A signed judge’s order must be on file with the Travis County District Clerk before processing any refund request. You may obtain an order by hiring an attorney or filing the request on your own.
Please be aware clerks are not allowed to give any information or answer questions which could be considered legal advice.
On This Page
Refund Information
Once a judge signs an order and that order is on file with the Travis County District Clerk’s Office, a 30-day waiting period starts. After the waiting period, the refund process is about 7 to 10 business days. Per statute, some bond refunds are subject to a fee of 5% of the total bond amount, not to exceed $50 [Ref. Sec. 117.055 (a) Local Government Code] except for bonds associated with Family Courts. Refunds are made via check and sent through US Mail.
For felony cases (ex., cause number D-1-DC-55-555555), a signed order that refunds cash bonds is required. A blank order form is provided which you can find on this page: Order Refunding Cash Bond.
If you prefer to create your own refund order, it must have the:
- Cause number
- Style of the case
- Amount of bond
- Name, address, and telephone number of the person requesting the bond refund
- Place for the date
- Presiding judge’s signature
A copy of the Sheriff’s receipt must be attached to the order. This allows our office to verify the identity of the person listed under the “received from” section and whether they’re entitled to the refund bond. If someone other than the person named in the Sheriff’s receipt is requesting the cash bond refund, please attach a notarized “Assignment of Cash Bond Securities Form” to the order. All bond checks are mailed through the US postal service.
Mail documents to:
Travis County District Clerk
Attn: Criminal Bonds
PO Box 679003
Austin, TX 78767
Hand deliver documents to:
Travis County District Clerk
501 West 11th Street
Room 2.300
Austin, Texas 78701 (Map)
If you need assistance with e-filing, please visit the official E-Filing System for Texas (eFileTexas.gov).
