Find Public Records in Pecos County

Pecos County public records are maintained by the County Clerk and District Clerk in Fort Stockton, the county seat of this large Trans-Pecos county in West Texas. These offices hold court case files, property deeds, deed of trust instruments, oil and gas filings, marriage licenses, and other official county documents. Records are available in person at the courthouse, and some filings can be searched online. This guide covers how to find and request public records from Pecos County offices.

Pecos County Clerk

The County Clerk in Fort Stockton is the official records keeper for Pecos County. This office maintains deed records, mineral leases, plats, mortgage instruments, marriage licenses, assumed name filings, and commissioners court minutes. Oil and gas activity in the Permian Basin makes mineral-related records a major part of Pecos County's recording volume.

You can visit the clerk at the Pecos County Courthouse in Fort Stockton, TX during regular business hours. Mail requests are accepted. When writing in, provide the record type, party names, and an approximate date range to help staff locate documents efficiently.

• Address: Pecos County Courthouse, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
• Plain copies: $1 per page
• Certified copies: $1 per page plus $5 per document
• Birth certificates: $23
• Death certificates: $21

Pecos County's large geographic area means that some property searches may require additional identification of the survey or abstract number. The clerk's staff can assist with this if you have the property address or a prior deed reference.

Pecos County District Clerk

The District Clerk handles records for the 83rd Judicial District Court. This court serves Pecos County and hears felony criminal cases, civil suits, and family law matters including divorce and custody. Case files are public records unless sealed by judicial order.

You can search Pecos County district court cases at the courthouse in Fort Stockton or use re:SearchTX to look up cases online. The statewide portal lets you search by party name or case number across Texas district courts.

• Address: Pecos County Courthouse, Fort Stockton, TX 79735
• Jurisdiction: 83rd District Court
• Records: civil, criminal, family law

Electronic filing through eFileTexas is available and required for most attorneys filing in Pecos County district court.

Public Information Act Requests

Pecos County offices comply with the Texas Public Information Act. Any person can request government records without providing a reason. Non-residents of Texas have the same right to request records as anyone else.

The county has 10 business days to respond. If they plan to withhold any portion, they must request an opinion from the Texas Attorney General. Court records, property documents, and most other county records are public and released without dispute.

Fees and Processing Times

Standard Texas fees apply in Pecos County. Plain copies cost $1 per page. Certified copies run $1 per page plus $5 per document. PIA requests for paper copies are $0.10 per page.

• Standard copies: $1/page
• Certified copies: $1/page + $5 per document
• PIA paper copies: $0.10/page
• Birth certificates: $23
• Death certificates: $21
• PIA response deadline: 10 business days

For mineral lease and oil and gas document requests, additional research time may be needed to pull records from a large index spanning many years. Include as much detail as possible -- operator name, abstract number, or a prior instrument reference -- to speed up the search.

Texas Attorney General Open Government

The Texas Attorney General's open government division oversees compliance with the Public Information Act across the state. Visit the Texas AG Open Government page to learn about your rights to request records, review exemptions, and understand the process for challenging denials.

If a Pecos County office refuses a request without proper justification, you can file a complaint with the AG's open government division. The AG has authority to issue opinions that are binding on government agencies across Texas, and can intervene in situations where agencies improperly withhold records.

Pecos County is in the Western District of Texas, Pecos Division. Federal cases from this Trans-Pecos area are handled in the Pecos Division courthouse and are searchable through PACER at pacer.gov.

Property and Mineral Records

Pecos County has significant oil and gas production. The county clerk's deed index includes a substantial number of mineral leases, pooling agreements, pipeline easements, and surface use agreements in addition to standard real estate deeds. These are all public records filed and maintained by the county clerk.

The Pecos County Appraisal District maintains current property and mineral interest ownership data. Searching the appraisal records can give you a current owner name for surface or mineral interests before pulling the full deed chain.

Criminal Records

Criminal records from Pecos County courts are public. Felony case files are in the district clerk's office, and misdemeanor records are with the county court clerk. For official certified Texas criminal history, use the DPS Crime Records Service.

Cities in Pecos County

Fort Stockton is the county seat and the largest city in Pecos County. Its population does not reach 100,000, so no dedicated city records page exists for it on this site. For records tied to Fort Stockton or other Pecos County communities, use the county offices above.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Pecos County.