Harris County Recorder of Deeds: Search & Office

Harris County Clerk — Real Property Department

County Clerk: Teneshia Hudspeth
Location: Harris County Civil Courthouse
Address: 201 Caroline Street, 3rd Floor, Suite 320, Houston, TX 77002

Real Property phone: 713-274-8680
Fax: 713-755-3597
Email: ccinfo@cco.hctx.net

Office hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–4:30 PM.

Mailing address:
Teneshia Hudspeth, Harris County Clerk
Attn: Real Property Department
P.O. Box 1525
Houston, TX 77251-1525

For recording questions, ask for the Real Property Department in Suite 320. The Public Records counter for copy requests is in Suite 310.

The Harris County Clerk provides an online Real Property document search. It supports specific recording references, party names and legal-description fields.

Recorded-document images are available online beginning November 1, 1960. Older records may require assistance from the Public Records or Archives Department.

1. Open the Harris County Clerk Real Property search.

   Use the official Clerk document portal, not a commercial property-data website.

   Open Harris County Real Property Search
   After opening: choose the Real Property search form. Search using a file number, film code, grantor, grantee, trustee or another displayed field.
2. Search by the grantor or grantee.

   Grantor generally means the person or entity transferring an interest. Grantee generally means the person or entity receiving it.

   The Clerk’s search form specifies Last Name First, No Punctuation for name searches.

3. Use recording details if available.

   For a more precise lookup, use the file number, film code, volume and page, or recording-date range.

4. Use subdivision and legal-description fields when helpful.

   The portal includes subdivision or description, lot, block, section, unit, abstract, tract, reserve and other fields.

5. Inspect the matching document.

   Compare recording date, document type, named parties and legal description. Check for later deeds, deeds of trust and lien releases.

6. Save the recording reference.

   Use the file number or film code when requesting copies or asking staff to locate the document.

Can you view deeds for free?

Yes. The Clerk’s Document Search Portal allows registered users to view available public documents without charge.

Registration is required to access certain online images. Documents viewed or printed free may contain an unofficial watermark.

The Clerk search is primarily a recorded-document search. If you only have a street address, begin with the Harris Central Appraisal District.

HCAD can help identify the property owner, 13-digit appraisal account number and legal description. You can then return to the County Clerk.

1. Open HCAD Quick Search. HCAD Property Search
   After opening: choose Search By Address, select the tax year, then enter the street number and street name in their separate fields.
2. Use Harris County’s address rules.

   HCAD advises omitting words like Street, Drive and Parkway. Use N, S, E or W for a directional prefix instead of writing North or South.

3. Open the correct appraisal account.

   Review the owner name, account number, situs address and legal description.

4. Search the Clerk’s documents.

   Use the owner’s name as a grantee or grantor. Confirm the legal description matches the property you are researching.

The County Clerk accepts eligible original real-property documents for recording. The Clerk’s function is ministerial: recording does not guarantee that the instrument is legally valid.

The office accepts in-person filings, mail submissions and eligible electronic filings through approved eRecording providers.

1. Prepare the legally appropriate document.

   Confirm the type of deed or instrument with a Texas attorney or title professional when necessary.

2. Check names and legal description.

   The Clerk requires the appropriate signatures and legal description when applicable. Names should be printed beneath signatures.

3. Include the grantee’s mailing address.

   Under Texas Property Code §11.003, a conveyance ordinarily must include each grantee’s mailing address or qualifying attached statement, or an additional fee applies.

4. Verify acknowledgment and margins.

   The office instructs filers to use original signatures and proper notarization where required. Leave recording space at the top of the document.

5. Calculate the recording fee.

   Use the number of pages, indexed names and any applicable supplemental fees.

6. Submit the original instrument.

   File in person with photo ID, by mail with approved payment, or through an authorized electronic recording provider.

7. Confirm the recording.

   Keep the returned file number or film code. Allow for the Clerk’s online-index update period.

Recording by mail

Send the original document and the appropriate payment to the Real Property Department at P.O. Box 1525, Houston, TX 77251-1525.

The Clerk directs mailed filers to use a cashier’s check, money order or authorized credit-card method. Do not mail a personal check.

Harris County’s published standard real-property recording fee is $25 for the first page and $4 for each additional page.

The $25 first-page amount consists of a $5 filing component, a $10 archive fee and a $10 records-management fee.

Missing grantee mailing address

Texas Property Code §11.003 provides an additional charge for a conveyance that lacks the required grantee mailing address.

The statutory penalty filing fee equals the greater of $25 or twice the statutory recording fee for the instrument.

The Public Records Department assists with copies of deeds, mortgages and other recorded instruments. It also provides access to historic Harris County land records.

The county maintains land records dating to 1836, although online image coverage begins later.

1. Locate the recorded deed.

   Use the document portal and save the file number or film code.

2. Choose the needed copy type.

   Ask the receiving institution whether it accepts electronic certification or requires a raised seal.

3. Order through the Clerk.

   Use the online account, appropriate office counter or official copy-order instructions.

4. Keep your receipt.

   Save the order confirmation and check the returned document for the correct recording reference.

Public Records Department: 201 Caroline, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77002. Phone 713-274-6390.

The Harris County Clerk operates downtown and annex offices. Annexes can help with public-record requests and selected real-property services.

However, annex service availability can differ from downtown. Confirm that an annex will handle your specific transaction before visiting.

Harris County accepts electronic real-property filings through participating eRecording providers and eligible submitters.

The Clerk identifies CSC, eRecording Partners Network and Simplifile among available providers.

Under Texas Local Government Code Chapter 195, eligibility to electronically file documents is limited to authorized categories of submitters.

The Harris County Clerk offers a free Property Alert System (PAS) to notify registered users about newly recorded real-property documents associated with a monitored name.

This can provide earlier awareness of suspicious recordings. It does not prevent a deed or lien from being recorded.

If you discover a suspicious deed

• Save the suspicious instrument’s file number, recording date and image.
• Contact the Harris County Clerk to confirm what was recorded.
• Preserve copies of your genuine deed and related documents.
• Seek legal assistance or contact appropriate law-enforcement authorities if fraud is suspected.

• Only have an address? Start with HCAD’s Address Search, then use the owner’s name in the Clerk portal.
• No search result? Try another spelling, the prior owner’s name, grantor versus grantee fields, or a different date range.
• Recently recorded document missing? The Clerk says portal updates may take 1–2 business days after processing.
• Cannot see an older deed image? Online real-property images begin November 1, 1960. Contact Public Records or Archives for older materials.
• Need an official certified copy? A free watermarked printout is not a certified copy. Order certification from the Clerk.
• Need a deed rerecorded? Follow the Clerk’s correction and rerecording instructions rather than changing a previously filed record yourself.
• Need property-tax help? Contact HCAD for appraisal questions or the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector for property-tax payments.

What to do next

Independent Records and Legal Information Notice

This is an independent informational guide and is not affiliated with the Harris County Clerk, HCAD, the Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector or any Texas government agency.

Recording does not determine whether a deed is legally valid, clear a title defect or guarantee ownership. Consult a qualified Texas attorney or title company for deed preparation and title disputes.

Office hours, fees, portal availability and processing procedures can change. Verify them directly with the responsible government office before filing or paying.

Public property records must not be used for employment, tenant screening, credit, insurance or other decisions regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. This website is not a consumer reporting agency.

Editorial review: October 17, 2026 • Sources: Harris County Clerk, Harris Central Appraisal District, Harris County government and Texas statutes.