Texas splits guardianship reporting in two — a financial annual account and a well-being annual report — with different rules for each. The deadlines run from your qualification date, not the calendar year.
The reporting period is 12 months beginning on the date — or the anniversary of the date — you qualified to serve (§1163.102(a)). You qualify when the court approves your bond or when you take and file your oath, whichever is later. Each report is due no later than the 60th day after the reporting period ends (§1163.102(c)). The court can change the reporting period but cannot extend it beyond 12 months.
Practical step: the court will usually send you a sheet listing your recurring period-end and filing dates. Calendar them with a 60-day runway the week you qualify.
Local court instructions (e.g., Ellis, Taylor counties) flesh out the statutory account. Expect to show:
Many counties require the account to sit on record for 10 days before the court approves it — build that into the timeline.
If the judge is satisfied, the court enters an order approving. Under SB 746 (effective September 1, 2025), if the court does not approve the annual account or report, it enters an order to that effect and requires a corrected filing within a period it prescribes — no later than 30 days after the order (§1163.051(d)-(e), §1163.104(a-1)). Treat a disapproval order as urgent, not as feedback for next year.
Section 1163.151: any interested person (or the court itself) can cite the guardian to show cause. On hearing, unless good cause is shown, the court may revoke the letters of guardianship and/or fine the guardian up to $1,000. Repeated late or missing accounts are also the fastest route to removal on complaint — and removal exposes you to a surcharge proceeding on the way out.
The Guardian product tracks the anniversary-based deadline, reconciles the account before filing, and exports a court-formatted PDF.
Within 60 days after the end of each 12-month reporting period, which runs from the anniversary of the date you qualified (bond approved or oath filed, whichever was later). Est. Code §1163.102.
The annual report on the ward can be filed without an attorney (§1163.105). The annual account is a detailed sworn financial filing, and Texas courts commonly require it to be prepared or signed through your attorney — confirm with your county.
Any interested person or the court can cite you to show cause; without good cause the court can revoke your letters and fine you up to $1,000 (§1163.151). If the court disapproves a late or incorrect filing, SB 746 gives you at most 30 days to refile.
Unless the court has waived it, yes — small estates still file, though some counties offer simplified procedures. Ask the clerk whether your court waives or modifies the annual account before skipping it.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules vary by jurisdiction and change over time — confirm the specifics with the court, agency, or a qualified professional.