Fort Bend County Property Search
Fort Bend County property records contain information about real property in the county. These documents are recorded and maintained by the county clerk's office and disseminated alongside other Fort Bend County Public Records. Some examples of property records include deeds, maps, plats, mortgage documents, easements, bills of sale, and lien records.
Besides filing and maintaining property records per the Texas Property Code, the Fort Bend County Clerk provides public access to property records. The office also issues certified and non-certified copies of property documents to interested persons, who may be buyers, sellers, owners, or investors of real estate.
A property search in Fort Bend County, Texas, can help inquirers clarify the ownership rights to a piece of property, confirm property tax obligations, find out property boundary lines, and determine the existence of liens.
Are Fort Bend County Property Records Public?
Yes. Per the Texas Public Information Act, records curated and maintained by state governmental bodies are open to the public, including property records. As a result, the public can access records held by property records custodians in Fort Bend County, including the Fort Bend County Clerk, Fort Bend Tax Assessor-Collector, and Fort Bend County Treasurer.
However, certain records are considered confidential by law and are not publicly disclosable. For example:
- Social security numbers
- Driver's license numbers
- Photographs taken by the chief appraiser of an appraisal district for tax appraisal purposes that show the interior of an improvement to a property
- Information that relates to the physical layout or address of a family violence shelter center or victims of trafficking shelter center
- A property owner's age
Other exemptions can be obtained from the Texas Attorney General's Public Information Act Handbook.
What Do Fort Bend County Property Records Contain?
The contents of property records in Fort Bend County vary by the agency maintaining a record and the type of record. For instance, if the property search is conducted through the county clerk's office, one can find the following information:
- The property instrument number (assigned by the register of deeds to identify the documents easily)
- The filing date
- The document type. For example, a deed, deed of trust, notice, certificate, etc.
- Grantor/grantee names
- Property legal description
- The image(s) of filed property document(s)
However, records obtained from the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District contain information about the valuation of real estate, including:
- Property details (quick reference ID, legal description, geographic ID, property type, property address, map ID, neighborhood CD, owner ID, owner's name, owner's mailing address, percentage ownership, and exemptions)
- Property values (improvement homesite value, improvement non-homesite value, land homesite value, land non-homesite value, agricultural market valuation, value method, market value, homestead cap loss, and appraised value)
- Property taxing jurisdiction (entity, description, market value, and taxable value)
- Property improvement on building (type, state code, living area, value, description, class CD, year built, and square feet)
- Property land (land type, description, acreage, land square feet, eff front, eff depth, land market value, and land production value)
- Property roll value history (year, improvements, land market, Ag valuation, HS cap loss, appraised value)
- Property deed history (deed date, deed type, deed description, grantee and grantor names, volume, page, and number)
Where to Perform a Fort Bend County Property Lookup
Members of the public can look up property records in Fort Bend County in person, via mail, or online.
To look up property records maintained by the county clerk's office, individuals can access the clerk's web portal (see search instructions) or visit/mail the office for copies of property documents. Below is the mailing address:
Fort Bend County Clerk's Office
301 Jackson Street, Suite 101
Richmond, TX 77469-3108
Copies cost $1 per page. Other copy costs are available on the office's website. Individuals may request to have copies of documents sent through the mail, or they can collect the documents at the clerk's office.
People can also query the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District for local property records. A requester can fill out the agency's open records request form online or complete and submit a request form via mail at:
Fort Bend Central Appraisal District
Attn: Public Information Officer
2801 B.F. Terry Boulevard
Rosenberg, TX 77471-5600
Email: openrecords@fbcad.org
The Fort Bend Appraisal District also has an online database where interested persons can conduct property searches with a property owner's name, property address, property ID number, etc.
However, researchers should note that Fort Bend property records found on these government-run databases are not official records. These records only serve research purposes. As such, it is crucial to verify any information for accuracy by contacting the relevant agency.
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Fort Bend County
To determine the legitimate owner of a piece of property in Fort Bend County, Texas, an individual can research records maintained at the county clerk's office. They may access the clerk's Official Public Records portal to review records that may contain property owner information (like deeds), visit any Fort Bend County Clerk location to perform the search, or send in a mail request. One may also call the clerk's office at (281) 341-8685 or email cclerk@fortbendcountytx.gov for more information.
Alternatively, an individual can search for a property owner using the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District's Property Search tool.
How to Find Fort Bend County Property Records Online
Fort Bend County property records are generally accessible online. Besides the government agencies that provide online access to property records, a number of independent (third-party) companies curate property records from Fort Bend County and offer record retrieval services to the public. Information that may be obtained from such sites includes property owner information, plat maps, property addresses, property size, etc.
The search process on these websites is similar to that on official websites in that a user must use certain search parameters (like a real estate owner's name) to obtain relevant results. However, while the records available on some websites are extensive, some sites offer only limited information. Further, some websites require registration before access, while others require payment from the user.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
An individual can find a property owner by address for free using the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District's Property Search tool. Here's how to perform the search:
- Visit Fort Bend CAD property search
- Select the "By Address" search option.
- Enter a street number, street name, abstract, subdivision zone, mobile home park, condo, property type, or tax year.
- Click "Search". This generates information on the property, which includes the owner's name.
It is also possible to use the Fort Bend Tax Office's Property Tax Record Search/Pay portal to find a property owner by address for free.
Fort Bend County Property Tax Lookup
Information on Fort Bend property taxes can be accessed online or in person. The Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector's Office has an online tax inquiry and payment system that dispenses information on property taxes. A search can be conducted using a property owner's name, property address, account number, CAD reference number, or fiduciary number. Search results include a property owner's name and address, property site address, legal description, active lawsuits, bankruptcy, pending payments, the total amount due, market value, land value, improvement value, capped value, and agricultural value.
A person may also visit or call the Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector office on weekdays for property tax inquiries.
Fort Bend County Tax Assessor-Collector
1317 Eugene Heimann Circle
Richmond, TX 77469-3623
Phone: (281) 341-3710
Fax: (832) 471-1830
Individuals may request property tax records before purchasing real estate to determine if the property is tax delinquent or find out the total tax payable.
How to Find Fort Bend County Property Appraiser
One way to find a property appraiser in Fort Bend County is to access the License Holder Search tool provided by Texas Appraiser Licensing And Certification Board (TALCB). To search the database, a requester can provide only the county (e.g., Fort Bend) in the designated search box. This action generates a list of licensed property appraisers in Fort Bend County, as well as their contact information.
One may also contact the Fort Bend Central Appraisal District for a local appraiser referral.
A property appraiser provides different services to clients, including conducting accurate property valuations, preparing written property valuation reports, determining a property's fair market value, etc.
Fort Bend County Property Assessor
The property assessor in Fort Bend County is the Central Appraisal District. This office is responsible for appraising the value of property in Fort Bend County each year. The agency can also assist individuals who wish to know more about the local appraisal process, apply for an exemption, review their property valuation, or file a protest.
Below is the Central Appraisal District's contact information:
2801 B.F. Terry Boulevard
Rosenberg, TX 77471
Phone: (281) 344-8623
Email: info@fbcad.org
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
