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 on creating a police department. Now it wants its own court, too. Starbase’s city administrator submitted a proposed ordinance to the city commission during a meeting on Wednesday that would create a municipal court with a part-time judge, prosecutor, and court clerk. Starbase’s mayor will serve as the judge until one is appointed to a two-year term. The administrator wrote that he hopes to have a candidate ready by next month’s meeting. The formation of a court within Starbase, which currently claims around 580 residents and sits adjacent to SpaceX’s South Texas rocket factory and launch facility, is the latest in a series of steps the city has taken to build up its own municipal services. In addition to the volunteer fire department, Starbase is also now handling its own building permits and fire code inspections. And when a plan to contract local county sheriff’s deputies to patrol the city fell apart, the city decided instead to start up the Starbase Police Department. (The city is still paying the Cameron County Sheriff’s Department to use its jail facilities, though, according to paperwork filed ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.) Starbase is still in the process of establishing the police department, and it expects that process could take around six months. During Wednesday’s meeting, the city commission reviewed an application to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement that is required to stand up the police force. That application revealed some new details about the plans for the new Starbase Police Department. The city wrote that its expanding population has led to an increase in calls for service. Across 2025, there were 420 calls to law enforcement in the city, 180 calls for fire service, and 140 EMS calls, according to the application. There were also 353 crashes documented in the area last year, with more than 7,000 vehicles traveling Highway 4 — the main artery in and out of Starbase — per day. Techcrunch event Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediately.Offer ends March 13. Save up to $300 or 30% to TechCrunch Founder Summit 1,000+ founders and investors come together at TechCrunch Founder Summit 2026 for a full day focused on growth, execution, and real-world scaling. Learn from founders and investors who have shaped the industry. Connect with peers navigating similar growth stages. Walk away with tactics you can apply immediatelyOffer ends March 13. Boston, MA | June 9, 2026 REGISTER NOW The Cameron County Sheriff’s Office has not been able to “guarantee dedicated law enforcement coverage for Starbase,” the city wrote, and Starbase’s remote geographic location “requires rapid and reliable” response times. “These limitations have raised significant concerns among residents and city leadership,” the city wrote. “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. The city was also sure to point out that SpaceX launches, which are expected to dramatically increase over the next few years, draw many tourists to the area. “Additionally, The City has a substantial governmental interest in ensuring the integrity of spaceflight operations occurring within its jurisdiction,” the application reads. Topics Space, SpaceX, starbase Sean O'Kane Sr. Reporter, Transportation Sean O’Kane is a reporter who has spent a decade covering the rapidly-evolving business and technology of the transportation industry, including Tesla and the many startups chasing Elon Musk. Most recently, he was a reporter at Bloomberg News where he helped break stories about some of the most notorious EV SPAC flops. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane. You can contact or verify outreach from Sean by emailing sean.okane@techcrunch.com or via encrypted message at okane.01 on Signal.

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