# How to Check If You Have an Eviction Before You Apply > Here’s how to check if you have an eviction before you apply. Search Texas JP court records, pull your screening reports, and find out what landlords will see. URL: https://evictionfriendlyapartments.com/guide/how-to-check-your-eviction-history-before-applying/ Last-Modified: 2026-11-01 Guide # How to Check If You Have an Eviction on Your Record Search JP court records, pull your screening reports, and check your LexisNexis file so you know what landlords will see. By **Eviction Friendly Apartment Team** Licensed Texas Real Estate Agents Updated November 1, 2026 Images are illustrations ![Illustration of two people looking up records on a desktop computer](/images/misc/harris-county-jp-court-online-records-portal-searc.webp?v=b9f5223f31) Before you apply anywhere, learn how to check if you have an eviction on your record and what it actually says. We often talk to renters who applied blind and burned hundreds of dollars in application fees at properties that were never going to approve them. Here’s how to pull the same records a landlord will see, before you pay a single fee. ## The three places landlords look Landlords usually see some mix of: 1. **JP court records**: some landlords check straight with the county 2. **Tenant screening reports** (SafeRent Solutions, RealPage, TransUnion, etc.): the main thing landlords look at 3. **LexisNexis**: public records like judgments and address history that some screeners use Your credit report matters too. It can show a related debt in collections, but it won’t show the eviction filing itself. Check all of it now: finding a surprise at home beats finding it at the leasing desk. ## Source 1: Search JP court records in your county Every eviction case in Texas is filed in the Justice of the Peace court for the precinct where the rental property is. Many large Texas counties let you search JP cases online. In others you’ll need to call or visit the JP clerk. Here’s where to look in the counties we work in most: - **Harris County (Houston)**: Harris County Justice Courts “[Find Your Case and Court Date](https://jpwebsite.harriscountytx.gov/FindMyCase/search.jsp)” search. Cases closed more than 5 years ago may not show up online, so call the JP clerk if you can’t find yours - **Dallas County**: [Dallas County court record search information](https://www.dallascounty.org/services/record-search/) (linked from the county’s JP Courts page) - **Bexar County (San Antonio)**: Bexar County Justice Information Portal. If you can’t find your case there, call the JP precinct clerk - **Travis County (Austin)**: Travis County Justice of the Peace Judicial Records search - **Tarrant County (Fort Worth, Arlington)**: Tarrant County Odyssey Public Access (pick the JP court) - **Collin County (Plano, Frisco)**: Collin County Online Judicial Search (covers the Justice Courts) - **Denton County**: Denton County Records Inquiry (covers all six JP precincts) - **Williamson County (Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park)**: Williamson County Records Inquiry (pick your JP court) Search by your name, then check that the address on each case is one where you lived. You should see: - Case number - Filing date - The disposition, meaning how the case ended (judgment, dismissed, nonsuited) - Any dollar amounts listed - Case status Print or save any paperwork that shows how the case ended, especially a dismissal. You’ll need it when you apply, and we may ask to see it too if we’re helping you. ## Source 2: Pull your tenant screening reports The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) gives you a free copy of your file once every 12 months from each of the big nationwide screening companies. Denied recently? The company named on your adverse action notice owes you one too, as long as you ask within 60 days. That notice is the denial the property has to give you, usually by letter or email. **How to ask the major companies for your report**: - **SafeRent Solutions**: call 888-333-2413 (weekdays, 8 to 6 Central). Or fill out the request form on [saferentsolutions.com/consumer-support](https://saferentsolutions.com/consumer-support/) and email it to Consumer@SafeRentSolutions.com. If you were screened by CoreLogic years ago, that business is now SafeRent - **RealPage (LeasingDesk)**: the consumer support page at realpage.com/support/consumer, 866-934-1124, or LDSConsumerInquiry@realpage.com - **LexisNexis Risk Solutions**: consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com or 866-897-8126 - **TransUnion SmartMove**: 866-775-0961 (SmartMove customer service) or mysmartmove.com - **Experian RentBureau**: mail in the request form on Experian’s rental history page, or call 877-704-4519 Have your Social Security number, date of birth, and past addresses ready so each company can confirm it’s you. SafeRent says it sends files within 3 to 5 business days. The others have up to 15 days to answer a free yearly request. **What to look for on the report**: - Balance status: paid, unpaid, in collections? - How it ended: judgment, dismissed, nonsuited? - Filing date: how old is