Frio County Property Records

Frio County property records are maintained by the County Clerk in Pearsall, Texas. The office handles deed records, mineral leases, oil and gas documents, and other official land instruments. Online records are available from 2002 through CountyRecords.com and TexasFile. Older records are in the physical office and must be accessed in person or by written request. This guide explains how to search Frio County property records, what documents are available, and how to contact the clerk's office.

Frio County Clerk Office

The Frio County Clerk is the official custodian of all property records in the county. County Clerk Anna L. Hernandez maintains the office at 500 E. San Antonio St., Box 6, Pearsall, TX 78061. You can reach the office by phone at (830) 505-2987. The District Clerk, Ofilia M. Trevino, handles separate court matters and can be reached at (830) 505-2996.

Online deed and land records are available from 2002 to present through CountyRecords.com and through TexasFile. Records before 2002 are held in the physical office and require an in-person visit or a written email request. A new recording procedure took effect September 1, 2025, so confirm current requirements with the office before submitting documents.

The office does not handle record search requests by phone or fax. If you need to make a request, email the clerk directly or visit in person. For extensive lien searches or title research, you must either do the search yourself or hire a title company. The clerk's staff will not conduct searches for liens on your behalf.

Search Frio County Property Records

Frio County deed and land records from 2002 to present are searchable online through CountyRecords.com and TexasFile. Both platforms index Frio County documents and allow searches by grantor name, grantee name, or document type.

For records before 2002, you must visit the clerk's office at 500 E. San Antonio St. in Pearsall during business hours. In-person searchers have access to the physical index books and document files. You can also email the clerk to ask about the availability of older documents or arrange for copies to be sent by mail.

Mineral leases and oil and gas documents are a significant part of the Frio County record collection given the active mineral rights market in the area. The Texas Railroad Commission oversees drilling permits separately, and those records are searchable at the Texas Railroad Commission website. Mineral leases recorded with the County Clerk are part of the public record and searchable through the same platforms as deed records.

Note: The office will not perform searches by phone or fax. All requests must come in by email or in person, and the office does not search for liens under any circumstances.

Types of Frio County Property Records

The County Clerk records and indexes documents affecting real property in Frio County. Under Texas Property Code Section 12.001, instruments must be recorded to give legal notice to third parties. Records held by the clerk include grantor and grantee information, recording dates, document types, legal descriptions, and mineral lease information.

Common document types in Frio County include warranty deeds, deeds of trust, mineral deeds, oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, release of lien, mechanic's liens, federal and state tax liens, UCC filings, and assumed name certificates. Mineral activity is especially significant here. Frio County sits in an active oil and gas region, and the Texas Rule of Capture governs subsurface rights. Anyone doing a full title search on Frio County property should check for mineral lease activity in the record system.

Frio County Appraisal District

The Frio County Appraisal District maintains tax appraisal records for all taxable property in the county. Chief Appraiser Edward Garza oversees the office at P.O. Box 1129, Pearsall, TX 78061-1129. You can reach the CAD by phone at (830) 334-4163 or fax at (830) 334-5568.

The CAD database shows current ownership on the tax rolls, appraised values, exemptions, and property characteristics. Searches can be done by owner name, property address, or account number. The appraisal protest deadline is May 15 each year under Texas Tax Code Chapter 41. CAD records update annually and may lag behind recent deed filings. For current title status, always check the County Clerk records in addition to the CAD. Both sources together give you a more complete picture of a property's status in Frio County.

Recording Fees and Procedures

Recording a document with the Frio County Clerk costs $26 for the first page and $4 for each additional page, consistent with Texas Local Government Code standards. These fees apply to deeds, liens, mineral leases, UCC filings, and other official instruments.

A new recording procedure took effect in September 2025. Check with the clerk's office at (830) 505-2987 or by email to confirm the current submission requirements before sending documents. For routine submissions, you can bring documents in person or mail them to the office at 500 E. San Antonio St. Include a check or money order payable to the County Clerk and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the original.

Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee per document. For most title research purposes, uncertified copies are adequate. Ask for certified copies specifically if you need them for a court filing or government agency submission.

Texas Public Information Act

Frio County property records are public documents. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the Public Information Act, any person can request government records without providing a reason. Deeds, mineral leases, liens, and other filed instruments are all accessible to the public.

The clerk's office must respond to your request promptly. For records that are already indexed and available online, you can access them immediately through CountyRecords.com or TexasFile. For older records or those not yet online, contact the office by email or visit in person. Remember that the clerk does not respond to phone or fax requests for record searches. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division handles disputes about record access and publishes guidance on public information rights in Texas.

Additional Property Research Resources

The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division provides statewide resources on exemptions, protest procedures, and appraisal district data applicable in Frio County. Texas has no state property tax, but local taxing entities set their own rates for property in the county.

For mineral rights research, the Texas Railroad Commission is the primary regulator of oil and gas activity and maintains permit and production records by county. Frio County has an active mineral market, so RRC records complement the deed and lease records held by the County Clerk. The Texas General Land Office holds historical land grant records for early Texas land. The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect covers business entities and UCC filings at the state level.

Nearby Counties

Check the correct county when a property sits near a boundary. Frio County borders several South Texas counties.