Office of Court Administration

Texas Court Reminder Program

eCourtDate is the official court reminder provider for the Texas Court system.

Texas Office of Court Administration seal

Authorized by HB4293 in the 87th Texas Legislature

The Texas Court Reminder Program is provided at no cost to counties. Municipalities are invited to join at cost.

Benefits to your Court

Our service is designed to help your court increase appearance rates, accept payments faster, and communicate seamlessly with the public.

  • Decrease failure-to-appear (FTA) rates
  • Improve access to justice
  • Reduce the number of warrants issued
  • Accept payments faster
  • Reduce the number of phone calls to the court
  • Save on paper and postage
  • Improve communication with the public

Included Features

The Texas Court Reminder Program makes several features (use cases) available free of charge. The Court Reminders use case must be utilized in conjunction with any of the other use cases.

Our service includes the following features:

  • Multilingual text and email notifications
  • Web-based portals for defendants, jurors, and attorneys
  • Integration with case management systems
  • Customizable reminders and notifications
  • Send and receive encrypted files
  • Reporting and analytics

Eligible Jurisdictions

  • Supreme Court
  • Court of Criminal Appeals
  • Courts of Appeals
  • District Courts
  • Statutory County Courts
  • Statutory Probate Courts
  • Constitutional County Courts
  • Justice Courts
  • Municipal Courts (provided at cost)

Visit the Texas Judicial Branch Court Reminder Program page here.

Download the SFTP Guide for Tyler Technologies' Odyssey.

Download the API Guide for Tyler Technologies' Odyssey.

Onboarding

Our team will work with your court to onboard your staff and customize the software to meet your needs.

Learn more about onboarding here

Sign Up for the Texas Court Reminder Program

The Early Adopter phase has closed, but you can still join the program! Please sign up to register, and you will be notified as soon as the next round opens.

Texas Court Reminder Program

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I sign up?
Fill out the above form and you will receive an email with a link to schedule your initial onboarding meeting. The initial meeting is a virtual demo and discovery meeting and is scheduled for an hour. We recommend inviting any business and IT users who are stakeholders in your department.
What Department or Official should on-board the County for the Service?
The Clerk of the Court is the custodian of the record and recommended as the representative for the county for the onboarding process. If other departments are identified as the contact, exceptions will be reviewed for approval.
What types of reminders can I send?
This program was created to decrease failure-to-appear (FTA) rates across Texas. In addition to court date reminders, your court can send payment reminders, forms, jury information, victim notifications, emergency alerts, scheduling reminders, and more. Probation, Pre-trial Diversion, and Community Supervision hearings/appointments for defendants are currently not covered under the court reminder program.
What kinds of recipients can I notify?
OCA authorizes notifications to be sent to defendants, plaintiffs, jurors, victims, attorneys, bail agents, officers, court staff & liaisons, and judges.
Do I have to integrate with my existing Case Management System?
For the most efficient use of the court reminder program, integration will provide the ability to use the data already established in the case management system. However, eCourtDate can be used entirely standalone. Authorized users can manually manage messaging and bulk upload events. Recipients can self-enroll directly through a Web Portal.
What's the minimum data that we need to provide?
The court reminder system can send reminders via phone, text, or email. For the system to utilize data in the case management system, the case must contain one or both of these data elements. If you are planning on bulk uploading or integrating with your case management system, you will need to provide the following:
  • Recipient Type
  • First and Last Name
  • Phone and/or Email
  • Person ID (if available)
For event reminders, we recommend providing:
  • Event Date
  • Event Time
  • Event Type
  • Event Status
  • Location Name
  • Case Number
  • Assigned Judge
Download Sample "Events" File
Download Sample "Payments" File
Which languages does the system support?
eCourtDate supports sending in up to 100 languages with English as the default. The system allows for auto-translation of templates but strongly recommends reviewing any messaging with a Licensed Court Interpreter.
Is the geolocation tracking option available with the Texas Court Reminder Program?
No, geolocation tracking is not available to jurisdictions under the Texas Court Reminder Program.
How soon can we go live?
You can go live with eCourtDate in as little as one month. Our streamlined onboarding process ensures a smooth setup, including integration, training, and customization to meet your court’s specific needs.
Is there a cost to use eCourtDate?
Authorized and mandated by HB4293 in the 87th Texas Legislature, the Texas Court Reminder Program is provided at no cost to counties. Municipalities are invited to join at cost.
Is there a cost to integrate with my existing Case Management System?
In some cases, the CMS provider may charge fees for integration. These fees, if applicable, are determined by the CMS vendor and are not included in the scope of the OCA contract. eCourtDate does not charge any fees for integration.
Is training provided for staff?
Yes, we provide administrator and user training for your team, including how to manage reminders, view reports, and update user preferences. Ongoing training is also available after implementation.
Can eCourtDate be customized for my court's needs?
Yes, eCourtDate is highly customizable to fit the specific needs of your court. You can adjust reminder templates, delivery times, and other settings based on your preferences.
What if our court has multiple departments?
eCourtDate can manage reminders for multiple jurisdictions, departments, and court divisions. Each entity can have its own configuration for reminders. Any of the functions that eCourtDate has are available for use as long as you are using the text reminders function. You can see all the functions here.
How can I access my court's eCourtDate dashboard?
During onboarding, court administrators will create login credentials for the eCourtDate dashboard, where they can manage cases, send reminders, and view reports.
Are there any technical requirements for onboarding?
eCourtDate integrates with most case management systems and relevant data sources, and our team will guide you through any technical requirements.
Who will have access to information provided in the platform?
Each individual agency will only be able to see their own information. Aggregate information will be available to the OCA for billing purposes.
What happens if after we commit, we decide we don't want to participate?
There is no requirement to commit, outside of the use requirement to provide text notifications. There are many benefits to sending court reminders, including decreased failure to appear rates and much more. This service is also free to counties. Should you choose not to participate, your jurisdiction will be removed from the platform.