Last amended June 1, 2020 · Last verified June 28, 2026
In one sentenceRule 117 sets the return for a published citation — for a newspaper, the dates of publication signed by the officer with an image of the publication; for the website, the dates generated by the Office of Court Administration.
(a)Return of Citation by Newspaper Publication. If the citation was served by newspaper publication, the return must state how the citation was published, specify the dates of publication, be signed by the officer who served the citation, and be accompanied by an image of the publication.
(b)Return of Citation by Public Information Internet Website Publication. If the citation was served by publication on the Public Information Internet Website, the return must specify the dates of publication and be generated by the Office of Court Administration.
End
Plain-English Summary
Rule 117 says how to prove a published citation ran. If the citation was published in a newspaper, the return states how and when it was published, is signed by the officer who served it, and includes an image of the publication. If it was published on the Public Information Internet Website, the return specifies the publication dates and is generated by the Office of Court Administration.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is publication service proved in Texas?
Under Rule 117, by a return showing the dates of publication — signed by the serving officer with an image of the newspaper publication, or generated by the Office of Court Administration for website publication.
Who signs the return for a newspaper-published citation under Rule 117?
The officer who served the citation signs it, and the return must state how and when the citation was published and include an image of the publication.
Who prepares the return for a citation published on the state website under Rule 117?
The Office of Court Administration generates that return, and it need only specify the dates the citation ran on the Public Information Internet Website.
Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the
Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 117), 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:return of citation by publicationproof of publicationofficer's return of publicationwebsite publication returnproving service by publicationTRCP 117