Dawson County Public Records

Dawson County public records are held by the County Clerk and District Clerk in Lamesa, the county seat in the West Texas South Plains region. The County Clerk holds property deeds, marriage licenses, and official county instruments, while the District Clerk manages civil and criminal court case files. Other offices handle vital records and tax data. Records can be searched online through Texas state tools or requested in person and by mail at the Lamesa courthouse. This guide covers your options for finding and requesting records in Dawson County.

Dawson County Clerk Records

The Dawson County Clerk in Lamesa maintains the official public records for the county. Property instruments including deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, and easements are filed and stored here. The office also handles marriage licenses, DBA filings, and the official minutes of the commissioners court. Records are searchable by grantor and grantee name or by instrument number.

Copies of documents cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies add a $5.00 certification fee. To request records by mail, send a written letter describing the record type, the parties involved, and the approximate time period. Attach a check or money order for estimated fees. The County Clerk's office is open weekdays during regular courthouse hours in Lamesa.

Local vital records including birth and death certificates filed in Dawson County can be obtained from the County Clerk. For statewide access, the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit is the central state repository. Birth certificates from the state office cost $23, and death certificates cost $21.

District Court Records

Dawson County is served by the 106th Judicial District. The District Clerk in Lamesa keeps all district court filings including civil cases, felony criminal matters, family law cases, and probate proceedings. Anyone needing to look up a lawsuit, divorce case, or felony charge tied to Dawson County should contact the District Clerk's office.

Court records can be searched free of charge through re:SearchTX, the statewide court portal managed by the Texas Office of Court Administration. You can search by party name, case number, or attorney name. Attorneys and parties use eFileTexas.gov for electronic document submission in Texas courts.

Note: Not all older Dawson County cases appear in online databases. For records from earlier years, a direct request to the District Clerk's office may be needed.

Public Information and Open Records

The Texas Public Information Act grants the public the right to request government records. County offices in Dawson County must respond to written requests within 10 business days. The Texas Attorney General Open Government Division provides guidance and handles disputes about access to records.

Standard PIA copies cost $0.10 per page. Some records may be exempt, including certain law enforcement investigation files and sensitive personal information. If a request is denied, the agency must provide a written explanation and cite the applicable legal exemption. You may seek an Attorney General opinion to challenge a denial.

The Texas Public Information Act is the primary law governing public access to records held by government bodies including Dawson County agencies.

Criminal History Records

For criminal background checks, the Texas DPS Crime Records Service is the statewide source. Name-based searches cost $5.00 and cover arrests and convictions reported by Texas law enforcement agencies, including those in Dawson County. Results reflect the most current information in the state criminal history database.

Federal cases tied to Dawson County fall under the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Those records are searchable through PACER, the federal court's electronic access service. A small per-page fee applies.

The Dawson County Sheriff handles law enforcement across the county. Incident reports and arrest records from the Sheriff's office are subject to the Public Information Act and can be requested in writing. Response times vary depending on the volume of requests.

Cities in Dawson County

Lamesa is the county seat and the hub for all public record access in Dawson County. Other communities in the county include Ackerly. No city in Dawson County meets the 100,000 population threshold for a dedicated city records page.

Nearby Counties

Dawson County is in the South Plains region of West Texas, bordered by several neighboring counties.