Access Public Records in Kerr County

Kerr County public records are filed at the county courthouse in Kerrville and are also available through several Texas state databases. The county covers the heart of the Hill Country, and its courthouse handles property records, court filings, marriage records, and other documents for residents across the region. This guide covers every major record type in Kerr County, who holds it, what it costs to get a copy, and where you can search before making a trip to Kerrville.

Kerr County Clerk

The Kerr County Clerk's office in Kerrville records all real property instruments for the county. Deeds, deeds of trust, mortgage liens, easements, releases, and plats are all filed here. The clerk maintains a grantor-grantee index for land searches. A name search costs $5.00 per name. Plain copies are $1.00 per page. Certified copies add $5.00 per document. Mail requests are accepted with prepayment and a return envelope.

Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the County Clerk. If you need a certified copy of a Kerr County marriage record, contact this office. The clerk also maintains probate records, commissioners court minutes, and older county records going back generations. The office can tell you the scope of what is available and whether older records have been indexed digitally.

Certified birth and death records are handled statewide by the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit at dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics. A birth certificate costs $23 and a death certificate costs $21. For very old records, check with the Kerr County Clerk directly.

District Court and Court Filings

The Kerr County District Clerk manages records for the 198th Judicial District Court. This court handles felony criminal cases, civil suits above the county court threshold, and family law matters including divorce, child custody, and child support. If you need a certified copy of a divorce decree or a civil judgment from Kerr County, the District Clerk in Kerrville is your contact.

Search the statewide case index for free through the re:SearchTX portal. Look up cases by name or case number and see basic case data. For actual court documents, contact the Kerr County District Clerk directly. New filings submitted through eFileTexas.gov appear in the portal shortly after submission.

The county courts at law in Kerr County handle misdemeanor criminal cases, smaller civil suits, and probate matters. Those records are with the County Clerk rather than the District Clerk. Federal cases for Kerr County residents fall under the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, searchable through PACER.

Public Information Requests

Under the Texas Public Information Act, you have the right to request records from any Kerr County government body. This includes county departments, the City of Kerrville, Ingram, and local school districts. Write to the specific agency. No reason is required. The agency must respond within 10 business days. If they claim an exemption, they must first ask the Texas AG's Open Government division for permission to withhold.

Standard copy fees are $0.10 per page for paper. Electronic records are often less expensive. The AG's office publishes a cost rule chart that all Texas agencies must follow. If you think an agency is overcharging or improperly withholding records, you can file a complaint with the AG.

Note: The City of Kerrville and Kerr County are separate entities with separate public records. Send requests to the right agency depending on which records you need.

Criminal Records and Other State Sources

Statewide criminal history, including Kerr County cases, is available through the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. Name-based searches pull arrest and disposition data. For a certified copy of a specific Kerr County criminal case, contact the District Clerk in Kerrville.

Historical Kerr County records may be accessible through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Business entity and UCC filings are at the Texas Secretary of State.

Texas DPS provides criminal background check services that cover Kerr County offenses alongside all other Texas jurisdictions in a single searchable database.

For a certified Kerr County criminal history report, you can use the DPS portal or contact the District Clerk directly for case-specific documents.

Cities in Kerr County

Kerrville is the county seat and the main city in the county. Ingram is another community within the county. All county property and court records are filed at the Kerrville courthouse.

No city in Kerr County meets the population threshold for a dedicated records page on this site. All residents use the clerk offices in Kerrville.

Nearby Counties

Kerr County is in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Several neighboring counties share the region's terrain and records systems.