FAQ

Fill out the form on the eCourtDate Website 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 one hour. We recommend inviting any business and IT users who are stakeholders in your department.

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.

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.

The Office of Court Administration (OCA) authorizes notifications to be sent to defendants, plaintiffs, jurors, victims, attorneys, bail agents, officers, court staff & liaisons, and judges.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

eCourtDate can manage reminders for multiple jurisdictions, departments, and court divisions. Each entity can have its own configuration for reminders. All eCourtDate functions are available for use as long as you are using the text reminders function.

During onboarding, court administrators will create login credentials for the eCourtDate dashboard, where they can manage cases, send reminders, and view reports.

eCourtDate integrates with most case management systems and relevant data sources, and our team will guide you through any technical requirements.

Each individual agency will only be able to see their own information. Aggregate information will be available to the OCA for billing purposes.

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.