McKinney, Texas Property Records
McKinney property records are on file at the Collin County Clerk's office in McKinney, which serves as the county seat and official recording office for all real estate documents in Collin County. Deeds, deeds of trust, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting property in McKinney are recorded there. The city has a population of around 202,000 and has grown steadily as one of the top cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area. Because McKinney is the county seat, the clerk's office is right in the city. You can search records online through the county's public portal or visit the office in person for copies and more detailed searches.
McKinney Overview
Where to Find McKinney Property Records
All property records for McKinney are held by the Collin County Clerk. Because McKinney is the county seat, the clerk's office is located right in the city. This is the central recording office for all real estate instruments in Collin County, including McKinney and surrounding communities like Frisco, Allen, Plano, and Prosper.
Texas law requires real property instruments to be recorded in the county where the land is located. Once a deed, deed of trust, or other instrument is recorded at the Collin County Clerk, it becomes a matter of public record. The recording date and document number establish the priority of competing claims. Title companies rely on this system every time a property in McKinney changes hands.
| Office | Collin County Clerk - Real Property Records |
|---|---|
| Address | 2300 Bloomdale Road, Suite 2104 McKinney, TX 75071 |
| Phone | (972) 548-4185 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM |
| Website | collincountytx.gov |
The clerk's office is off US-75 in McKinney. Parking is available nearby. Staff at the counter can assist with document searches and copy requests. Public search terminals are available if you want to look up records yourself.
How to Search McKinney Property Records
Collin County provides an online records search portal through the county clerk's website at collincountytx.gov. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. The index shows the document type, the date it was recorded, the book and page, and the names of all parties. Scanned images are available for many records, especially those filed in recent years.
The Collin Central Appraisal District at collincad.org is a useful starting point when you know the address but not the owner's name. A search by address returns the current owner, account number, legal description, and appraised value. That owner name can then be used in the county clerk's grantor/grantee index to find the deed and any recorded liens on the property.
The McKinney city website at mckinneytexas.org handles city-specific records like building permits and zoning information. If you are researching the permit history or code compliance status of a structure in McKinney, the city's development services office is the right place to check. Those records are separate from the county deed records.
The McKinney development services portal is shown below, which handles city land use records and permits.
McKinney's development services office manages permit applications, zoning requests, and related land records at the city level.
Types of Property Records in McKinney
The Collin County Clerk records many different types of real estate instruments for McKinney properties. Each one plays a role in the public record of ownership and encumbrances tied to a parcel.
Warranty deeds document ownership transfers and include a seller guarantee that title is clear. Deeds of trust secure mortgage loans against real property and are the most common security instrument in Texas. When a loan is paid off, the lender files a release of lien or deed of trust release to clear the record. If a contractor is not paid for work on a property, they can file a mechanic's lien. Each of these instruments is searchable in the county's records index once recorded.
- Warranty deeds and special warranty deeds
- Deeds of trust (mortgage security)
- Release of lien and deed of trust releases
- Mechanic's and materialman's liens
- Subdivision plats, replats, and vacations
- Easements and rights of way
- Homeowner association declarations and covenants
Note: Judgment liens are filed in the court records rather than the real property recording index. A title search in McKinney should include a check for judgments against the property owner in addition to the county clerk's deed records.
Collin Central Appraisal District
The Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) appraises all taxable property in Collin County, including every parcel in McKinney. CCAD sets the assessed value used to calculate annual property taxes. Their free online search at collincad.org lets you look up any parcel by address, owner name, or account number. Results include the owner's name and mailing address, the legal description, land and improvement values, and year-by-year tax account data.
CCAD updates its ownership records as deeds are reported from the county clerk. The appraisal district is not the official title record, but it is generally current enough to confirm who owns a property today. For legal title research, you still need to check the county clerk's recording index. The CCAD record is a starting point, not an endpoint.
McKinney property owners who believe their assessed value is too high can protest with the Collin Appraisal Review Board. File by May 15 each year or within 30 days of receiving your notice of appraised value, whichever is later.
Recording Fees at Collin County
The Collin County Clerk charges the state-mandated recording fee under Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011. The standard rate is $26 for the first page of a real property instrument and $4 for each page after that. This applies to deeds, deeds of trust, releases, and similar documents. A three-page deed of trust would cost $34 to record.
Plats and oversized instruments have their own fee structure. Call (972) 548-4185 or check the county website for current plat recording rates. Certified copies cost more than plain copies and are needed when submitting documents to courts, lenders, or government agencies.
Access to McKinney Property Records
Property records at the Collin County Clerk are open to the public under the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552. This statute gives every person the right to inspect and copy government records without having to state a reason. The county already provides access through its public counter and online portal for most instruments, so a formal PIA request is not usually needed for a standard deed or lien search.
Sensitive personal information is removed before recorded documents are made public. Under Texas Property Code Section 11.008, social security numbers must be redacted from instruments before they are available for inspection. The documents are still complete and useful for research. Only the protected data is withheld.
Additional Resources for McKinney Property Research
The Collin County Tax Office handles property tax billing and collections for McKinney. If taxes on a property are delinquent, they become a lien. Delinquent tax information can be checked through the county tax website or through the CCAD portal. A delinquent tax lien can delay or block a real estate sale, so it is important to check before closing.
For historic property research in McKinney, the Texas General Land Office at glo.texas.gov holds original land grant records going back to the Republic of Texas era. Collin County land grants are part of the GLO's archives. This is most useful for researching very old parcels or tracing title back to the original grant.
Legal aid for property and housing issues in the McKinney area is available through Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas. They serve Collin County and can help with housing disputes, title issues, and other property-related legal problems. Call (800) 955-3959 or visit lanwt.org. For a paid attorney, the State Bar of Texas referral service at (800) 252-9690 can connect you with a Collin County real estate lawyer.
Collin County Property Records
McKinney is the county seat of Collin County, and the Collin County Clerk holds all property records for the city. Visit the Collin County property records page for more on the recording system, search resources, and county-wide information.
Nearby Cities
Other cities in Collin County and the DFW area with property records pages include: