Texas Eviction Notice
Create a proper Texas eviction notice — pay-or-quit, cure-or-quit, or termination — and download a print-ready PDF. Free, no signup. The preview updates as you type.
Maintained by the SealForms editorial team · Every state-specific figure on this page is cited to its statute or official agency page · Dataset last verified 2026 · Not legal advice.
What happens after the notice in Texas
If the tenant does not comply, the eviction moves to court. These are Texas’s own rules for that step, from the judiciary and the statute.
- What the case is called. In Texas an eviction lawsuit is a(n) Eviction suit (forcible detainer / forcible entry and detainer) action. — Tex. Prop. Code § 24.004(a) ↗
- Where to file. If the tenant doesn’t comply with the notice, the landlord files in the Justice Court (precinct where the property is located). — Tex. Prop. Code § 24.004(a) (current through 89th Leg. 2nd C.S., 2025) ↗
- How to serve the notice. At least 3 days' written notice to vacate (or pay-or-vacate) delivered by mail (first class, registered, certified or delivery service), delivery inside the premises in a conspicuous place, hand delivery to any tenant 16+, or e-mail/electronic if agreed in writing (eff. Jan. 1, 2026). — Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a), (f-3) as amended by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., Ch. 960 (S.B. 38), eff. January 1, 2026 ↗
- Filing fee. $54 filing fee per TJCTC self-help packet, plus per-tenant constable/sheriff service fee. — TJCTC Self-Help Information Packet – Eviction Plaintiff (2026) ↗
- No self-help. Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081(b): landlord may not intentionally prevent a tenant from entering except by judicial process (narrow exceptions incl. rent-delinquency lock change with notice); § 92.008 bars utility interruption. — Tex. Prop. Code § 92.0081(b) and § 92.008(a) ↗
Each point links to the Texas source it was taken from. Rules change; confirm before relying on them.
Texas notice periods · as of 2026
- Non-payment of rent
- 3 days
- Lease violation (cure)
- Often unconditional
- End month-to-month
- 30 days
Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005; § 91.001 · verify ↗. Using the wrong number can void the notice — confirm the current rule before you serve it.
Live preview · updates as you type
Notice to Pay or Quit / Vacate
State of Texas
Date: __________. To: __________ ("Tenant"), and all occupants of __________ (the "Premises").
You are hereby notified that you are in violation of your tenancy for the following reason: __________ . Amount due, if applicable: $______.
You are required, within ____ days as required by Texas law, on or before__________, to cure the violation (or pay the amount due) OR to vacate and surrender the Premises. If you fail to do so, the landlord may begin eviction proceedings in court.
This notice is given under the landlord-tenant laws of the State of Texas. Nothing here waives the landlord’s rights.
Generated with SealFormsReflects Texas law · verified 2026
Types of eviction notice
- Pay or quit — for unpaid rent: pay by the deadline or move out.
- Cure or quit — for a lease violation: fix it by the deadline or move out.
- Unconditional / termination — to end a month-to-month tenancy or for serious violations.
Texas notice period & service
The number of days and how you must deliver the notice are set by Texas law — get both right, keep proof of service, and never lock out or remove a tenant yourself. Check the current Texas eviction rules before serving.
Frequently asked questions
How many days notice do I have to give in Texas?
In Texas, a non-payment (pay-or-quit) notice must give the tenant 3 days to pay or leave (as of 2026). Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005; § 91.001. Notice periods for lease violations or ending a tenancy differ — see the box on this page and confirm current law before serving.
Is an eviction notice the same as eviction?
No. The notice is the required first step — it gives the tenant a chance to pay, fix the problem, or move out by a deadline. If they don’t, you then file an eviction (unlawful detainer) case in court. You cannot lock out or remove a tenant yourself; only a court and law enforcement can carry out an eviction.
How do I serve the notice in Texas?
States set rules for delivery — often personal delivery, leaving it with an adult at the home, and/or mailing a copy. Keep proof of how and when you served it. Improper service is a common reason eviction cases get dismissed, so follow Texas’s method carefully.
Do I need a lawyer?
Not always for the notice itself, but eviction is technical and a small mistake can restart the clock. For contested cases, commercial properties, or if the tenant has an attorney, it’s worth consulting a landlord-tenant lawyer in Texas.
Where does a landlord file an eviction case in Texas?
If the tenant does not comply with the notice, the landlord files in the Justice Court (precinct where the property is located) (the case is called a(n) Eviction suit (forcible detainer / forcible entry and detainer) action). Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 24.004(a) (current through 89th Leg. 2nd C.S., 2025).
How must an eviction notice be served in Texas?
At least 3 days' written notice to vacate (or pay-or-vacate) delivered by mail (first class, registered, certified or delivery service), delivery inside the premises in a conspicuous place, hand delivery to any tenant 16+, or e-mail/electronic if agreed in writing (eff. Jan. 1, 2026). Source: Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005(a), (f-3) as amended by Acts 2025, 89th Leg., Ch. 960 (S.B. 38), eff. January 1, 2026.
What does it cost to file an eviction in Texas?
$54 filing fee per TJCTC self-help packet, plus per-tenant constable/sheriff service fee. Source: TJCTC Self-Help Information Packet – Eviction Plaintiff (2026).
How does Texas compare? See the notice periods in all 50 states, every figure cited to statute. Not sure which notice applies? Try the 2-question wizard.
How Texas compares
Computed from our 51-jurisdiction dataset (as of 2026). Source for Texas: Tex. Prop. Code § 24.005; § 91.001 ↗.
- Notice to pay rent or quit
Notice to pay rent or quit: 3 days — below the national median of 5 days across the 47 states with a statutory rule.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 15 other states.
Notice to pay rent or quit in neighboring states — Arkansas (3 days), Louisiana (5 days), New Mexico (3 days), Oklahoma (5 days).
- Notice to cure a lease violation
Texas sets no statutory cure period for lease violations; check the lease and local court rules before serving.
Notice to cure a lease violation in neighboring states — Arkansas (14 days), Louisiana (no statutory rule), New Mexico (7 days), Oklahoma (15 days).
- Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy: 30 days, exactly the national median.
This is the most common figure nationally — shared by 36 other states.
Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy in neighboring states — Arkansas (30 days), Louisiana (10 days), New Mexico (30 days), Oklahoma (30 days).
Eviction notice in other states
More Texas legal forms
Different state? See eviction notices by state →