Austin County Public Records

Austin County public records are held at the courthouse in Bellville, the county seat in Southeast Texas. The County Clerk maintains property deeds, marriage licenses, and commissioners court records, while the District Clerk handles civil and criminal court filings. Other county and state offices maintain vital records, tax documents, and law enforcement data. Many records are searchable through Texas state online portals, with in-person and mail requests available at the courthouse. This page explains the main offices and how to access their records.

Austin County Clerk Office

The Austin County Clerk maintains all recorded land instruments, including deeds, deeds of trust, releases, and liens, filed in Austin County. The courthouse is at 1 E. Main Street, Bellville, TX 77418. Any real estate transfer in the county runs through this office. A grantor-grantee index lets you search by owner name, and staff can perform name searches at the standard rate of $5.00 per name.

The County Clerk also issues and records marriage licenses. Couples who married in Austin County can obtain a certified copy of their marriage record from this office. Copy fees are $1.00 per page for plain copies and $1.00 per page plus $5.00 per document for certified copies.

For certified birth and death certificates, the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit is the main source. Requests can be made online, by mail, or in person through dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics. Birth certificates are $23, death certificates are $21. The County Clerk may have older records on file for locally filed vital records as well.

District Clerk Court Records

The Austin County District Clerk handles case files for the 155th Judicial District Court, which serves Austin County along with neighboring Fayette and Washington counties. This court manages felony criminal cases, major civil lawsuits, and family law proceedings. Divorce decrees, custody orders, civil judgments, and felony conviction records are all maintained by the District Clerk.

Online searching is available through the re:SearchTX portal. This free tool provides case index information including party names, case numbers, filing dates, and status. Full case documents require a request to the clerk directly, either in person at the Bellville courthouse or by mail with prepayment.

The mandatory e-filing system, eFileTexas.gov, ensures that new court filings appear in the search system quickly. Attorneys must file electronically, and the system logs these submissions into the statewide case index.

Public Information Requests

Austin County government records, from road department files to meeting minutes, are accessible under the Texas Public Information Act. Send your written request to the office or department that holds the records. The agency must respond within 10 business days, either by providing records, requesting a cost deposit, or seeking a ruling from the Texas AG on any claimed exemptions.

The Texas AG's Open Government division publishes guides and handles disputes when agencies do not comply. Costs for non-court paper records are $0.10 per page under the PIA schedule. Electronic records that can be easily exported may be provided at no charge.

Note: Records held by school districts or other independent governmental units require separate requests to those entities, not to the county government.

Fees, Timing, and Request Methods

Standard fees for Austin County Clerk: $1.00 per page for copies, $5.00 plus $1.00 per page for certified copies, $5.00 per name search. PIA copies: $0.10 per page. Vital records via DSHS: $23 birth, $21 death. These amounts are set by Texas statute.

Walk-in visits to the Bellville courthouse are the fastest method. Mail requests are also accepted. Include a written description of the records needed, the relevant names and date ranges, and a check for the estimated cost. For large or uncertain requests, call ahead to get a cost estimate before submitting payment.

Vital Records and Criminal History

Statewide criminal background checks run through the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. Name-based searches cover arrests and dispositions from all Texas courts and are available online for a fee. For local certified court records, the Austin County District Clerk provides copies from case files on file at the Bellville courthouse.

Historical county records, including older land grants and archived government documents, may be available through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Austin County has a long history as one of the original Texas counties, and some older records have been transferred to state archives.

The Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit handles certified birth and death certificate requests for Austin County and all Texas counties statewide.

Cities in Austin County

Austin County includes Bellville, Sealy, Wallis, and other communities between Houston and the Colorado River valley. Bellville serves as the county seat, and all county records are filed and maintained there.

No city in Austin County meets the population threshold for its own records page. Residents of Sealy, Wallis, San Felipe, Industry, and other communities all access county public records through the Bellville courthouse.

Nearby Counties

Austin County is bordered by several counties in the Houston region and the Texas coastal plain. Records involving cross-county transactions may exist in neighboring offices.