Texas Demand Letter for Payment
The letter that gets debts paid isn't angry — it's specific: the amount, the reason, a deadline, and the exact court you'll file in if it's ignored (in Texas, the Justice Court (Justice of the Peace Court)). Fill it in below and download a print-ready PDF. Free, no signup.
Maintained by Rapi Stack · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
Need the document itself?
Fill in a Texas demand letter and download a print-ready PDF — free, no signup, and it runs entirely in your browser.
Open the generator →The generator opens with Texas already selected.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I sue for in Texas if the letter is ignored?
$20,000 exclusive of interest (Tex. Gov't Code §27.031(a)(1)), raised from $10,000 effective Sept. 1, 2020 (SB 2342) and still current in 2026. The cap applies to the amount demanded; among the highest small-claims limits in the U.S. (now matched by Utah's $20,000 and West Virginia's $20,000). The court is the Justice Court (Justice of the Peace Court). Filing fee: Set per county: $54 base filing fee under Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §118.121, plus service of citation (typically ~$75-$85 per defendant, set locally), so total upfront cost is commonly $130-$160. Confirm with the county's JP precinct clerk.. As of 2026; source: Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500-507.
Do I need a lawyer in Texas small claims?
Attorneys are Yes — Tex. R. Civ. P. 500.4 lets parties appear pro se, through an attorney, or (for entities) through an authorized agent; the court is designed for self-represented litigants and no attorney is required.. That matters before you send the letter: where lawyers are barred, the person reading your letter knows they will be arguing it themselves, which is part of why demand letters get paid. Source: Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500-507 (as of 2026).
Can I demand more than $20,000?
Yes — a demand letter has no cap; only courts do. If you are owed more than $20,000, the letter is the same and the follow-through would be Texas's regular civil docket instead of the Justice Court (Justice of the Peace Court).
Wondering how far small claims goes in your state? See the limits in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute.
How Texas compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Texas: Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500-507 ↗.
- Small claims limit
Small claims limit: $20,000 — about 2× the national median of $10,000 across the 51 states with a statutory rule.
Ranked #3 of 51 states (tied with 3) — higher means larger disputes can use the small claims process.
3 other states use the same figure.
Small claims limit in neighboring states — Arkansas ($5,000), Louisiana ($5,000), New Mexico ($10,000), Oklahoma ($10,000). Texas's $20,000 is the longest among its neighbors.
The rest of what Texas requires
The figures below are Texas's, not national averages — each one is the value we verified for this state, with the statute it comes from. Follow a row to the full Texas page for that document.
- Security deposit cap · as of 2026
- No statutory limit Tex. Prop. Code §92.103 ↗
- Deposit return deadline · as of 2026
- 30 days after move-out Tex. Prop. Code §92.103 ↗
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy · as of 2026
- 30 days Tex. Prop. Code §92.103 ↗
- Notice for unpaid rent · as of 2026
- 3 days to pay or quit Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005; § 91.001 ↗
- Small claims limit · as of 2026
- $20,000 Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500-507 ↗
- Where you file · as of 2026
- Justice Court (Justice of the Peace Court) · filing fee Set per county: $54 base filing fee under Tex. Loc. Gov't Code §118.121, plus service of citation (typically ~$75-$85 per defendant, set locally), so total upfront cost is commonly $130-$160. Confirm with the county's JP precinct clerk. Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031; Tex. R. Civ. P. 500-507 ↗
- Rental application fee · as of July 2026
- No statutory limit Texas Statutes ↗
- Bill of sale notarization · as of 2026
- Not required Texas DMV / DMV.ORG ↗
- Power of attorney signing · as of 2026
- Notarization required Tex. Est. Code §751.0021 (form §752.051) ↗
- LLC operating agreement · as of 2026
- Not required by statute, but it controls over the default rules Tex. Bus. Orgs. Code §§ 101.001(1), 101.052 ↗
- Recording a deed · as of 2026
- County Clerk (Tex. Prop. Code § 12.001(b)(2); recording in the county where the land lies) · no witnesses Tex. Prop. Code § 12.001; § 5.021 (conveyance must be in writing, subscribed and delivered); § 13.006 (quitclaim/BFP rule) ↗
Demand letter in other states
More Texas legal forms
Different state? See demand letters by state →