Search Bexar County Clerk Records

Role of the Bexar County Clerk

Bexar County splits its clerk work between two elected offices. The County Clerk is one of them. Lucy Adame-Clark serves as the current Bexar County Clerk. The office acts as clerk and custodian for many records filed and managed by the county. That is a broad job. It runs from court files to vital records to land deeds, all under one elected office.

So what does this clerk not handle? Felony and civil district court files go to the Bexar County District Clerk instead. Divorce decrees route there too, since divorce is a district court matter. A simple rule helps. Misdemeanors, wills, and marriage licenses point here. Felonies and divorces point to the District Clerk. Both offices feed cases into the same county portal, yet each keeps its own certified files. For a full breakdown by record type, the Bexar County court records page lays it out.

Bexar County Clerk Contact

The County Clerk runs several counters across the county. The Marriage Office sits in the Paul Elizondo Tower downtown. The card below lists the main marriage contact, which is the busiest public counter.

The Marriage Office can be reached at 210-335-2223. The office page describes the County Clerk role and links each service. Public record searches and counter info also live on the Public Record Searches page.

Bexar County Clerk Duties

The County Clerk wears many hats. The office is the keeper of records that most residents touch at some point in life. The list below sums up the main duties.

• Court records - misdemeanor county court at law cases and related filings.
• Probate filings - wills, estates, and guardianship cases.
• Marriage licenses - issued and recorded by the office.
• Land records - deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and plats.
• Vital records - birth and death certificates.

The list goes on. The office also files assumed business names, or DBAs. It keeps the minutes of Commissioners Court, the county's governing body. It records DD-214 military discharge papers, marks and brands, foreclosure notices, and personal financial statements. It handles eFiling for civil, criminal, bond forfeiture, and probate cases. The same office even issues hunting and fishing licenses. Few county offices touch as many record types as this one. For the court side of these duties, the County Courts at Law page covers the misdemeanor and county civil dockets.

Bexar County Clerk Official Records Search

The County Clerk runs a free online database called the Official Records Search. You can search the index, view documents on screen, and print uncertified copies directly from the site. It covers a deep set of categories, some reaching back to the mission era through the Spanish Archives. The search lives at bexar.tx.ds.search.govos.com.

The categories you can search include Assumed Names, Commissioners Court, Foreclosures, Land Records, Marks and Brands, Marriage, Miscellaneous, Personal Property, Plats, Public Notice, and Spanish Archives. That mix makes the tool useful for deeds, liens, and old marriage research alike. The county notes the hosted service is provided on an as-is basis, so rely on certified records when accuracy matters.

Bexar County Clerk Search Fields

The Official Records Search keeps its fields simple. You pick a department, type a search term, and set a date range. A scope option decides how deep the search runs. The table below lists the main fields and what each one does.

Index Only is fast and matches the recorded index. Index and Full Text reads inside scanned documents, which helps when a name sits in the body of a deed. Use the Reset button to clear a search and start over.

Bexar County Clerk Marriage Records

Marriage licenses are recorded with the County Clerk. The office can provide copies of marriage licenses issued in Bexar County. The marriage index reaches back to 1837, which makes it a strong tool for family history. Both applicants usually appear in person at the Marriage Office in the Paul Elizondo Tower, Suite 120, though other locations also serve.

Marriage licenses are public records. Anyone may request a copy by completing the copy request form. One exception matters. The Declaration and Registration of Informal Marriage certificate is not a public record. Only the two applicants may receive a copy of that document. Certified marriage copies are often needed for a name change after a wedding. The marriage and divorce records page walks through the license steps, fees, and waiting period.

Bexar County Clerk Probate Records

Probate filings flow through the County Clerk and the probate clerk. Bexar County has three Probate Courts. They handle wills, heirship, estate administration, and guardianships for incapacitated adults and minors. Probate Court No. 1 also runs civil mental health commitment matters.

Probate is the legal process that proves a will, settles an estate, and names who carries it out. When there is no will, the court determines the legal heirs and sets up an administration. Some probate records, like those tied to mental health, hold medical data and stay restricted. For the courts, fees, and estate steps, see the Bexar County probate records page.

Bexar County Clerk Land Records

Land and property records are a core part of the County Clerk's work. The office records deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, and plats. It also files marks and brands, foreclosure notices, and personal property records. These documents build the public chain of title for property across the county. Title companies, lenders, and buyers lean on them every day.

You can search most of this through the free Official Records Search. Pick the Land Records department, enter a grantor or grantee name, and set a date range. The full-text option even reads inside scanned deeds. Uncertified copies print from the site. When you need proof of ownership for a sale or a loan, order a certified copy from the clerk. The county notes the online service is provided on an as-is basis, so a certified record is the version that carries weight.

Other Bexar County Clerk Records

The office keeps a long tail of records beyond courts, marriage, and land. Assumed business name filings, or DBAs, let a person register a trade name. Commissioners Court minutes record the actions of the county's governing body. The clerk also files DD-214 military discharge papers, though access to those is limited by law. Personal financial statements and personal property filings round out the mix.

Some of these touch sensitive data. The DD-214 is a public record type in name, but state law protects much of its content. The same care applies to records that hold private financial details. When you ask for one of these, the office will check whether the file or a part of it is shielded before it releases anything. For the broader open records framework, the Bexar County public records page covers the routing and the law.

Getting Copies From the Bexar County Clerk

Two kinds of copies come from this office. Uncertified copies print free from the Official Records Search for many record types. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are the version courts and agencies accept. You order certified copies through the clerk and pay a fee.

Bring a document number or a clear name and date when you ask. The clerk can search the index for you, but a specific reference speeds the work. For court case copies, match the office to the case first. A misdemeanor or probate copy comes from the County Clerk. A felony or divorce copy comes from the District Clerk. The District Clerk page lists the steps for those files.

Related Bexar County Records

You may also need the Bexar County District Clerk for felony and divorce files, the marriage and divorce records page for license steps, the probate records page for estates, or the County Courts at Law page for misdemeanor dockets.