About the Harris County Clerk's Office
Teneshia Hudspeth is the Harris County Clerk. The office is elected, and it serves as the keeper of vital documents and many public records for the county. It maintains real property records, marriage licenses, birth and death records, and assumed name certificates. It also holds the case files for the County Civil Courts at Law, the statutory probate courts, and Commissioners Court. That makes the County Clerk the right office for a wide band of records that are not district court files.
Most of these records can be searched and ordered online. Registered users can view and print watermarked copies for free where images exist. Certified and non-certified copies can be bought through the portal and emailed.
Harris County Clerk
Clerk: Teneshia Hudspeth
Real Property Dept, 201 Caroline Street, Suite 320
Houston, TX 77002
713-274-8680
ccinfo@cco.hctx.net
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
What the County Clerk Does in Harris County
The County Clerk handles records that touch nearly every household at some point. Land deeds, marriage licenses, business name filings, and probate files all run through the office. It records new documents, keeps the index, collects fees, and issues certified copies. The office also keeps records for the county civil courts and Commissioners Court. For divorce, felony, and district court files, the right office is the District Clerk instead.
The office sits in two main departments at the Civil Courthouse. The Real Property Department, in Suite 320, handles deeds, liens, and land records. The Personal Records Department, in Suite 330, handles marriage licenses and personal filings. Both keep regular weekday hours, and both feed the same online document portal. Knowing which department holds your record helps when you call or visit in person.
- Issue and record marriage licenses and informal marriage declarations.
- Record and index real property deeds, liens, plats, maps, and condo records.
- File assumed names (DBAs), UCC filings, and other personal records.
- Keep county civil court at law, probate, and Commissioners Court case files.
- Accept and record military discharge (DD-214) filings under restricted access.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's certification and is the version many agencies want. The County Clerk sells both certified and plain copies. A copy bought online is emailed and does not carry a raised seal, so for a raised-seal copy you need an in-person or form-based request.
- Find the record in the Document Search Portal by name, file number, or film code.
- Pick the document and choose a certified or non-certified copy.
- Create an account and pay the fee online, or use the copy order form for a mailed request.
- Receive the emailed copy, or wait for the mailed copy if you asked for a raised seal.
If you provide the file number or film code, you avoid the $5 search fee on a copy request.
Note: A certified copy bought online is a valid certified copy, but it lacks a raised seal, so ask for an in-person or mailed copy when an agency requires the seal.
County Clerk Records Request Fields
A copy request needs a few details so staff can find and route the record. The fields below come from the County Clerk copy order process.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Yes | Real property, marriage, assumed name, probate, civil, or personal |
| Requester name and contact | Yes | For written mail, fax, or email requests |
| File number or film code | No | If left blank, a $5 search fee applies |
| Delivery method | Yes | Email, fax, mail, or in-person pickup |
| Certification | No | Adds the $5 certification fee |
| Department routing | Yes | Public Records, Civil Court at Law, or Probate use separate routing |
Harris County Clerk Fees
The County Clerk posts its copy fees online. Most copies are charged per page, with a separate certification fee for certified records.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Non-certified paper copy (per page) | $1 |
| Certified paper copy | $5 certification plus $1 per page |
| Non-certified electronic copy | $1 for up to 10 pages, then 10 cents per page |
| Map or condo record (non-certified, per page) | $10 |
| Records search fee | $5 per search |
A 4% surcharge applies when a major credit card is used without the cardholder present. Public Records questions go to 713-274-6390.
Common County Clerk Forms
The office posts the forms most people need on its records pages. These cover personal records, copy orders, and assumed names.
- Personal records and marriage license info - applications, FAQs, and the absent applicant affidavit.
- Public records and copy orders - land records, copy fees, and request methods.
- Assumed name (DBA) search - look up or start a business name filing.
Online Search and E-Filing
The County Clerk Document Search Portal is the main online tool. It groups records into tiles for marriage license, probate, county civil, real property, maps and condos, assumed names, and other personal records. Registered users can view watermarked images for free where they exist, then buy copies if needed. E-filing for county civil and probate matters runs through the statewide eFileTexas system. For requests on records not already in the portal, a Public Information Act request can be filed, but it should not be used for land, marriage, or personal records that the portal already covers.
Requests are routed by record type, so the office uses different mailing and fax channels for each. Public records go to the Public Records section at P.O. Box 1525, Houston, TX 77251, with questions at 713-274-6390. Civil court at law and probate court record requests use their own department routing. When you mail or fax a request, include your name, your contact details, and a clear description of the record so staff can find it. A file number or film code speeds the search and avoids the $5 search fee.
Records the Harris County Clerk Keeps
The range of records here is wide, and that is what trips up many searches. The Real Property Department records and indexes deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, plats, maps, and condo records. Real property images are available online from November 1, 1960 forward, and new recordings can take one to two business days to show up in the index. The Personal Records Department handles marriage licenses, informal marriage declarations, assumed name certificates, UCC filings, and other personal documents.
On the court side, the County Clerk holds the case files for the County Civil Courts at Law, the statutory probate courts, and Commissioners Court. The same office also records vital documents such as birth and death records and accepts military discharge (DD-214) filings, though access to discharge records is restricted by state law. Because the office covers so many record types, the Document Search Portal sorts them into separate categories so you land on the right form.
The portal reaches beyond the common records too. Its category tiles include campaign finance reports, conflicts of interest filings, foreclosure notices, animal brands, and Commissioners Court bids. These are public records that the office records and stores alongside the deed and marriage files. The mix is broad because the County Clerk serves as the central recorder for so much county business.
Some records are sensitive. Marriage applications drop the Social Security number from public view, and personal identifiers are redacted across the public record. For records the office does not post online, a written request or a Public Information Act request may be needed.
Harris County Clerk Historical Records
Harris County records run deep. The County Clerk states that land records date from the formation of the Republic of Texas in 1836 to the present. Older book-form records, from 1836 through the late 1950s, are housed at a historical records warehouse at 11525 Todd Street, Suite 300. Those volumes include land records, plats, maps, county court and probate records, marriage licenses, birth and death records, and military discharge records.
The county also created the Harris County Archives in 2002 to preserve county government records and private donations. The collection holds Medical Examiner files, Justice of the Peace records, maps, photographs, audio and video, microfilm, and born-digital records. Many modern records are searchable online, while the deepest historical material may call for a visit or a special request. The mix of old and new makes the County Clerk one of the richest record sources in the county. For the broader open-records framework that governs these files, see Harris County public records.