Pecos County Property Records
Pecos County property records are kept by the County Clerk in Fort Stockton, Texas. Pecos County is one of the largest counties in Texas by land area, covering a vast stretch of the Trans-Pecos region. The County Clerk's office records all deeds, liens, oil and gas leases, easements, and other instruments affecting land in the county. Whether you are researching surface rights, mineral rights, or checking for liens on a ranch or residential property, the clerk's office in Fort Stockton is the official source for all filed instruments.
Pecos County Overview
Pecos County Clerk Office
The Pecos County Clerk is the official custodian of all real property records in the county. The office in Fort Stockton records and indexes deeds, liens, oil and gas instruments, easements, plat maps, and other documents that affect land in Pecos County. Every filed document is stamped with the recording date, assigned an instrument number, and indexed by party name.
Online access to Pecos County records is available through the county's official website. Third-party services like TexasFile also index Pecos County deed and lien records. For older records that predate the online system, an in-person visit or mail request to the Fort Stockton courthouse is the way to go.
| Office | Pecos County Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 400 S. Nelson St., Fort Stockton, TX 79735 |
| Phone | (432) 336-3503 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, regular business hours |
| Online Search | co.pecos.tx.us |
Searching Pecos County Property Records
The clerk's online portal allows name-based searches of the recorded instrument index. Enter the grantor or grantee name to find all documents associated with that party. You can also search by instrument type or date range to narrow results. Document images are often viewable online once you locate the right instrument.
Pecos County is large, and many tracts are identified by survey name and abstract number rather than street addresses. Having the legal description from a prior deed or tax statement helps significantly when searching records here. If you are not familiar with the Texas survey system used in this part of the state, a local abstractor or title company in Fort Stockton can navigate the index more efficiently.
Note: Oil and gas mineral rights are often severed from surface rights in Pecos County. A surface deed search and a mineral deed search may produce different results for the same tract of land.
Types of Pecos County Property Records
Under Texas Property Code Section 12.001, instruments affecting real property must be recorded to give constructive notice. Pecos County's clerk's index includes warranty deeds, special warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, lien releases, mechanic's liens, IRS and state tax liens, oil and gas leases, mineral deeds, surface use agreements, pipeline easements, water rights documents, plat maps, and assumed name certificates.
Oil and gas activity is significant in Pecos County, particularly given its location in the Permian Basin area. Producers, pipeline companies, and royalty owners generate a large volume of instruments filed with the clerk. Mineral deeds, royalty assignments, division orders, and ratification agreements are all part of the regular filing stream here. If you are buying land with mineral rights, or if mineral rights have been severed from the surface, understanding both the surface and mineral deed chains is essential. Each type of instrument is indexed separately and searchable by party name.
Pecos County Appraisal District
The Pecos County Appraisal District maintains appraisal records for all taxable property in the county. Their online portal at pecoscad.com lets you search by owner name, address, or account number. Results show the legal description, acreage, current owner for tax purposes, appraised value, and applicable exemptions.
The CAD is a useful starting point for identifying account numbers and legal descriptions before searching the clerk's deed index. The appraisal district updates records annually and may lag several months behind a recent deed transfer. For the most current ownership, verify with the clerk's deed records in addition to the CAD. The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division provides statewide resources and can help locate the Pecos County Appraisal District's current contact information.
Recording Fees and Procedures
The fee to record a document in Pecos County is $26 for the first page and $4.00 per additional page. Documents naming more than five parties to be indexed incur an extra $0.25 per name over five. These fees are standard across Texas counties and are set by state law.
Documents may be submitted in person at the clerk's office in Fort Stockton, by mail, or through eRecording. Mail submissions should include a check or money order payable to the Pecos County Clerk along with a self-addressed return envelope. eRecording is available through several national vendors. Contact the clerk to confirm which eRecording services they accept before submitting electronically.
Once recorded, documents are stamped, assigned an instrument number, indexed, and the original is returned to the submitter. Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification. Uncertified copies are less expensive and suitable for most research needs.
Texas Public Information Act
All property records in Pecos County are public. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 552, anyone can request access to government records without giving a reason. There is no requirement to own the property or have a personal connection to it to obtain copies.
The clerk must respond to requests promptly. Most property records are already indexed and accessible with a short wait. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division handles complaints and publishes guidance on public records rights. If the clerk's office fails to respond properly to a request, the AG's office is the appropriate place to raise the issue. Online document images may have personal identifiers like social security numbers redacted under Texas law, while the original paper record retains all information.
Other Research Resources
The Texas General Land Office holds historical land grant records including Spanish, Mexican, and Republic of Texas grants. Pecos County land was part of early Texas land grants and original surveys, and the GLO archive can help trace a property's history back to its original grant holder. This is particularly important for large rural tracts where the deed chain is long and early records are critical.
The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect provides UCC lien searches and business entity records. When mineral rights or surface interests are held by a company, checking the SOS system helps verify the entity's legal name and current status. The Texas State Law Library offers free guides on Texas property law topics including oil and gas title issues, easement rights, and lien priority rules relevant to Pecos County.
Nearby Counties
Pecos County is a large county in the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. Properties near county boundaries may fall into a neighboring jurisdiction, so confirm the county before searching records.