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Rule 25.Clerk's File Docket

Last verified June 28, 2026

In one sentenceRule 25 requires each clerk to keep a file docket recording, for every suit, the case number, the attorneys and parties, the nature of the suit, the officer's return, and each later proceeding with its date.

Full Text of Rule 25

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Each clerk shall keep a file docket which shall show in convenient form the number of the suit, the names of the attorneys, the names of the parties to the suit, and the nature thereof, and, in brief form, the officer's return on the process, and all subsequent proceedings had in the case with the dates thereof.
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Plain-English Summary

Rule 25 sets out the clerk's file docket. For each suit, it shows in convenient form the case number, the names of the attorneys and parties, the nature of the suit, a brief note of the officer's return on the process, and every later proceeding with its date. The file docket is a running index of what has happened in a case.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a clerk's file docket in Texas?

A record the clerk keeps under Rule 25 showing, for each suit, the case number, attorneys, parties, nature of the suit, the officer's return, and all later proceedings with dates.

What does the officer's return show on the file docket?

A brief note of how process was served, or attempted, on the parties. Rule 25 has the clerk record this note in the file docket along with the case number and the parties' names.

How is the file docket different from the court docket?

The file docket, kept under Rule 25, tracks filings and proceedings in each case as they occur. Rule 26's court docket is a separate, permanent record focused on the court's own pleas, motions, and rulings.

Source & verification. Rule text and the official Notes and Comments are reproduced verbatim from the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure (Tex. R. Civ. P. 25), 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: clerk's file docketfile docketcase indexrecord of case proceedingsTRCP 25