Dimmit County Property Records Search
Dimmit County property records are maintained by the County Clerk in Carrizo Springs, Texas. The clerk's office holds deeds, liens, deeds of trust, and related land instruments for all property in the county, with records going back to 1881 for land and court documents. This page covers how to search Dimmit County property records online and in person, what documents the clerk keeps, and how the recording system works.
Dimmit County Overview
Dimmit County Clerk Office
The Dimmit County Clerk is the official custodian of all property records in the county. County Clerk Claudia McDaniel and her staff handle the filing, indexing, and retrieval of deeds, liens, deeds of trust, releases, and other instruments. The office is in the courthouse at 103 N 5th St in Carrizo Springs.
Dimmit County was created on February 1, 1858. Land records and court records go back to 1881. Marriage records also start from 1881. Birth and death records begin in 1903. The online records portal covers documents from 2008 to the present, with older records available in person at the courthouse.
| County Clerk | Claudia McDaniel |
|---|---|
| Address | 103 N 5th St, Carrizo Springs, TX 78834 |
| Phone | (830) 876-2323 (Option 5 for Clerk; then 1 for Criminal/Probate, 2 for Recording) |
| Fax | (830) 947-6110 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, regular business hours |
| Website | dimmitcounty.org |
The clerk's office offers a SEARCH AND PURCHASE RECORDS ONLINE portal for current documents. The official portal lets you search by name or document type. For records before 2008, you will need to visit the courthouse in person. Vital records have specific confidentiality rules: birth records filed on or after 1940 are restricted to qualified applicants, and death records filed on or after 1990 require proper identification.
Search Dimmit County Property Records
The Dimmit County Clerk maintains the official property record index for all land transactions in the county. Online access is available for records from 2008 to present.
To search online, use the county's portal or a third-party service like TexasFile or CourthouseDirect. Both offer free index searches for Dimmit County documents so you can find instrument numbers and document details. Full document images typically require a paid subscription. Searches can be done by grantor name, grantee name, document type, date range, or instrument number.
For in-person research, visit the courthouse at 103 N 5th St in Carrizo Springs. Staff can guide you to the index but are not required to search records for you under AG Opinion WW-607. Records from 2008 onward are accessible online. Older records, going back to 1881, require an in-person visit or a request to the clerk's office. The District Clerk at 1212 N. 4th St. handles divorce records for the 293rd and 365th Judicial District Courts.
Note: The county spelling uses two m's in Dimmit due to a legislative error when the county was created in 1858.
Types of Dimmit County Property Records
The County Clerk in Dimmit County records all instruments that affect title to real property in the county. Each document is indexed by party name and assigned an instrument number once filed. Under Texas Property Code Section 12.001, recording an instrument gives legal notice of its contents to all subsequent buyers and lenders.
Document types commonly filed in Dimmit County include warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgage releases, mechanic's liens, judgment liens, tax liens, federal tax liens, oil and gas leases, easements, right-of-way agreements, plats, subdivision maps, assumed name certificates, and UCC financing statements. The county has oil and gas activity, so mineral rights documents and leases are a significant part of the land record archive. Probate files vary in size from about 10 to 100 pages, which is typical for Texas probate records.
Under Texas Property Code Section 13.001, recorded instruments serve as constructive notice. This means a deed or lien filed in Dimmit County is legally binding on all future parties who deal with that property, even if they never looked it up. This makes checking the county records essential before any real estate transaction.
Dimmit County Appraisal District
The Dimmit County Appraisal District maintains property tax records and appraisal data for all taxable property in the county. These records are separate from the deed records at the County Clerk's office but complement them well for full property research. The CAD database shows current ownership in the tax rolls, appraised values, exemptions, and property characteristics.
Chief Appraiser Norma Carrillo oversees the office at 203 Houston St. in Carrizo Springs. You can reach the appraisal district at (830) 876-3420. The CAD handles all property tax assessments and exemption applications, including homestead, over-65, and disability exemptions. Online property search is available through the CAD website, letting you look up parcels by owner name, address, or account number. If you disagree with your appraised value, you can file a protest with the Appraisal Review Board before the annual deadline, typically May 15.
Note: CAD records update after deeds are processed, so there can be a lag between a recorded sale and the update in the tax rolls.
Recording Fees and Procedures
The standard recording fee in Dimmit County is $26 for the first page of a real property document. Each additional page costs $4.00. If a document names more than five parties to be indexed, the fee is $0.25 per additional name over five. These fees are set by state law and are updated annually. The current fee schedule is available through the clerk's office.
Documents can be submitted for recording in person at the courthouse, by mail, or through authorized eRecording vendors. Mail submissions should include a check or money order payable to the Dimmit County Clerk. eRecording is available and is the most efficient method for title companies and lenders. Once a document is recorded, it gets an instrument number, is stamped with the recording date, and the original is returned to the submitter. The indexed copy is available online for documents from 2008 forward.
Certified copies cost $5.00 per document plus $1.00 per page. Plain uncertified copies are $1.00 per page. For most property research needs, plain copies are sufficient. Certified copies are required for court filings or when specifically requested by a government agency. Request the type of copy you need when contacting the clerk's office.
Texas Public Information Act
Property records in Dimmit County are public records. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the Public Information Act, any person can request copies of government records without stating a reason. You do not need to own property in the county or be a party to a document to access these records.
The clerk's office must respond to records requests promptly. If producing records will take more than ten business days, the office must notify you of the expected timeline. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division handles disputes and publishes guidance on requestor rights. If a request is denied or delayed, the AG can issue an opinion on whether the denial is lawful.
Some personal information in property records is redacted from online images under Texas law. Social security numbers and financial account numbers are removed from digital versions of documents. This information is still in the original paper records held by the clerk but will not appear in online document images.
Additional Property Research Resources
Several statewide resources support Dimmit County property research beyond the clerk and appraisal district. The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division provides exemption forms, protest guidance, and tax data for all Texas counties. Local taxing entities in Dimmit County, including the county itself, school districts, and special districts, set annual property tax rates.
The Texas General Land Office holds over 800,000 historical land grant records including original Spanish, Mexican, and Republic of Texas grants. Dimmit County land was part of early Texas land grants in South Texas, and those records are searchable through the GLO archive. If you are researching a property with roots in the 1800s, the GLO is an essential resource.
The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect system provides UCC and business entity records at the state level. The Texas State Law Library offers research guides on real property topics, recording requirements, and title issues relevant to Dimmit County transactions.
Nearby Counties
Make sure you are in the right county before searching. Dimmit County borders several South Texas counties. Properties near county lines may have records in more than one county.