Search Ellis County Bankruptcy Records
Ellis County bankruptcy records are filed through the Northern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, Dallas Division. The county seat is Waxahachie, and Ellis County residents and businesses file their cases at the Earle Cabell Federal Building in Dallas at 1100 Commerce Street. You can search Ellis County bankruptcy filings online through PACER or contact the Northern District clerk for help with specific cases. All Chapter 7, Chapter 11, and Chapter 13 cases are public records open to anyone.
Ellis County Overview
Ellis County Federal Bankruptcy Court
Ellis County is part of the Northern District of Texas Bankruptcy Court, Dallas Division. The Dallas Division is located at the Earle Cabell Federal Building, 1100 Commerce St., Room 1254, Dallas, TX 75242. This is one of the busiest bankruptcy courts in Texas. Ellis County residents and businesses file their cases at this court, which handles a large number of filings from the Dallas-Fort Worth region and surrounding counties.
The Dallas Division serves Ellis County along with several other North Texas counties. Case records, docket sheets, schedules, and filed motions for Ellis County cases are all accessible through the Northern District's PACER portal. The court's website at txnb.uscourts.gov has local rules, forms, and filing guidance.
| Court | U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District of Texas |
|---|---|
| Division | Dallas Division |
| Address | 1100 Commerce St., Rm 1254, Dallas, TX 75242 |
| Website | txnb.uscourts.gov |
| VCIS | 866-222-8029 |
U.S. Trustee Region 6, based in Dallas, oversees Ellis County bankruptcy cases. The regional trustee office monitors case administration, reviews trustee conduct, and makes sure debtors follow Bankruptcy Code requirements. Region 6 covers all Northern District of Texas cases. Contact details are at justice.gov/ust.
How to Find Ellis County Bankruptcy Cases
To search Ellis County bankruptcy records online, use PACER. After signing up for a free account, you can search the Northern District by debtor name, case number, or filing date. PACER gives you access to docket sheets, filed documents, creditor lists, schedules, and orders. Viewing documents costs a small per-page fee. Basic lookups are usually free or very low cost.
You can also use the Northern District's Voice Case Information System at 866-222-8029. This phone line provides basic case information without requiring a PACER account. You can confirm whether a case exists, get the case number, and find out the chapter type and case status. It is a useful first step if you just want a quick check.
Ellis County bankruptcy cases are public records under 11 U.S.C. § 107. The court can seal specific documents in limited circumstances, but most filings are fully accessible. Fed. R. Bankr. P. 9037 requires that Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and birth dates be partially redacted in all filed documents.
If you need older cases filed before the court moved to electronic records, contact the Dallas Division clerk or submit a request to the National Archives. Paper records may require extra processing time.
The Ellis County Government website provides access to county services including property records and deed filings maintained by the County Clerk at the Waxahachie courthouse.
The Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, handles all Ellis County bankruptcy filings. Property records held at the Waxahachie courthouse may also be relevant when the trustee needs to verify real estate assets in a case.
Filing Bankruptcy in Ellis County
Ellis County residents file for bankruptcy through the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, at 1100 Commerce Street in Dallas. Local rules and all required forms are on the Northern District forms page. Attorneys file electronically through CM/ECF. Pro se debtors can file paper forms at the Dallas clerk's office during business hours.
Federal filing fees apply. Chapter 7 cases cost $338. Chapter 13 costs $313. Chapter 11 costs $1,738. Fee waivers are available for individuals with income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. You apply for the waiver at the time of filing, and the court decides whether to approve it.
Before filing, you must complete an approved credit counseling course within 180 days before your case. After filing, debtor education must be completed before the court issues a discharge. Approved providers are listed on the U.S. Trustee site at justice.gov/ust.
Note: The Northern District requires a properly formatted creditor matrix and complete schedules filed at the same time as the petition.
Ellis County Bankruptcy Resources
Several resources are useful for researching Ellis County bankruptcy cases. The federal court is the primary source, but county-level records can also be relevant depending on what you are looking for.
The Ellis County Clerk at the Waxahachie courthouse maintains property records, deed filings, and official county documents. These records can be important in bankruptcy cases when the trustee must identify or verify real property owned by the debtor. The county website at co.ellis.tx.us has contact information for county offices.
Key resources for Ellis County bankruptcy matters:
- Northern District Bankruptcy Court - Dallas Division case filings
- PACER - search federal court records online
- Northern District Local Rules and Forms
- U.S. Trustee Region 6 - Dallas regional office
- Ellis County Government - county clerk and property records
Nearby Counties
Ellis County is in North Texas, south of Dallas. Neighboring counties that also file through the Northern District of Texas include the following.