When is a motion for new trial due in a Texas justice-court case?

Obtain the signed justice-court judgment and actual signing date.

Identify the proposed showing that justice was not done in trial.

Arrange service on every other party by the next business day after filing.

1. Obtain the signed justice-court judgment and actual signing date.
2. Identify the proposed showing that justice was not done in trial.
3. Arrange service on every other party by the next business day after filing.
4. Exclude judgment signing and count fourteen calendar days under Rule 500.4. Do not import the thirty-day district or county motion period. The next-business-day service does not extend filing.
5. Check the actual court calendar and complete the required act.

Rule 500.4 excludes the triggering day and counts every intermediate day, including Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays, even for periods of five days or less. A final Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday moves to the next eligible day. If the last filing day is a day the court closes before 5:00 p.m., filing moves to the court’s next business day. Establish that actual closure separately. Do not import Rule 4’s short-period exclusion or the distinct Rule 510 eviction procedure.

Fictitious example

Fictitious facts. Actual signing of the justice-court judgment occurred August 18, 2027. The stated ordinary branch applies without another effective event, service addition, controlling order or early court closure.

Fictitious ordinary facts. Actual case, service, signing, legal holidays, court closure before 5:00 p.m. and orders require checking.

Covered case and actual court directions

Rules 500.1(a)–(c) identify the covered small-claims, debt and repair-and-remedy cases and any controlling special rule. Rule 500.1(d) places eviction under Rule 510. Other Civil Rules and Evidence Rules apply only as specified by law or these rules, or as the judge determines necessary for fairness under .1(e).

Filing and service remain separate

Rule 501.4 governs papers other than citation and generally requires service on all other parties and a signed written certificate describing method and date. Email requires an expressly provided address and written consent; email or fax after 5:00 p.m. recipient local time is deemed served the following day. Mail may add three days to a document-response period under .4(b). It does not automatically add time to every judgment-signing, court-order or filing-based period. Prove the actual method and event instead of silently assuming effective service.

Good-cause extension has exclusions

Rule 500.4(c) permits good-cause extensions except periods relating to new trial and appeal. A request alone does not grant relief, and this general provision does not authorize extending those excluded periods.

Required showing and one-new-trial limit

Rule 505.3(c) allows a new trial upon a showing that justice was not done and permits only one new trial to either party. Filing a timely motion does not prove that showing or grant relief.

Actual ruling and independent appeal

Rule 505.3(e) specifies automatic denial if no ruling occurs, including its 5:00 p.m. boundary. Rule .3(d) does not require this motion to preserve the right to appeal the underlying judgment; Rule 506.1 governs the actual appeal.

• Actual service, receipt, signing, historical editions, legal holidays and court instructions require separate assessment.
• This guide does not establish a favorable ruling or automatically extend an excluded period.

• Obtain the signed justice-court judgment and actual signing date.
• Identify the proposed showing that justice was not done in trial.
• Arrange service on every other party by the next business day after filing.
• Rules 500.1(a)–(c) identify the covered small-claims, debt and repair-and-remedy cases and any controlling special rule. Rule 500.1(d) places eviction under Rule 510. Other Civil Rules and Evidence Rules apply only as specified by law or these rules, or as the judge determines necessary for fairness under .1(e).
• Rule 501.4 governs papers other than citation and generally requires service on all other parties and a signed written certificate describing method and date. Email requires an expressly provided address and written consent; email or fax after 5:00 p.m. recipient local time is deemed served the following day. Mail may add three days to a document-response period under .4(b). It does not automatically add time to every judgment-signing, court-order or filing-based period. Prove the actual method and event instead of silently assuming effective service.
• Rule 500.4(c) permits good-cause extensions except periods relating to new trial and appeal. A request alone does not grant relief, and this general provision does not authorize extending those excluded periods.
• Rule 505.3(c) allows a new trial upon a showing that justice was not done and permits only one new trial to either party. Filing a timely motion does not prove that showing or grant relief.
• Rule 505.3(e) specifies automatic denial if no ruling occurs, including its 5:00 p.m. boundary. Rule .3(d) does not require this motion to preserve the right to appeal the underlying judgment; Rule 506.1 governs the actual appeal.
• File the actual new-trial motion and serve all other parties by the next business day under Rule 501.4. Preserve the showing, filing, service and actual ruling. Rule 502.1 generally requires the actual written, signed document filed with the justice court. It permits personal or commercial delivery, mail, or electronic filing if allowed by the court. Electronic filing is governed by Rule 21, including its ordinary before-midnight court-time-zone boundary. Read the actual court’s allowed method, hours, specific orders and receipt. Filing is separate from service under Rule 501.4.