Are text messages admissible in court?
Last reviewed 1 November 2026
It depends, and the court decides. A text message is usually considered if it's relevant and you can show it's genuine: who sent it, to whom, and when.
Rules differ by country, court and type of case, and a printout alone doesn't settle it.
How do you show a text is genuine?
A message doesn't prove itself, however obvious it looks on screen.
- Testify that you sent or received it, and that the copy matches what was on the phone.
- Point to what only the parties would know: names, topics, replies.
- Show the number or account belongs to the person.
- Keep the phone and the unchanged thread.
United States (federal rules)
- Rule 901(a): you must produce evidence sufficient to support a finding that the item is what you say it is.
- Rule 901(b) lists examples only, including witness testimony and the item's "distinctive characteristics".
- A message offered to prove what it says can be hearsay (Rules 801(c) and 802), but the other party's own statement, offered against them, is not (Rule 801(d)(2)).
- Rule 902(14) lets copied device data be authenticated by a qualified person's certification, with notice to the other side.
State courts have their own versions. See Rules 901 and 902 and WhatsApp.
England and Wales
- Civil courts: evidence isn't excluded just for being hearsay (Civil Evidence Act 1995, s 1(1)). A copy of a document can be used if authenticated "in such manner as the court may approve" (s 8).
- In civil cases the court can also exclude evidence that would otherwise be admissible (CPR 32.1(2)).
- Family court: Practice Direction 27A para 5.2 keeps text and WhatsApp messages out of the bundle unless the court directs otherwise. See messages in a family court bundle.
- Criminal courts have separate rules. We haven't covered them.
Australia
If a document purports to contain a record of an electronic communication, Evidence Act 1995 (Cth) s 161 presumes it was sent by the person, and at the time, the document shows, unless evidence raises doubt. Courts differ: Australia guide.
Questions people ask
Is a screenshot admissible?
It can be put forward, but it's one slice of a thread, and the court decides what it accepts. See how to print text messages for court.
Does a VaultXT pack make messages admissible?
No. It lays your messages out as dated, numbered pages and checks every quote against your export. It doesn't prove who sent them.
General information only, not legal advice. VaultXT is not a law firm and can't promise any court will accept a document.