it? - Any duplicate or wrong entries? - More than one filing listed? ## Source 3: Ask for your LexisNexis file LexisNexis Risk Solutions keeps public records like court judgments and address history. Some screening companies use those records, so your LexisNexis file is one more piece of what a landlord might see. Ask for it at [consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com](https://consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/) or call 866-897-8126. Look closely at: - Court judgments and eviction records tied to your name - Past addresses, and whether they’re really yours - Anything that belongs to someone with a similar name If the LexisNexis file has errors, dispute them there. Fixing them at the source helps. But you still need to dispute with every screening company that showed the same error. ## What to do after you’ve pulled the reports **If the reports show your eviction correctly** and everything on them matches what happened: - Write down how old the eviction is and whether the balance is paid - See which of our services match your situation ([unpaid balance](/apartments-that-accept-evictions-unpaid-balance/), [balance paid](/apartments-that-accept-evictions-balance-paid/), [dismissed](/apartments-that-accept-dismissed-evictions/), [over 2 years](/apartments-that-accept-evictions-over-2-years-old/)) **If the reports show errors**: - Dispute a wrong balance status - Dispute a wrong case outcome - Dispute records over 7 years old - See our [FCRA dispute guide](/guide/how-to-dispute-an-eviction-on-your-screening-report/) **If the reports show no eviction** at all but you were denied before: - The denial may have been about credit, income, or something else, not the eviction - Ask the property that denied you for the adverse action notice so you know which report they used ## How long the whole thing takes - **JP court records**: same day online, or a trip to the JP clerk’s office - **Screening reports**: a few days to about 2 weeks per company - **LexisNexis**: up to about 2 weeks - **FCRA disputes if you find errors**: 30 days per company (up to 45 in some cases) Give yourself 2 to 4 weeks to see everything and file any disputes. Then start applying for real. ## Checking first can save you application fees We’ve watched renters spend $500 to $1,500 in application fees learning what 2 weeks of checking would have told them for free. Check first. Then apply with a plan. Need help reading your reports? Fill out the form on our [home page](/) or call 888-846-7541. One of our licensed agents will go through your file with you. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Where is my eviction court record in Texas? In the Justice of the Peace (JP) court for the precinct where the rental property is. Many large Texas counties let you search JP cases online. In others you'll need to call or visit the JP clerk. ### How do I pull my own tenant screening report? Ask the screening companies directly, like SafeRent Solutions, RealPage, TransUnion SmartMove, or Experian RentBureau. Each one will send you your own file, and most let you ask by phone, online, or by mail. ### Is checking my record free? Mostly, yes. Court records are usually free to look up online in counties that offer a search. And the big nationwide screening companies have to give you a free copy once every 12 months under the FCRA. ## Related Guides - [10 Mistakes Renters With Evictions Make on Applications (And How to Avoid Them)](/guide/10-mistakes-renters-with-evictions-make-on-applications/): The 10 mistakes that cost renters with evictions the most when they apply, and how to avoid each one so you waste fewer fees. - [Can You Be Denied Housing for a Dismissed Eviction in Texas?](/guide/can-you-be-denied-housing-for-a-dismissed-eviction-in-texas/): Dismissed filings can still show up and get renters denied. Here’s why, and how to prove the dismissal to leasing offices. - [Can You Get an Eviction Expunged in Texas? (2026 Update)](/guide/can-you-get-an-eviction-expunged-in-texas/): Texas has no law for expunging an eviction, and sealing is rare. HB 2909 died in committee. We explain why the record stays and what to do instead. - [How Eviction Records Work in Texas: Court Records vs. Screening Reports vs. Credit Reports](/guide/court-records-vs-screening-reports-vs-credit-reports/): How the three kinds of records differ. Justice of the peace court records are public and stay on file. Screening reports follow the 7 year limit in the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and credit reports show only the debt. Free To You ### Ready to start your search? We usually reply during weekday business hours, often with a question or two. It's free to you. The property pays our broker when you sign. [Start Your Free Search](/start-now/) [Call 888-846-7541](tel:+18888467541) ## Talk to Our Licensed Agents Before You Apply Again We usually reply during weekday business hours. Your short list of Texas properties that may work with your eviction can take 24 to 48 hours on weekdays. There's no cost to you. [Start Your Free Search](/start-now/) [Call 888-846-7541](tel:+18888467541)