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Texas public records: who holds what

In Texas, deeds are recorded by the County Clerk, birth and death certificates come from the DSHS Vital Statistics Section and requests for other government records fall under the Texas Public Information Act. Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Texas
  2. Public records law in Texas
  3. Property and tax records in Texas
  4. How Texas organizes its records
  5. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  6. Counties in Texas
  7. Warnings from official sources
  8. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  9. Official directories
  10. Sources

Who holds what in Texas

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Clerk of the county where the property (or part of it) is located1$1.00 per page (noncertified, printed on paper); electronic copies of real property records are priced under Gov't Code §§552.231 and 552.2622
Property recordsAppraisal district (chief appraiser) appraises value as of Jan. 1; local taxing units set rates; county tax assessor-collector usually collects; the appraisal review board (ARB) hears protests. Texas has no state property tax.3—
Court recordsNot unified: each court keeps its own records. District Clerk keeps district court files (felony, civil, family/divorce); County Clerk keeps county court, county court at law and probate files; justice and municipal courts keep their own.4District clerk: certified copy $5 (certificate and seal) plus $1 per page; noncertified $1 per page; $5 to search for a cause without a docket number. County court clerks: same $5 + $1/page certified, $1/page noncertified.5
Marriage recordsCounty Clerk of the county that issued the license (certified copies only there); DSHS Vital Statistics issues verification letters only (marriages from 1966).6$5.00 certificate plus $1.00 per page (county clerk certified papers)2
Divorce recordsDistrict Clerk of the county where the divorce was granted (certified decrees only there); DSHS issues verification letters (divorces from 1968).6$5 certificate and seal plus $1 per page (district clerk)5
Birth certificatesDSHS Vital Statistics Section (state); also local registrars/county clerks in the county or city of the event (some offices issue statewide).7$22.00 certified copy (long or short form) at DSHS; verification $22.00; heirloom $60.00; expedited processing $25.00 plus overnight return shipping.8
Death certificatesDSHS Vital Statistics Section; local registrars/county clerks where the death occurred.9$20.00 first certified copy; $3.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time; verification $20.00 (DSHS).8
Probate and willsCounty Clerk (clerk of the county court/statutory probate court) in the county where the decedent resided.10County court clerk: certified papers $5.00 certificate plus $1.00 per page; letters testamentary/of administration $2.00; will deposit $5.00.2

Public records law in Texas

Texas Public Information Act (Tex. Gov't Code ch. 552) Read the law11

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any person; the body may not ask the purpose of the request (may ask for identification or clarification). Bodies need not comply with requests from incarcerated individuals (other than their attorney).11
Response time
Promptly (as soon as possible, without delay); if not producible within 10 business days the officer must certify that in writing and set a date; a body wishing to withhold must request an AG decision within 10 business days.11
Copy fees
AG charge schedule: standard paper copy $.10 per page; non-state bodies may charge up to 25% more than the AG schedule; itemized estimate required if charges exceed $40.12
If a request is refused
Complaints to the Office of the Attorney General (Open Records Division / Open Government Hotline (512) 478-6736, toll free (877) 673-6839) for failure to respond, failure to request a ruling, or overcharges; a formal complaint may also be filed with the district or county attorney; requestor or AG may sue for a writ of mandamus (§552.321).13
What is exempt
Information made confidential by law (constitutional, statutory, or judicial decision) is excepted (§552.101), plus the other exceptions in Subchapter C; the judiciary is not covered by the PIA (court records are governed by court rules/common law).11
Official guide
Office of the Attorney General of Texas, Public Information Act Handbook 2026 (PDF) and 'How to Request Public Information' page.14

How to write a public records request

Property and tax records in Texas

Who does what
Appraisal district (chief appraiser) appraises value as of Jan. 1; local taxing units set rates; county tax assessor-collector usually collects; the appraisal review board (ARB) hears protests. Texas has no state property tax.3
Appealing a value
File a notice of protest (Form 50-132) with the ARB, usually by May 15 or 30 days after the notice of appraised value is mailed, whichever is later; ARB decisions may be appealed to district court, regular binding arbitration, or SOAH (certain criteria).15

How this works in other states: property and tax records by state.

How Texas organizes its records

  • Local registrars of births and deaths are justices of the peace (by precinct) or municipal clerks in cities of 2,500+16
  • Property appraisal is done by separate countywide appraisal districts, not the county; collection usually by county tax assessor-collector3
  • Two different clerks: District Clerk (district courts, divorces, felonies) vs County Clerk (deeds, marriage, probate, county courts, misdemeanors A/B)4
  • Statutory probate courts in large metro counties handle probate exclusively17
  • Voter registrar is the tax assessor-collector by default (or elections administrator / county clerk)18
  • Court case records are outside the Public Information Act4

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Texas Department of Public Safety, Crime Records Service — Computerized Criminal History (CCH); public portion = convictions and deferred adjudications.19
Fee
$3.00 per search credit (credit card adds 2.25% convenience fee and $0.25 per transaction); a credit is used even when no match is found.20
Who may order
Any person; may use the conviction/deferred-adjudication information for any purpose.21

