Prepare Texas court exhibits with the right instructions

Start with your case order, then compare the source notes below with the instructions for your assigned court. Confirm the case type, exhibit-exchange deadline, delivery method, and final file names before preparing your submission.

Prepare and preview exhibits Find county source notes

Before choosing a template

Write down the court number, case type, hearing date, and the order you are following.
Check the instructions for exchanging exhibits, filing papers with the clerk, and delivering exhibits to the courtroom separately.
Confirm the label, file name, deadline, and delivery method before applying them to every document.

Use each example only for its stated court and proceeding. Follow the source link and compare it with the current order in your case.

Civil-rule and filing source notes

Pretrial disclosure: check the rule’s scope

For cases subject to Rule 194, pretrial disclosures are due at least 30 days before trial unless the court orders otherwise; the exhibit list distinguishes expected offers from possible offers and excludes evidence used solely for impeachment; Rule 194 excludes Family Code suits and has other scope exceptions. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure — Rules 194.1 and 194.4, printed pages 129–131 (PDF pages 147–149) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Rule 194 disclosure in suits not governed by the Family Code, subject to Rule 194.1 scope exceptions and court orders; not a universal exhibit-exchange deadline.Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.

Authentication: check notice and objections

Rule 193.7 authenticates a document produced in written discovery for use against its producing party unless that party makes a specific authenticity objection within ten days after actual notice of its intended use, or within the different time ordered by the court; the objection must be in writing or on the record and have a good-faith factual and legal basis. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure — Rule 193.7, printed page 127 (PDF page 145) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Authentication of a document produced in written discovery for use against its producing party; actual notice, specific objection and court-adjusted time provisions apply.Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.

Electronic filing: searchable, unlocked PDFs

Rule 21(f)(8) requires electronically filed documents to be searchable PDFs, directly converted rather than scanned when possible, unlocked, and compliant with the approved technology standards. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure — Rule 21(f)(8), printed page 17 (PDF page 35) (opens in a new tab)Scope: Format of electronically filed documents under Rule 21(f)(8); the mandate and exceptions are separate provisions in Rule 21(f)(1) and (4).Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.

File size: document and envelope limits

The eFileTexas default is 25 MB per PDF and 35 MB per envelope, with appellate exceptions; check the filing draft. What is the Max PDF File Size Allowed? — Opening size list and listed appellate exceptions (opens in a new tab)Scope: Provider default PDF and envelope limits, subject to appellate exceptions and the current filing-draft limits.Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.

Check Rule 21(f)(1) and (4) for the mandate and document exceptions, including your case type and whether you are represented. Read Rule 21(f) (PDF, opens in a new tab).

Specific county-court examples

Harris County: 334th Civil District Court

The 334th Civil District Court posts instructions for temporary-injunction hearings and bench trials calling for printed, indexed exhibits in a notebook for the judge; its court reporter accepts exhibits on a flash drive. 334th Civil District Court procedures — TEMPORARY INJUNCTIONS; BENCH TRIALS (posted procedures marked Rev. 04/13/2022) (opens in a new tab)Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.

Your next step: Confirm the assigned court and hearing type before choosing a delivery method; do not assume a county-wide Box workflow.

Dallas County: 14th District Court, Level 1 order

The 14th District Court’s posted Level 1 order sets jury-trial exhibit-list exchange and exchange of previously unproduced exhibits 14 days before the Initial Trial Setting; its specified pretrial filings are due at 4 p.m. on the preceding Thursday; a reset does not change deadlines without an order. 14th District Court Level 1 scheduling order — Paragraphs 1 and 7a; reset note, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.
Under that Level 1 order, exhibits must be identified individually rather than by category or group, except records offered through business-record affidavits; confirm the order entered in your case before applying this example. 14th District Court Level 1 scheduling order — Paragraphs 1 and 7a; reset note, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)

Your next step: Compare this posted example with the signed scheduling order in your case. Record the Initial Trial Setting and any later order changing a deadline.

Travis County civil courts

Travis County’s February 2026 civil-court instructions require exhibit uploads to Box at least 24 hours before the hearing or trial. Travis County civil-court electronic exhibit instructions — Introduction and items 1–6 and 8, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)Source checked October 4, 2026. Check current rules and case orders before filing.
Each exhibit must be a separate searchable PDF without password, encryption, or rights restrictions; multiple exhibits must not be combined into one PDF. Travis County civil-court electronic exhibit instructions — Introduction and items 1–6 and 8, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)
Mark the first page or a preceding separator with the party designation and numeric exhibit identifier matching the file; use the lawsuit party designation, not Movant or Non-Movant. Travis County civil-court electronic exhibit instructions — Introduction and items 1–6 and 8, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)
File names use a party designation and three-digit number, such as P-001; use four digits throughout if numbers will exceed 999; upload an exhibit list to the party’s Box folder. Travis County civil-court electronic exhibit instructions — Introduction and items 1–6 and 8, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)
Parties must exchange exhibits separately; uploading to Box does not offer an exhibit into evidence; exhibits not offered on the record are excluded from the record. Travis County civil-court electronic exhibit instructions — Introduction and items 1–6 and 8, pages 1–2 (opens in a new tab)

Your next step: Before uploading, compare each finished PDF, its file name, and the exhibit list. Confirm access to the correct party folder and check the current case order.

Resolve problems before submitting

The file is too large

Check both the individual-document limit and the total submission limit. Before compressing or splitting an exhibit, confirm how the receiving court wants its parts identified. Reopen every final file and check legibility.

A scan cannot be searched

Apply text recognition in an OCR-capable PDF tool, then test a phrase from the scanned page. Check the finished stamped PDF again; do not rely on the appearance of the page alone.

The label, order, or stamp position is wrong

Return to your saved job, make the correction, and review the new output before downloading. Compare exhibit labels and page references with the version you previously shared.

Get help revising exhibits

Keep the Texas preparation guide

Download the guide for your preparation checklist and court-specific source notes. Compare its sources with the instructions for your case before submission.

Free Texas Exhibit Guide

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Court-rule updates and exhibit-prep tips, by state

Use the guide as a preparation checklist

Check the instructions for your assigned court.
Confirm labels, deadlines, and delivery method.
Review the finished files before submitting.

or continue with email

Before you file

ExhibitPrep formats documents. It does not provide legal advice, submit filings, or determine whether evidence is admissible or a filing meets court requirements.

Some guidance has not been verified against current official sources. A citation supports only its stated claim and scope. Compare the finished PDF with current court instructions and orders in your case. Follow the filing review checklist.

Prepare, review, and revise your exhibits

Arrange your documents, choose labels that match your instructions, and inspect the stamped output before saving.

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