Access Texas County Property Records

Texas County property records are held at the Recorder of Deeds office in Houston, Missouri. As the largest county in Missouri by land area at 1,179 square miles, Texas County has a vast collection of land documents going back many years. The office stores deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, surveys, and other recorded instruments. You can search for property records by visiting the courthouse, calling the office, or using the online index search tool. Texas County property records survived both the Civil War and a courthouse fire in 1930, as the records were stored in a cave for safekeeping. The recorder's staff can help you find what you need in person or point you to the right online tool.

Texas County Recorder of Deeds

Lindsay Koch serves as the Texas County Recorder of Deeds. The office is at 210 North Grand Avenue, Suite 209, in Houston. All property documents for Texas County are recorded here. This includes warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, deeds of trust, releases, plats, and surveys. Liens, easements, and other instruments that affect real estate in the county are also filed at this office. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, but no documents are recorded after 4:00 PM. Any document brought in after 4:00 PM gets recorded the next business day at 8:00 AM.

You can reach the Texas County Recorder by phone at (417) 967-8438 or fax at (417) 967-8760. Email questions to Lindsay.Koch@texascountymissouri.gov. The Texas County Recorder of Deeds website has details about filing requirements and office services.

Search Texas County Property Records Online

Texas County offers a free online index search for property records. The system lets you look up recorded documents by name and date. You can find deeds, deeds of trust, liens, and other filings through this tool. The index search is free, but if you need to view the actual document images, a subscription is required. For a quick check on who owns a piece of land or what has been filed, the free index works well.

The county also provides a GIS mapping tool at the Texas County GIS portal. This shows parcel lines and basic property data on a map. Full access to the GIS system costs $160 per year through a subscription. The free view gives you parcel outlines and a general sense of where properties sit in the county.

The screenshot above shows the Texas County online search portal where you can look up recorded property documents. For broader research, the Missouri Digital Heritage land database covers historical land patents from 1777 to 1969 that are searchable by name or county.

Texas County Recording Fees

Recording fees in Texas County match the state schedule. The first page costs $24. Each page after that is $3. Documents that do not meet Missouri's format standards face a $25 penalty under Section 59.313. The format rules require 8.5 by 11 inch paper, a 3 inch top margin, and at least 8 point type size.

Copies are $1 per page at the Texas County office. Certified copies add $1 for the stamp. Contact the office about accepted payment methods. E-recording may be available through providers like Simplifile or CSC.

Note: No documents are recorded after 4:00 PM at the Texas County Recorder's office.

Types of Property Records in Texas County

The Texas County Recorder files many types of land documents. Warranty deeds transfer ownership with a full title guarantee from the seller. Quitclaim deeds pass interest without any guarantee. Deeds of trust secure a loan against the property, and release deeds clear that claim when the loan is paid off. Under Section 442.380, all documents that affect real estate must be recorded in the county where the land is located.

Plats, surveys, easements, and restrictive covenants are also on file at the Texas County office. Tax liens from unpaid taxes and mechanic's liens from unpaid work go on record here. Beneficiary deeds, authorized under RSMo 461.025, let a property owner name someone to get the land after death without probate. Because Texas County covers 1,179 square miles, there are a lot of rural parcels, farm land, and timber tracts in the records. The Missouri Recorders Association has more about document standards used across Missouri counties.

Texas County Property Tax Records

Property taxes in Texas County follow the statewide system. The county assessor values all real estate on odd-numbered years. Missouri uses assessment ratios of 19% for residential, 12% for agricultural, and 32% for commercial property. With Texas County being the largest county by area, there is a lot of farm and timber land assessed at the agricultural rate. Tax bills go out by November 1 and are due December 31. Unpaid taxes lead to a tax lien that gets filed at the recorder's office.

The Missouri Department of Revenue has details on property tax credits for Texas County homeowners, including the Senior Citizen Property Tax Credit and programs for disabled veterans. The county collector handles all tax payments and can provide statements for any parcel.

Historical Texas County Land Records

Texas County has a notable history when it comes to land records. The courthouse burned in December 1930, but the property records were preserved because they had been stored in a cave. During the Civil War, the records were also kept safe in a cave. This means Texas County has a continuous chain of property documents despite the threats to the courthouse over the years.

For older research, the Missouri State Archives has land patents from 1777 to 1969. The Bureau of Land Management holds federal patent records for Missouri land. The FamilySearch Missouri guide is helpful for tracing Texas County property through old deed books and county records.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Texas County in Missouri. Property records must be recorded in the county where the land sits.