Find Property Records in Reeves County

Reeves County property records are filed and maintained by the County Clerk in Pecos, Texas. The clerk records deeds, liens, mortgages, easements, plats, and other instruments that affect land and real property throughout the county. Reeves County covers a large area in West Texas, and records go back to the county's earliest years. You can search property records in person at the Pecos courthouse or through the clerk's online system. This guide explains what records exist, how to access them, and what fees apply.

Reeves County Clerk Office

The Reeves County Clerk in Pecos is the legal custodian of all property records filed in the county. The clerk's office records and indexes deeds, deeds of trust, mechanic's liens, releases, oil and gas leases, easements, plats, and other real property instruments. Each document gets a unique instrument number and is indexed by the names of all parties, making it searchable by future buyers, lenders, and title companies.

Reeves County sits in the Permian Basin region of West Texas, and the clerk's records reflect significant oil and gas activity alongside traditional land ownership documents. The office is located in the Reeves County Courthouse in Pecos. Staff can assist with questions about how the filing system works, but they are not authorized to conduct searches on your behalf under Texas AG Opinion WW-607.

To record a document, you can submit it in person, by mail, or through an eRecording service. Mail submissions require a check or money order for the correct fee. Once recorded, the original document is returned to the submitting party and the document is indexed and made available for public search. Third-party services like TexasFile also index Reeves County records and offer an alternative search option.

Searching Reeves County Property Records

The County Clerk's office maintains the official property record index for Reeves County. You can search by grantor name, grantee name, document type, date range, or instrument number. For most property research tasks, a name search is the most common starting point. Enter the current or past owner's name to pull up all recorded instruments in their name.

For in-person searches, visit the Reeves County Courthouse in Pecos during business hours. The clerk's terminals are available for public use. If the property you are researching is in a rural area of the county, make sure you have the full legal description handy, as addresses alone may not be enough to find the right documents. A title company familiar with Reeves County can also run a full title search if you need a comprehensive report.

Oil and gas leases and related instruments are recorded in the same system as other property documents in Reeves County. If you are researching mineral rights or looking for pipeline easements on a parcel, search the clerk's records by the landowner's name or the legal description of the tract. Many Reeves County properties have extensive oil and gas filing histories that go back decades.

Note: Always verify current ownership through both the deed records at the clerk's office and the appraisal district rolls, as each system updates on a different schedule.

Types of Property Records Filed in Reeves County

The Reeves County Clerk records all instruments that affect real property in the county. Under Texas Property Code Section 12.001, recording an instrument is what gives legal notice to the public. Instruments that are not recorded may not be enforceable against a later buyer or lender who did not have actual knowledge of them.

Records filed in Reeves County include warranty deeds, special warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, mortgage releases, mechanic's liens, materialman's liens, tax lien filings, oil and gas leases, surface use agreements, pipeline right-of-way grants, easements, subdivision plats, and assumed name certificates. Each document type serves a specific legal purpose and remains on file permanently once recorded. Plat maps are stored as large originals and show lot and block layouts for subdivisions in the county.

Under Texas Property Code Section 13.001, a recorded instrument is constructive notice to the world of its contents. Any person who buys or lends against property in Reeves County is considered to have notice of all recorded instruments, whether they actually searched the records or not.

Reeves County Appraisal District

The Reeves County Appraisal District maintains the tax appraisal rolls for all property in the county. The CAD database shows current ownership as reflected in the tax records, appraised value, exemptions, and property details. These records are separate from the deed records at the clerk's office but complement them well during property research.

If you disagree with your appraised value in Reeves County, you can file a protest with the local Appraisal Review Board. The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division provides forms, deadlines, and instructions for the protest process statewide. Property owners in Reeves County may also qualify for homestead, agricultural, or other exemptions that reduce taxable value.

Appraisal records update once a year and may lag behind a recent deed transfer by several months. If you are doing due diligence on a purchase, check both the clerk's deed records for the most recent filed instrument and the CAD for current tax status.

Recording Fees and Procedures

The Reeves County Clerk charges $26 for the first page of any recorded instrument. Each additional page costs $4.00. If more than five parties are named and must be indexed in a single document, there is an extra charge of $0.25 per name over five. These fees are standard across most Texas counties under state law.

You can record documents in person at the Pecos courthouse, by mail, or through eRecording. Mail submissions should include a self-addressed return envelope and a check for the correct amount. eRecording vendors like Simplifile process documents electronically and are commonly used by title companies and law firms active in Reeves County. Once the instrument is recorded, the clerk stamps it with the date and returns it to the sender.

Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus a $5.00 certification fee. Plain uncertified copies cost less. For most title research purposes, uncertified copies work fine. Request a certified copy only if you need it for a court filing or government submission.

Texas Public Information Act

All property records in Reeves County are public documents. Under Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the Public Information Act, any person can request copies of government records without explaining why. You do not need to own the property or be a party to any document to access it.

The clerk must respond promptly to records requests. If it will take more than ten business days to produce the records, the office must notify you of the delay. Most property records are already indexed and ready to access, so delays are uncommon. If you have trouble getting records, the Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division can provide guidance and handles complaints about improper denials.

Additional Property Research Resources

The Texas General Land Office holds historical land grant records dating back to Spanish and Mexican land grants. Reeves County land in West Texas was often part of large original grants, and the GLO archive is useful for tracing the earliest ownership history of a parcel. The GLO database is searchable online at no cost.

The Texas Secretary of State's SOSDirect system provides UCC filings and business entity records. For liens involving a business entity, the SOS records help confirm the legal name and current status of that entity. The Texas State Law Library offers property law research guides that cover recording requirements and title topics relevant to Reeves County transactions.

Federal court records can be useful if a lien or judgment was filed in a federal case. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas covers Reeves County. Federal judgments must also be recorded with the county clerk to become liens on local real property.

Nearby Counties

Reeves County is a large county in West Texas. Properties near county lines may have records in a neighboring county, so confirm the correct jurisdiction before searching.