay the $338 filing fee with a cashier's check or money order made payable to Clerk, U.S. Bankruptcy Court.
Free Legal Aid in Texas
If your case is more complex — or you'd just feel better having an attorney review it — free and low-cost legal help is available across Texas.
Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (817) 649-4740 600 East Weatherford Street Fort Worth, TX 76102
Lone Star Legal Aid (713) 652-0077 1415 Fannin Street Houston, TX 77002
Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, Inc. (512) 374-2725 301 South Texas Avenue Mercedes, TX 78570
Common Questions About Filing Bankruptcy in Texas
