Duval County Property Records

Duval County property records are filed and maintained by the County Clerk in San Diego, Texas. The clerk's office is the official keeper of deeds, liens, mortgages, oil and gas leases, and other land instruments for all property in the county. Records go back to 1858 when the county was founded. This page explains how to search Duval County property records, what types of documents are available, and how to get copies of what you find.

Duval County Clerk Office

The Duval County Clerk is the official custodian of all property records in the county. County Clerk Sally Lichtenberger and her staff handle filings of deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, and related instruments. The physical office is at 400 E. Gravis Ave. in San Diego, Texas.

Duval County was founded in 1858 and is named for Burr H. Duval, a soldier in the Texas Revolution who died in the Goliad Massacre. Land records go back to county formation. Marriage records also start from 1858. Birth and death records begin from 1903. The clerk's staff includes Administrative Assistant Maria G. Garcia and Deputy Clerks Michael De La Rosa and Hilda S. Salazar. Document copies are available from 1913 onward, with older records in the physical archive.

For online access to Duval County property records, you can use TexasFile or CourthouseDirect. These services index Duval County documents and offer free name searches. Full document images require a paid subscription. The District Clerk for Duval County is Rachel S. Vela at P O Drawer 428, San Diego, (361) 279-6239, and handles district court cases and divorce records separately.

Search Duval County Property Records

The Duval County Clerk maintains the official property record archive for all land transactions in the county. Both online and in-person search options are available.

To search online, go to TexasFile and search for Duval County. Free index searches show you document type, recording date, grantor/grantee names, and instrument numbers. To view the actual document images, you need a paid subscription. You can also try CourthouseDirect for similar access.

For in-person research, visit the clerk's office at 400 E. Gravis Ave. during business hours. Staff cannot search the records for you under AG Opinion WW-607, but they can show you how to use the index. For records going back before the online coverage period, in-person access is required. A title company familiar with South Texas records can also conduct a full title search on your behalf.

Note: Document copies available online start from 1913; earlier records require an in-person visit.

Types of Duval County Property Records

The County Clerk records all instruments affecting real property in Duval County. Each document gets an instrument number and is indexed by party name. Under Texas Property Code Section 12.001, recording an instrument gives legal notice of its contents to all future buyers, lenders, and interested parties.

Common document types filed in Duval 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, mineral deeds, easements, right-of-way agreements, plats, subdivision maps, assumed name certificates, and UCC filings. Oil and gas activity in South Texas means mineral leases and royalty assignments are a significant part of the county's land record archive. Marriage records go back to 1858.

Under Texas Property Code Section 13.001, a recorded instrument provides constructive notice to the world of its contents. A deed or lien filed in Duval County is legally binding on all future parties dealing with that property, even if they never personally reviewed the record. This makes title searches in the county's records essential before any property transaction.

Duval County Appraisal District

The Duval County Appraisal District maintains property appraisal and tax roll data for all taxable property in the county. These records are separate from the deed records at the County Clerk's office but are valuable for checking current ownership, appraised values, and exemption status.

Chief Appraiser Raul Garcia oversees the office at P.O. Box 809, San Diego, TX 78384. You can reach the appraisal district at (361) 279-3305. Online searches through the CAD website let you find parcels by owner name, address, or account number. If you disagree with an appraised value, you can file a formal protest with the Appraisal Review Board before the annual deadline.

Keep in mind that CAD records update after deed transfers are processed, so a recently filed sale may not appear in the tax rolls for several months. Always check both the County Clerk's deed index and the CAD when doing property research.

Recording Fees and Procedures

The recording fee for a real property document in Duval County is $26 for the first page. Each additional page is $4.00. If more than five names are to be indexed from a single document, there is a $0.25 charge per additional name over five. These fees follow state law and are consistent across most Texas counties.

Documents can be submitted in person at the County Clerk's office, by mail, or through authorized eRecording vendors. Mail submissions should include a check or money order payable to the Duval County Clerk. eRecording is available for title companies and lenders who record frequently. Once recorded, the document receives an instrument number, is stamped with the recording date, and the original is returned to the submitter. The indexed record is accessible online through third-party platforms.

Certified copies cost $5.00 per document plus $1.00 per page. Uncertified plain copies are $1.00 per page. For most title research needs, plain copies are adequate. Certified copies are appropriate for court filings or government submissions that specifically require them.

Texas Public Information Act

Property records in Duval County are public documents. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the Public Information Act, anyone can request copies of government records without giving a reason. You do not need to be a property owner, a party to a document, or a resident of Duval County to access these records.

The clerk's office must respond promptly to records requests. If producing records will take more than ten business days, the office must notify you of the timeline. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division handles disputes about access to public records and issues written opinions when access is questioned or denied.

Some personal data in property records is redacted from online document images by law. Social security numbers and financial account numbers are removed from digital copies. These details are in the original paper records at the clerk's office but will not appear in online versions.

Additional Property Research Resources

The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division offers statewide resources on exemptions, protests, and tax data. Local taxing entities in Duval County set annual rates applied to all taxable property. Texas has no state property tax, so all rates come from local entities.

For historical land research going back to early Texas grants, the Texas General Land Office holds over 800,000 historical records including Spanish, Mexican, and Republic of Texas grants. Duval County land in South Texas was part of early Spanish and Mexican land grants, and those original records are searchable through the GLO archive. This is the starting point for any research on properties with roots in the 1800s.

The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect system covers UCC and business entity records at the state level. The Texas State Law Library offers research guides on recording requirements, title issues, and other property law topics for Texas transactions.

Nearby Counties

Make sure you are searching the right county. Duval County is in South Texas and borders several neighboring counties. If a property is near a county line, confirm the address before searching.