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Tex. R. Civ. P. 21c

Privacy Protection for Filed Documents

activein force · 2026-07-01 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Sensitive Data Defined. Sensitive data consists of:

(1) a driver's license number, passport number, social security number, tax

identification number, or similar government-issued personal identification

number;

(2) a bank account number, credit card number, or other financial account number; and

(3) a birth date, a home address, and the name of any person who was a minor when

the underlying suit was filed.

(b) Filing of Documents Containing Sensitive Data Prohibited. Unless the inclusion of

sensitive data is specifically required by a statute, court rule, or administrative regulation,

an electronic or paper document, except for wills and documents filed under seal,

containing sensitive data may not be filed with a court unless the sensitive data is redacted.

(c) Redaction of Sensitive Data; Retention Requirement. Sensitive data must be redacted by

using the letter “X” in place of each omitted digit or character or by removing the sensitive

data in a manner indicating that the data has been redacted. The filing party must retain

an unredacted version of the filed document during the pendency of the case and any related

appellate proceedings filed within six months of the date the judgment is signed.

(d) Notice to Clerk. If a document must contain sensitive data, the filing party must notify

the clerk by:

(1) designating the document as containing sensitive data when the document is

electronically filed; or

(2) if the document is not electronically filed, by including, on the upper left- hand

side of the first page, the phrase: “ NOTICE: THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS

SENSITIVE DATA.”

(e) Non-Conforming Documents. The clerk may not refuse to file a document that contains

sensitive data in violation of this rule. But the clerk may identify the error to be corrected

and state a deadline for the party to resubmit a redacted, substitute document.

(f) Restriction on Remote Access. Documents that contain sensitive data in violation of this

rule must not be posted on the Internet.

History

Notes and Comments Comment to 2013 Change: Rule 21c is added to provide privacy protection for documents filed in civil cases.

Provenance

Source
txcourts.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-15
Edition
2026-09-14
Content hash
164286764cc908a7ad90ab8ee17851249f67029433a4b1cc154daf173a92192e
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