Guide
How to Search County Records
Select Your County
Choose a county from the grid below to access that county's official public records portal, court system, and government offices.
Identify the Record Type
Decide what you need: court records, property deeds, vital records, business filings, or tax assessment records, each is held by a different county office.
Search Online or In Person
County and district clerks run their own case searches, many through re:SearchTX, county clerks record deeds with online indexes in most counties, and vital records are ordered from DSHS online or by mail or from a local registrar.
Pay Any Required Fees
A Texas birth certificate costs $22 and a death certificate $20, with additional death copies $3; expedited processing is $25, and a written estimate is required when public information charges will exceed $40.
Verify Identity if Required
Open records need no ID. Vital records applicants provide acceptable identification from the DSHS list and must be the person named, immediate family or someone with legal authority, until births open after 75 years and deaths after 25.
Guide
What Records Are Available
- Court RecordsCivil, criminal, family court, probate, traffic cases
- Property RecordsDeeds, mortgages, tax assessments, liens, transfers
- Vital RecordsBirth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates
- Business RecordsBusiness licenses, DBAs, UCC filings, permits
- Voter RegistrationRegistered voters, party affiliation, districts
- Tax RecordsProperty tax assessments, payment history, exemptions
Guide
Select a County in Texas
On This Page
State Directory
Popular Searches
Straight answers
Texas County Public Records, questions
Are county records public information?
Yes. The Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552, gives everyone the right to government records, and an officer may not ask why you want them; a governmental body must produce the information promptly, generally within 10 business days. County clerk, district clerk and appraisal district records are open. Birth records older than 75 years and death records older than 25 years are open to the public, while newer certificates go to the person named, immediate family and others with legal authority. Juvenile and sealed court files are closed.
How much do certified copies cost?
A certified Texas birth certificate costs $22 from the Department of State Health Services, long form or short form, and a death certificate $20 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy; marriage and divorce verification letters are $20 each, an heirloom birth certificate $60, and expedited processing $25. Local registrars and county clerks issue the same records at their own fees, and under the Public Information Act a governmental body must give a written estimate when charges will exceed $40.
Can I search county records online?
Texas has no statewide trial court portal; county and district clerks run their own case searches, many through re:SearchTX, and the Office of Court Administration site links to the appellate courts. County clerks record deeds, deeds of trust and marriage licenses, with online indexes in most counties, and appraisal districts post parcel data. The Department of Public Safety's Criminal History Conviction Name Search runs online for a fee, and vital records are ordered online, by mail or from a local registrar, not searched.
What identification do I need?
Open records need no ID. Texas vital records applicants must provide acceptable identification from the DSHS list and must be the person named, an immediate family member or someone with legal authority; others receive records only when the record is old enough to be public.
How long does it take to receive records?
DSHS mails online orders 20 to 25 business days after receipt and mailed applications in 6 to 8 weeks, counted from the day the application and payment arrive, and offers $25 expedited processing; incomplete applications are rejected and returned. Local registrars and county clerks usually issue birth and death certificates the same day in person. County clerk and district clerk online searches are immediate.