Plano Property Records
Plano property records are filed with the Collin County Clerk, the official recording office for all real estate instruments in Collin County. If you need a deed, lien search, or title history for a Plano property, that office is your starting point. Plano is one of the largest cities in North Texas with a population of around 285,000. The city is mostly in Collin County, though a small portion touches Dallas County. All deeds, deeds of trust, plats, lien releases, and other property instruments for the Collin County portions of Plano are indexed at the Collin County Clerk and available for public search online or in person.
Plano Overview
Where to Find Plano Property Records
Most of Plano falls within Collin County, and the Collin County Clerk in McKinney is the primary recording office for Plano property instruments. McKinney is the county seat, about 20 miles north of Plano. When a deed or deed of trust is signed for a Plano property in Collin County, it is sent to the Collin County Clerk for recording. The online records portal for Collin County covers most searches without requiring a trip to McKinney.
A small portion of Plano extends into Dallas County. If you are researching a property on the southern or western edge of Plano, it may be worth checking which county the parcel is in before searching. The Collin Central Appraisal District and the Dallas Central Appraisal District both have property search tools to help confirm the county. Most Plano properties, however, fall squarely in Collin County.
| Office | Collin County Clerk |
|---|---|
| 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 |
City of Plano records like building permits and zoning decisions are handled at the Plano Development Services office. Their information is available at plano.gov. Those are city functions and are separate from the county deed records.
How to Search Plano Property Records
Collin County provides online access to the deed index at collincountytx.gov. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, or document number. The system returns instrument type, recording date, book and page, and party names. Scanned document images are available for most recorded instruments and can be viewed at no charge through the portal.
Plano Development Services at plano.gov is shown below, providing information on city permits and development resources for Plano property owners and researchers.
Plano Municipal Court at plano.gov is shown below, providing a view of local court services for Plano residents.
The Collin Central Appraisal District at collincad.org provides a free public search for all Collin County parcels. You can look up any Plano property by address or owner name and see current ownership, legal description, and appraised values. This is a useful first step before going to the county clerk for deed records.
Types of Property Records in Plano
The Collin County Clerk records all standard real property instruments for Plano. Warranty deeds are used in most home sales and include a full title guarantee from the seller. Special warranty deeds limit the guarantee to the seller's ownership period. Quitclaim deeds convey whatever the grantor holds without any warranty. Deeds of trust are the security instrument for home loans in Texas. When a loan is paid, the lender records a release of lien.
Plano is a well-established city with a wide range of property types from older residential neighborhoods to large corporate campuses. The Collin County deed index includes subdivision plats from Plano's growth period in the 1970s through 1990s. HOA declarations and deed restrictions are part of many established Plano neighborhoods. Commercial leases and easements for corporate park developments are also part of the property record in Plano. Mechanic's and materialman's liens arise when contractor work goes unpaid on renovation or construction projects.
- Warranty deeds and special warranty deeds
- Quitclaim deeds
- Deeds of trust
- Releases of lien
- Mechanic's and materialman's liens
- Subdivision plats and replats
- HOA declarations and deed restrictions
Collin Central Appraisal District
The Collin Central Appraisal District (CCAD) handles property appraisals for all parcels in Collin County, including most of Plano. Their public search at collincad.org lets you look up any Plano property by owner name, address, or account number. Results include the current owner, legal description, land and improvement values, exemptions applied, and a full list of taxing entities. The site is free and accessible to anyone.
Plano has consistently high property values for Collin County, and the CCAD records reflect those valuations. The site shows historical appraised value data year by year, which is useful for tracking value trends on specific addresses. For commercial properties in Plano's Legacy Business Park and similar corporate corridors, the CCAD records include both land and improvement values for large-scale assessments.
Owners who want to protest their Collin County appraisal must file with the Appraisal Review Board by May 15 or within 30 days of the appraisal notice. CCAD provides online protest filing and instructions at collincad.org.
Recording Fees in Collin County
Collin County recording fees follow the state schedule under Texas Local Government Code Section 118.011. The base fee is $26 for the first page of a real property instrument and $4 per additional page. A standard deed costs $26. Longer instruments like commercial deeds of trust with exhibits may cost $50 to $100 or more depending on page count.
Certified copies of recorded instruments cost more than plain copies. Call the Collin County Clerk at (972) 548-4185 to confirm current fees and payment methods before visiting the office in McKinney.
Texas Public Information Act
Property records at the Collin County Clerk are public records under the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552. Anyone can request and inspect these documents. You don't need to live in Texas or own property in Plano to access them. No reason is required.
The clerk provides access at the public counter and through the online portal. A formal Chapter 552 written request is rarely needed for standard deed records. Personal identifiers are removed from recorded instruments before they appear in the public index, as required by Texas Property Code Section 11.008.
Additional Resources for Plano Property Research
The Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector handles property tax billing and collections for Plano and all of Collin County. Unpaid taxes are a lien on real property. Before any Plano property sale closes, all outstanding tax balances must be paid. Check tax status through the CCAD website or contact the county tax office directly.
The Texas General Land Office at glo.texas.gov maintains original land grant and survey records for North Texas. For older Plano area properties with long title histories, the GLO archives can help trace ownership back to the original grants. This is mainly relevant for title attorneys handling historical research in Collin County.
Lone Star Legal Aid provides free legal help to qualifying individuals in Collin County. The State Bar of Texas at (800) 252-9690 operates a lawyer referral service for licensed real estate attorneys. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has free guides on deeds, liens, title issues, and other property law topics relevant to Plano property owners.
Collin County Property Records
Most of Plano is in Collin County, and the Collin County Clerk holds the majority of Plano's property records. For more on the clerk's office, recording procedures, and county resources, visit the Collin County property records page.
Nearby Cities
Other North Texas cities with property records pages include: