Houston, TX Public Records
Houston is an incorporated city in Harris County, Texas, with an estimated population of 2,390,125 (U.S. Census Bureau, July 2024 estimate) and 640.8 square miles of land. That is up about 89,774 residents since the 2020 Census base.
🏢 Houston City Hall
Houston's own city government keeps its local records: council or board meeting minutes, local ordinances and resolutions, local permits and licenses, and its own budget and contracts. Requests for those records go to the city secretary or city clerk under the Texas Public Information Act. Birth and death certificates, marriage records, deeds and court files are generally kept by county and state offices rather than by the city; see the offices below.
📇 Houston Contact on File
| Government | City Of Houston |
| Mailing address | PO Box 1562, Houston, TX 77251 |
| Phone | Not stated |
| Official website | www.houstontx.gov |
| Source | U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units listing ↗ |
This is the mailing address the government reported to the U.S. Census Bureau; it may be a post office box or the office of an elected official rather than a public counter, and the source does not list a phone number. The website was reported by the government and was answering when we last checked. Call or check the official website before you visit.
↑ Back to record types🏛️ County Courthouse & Records Office for Houston
Houston is in Harris County (with parts in Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Waller County). In Texas, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the County Clerk. Divorce cases in Texas are heard by the District Court in each county. Wills and estates in Texas are handled by the county court or statutory probate court in each county.
📍 Harris County at a Glance
| County | Harris County |
| County population (2024 est.) | 5,009,302 Source: www2.census.gov ↗ |
| County seat | Houston |
| Also partly in | Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, Waller County |
⚖️ Harris County District Clerk (District Courts of Harris County)
| Address | 201 Caroline, 4th Fl, Houston, TX 77002 |
| Directions | Get directions ↗ |
| Phone | (832) 927-5800 |
| Hours | Not stated |
| Records available | District court case files (criminal, civil, family, juvenile cases) |
| Official website | hcdistrictclerk.com |
| Sources | txcourts.gov/…/2025-district-clerk-offices.pdf ↗ txcourts.gov/…/judicial-directory ↗ hcdistrictclerk.com ↗ |
| Last verified | October 16, 2026 |
📜 Harris County Clerk
| Address | Harris County Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline, Suite 310, Houston, TX 77002 |
| Directions | Get directions ↗ |
| Phone | (713) 274-8600 |
| Hours | Not stated |
| Records available | Real property records (deeds, liens and other recorded documents), marriage licenses, and county court records. In many counties birth and death records are also kept here; confirm with the office. |
| Official website | cclerk.hctx.net |
| Sources | txcourts.gov/…/district-county-and-justice-court-judges ↗ txcourts.gov/…/county-clerk-manual-2023-edition.pdf ↗ cclerk.hctx.net ↗ |
| Last verified | October 16, 2026 |
See the full Harris County records page →
↑ Back to record types📋 Where to Get Records for Houston
Where to get the most-requested public records for people and property in Houston, TX:
📋 Houston Records Guide
| Birth & death certificates | Texas Department of State Health Services – Vital StatisticsIn Texas, certified birth and death certificates can also be ordered from many local registrars and county clerks. |
| Deeds & property records | In Texas, deeds, mortgages and other land records are recorded by the County Clerk. |
| Court cases & divorce | Harris County courthouse. Divorce cases in Texas are heard by the District Court in each county. |
| Wills & estates | Wills and estates in Texas are handled by the county court or statutory probate court in each county. |
| State court system | Texas Judicial Branch |
| Sex offender registry | Texas Public Sex Offender Registry (Texas DPS) |