Polk County, Texas public records

In Polk County, deeds are recorded by the Polk County Clerk; property values come from the Polk Central Appraisal District; court files are split between the Polk County District Clerk and the Polk County Clerk.

Last checked against official sources on November 7, 2026.

On this page

1. Where to get each record
2. Deeds and land records
3. Property values, owners and tax bills
4. Court records: which clerk keeps which case
5. Marriage records
6. Divorce records
7. Birth certificates
8. Death certificates
9. Probate records and wills
10. Business names (DBA)
11. Voter records
12. Historical records
13. Good to know about Polk County records
14. Office addresses, phones and hours
15. Records that are not online: public records requests
16. Questions people ask
17. Official copies vs look-alike sites
18. Sources

Where to get each record

Deeds and land records

Deeds, mortgages and other land documents for property in Polk County are recorded by the Polk County Clerk (Recording & Research).⁴

Online search

polkcountytx.net/nd2/cgindx501.html²

Who runs it

Integrated Data Services¹¹

Copy fee

$1 noncertified copy (letter or legal); 11 by 17 inches is $2; fax/email fee $2³

Certified copy fee

$5³

How to order

$5 clerk search fee; up to 10 days; the office cannot search by property description³

Recording fees

Real property recording $25 plus $4 each additional page; each additional name indexed in excess of five $0.25; plats $100³

How deeds work in Texas

Property values, owners and tax bills

The Polk Central Appraisal District sets property values⁵; the Polk County Tax Assessor-Collector bills and collects the tax⁵.

Property search

esearch.polkcad.org⁶

Tax bill search

esearch.polk-tax.com⁷

Parcel map (GIS)

gis.bisclient.com/polkcad⁶

Appealing a value

Protest appraised values through Polk Central Appraisal District, which has a "Protest Online" option on its site⁶

How property tax works in Texas

Court records: which clerk keeps which case

Fees

County Court at Law civil suit filing $350; name search fee $5¹²

Criminal records and background checks

Misdemeanor

County Clerk keeps County Court at Law criminal records; online Criminal search form, $5 per search²

Felony

District Clerk; re:SearchTX linked, but the State Law Library describes it as covering civil cases⁸

How Texas courts keep their files

Marriage records

Kept by the Polk County Clerk.⁴

Marriage license

$81 without premarital course certificate; informal (common law) marriage $46; cash or card¹³

Apply

polkcountyapps.net/ml (application), then appear at the County Clerk with documents and fee, Monday through Friday 8 am to 4:30 pm¹³

Waiting period

72 hours, with listed exceptions¹³

Copies

Clerk search request form for marriage licenses on the County Clerk page; $5 per search²

Texas marriage records, statewide

Divorce records

District Clerk of the county where the divorce was granted (certified decrees only there); DSHS issues verification letters (divorces from 1968).¹⁴

Certified copy fee

$5 certificate and seal plus $1 per page (district clerk)⁹

Texas divorce records: decree or state record

Birth certificates

Kept by the Polk County Clerk (Birth & Death Records).⁴

County

The County Clerk handles birth and death records administration¹⁵

State fee

$22.00 certified copy (long or short form) at DSHS; verification $22.00; heirloom $60.00; expedited processing $25.00 plus overnight return shipping.¹⁰

Who may order

The registrant, immediate family (child, parent/guardian, sibling, grandparent, spouse), guardian, or legal agent/representative; others need documentation of a direct, tangible interest (25 TAC §181.1(21)).¹⁶

Ordering a Texas birth certificate

Death certificates

Kept by the Polk County Clerk (Birth & Death Records).⁴

County

The County Clerk handles birth and death records administration¹⁵

State fee

$20.00 first certified copy; $3.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time; verification $20.00 (DSHS).¹⁰

Who may order

Same qualified-applicant rule as birth (immediate family, guardian, legal representative, or documented direct and tangible interest).¹⁷

Ordering a Texas death certificate

Probate records and wills

Kept by the Polk County Clerk (Probate Division).⁴

Filing fee

Probate of will, heirship, administration and most other estate applications $360, not including posting¹⁸

Letters

$2 each¹⁸

Will safekeeping

$16¹⁸

Which court

County Court at Law, 936-327-6856, for scheduling¹⁸

Finding a will or probate case in Texas

Business names (DBA)

