SpaceX’s corporate city Starbase in Texas 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 as well.
Starbase city managers presented a proposed ordinance to the City Commission at Wednesday’s meeting that would create a municipal court with a part-time judge, prosecutor and court clerk. The mayor of Starbase will serve as a judge until appointed for a two-year term. Administrators wrote that they hope to have candidates ready by next month’s meeting.
Currently claimed by about 580 residents, the court’s location at Starbase, 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 its own municipal services.
In addition to its volunteer fire department, Starbase now also conducts its own building permit and fire code inspections. When plans to have local county sheriff’s deputies patrol the city collapsed, the city decided to create a Starbase Police Department instead. (However, the city still pays the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office for use of the jail facility, according to documents filed ahead of Wednesday’s meeting.)
Starbase is still in the process of establishing a police station, which it expects will take about six months.
During Wednesday’s meeting, the City Commission considered an application to the Texas Law Enforcement Commission for police confrontation. The filing reveals some new details about plans for a new spacebase police station.
The city wrote that calls for its services have increased due to the growing population. In 2025, there were 420 calls to law enforcement, 180 calls to the fire department, and 140 calls to emergency services in the city, according to the application. Last year, 353 crashes were recorded in the area, and more than 7,000 vehicles per day traveled on Highway 4, the main artery into and out of Starbase.
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The city wrote that the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office cannot “guarantee a dedicated law enforcement response to Starbase,” and that Starbase’s geographically remote location requires “quick and reliable” response times. “These restrictions are raising significant concerns among residents and city leaders,” the city wrote.
“Our city’s unique blend of state-of-the-art technology and coastal charm, combined with our high median household income and rising real estate values, create high expectations for city services, especially public safety,” the city said in its application. The city was also sure to point out that SpaceX launches are drawing many tourists to the area, which is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years. “Furthermore, the City has a significant governmental interest in ensuring the integrity of spaceflight operations conducted within its jurisdiction,” the application states.
