​Community Service Information

You may Not complete community service hours until you have requested and been approved by a Judge.

Community service may be available to satisfy certain citations. You must complete the necessary community service hours at a nonprofit organization within the City of Dallas (NOT Dallas County) unless otherwise approved by the judiciary. You must locate a nonprofit agency within the City of Dallas to complete the required community service hours. You may contact the Volunteer Center of North Texas for assistance in finding one.​ 

At any time, you may pay the balance in full instead of completing the community service hours. If you are requesting something different than what was ordered, you may do so only by mail or in person at the Court.

​The judgment and sentence for the offense you are charged with is to pay a fine and costs. If you are ordered to pay a fine and costs, and you cannot pay, notify the court immediately. If the court determines you have insufficient resources or income to pay, the court must provide other ways to discharge the fine and costs.​

To review Citation(s), Status, or Balances. Example: (C12345678​ Do not enter the dash). If the citation(s) are in Warrants, they will appear in red.

​ What is needed to request Community Service:

  • The request, with a plea (may be handwritten or typed, only needed if you are requesting by mail).
  • Acceptable form of identification​ (Social Security cards and selfies (pictures) are NOT valid forms of identification).
  • Contact Information Form (only needed if you are requesting by mail).​
  • Personal documentation. Examples, but not limited to: (Government assistance paperwork, school attendance, banking information, monthly income, and expense paperwork).
  • Depending on the paperwork provided, you may be mailed a court date to come in and speak to a Judge.

***When you request community service by mail​, please note that this is a REQUEST ONLY. Once the Court receives the paperwork, this process can take 4-6 weeks to complete by mail. You can keep track of the citation(s) online under the Citation Search. We also offer Walk-In court hours so you can speak with a judge in person.​ ***

​The Court uses the postmark date on the letter (stamped by the postal service) as the received date. Certified mail is recommended but not required.​

​Once You Have Completed the Approved Community Service Hours:

You can submit completed community service hours only by mail​​ or at the Court​. You may NOT turn it in by telephone, live chat, e-mail​, or fax. 

Once you have completed the total number of hours, you must submit the following to the Court on or before the due date:​

  • Completion letter on the nonprofit organization's letterhead detailing the number of hours you completed.​
  • A completed timesheet signed by the nonprofit organization's supervisor.​​

If you fail to meet the community service requirements, the Court will set your case for a show cause hearing and mail a hearing notice to the last known address on file. You can also track it online under Citation Search​. The show cause hearing is your opportunity to speak with a Judge about why you failed to meet the community service requirements. There are no resets for a show-cause hearing.​