El Paso County Property Records
El Paso County property records are managed by the County Clerk in El Paso, Texas. The office records and indexes deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, plat maps, and other land instruments for all real property in the county. El Paso County is a major population center on the far west end of Texas, and the records system reflects a high volume of residential and commercial real estate activity. This guide explains where to search, what records are available, and how to get copies of documents you need.
El Paso County Overview
El Paso County Clerk Office
The El Paso County Clerk is the official custodian of all property records in the county. The office records and indexes a large volume of documents each year, including warranty deeds, deeds of trust, mechanic's liens, lien releases, federal tax liens, subdivision plats, and other real property instruments. The clerk's online portal gives the public free access to document indexes and images for most recorded instruments.
El Paso County borders New Mexico to the north and west, and the Rio Grande separates it from Mexico to the south. This unique geography makes the county seat of El Paso a major urban center with a large and active real estate market. The County Clerk handles recordings for the entire county including the City of El Paso and surrounding communities like Socorro, Anthony, and Clint.
| Address | 500 E. San Antonio Ave., Suite 105, El Paso, TX 79901 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (915) 546-2071 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | epcounty.com/clerk |
For certified copies of recorded documents, you can request them in person, by mail, or through the online portal. eRecording is available for title companies and attorneys submitting high volumes of documents. The clerk's office indexes all instruments by grantor and grantee name, document type, and recording date.
Searching El Paso County Property Records
The El Paso County Clerk records portal gives the public online access to deed and lien records filed in the county. The system lets you search by name, document type, or date range without a fee for basic searches.
The El Paso Central Appraisal District is a complementary resource. You can search by owner name or address at the EPCAD website to get the account number and legal description before going to the deed records.
For in-person searches, visit the clerk's office downtown. Public terminals are available. The clerk's staff can help navigate the system, but you are expected to run your own search or hire a title professional. Third-party services like TexasFile also cover El Paso County records.
Note: Confirm that the property is in El Paso County and not across the state line in New Mexico before searching here.
Types of El Paso County Property Records
The El Paso County Clerk records all instruments that affect interests in real property within the county. Once filed, each document is a permanent public record and provides constructive notice under Texas Property Code Section 12.001.
Common document types in El Paso County include warranty deeds, special warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mechanic's and materialman's liens, lien releases, federal and state tax liens, condominium declarations, subdivision plats, easements, homeowner association documents, right-of-way agreements, and assumed name certificates. The county's large residential development activity means high volumes of deed of trust recordings associated with home purchases. Commercial real estate transactions also generate complex multi-document filings. Under Texas Property Code Section 13.001, once recorded, an instrument is constructive notice to all later parties.
El Paso Central Appraisal District
The El Paso Central Appraisal District maintains property tax appraisal records for all taxable property in El Paso County. The EPCAD database is searchable online at epcad.org by owner name, address, or account number. Results show assessed value, exemptions, legal description, and taxing entities for each property.
El Paso County has multiple taxing entities including the county, the City of El Paso, several school districts, and special purpose districts. The EPCAD records help you understand which entities levy taxes on a given property. Homestead exemptions, over-65 exemptions, and disability exemptions are common in El Paso County and are visible in the appraisal district records. The appraisal district and the County Clerk are separate offices, so a complete property search typically means checking both.
Recording Fees and Procedures
The El Paso County Clerk charges $26 for the first page of any recorded document and $4 per additional page. State law sets these fees. A $0.25 per name surcharge applies when more than five names are indexed in a single document.
El Paso County accepts eRecording through major vendors. This is the standard method for title companies and lenders. Mail submissions are also accepted with a check payable to the El Paso County Clerk and a return address for the document. In-person recordings can be done at the courthouse during business hours. After recording, the instrument number and recording date are stamped on the document and the original is returned to the filer.
Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Online copy requests may have a slightly different process. Call or check the clerk's website to confirm the current procedure for ordering certified copies remotely.
Texas Public Information Act
El Paso County property records are public documents under Texas Government Code Chapter 552. Any person can request access to these records without stating a reason. The clerk's office must respond promptly, and for records that are already indexed and online, access is essentially immediate through the public portal.
The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division provides guidance on public records access rights and handles disputes if access is improperly denied. Certain personal data, including social security numbers, is redacted from online document images under Texas Property Code requirements but remains in the clerk's physical records.
Additional Property Research Resources
The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division provides statewide guidance on exemptions, protests, and appraisal procedures. El Paso County has a range of taxing entities and the Comptroller's site helps you understand how the system works across all of them.
For historical research, the Texas General Land Office holds Spanish and Mexican land grant records relevant to El Paso County's early history. The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect covers business entity records and UCC filings relevant to commercial property research. The Texas State Law Library offers research guides on Texas real property law. For city-specific resources, see the City of El Paso property records page.
Nearby Counties
El Paso County is at the far west end of Texas. The county borders Hudspeth County to the east. Properties near the county line should be confirmed to be in El Paso County before searching here.