Kept by the Polk County Clerk.⁴

County

Assumed name (DBA) $24, includes 2 names; each additional name $0.50; abandonment $24; copies $1; certified copy $5¹⁹

What it covers

Sole proprietors and other unincorporated filers; incorporated assumed names go to the Secretary of State since September 1, 2019¹⁹

Term

10 years¹⁹

Voter records

County Clerk administers elections and voter duties²⁰

Check your registration

State portal linked by the county: teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do²¹

Public lists

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.²²

Historical records

Deeds

Property records date back to 1846³

District historical

District Clerk links Kofile for historical documents: kofilequicklinks.com⁸

Military discharge

Veterans may record discharge papers free; certified copy of DD214 no charge³

Good to know about Polk County records

• Property records in the County Clerk's Research Department date back to 1846 and can be reviewed at no charge in business hours³
• The County Clerk also serves as Clerk of the County Court at Law, covering civil and probate¹⁸
• Foreclosure and trustee sales are held on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 am and 4 pm¹⁵
• Appraisal and tax collection are separate offices: Polk Central Appraisal District and the County Tax Assessor-Collector²³

Office addresses, phones and hours

Records that are not online: public records requests

Request page

texasattorneygeneral.gov/…²⁵

Clerk response

County Clerk cites up to 10 days for requests²

How to write a public records request

Questions people ask

Other counties in Texas with a full guide: Anderson County, Angelina County, Atascosa County, Bastrop County, Bell County, Bexar County, Bowie County, Brazoria County, Brazos County, Burnet County, Caldwell County, Cameron County, Chambers County, Cherokee County, Collin County, Comal County, Coryell County, Dallas County, Denton County, Ector County, El Paso County, Ellis County, Fort Bend County, Galveston County, Grayson County, Gregg County, Guadalupe County, Hardin County, Harris County, Harrison County, Hays County, Hidalgo County, Hood County, Hunt County, Jefferson County, Johnson County, Kaufman County, Kendall County, Kerr County, Lamar County, Liberty County, Lubbock County, Maverick County, McLennan County, Medina County, Midland County, Montgomery County, Nacogdoches County, Navarro County, Nueces County, Orange County, Parker County, Potter County, Randall County, Rockwall County, Rusk County, San Patricio County, Smith County, Starr County, Tarrant County, Taylor County, Tom Green County, Travis County, Val Verde County, Van Zandt County, Victoria County, Walker County, Waller County, Webb County, Williamson County, Wilson County, Wise County, Wood County. Every county in the state: Texas county list. Looking for another Polk County? Polk County, Florida; Polk County, Iowa; Polk County, Oregon.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

1. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026
2. County ClerkPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
3. Recording & ResearchPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
4. Elected OfficialsPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
5. Polk - 187, Local Property Appraisal and Tax InformationTexas Comptroller of Public Accountschecked November 7, 2026
6. Polk Central Appraisal District home pagePolk Central Appraisal District (polkcad.org, listed by the Texas Comptroller)checked November 7, 2026
7. County Tax Assessor / CollectorPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
8. District ClerkPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
9. Texas Government Code Chapter 51, ClerksTexas Legislaturechecked November 7, 2026
10. Vital Statistics Costs and FeesTexas Department of State Health Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
11. Polk County Clerk online records loginIntegrated Data Services for Polk County (linked by the County Clerk)checked November 7, 2026
12. CivilPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
13. Marriage LicensePolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
14. Marriage and Divorce RecordsTexas Department of State Health Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
15. County Clerk ServicesPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
16. Persons Qualified to Request or Change RecordsTexas Department of State Health Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
17. Death Record FAQsTexas Department of State Health Serviceschecked November 7, 2026
18. ProbatePolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
19. Assumed NamesPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
20. Election Duties (county voter registrars and election officials)Texas Secretary of Statechecked November 7, 2026
21. Voter RegistrationPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
22. Texas Election Code Chapter 18, Lists of Registered VotersTexas Legislaturechecked November 7, 2026
23. Polk County Tax OfficePolk County Tax Office (polk-tax.com, listed by the Texas Comptroller)checked November 7, 2026
24. SheriffPolk County, Texaschecked November 7, 2026
25. Public Information Coordinator Contact DatabaseOffice of the Attorney General of Texaschecked November 7, 2026
26. County population totals: Vintage 2025 (July 1, 2025)US Census Bureauchecked November 4, 2026