SpaceX’s Starbase city is getting its own court

SpaceX's company town in Texas, Starbase, is less than a year old, but it already has its own volunteer fire department and is working to establish a police department. Now, the city is also moving to establish its own court.

During a Wednesday meeting, Starbase's city administrator submitted a proposed ordinance to the city commission that would create a municipal court staffed by a part-time judge, prosecutor, and court clerk. Under the proposal, Starbase's mayor would serve as the judge until a permanent judge is appointed to a two-year term. The administrator wrote that he hopes to have a candidate ready for consideration by next month's meeting.

The move to form a court within Starbase — which currently claims about 580 residents and sits next to SpaceX's South Texas rocket factory and launch facility — is the latest step in the city's ongoing effort to build out its own municipal services.

Alongside its volunteer fire department, Starbase is now issuing its own building permits and conducting its own fire code inspections. And after a plan to contract local county sheriff's deputies to patrol the city collapsed, Starbase decided to create its own police force instead: the Starbase Police Department. The city is still paying the Cameron County Sheriff's Department to use its jail facilities, according to paperwork filed ahead of Wednesday's meeting.

Starbase is still in the process of establishing its police department, and the city expects the effort could take about 6 months.

During Wednesday's meeting, the city commission reviewed an application to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which is required to stand up the new police department. The application also provided new details about the Starbase Police Department's plans.

In the application, the city said its growing population has led to an increase in calls for service. Throughout 2025, Starbase recorded 420 law enforcement calls, 180 fire service calls, and 140 EMS calls, according to the filing. The application also noted that 353 crashes were documented in the area last year, and that more than 7,000 vehicles travel Highway 4 — the primary road in and out of Starbase — each day.

The city wrote that the Cameron County Sheriff's Office has not been able to "guarantee dedicated law enforcement coverage for Starbase." It said the area's remote location "requires rapid and reliable" response times. "These limitations have raised significant concerns among residents and city leadership," the city added.

"The city's unique blend of cutting-edge technology and coastal charm, coupled with high median household incomes and rising property values, drives expectations for municipal services, particularly public safety," the city wrote in the application. Starbase also emphasised that SpaceX launches — which are expected to rise sharply over the next few years — bring many tourists to the region. "Additionally, the City has a substantial governmental interest in ensuring the integrity of spaceflight operations occurring within its jurisdiction," the application states.