Sex offender registry

Restrictions
Not all offenders are on the public site; SSN, driver's license, phone and online identifiers are not public.22

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
TDCJ Inmate Information Search: inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/… (currently incarcerated in TDCJ facilities only; data at least 24 hours old).23
County jails
County jails are kept by the county sheriff; check the sheriff's office for jail rosters.24

Voter records

Public or restricted
Lists of registered voters are public: the county registrar must furnish a copy to any person (within 15 days); the SOS furnishes statewide list information on request with an affidavit of no commercial use. SSN, driver's license number and certain protected addresses are confidential.25
Who holds it
County voter registrar: the county tax assessor-collector unless the county has an elections administrator or designated the county clerk.18
Check your registration
SOS 'Am I Registered?' portal linked from VoteTexas.gov (goelect.txelections.civixapps.com/…).26

Business names (DBA)

DBA at the county
Unincorporated persons (sole proprietors, general partnerships) file assumed name certificates with the County Clerk in each county where they have premises or do business; $2 filing + 50 cents per name indexed.27
DBA at the state
Corporations, LPs, LLPs, LLCs, registered series and foreign filing entities file assumed name certificates with the Secretary of State ($25).27
Index
SOS and each county clerk keep an alphabetical index of assumed names and filers.27

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
Texas Secretary of State is the central UCC filing office; filing and searching only online via SOSPortal (paper filings not accepted since Aug. 29, 2025); $1 search fee.28
Fixture filings
Fixture filings, as-extracted collateral and timber-to-be-cut go to the county clerk where a mortgage on the real property would be recorded.29
Federal tax liens
Federal liens on real property: county clerk where the property is; on personal property: SOS for corporations/partnerships with principal executive office in Texas, otherwise county clerk of the debtor's residence.30

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Texas Geographic Information Office (TxGIO, division of the Texas Water Development Board) DataHub: data.geographic.texas.gov; statewide land parcel data compiled from appraisal districts.31

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC): county records on microfilm via 23 Regional Historical Resource Depositories, county tax rolls, statewide vital statistics indexes (not original certificates).32
Land grants
Texas General Land Office Archives: land grant database, 6+ million digitized documents.33
Vital record indexes
TSLAC holds indexes to statewide births, deaths, marriages and divorces, not certificates.32

Counties in Texas

74 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 254 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.34

Warnings from official sources

  • Property deed fraud / unexpected mail (Harris County Clerk's Office)35
  • Search fee for conviction database is charged even with no match (Texas DPS)20

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Texas office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 38 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Texas Property Code Chapter 11, Recording RequirementsTexas Legislature
  2. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 118, Fees Charged by County OfficersTexas Legislature
  3. Property Tax BasicsTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts
  4. Texas Court Records (research guide)Texas State Law Library
  5. Texas Government Code Chapter 51, ClerksTexas Legislature
  6. Marriage and Divorce RecordsTexas Department of State Health Services
  7. Order Records LocallyTexas Department of State Health Services
  8. Vital Statistics Costs and FeesTexas Department of State Health Services
  9. Death RecordsTexas Department of State Health Services
  10. Texas Estates Code Chapter 33, VenueTexas Legislature
  11. Texas Government Code Chapter 552, Public InformationTexas Legislature
  12. Public Information Act Handbook 2026Office of the Attorney General of Texas
  13. Overview of the Public Information ActOffice of the Attorney General of Texas
  14. How to Request Public InformationOffice of the Attorney General of Texas
  15. Property Tax Protests and AppealsTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts
  16. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 191, Administration of Vital Statistics RecordsTexas Legislature
  17. Texas Judicial Branch / Office of Court Administration
  18. Texas Election Code Chapter 12, Voter RegistrarTexas Legislature
  19. Criminal History Conviction Name SearchTexas Department of Public Safety
  20. How To Use the Conviction Name SearchTexas Department of Public Safety
  21. Texas Government Code Chapter 411, Department of Public SafetyTexas Legislature
  22. Texas Public Sex Offender WebsiteTexas Department of Public Safety
  23. TDCJ Inmate Information SearchTexas Department of Criminal Justice
  24. Texas Local Government Code Chapter 351, County Jails and Law EnforcementTexas Legislature
  25. Texas Election Code Chapter 18, Lists of Registered VotersTexas Legislature
  26. Register to VoteTexas Secretary of State (VoteTexas.gov)
  27. Texas Business & Commerce Code Chapter 71, Assumed Business or Professional NameTexas Legislature
  28. About the Uniform Commercial CodeTexas Secretary of State
  29. UCC Frequently Asked QuestionsTexas Secretary of State
  30. Texas Property Code Chapter 14, Federal LiensTexas Legislature
  31. Land Parcels (StratMap)Texas Water Development Board (TxGIO)
  32. Genealogy research at TSLACTexas State Library and Archives Commission
  33. Archives and HeritageTexas General Land Office
  34. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  35. Property Deed FraudHarris County Clerk's Office
  36. Property Tax County DirectoryTexas Comptroller of Public Accounts
  37. Election Duties (county voter registrars and election officials)Texas Secretary of State
  38. PIC Contact Information DatabaseOffice of the Attorney General of Texas