Search Castro County Public Records

Castro County public records are held by government offices in Dimmitt, the county seat, and cover property filings, court cases, vital records, and other official documents. If you need to search for a record in Castro County, from a deed to a court case file, the county clerk, district clerk, and state agency tools outlined here provide access to a wide range of documents. Most records are accessed in person at the Dimmitt courthouse, though several statewide online tools are also available.

Castro County Clerk Records

The Castro County Clerk in Dimmitt maintains official land and vital records for the county. Property deeds, mortgages, liens, plat maps, and releases are recorded and indexed here. Landowners, attorneys, title companies, and researchers looking into Castro County property history rely on the clerk's records. The office provides in-person access and can often process mailed requests for copies.

Marriage licenses from Castro County are on file with the county clerk. A certified copy of a marriage record costs $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for the certification. DBA filings for local businesses are also recorded here. These records are open to the public during regular courthouse hours in Dimmitt.

For birth and death certificates from Castro County, the state agency to contact is Texas DSHS Vital Statistics. The state maintains vital records for all Texas counties. Birth certificates cost $23.00 and death certificates cost $21.00.

District Court Filings

Castro County is served by the 64th Judicial District. The District Clerk handles court filings for felony criminal cases, civil suits, and family law matters in district court. These records are public unless a court has ordered them sealed. Divorces, child custody orders, civil judgments, and felony case files are all part of the district clerk's index in Dimmitt.

County court records for misdemeanor criminal cases are maintained by the County Clerk's office. Both offices are at the Castro County Courthouse in Dimmitt. If you need to look up a case and are not sure which court handled it, call the courthouse and give the party's name and an approximate year.

Note: Records from justice of the peace courts in Castro County are kept by those individual courts. For JP records, contact the specific court rather than the county clerk or district clerk.

Online Tools for Castro County Records

The re:SearchTX court portal is a free tool from the Texas Office of Court Administration. You can search for Castro County court cases by name or case number. The system covers participating courts statewide and shows docket entries, case status, and party information. Not every court or every case type is fully integrated, but many district and county court cases are searchable here.

Cases filed through the statewide electronic filing system appear in eFileTexas. The public portal allows free searches without an account. This is helpful for monitoring the status of pending civil or family law cases filed in Castro County. The system updates in near real time after a filing is processed.

For federal court records involving Castro County parties, use PACER. Castro County is in the Northern District of Texas for federal purposes. PACER charges a per-page fee but waives small amounts quarterly.

Public Information Act Requests

Anyone can request records from Castro County government offices under the Texas Public Information Act. Your request must be in writing and must describe the records you want clearly enough for the office to identify them. The office has 10 business days to respond. They must provide the records, deny them with a cited legal reason, or seek an AG ruling and notify you.

Standard copy fees under a PIA request are $0.10 per page. You do not have to give a reason for your request. If fulfilling the request requires more than one hour of staff labor, additional charges may apply. The Texas AG Open Government division provides templates and handles complaints if a Castro County office fails to comply.

The Texas Public Information Act, codified at Chapter 552 of the Government Code, is the legal basis for accessing records from Castro County and all Texas government offices.

Understanding the PIA statute is key to successfully requesting records from Castro County offices, particularly when a request involves sensitive or potentially exempt materials.

Criminal Records and Additional Sources

For statewide criminal history in Texas, the Texas DPS Crime Records Service is the official source. Law enforcement agencies in Castro County, including the Castro County Sheriff's Office and Dimmitt Police Department, report arrests and dispositions to this statewide database. Name-based searches are available online through DPS.

The Castro County Sheriff's Office maintains local law enforcement records. For recent arrests, jail bookings, or warrant information specific to Castro County, contact the sheriff's office directly. City-level arrests in Dimmitt are handled by the Dimmitt Police Department, which also reports to the state system.

Property tax and appraisal data for Castro County are public records available through the Castro County Appraisal District. These records complement deed records from the county clerk and help establish current ownership and value for parcels throughout Castro County.

Cities in Castro County

Dimmitt is the county seat and only incorporated city in Castro County where county records are filed and maintained.

Castro County is largely agricultural and rural. No communities in the county meet the population threshold for dedicated records pages. All public records are accessible through Castro County offices in Dimmitt.

Nearby Counties

Castro County borders several Panhandle counties, each with their own public records offices.