Search Kleberg County Records

Kleberg County public records are held at the courthouse in Kingsville, a South Texas city in the coastal plain region south of Corpus Christi. The County Clerk and District Clerk maintain property deeds, court case files, marriage records, and other official documents at the local level, while Texas state systems cover vital records and criminal history statewide. Many records are accessible online, with in-person and mail options also available. This guide covers which offices hold each record type and how to search Kleberg County public records.

Kleberg County Clerk

The Kleberg County Clerk records all real property instruments for the county. Deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, easements, and plats are filed here and indexed for public inspection. The King Ranch, one of the largest ranches in the world, is headquartered in Kleberg County, which means the clerk's records include some very large land transactions and complex ranch-related instruments. Name searches cost $5.00 per name. Copies are $1.00 per page and certified copies add $5.00 per document.

Marriage licenses are issued and recorded by the County Clerk in Kingsville. Certified copies of Kleberg County marriage records are available by request in person or by mail. The clerk also maintains probate records and commissioners court minutes.

Certified birth and death records are issued by the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit. Visit dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics to order. Birth certificates cost $23 and death certificates cost $21. Older records not in the state system may be at the county level.

District Clerk and Court Filings

The Kleberg County District Clerk maintains records for the 105th Judicial District Court. This court handles felony criminal cases, civil suits over the county court limit, and family law matters including divorce, child custody, and protective orders. Certified copies of divorce decrees, civil judgments, and criminal case records from Kleberg County are available from the District Clerk in Kingsville.

Search the statewide case index free through the re:SearchTX portal. Enter a name or case number to find basic case data. For actual documents, contact the Kleberg County District Clerk directly. New filings submitted electronically through eFileTexas.gov appear in the portal after processing.

Federal cases involving Kleberg County residents fall under the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Search federal records through PACER.

Public Information Act

The Texas Public Information Act applies to all government bodies in Kleberg County. You can request records from the county, the City of Kingsville, local school districts including Kingsville ISD, and other public entities. Submit a written request to the specific agency. No reason is required. They have 10 business days to respond.

Copy fees are $0.10 per page for paper. Electronic records are often cheaper. If an agency claims a statutory exemption, it must seek a ruling from the Texas Attorney General's Open Government division. You can contact the AG's office if a Kleberg County agency fails to comply with the law.

Note: Texas A&M University-Kingsville is a state institution and is also subject to public information requests under Texas law, though some student records are protected under federal privacy statutes.

Criminal History and Other Resources

Statewide criminal history including Kleberg County cases is available through the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. Name-based searches cover all Texas jurisdictions. For a certified copy of a specific Kleberg County criminal case, contact the District Clerk in Kingsville.

Business entity filings and UCC records are maintained by the Texas Secretary of State. Historical and archived Kleberg County records may be accessible through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

Texas DSHS Vital Statistics is the fastest and most reliable way to get certified birth and death records tied to Kleberg County events.

Orders placed through the DSHS online portal for Kleberg County birth or death certificates are processed by the state and mailed directly to you.

Cities in Kleberg County

Kingsville is the county seat and primary city in Kleberg County. Ricardo and Riviera are smaller communities in the county. All county records are maintained at the Kingsville courthouse.

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

Nearby Counties

Kleberg County is in South Texas, south of Corpus Christi. Neighboring counties include Kenedy to the south, one of the least-populated counties in the state.