Midland Property Records
Midland property records are maintained by the Midland County Clerk, the official recording office for all real estate instruments in Midland County. If you need to find a deed, check for oil-field related liens, or trace the ownership history of a Midland property, the county clerk is where those documents are kept. Midland is the county seat of Midland County in West Texas and serves as a hub for the Permian Basin energy industry. The city has a population of around 132,000. All property instruments including deeds, deeds of trust, releases, plats, and mineral-related filings are indexed at the county clerk's office and available for public search.
Midland Overview
Where Midland Property Records Are Kept
The Midland County Clerk holds all real property recordings for Midland and the rest of Midland County. The clerk's office is at the Midland County Courthouse in downtown Midland. Because Midland is the county seat, the recording office is right in town and easy to get to. All deeds, deeds of trust, liens, plats, and other instruments affecting real property in Midland are filed here and indexed by the clerk's staff. Midland County also has records related to oil and gas interests, which can be intertwined with real property title research in the Permian Basin.
The Midland County Clerk has an online portal for searching recorded instruments. Many records are available digitally with document images. This is useful for researchers who don't want to visit in person. For older records, certified copies, or documents not yet in the digital system, a visit or written request may be needed.
| Office | Midland County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 200 W. Wall Street Midland, TX 79701 |
| Phone | (432) 688-4500 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | co.midland.tx.us |
City of Midland building permits and development records are handled by the city at midlandtexas.gov, separate from the county deed records.
How to Search Midland Property Records
The Midland County Clerk provides online access to the deed index at co.midland.tx.us. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. The index shows instrument type, recording date, book and page, and party names. Scanned document images are available for many recorded instruments. The system covers both standard real property records and the range of oil-and-gas-related instruments common in Midland County.
The Midland city portal at midlandtexas.gov is shown below, providing an overview of city services and resources for Midland residents and property researchers.
The Midland Central Appraisal District at midlandcad.org offers a free public search for all Midland County parcels by address or owner name. Results include current ownership, legal description, and appraised values. This is a useful starting point before pulling deed records at the county clerk, especially for residential properties in the city.
Note: For oil and gas mineral rights in Midland County, the county clerk's deed index also tracks oil-and-gas leases, royalty assignments, and other mineral-related instruments. A title search in the Permian Basin often requires separate mineral title research in addition to the standard surface deed search.
Types of Property Records in Midland
The Midland County Clerk records a wide range of real property instruments. Warranty deeds are the standard transfer documents for residential home sales. Quitclaim deeds are also common, particularly in estate and family transfers. Deeds of trust secure home loans. When a mortgage is paid, the lender files a release of lien. All of these are part of the deed index and searchable by party name.
Midland County's role in the Permian Basin means there are also oil-and-gas lease assignments, mineral deeds, royalty deeds, and related instruments in the county recording system. For real estate research in Midland, both surface and mineral interests may be relevant depending on the property. Subdivision plats are also recorded here as the city's residential areas expand. Mechanic's and materialman's liens are common given the active construction sector in the Midland area.
- Warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds
- Deeds of trust
- Releases of lien
- Mechanic's and materialman's liens
- Subdivision plats and replats
- Oil-and-gas leases and mineral deeds
- Easements and affidavits
Midland Central Appraisal District
The Midland Central Appraisal District (MCAD) handles property appraisals for all parcels in Midland County. Their free public search at midlandcad.org lets you look up any property by address, owner name, or account number. The results show current ownership, the legal description, land and improvement values, exemptions, and tax entity information. MCAD appraises surface real estate; mineral interests are appraised separately by the applicable railroad commission and appraisal district processes.
Midland property values have fluctuated significantly with energy market cycles. MCAD records show historical value trends, which is useful context when researching a specific property. The appraisal district site is a reliable first stop for any Midland real property research, providing current ownership data before you dig into the deed index at the county clerk.
Owners who disagree with their Midland County appraisal can protest with the Appraisal Review Board by May 15 or within 30 days of the appraisal notice. MCAD provides protest forms and guidance online.
Recording Fees in Midland County
The Midland County Clerk charges recording fees based on the state schedule under Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011. The fee is $26 for the first page and $4 per additional page. A standard one-page deed costs $26 to record. Longer instruments like detailed deeds of trust or mineral leases with exhibits cost more based on their total page count.
Certified copy fees are higher than plain copy fees. Call the Midland County Clerk at (432) 688-4500 to confirm the current schedule before visiting. The office can also confirm what payment methods they accept to make your visit go smoothly.
Texas Public Information Act
Property records at the Midland County Clerk are public records under the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552. Anyone can inspect and request copies of these records. You don't need to be a Texas resident or own property in Midland. No reason is needed to access these documents.
The clerk provides public access at the counter and through online tools. A formal written request under Chapter 552 is rarely needed for standard deed records. Sensitive personal identifiers are removed from recorded instruments before they appear in the public index, per the requirements of Texas Property Code Section 11.008.
Additional Resources for Midland Property Research
The Midland County Tax Assessor-Collector handles property tax billing for Midland and all of Midland County. Unpaid taxes create a lien on real property. Any outstanding tax balance must be resolved before a sale can close. The MCAD website typically shows account status, or you can contact the county tax office directly. In a rapidly changing market like Midland, tax values can adjust quickly from year to year.
The Texas General Land Office at glo.texas.gov holds original land grant and survey archives for West Texas. Some Midland area land traces back to patents issued during the late 1800s when the Permian Basin was first surveyed and opened. For complex or old chains of title, the GLO archives can provide the foundation of the title history.
West Texas Legal Services provides free legal help to qualifying individuals in Midland. The State Bar of Texas at (800) 252-9690 can refer you to a licensed real estate attorney in the area. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has free guides on property law including deeds, title disputes, and lien issues.
Midland County Property Records
Midland is the county seat of Midland County, and all property records for the city are filed with the Midland County Clerk. For more on the recording office, fees, and county resources, visit the Midland County property records page.
Nearby Cities
Other West Texas cities with property records pages include: