County Clerk

2025

• Fort Bend County Clerk Celebrates 10 Lucky Couples With Free Wedding Ceremony Event
• County Clerk Announces Top 10 Baby Names in Fort Bend County for 2024

2024

• Protect Your Home From Scammers and "Dirty Deeds" with the County Clerk's Free Property Fraud Alert Program
• County Clerk Announces Buddy's Buddies - Be A Hero! 2024 Pet Supply Drive
• County Clerk Featured for LanguageLine Services in TAC Magazine 
• County Clerk Hosts Birth Certificate and Veteran Services Event - Spring
• County Clerk Announces Top 10 Baby Names in Fort Bend County for 2023

2023

• County Clerk Announces More Than Words- Thank A Veteran Program
• County Clerk Awarded 2022 5-Star Exemplary Award
• County Clerk Named Public Official of the Year for 2023
• County Clerk Announces 2022 Most Popular Baby Names in Fort Bend County

2022

• County Clerk delivers supplies to Fort Bend County Animal Services
• County Clerk Awarded 2021 5-Star Exemplary Award

2021

• County Clerk Announces LanguageLine Service for a Diverse Community
• County Clerk Announces Keepsake Marriage Certificate

 2020

• County Clerk Opening Richmond Office on Monday May 4 to Issue Marriage Licenses 
• County Clerk Closing Main Office and Annexes to the Public Due to COVID-19
• County Clerk Awarded 2019 5-Star Exemplary Award

Laura Richard was sworn into office as the Fort Bend County Clerk January 1, 2015 and subsequently in 2019 and 2023. Prior to being County Clerk, she spent a long career working for a technology company managing multi-million-dollar budgets and staff located in multiple countries around the world. After "retiring" from the technology sector, she spent a number of years in various development and executive director positions for Fort Bend non-profit organizations. On the death of her husband, Judge Jim Richard, she was unanimously appointed by Commissioners Court to fill his vacancy of Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4. Laura and her family have made Fort Bend County their home for more than 30 years.

The Honorable Laura Richard received the 2023 Public Official of the Year Award from the University of Houston Master of Public Administration Program. Her office has won the coveted Five Star Award from the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Statistics division each year of her tenure. 

In 2021 Laura graduated from the prestigious National Association of Counties (NACO) High Performance Leadership Academy.  This intensive program is to aid frontline county government professionals with leadership skills that directly deliver high value results to communities.  Laura is also a member of the Urban Recorders Alliance, the International Association of Government Officials, the past chair of the Fort Bend Bail Bond Board, a life member of the Fort Bend County Fair Association, a member of the legislative committee for the Texas County & District Clerks Association and a member of the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA).

While in office, Clerk Richard has focused on enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and providing expanded services to the public for all of life's important filings. 
 

FORT BEND COUNTY CLERK'S MISSION STATEMENT

To provide excellent customer service through skilled personnel and leading edge technology to the citizens of Fort Bend County while being vigilant and efficient with tax payer dollars.

COUNTY CLERK DUTIES

• Serves as clerk and custodian of records for the Commissioners Court, Constitutional County Court, and Statutory County Courts.
• Acts as a recorder, local registrar, and custodian of important public records, including all bonds, deeds, birth and death certificates, assumed names (DBA), and livestock brands, ensuring that records are maintained in a secure, archival manner.
• Issues marriage licenses.

COUNTY CLERK ADVANCEMENTS

 Enhanced Customer Service

• Opened new Sugar Land Annex
• Extended annex office hours
• Implemented new user-friendly records search function
• Digitized over two million pages of probate and civil files
• Updated easy-to-read online fee schedules
• Enabled E-commerce for Official Public Records
• VitalChek online services for the safety of customers
• Introduced the Property Fraud Alert program

Launched New Services

• More Than Words - Thank-A-Veteran Program
• New Business Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
• Special Saturday events for Birth Certificates and filing of Veteran documents

Enhanced Efficiency

• Established electronic workflow between clerk and court
• Optimized hundreds of internal processes
• Developed new training program for new hires
• Increased e-recording to save time
• Reorganized staff for increased efficiency 
• Technology implemented to support remote hearings

 Legislative Updates

• Instituted criminal e-Filing prior to mandate
• Trained attorneys and District Attorney's Office on new processes
• Implemented electronic signatures
• Supported the addition of two new courts

County Clerk Statistics  2015 - 2024

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You may process an online payment for services such as certified copies of Vital Records (birth, death, and marriage), copies of Official Public Records, and Court Records (plain or certified) or court costs and fines. Please send the following information to Records cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov or Courts cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov with the request or completed application:

• Reason for the charge (give as much detail as possible)
• Date of charge
• Amount of charge
• Authorization or transaction number
• Name, address, and daytime phone number

NOTE: Online requests/payments will not be accepted for certified copies of birth/death certificates which require proof of identification. Please see the County Clerk Forms page for Birth/Death Application information. These forms may be mailed to: The Fort Bend County Clerk's Office, 301 Jackson Street, Suite 101, Richmond, TX 77469-3108

Certified Payments charges a convenience fee of $2.00 minimum when using a credit and debit card. 

It may take up to 24 hours to confirm a credit card payment. If you have any questions or need assistance you can email us at Records Division cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov or Courts Division cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov or call (281) 341-8652.

Credit Card Processing For Property Records and Vital Statistics

Real Estate, DBAs, Birth/Death Certificates, Marriage Records, etc.

Need assistance processing a payment for Property Records or Vital Statistics?
Please email the Records Division at cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov .

• Visit https://certifiedpayments.net/index.aspx?BureauCode=5686707.
• Follow the directions on the Certified Payments website to make a payment.
• You can also use a credit card to charge for services in person or by telephone (866) 549-1010.
  • Enter Bureau Code 5686707 when making a charge, if prompted.

 Please follow the directions above for online or by mail requests. 

Credit Card Processing For County Courts at Law Court Costs and Fines

Civil, Probate, Misdemeanor, Juvenile, etc.

Need assistance processing a payment for County Courts at Law Court Costs and Fines?
Please email the Courts Division at cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov .

• Visit https://certifiedpayments.net/index.aspx?BureauCode=4266361.
• Follow the directions on the Certified Payments website to make a payment only for fines and fees administered by the County Clerk. (If you have a District Court Case, please go to the District Clerk page.)
• You can also use a credit card to charge for services in person or by telephone at (866) 549-1010. 
  • Enter Bureau Code 4266361 when making a charge, if prompted.

Please follow the directions above for online or by mail requests. 

DISCLAIMER: The following links have been compiled as a courtesy for those wishing to use them. We do not make any guarantees about the completeness, reliability, or accuracy of this information. 

Informational links about starting a new business in the State of Texas:

• Texas Secretary of State Business Start-Up Information
• Texas State Comptroller

For more information on starting a new business in Texas, please visit Texas Economic Development Corporation where you will find a link to download the Governor's Small Business Handbook. 

Additional Resources

• Texas Veterans Commission - Veteran Entrepreneur Program (VEP)
• IRS Small Business and Self-Employed Tax Center
• Apply for a Federal Tax ID
• Texas Workforce Commission 
• Occupational Health and Safety Administration
• Small Business Administration
• Copyright.gov
• Office of Business Opportunity Solutions Center Houston
• Fort Bend County Health Department (for food preparation)

Payment Information

Personal checks (as of October 28, 2024) and business checks (as of January 1, 2025) will no longer be accepted in Official Public Records. Payment may be made by cash (in person only), Money Order, credit cards (Visa, Master Card, Discover, and American Express), or cashier's check.

Notice: Effective September 1, 2019, Assume Name Certificates (DBAs) being filed as Corporations, Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies or Foreign Filing Entities are to be filed with the Secretary of State only. 

General Information

• A company doing business in Texas must file an Assumed Name Certificate (DBA or Doing Business As) with the County Clerk of each county in which the business will be conducted. 
• Assumed Name Certificates are good for a period of up to 10 years as indicated on the application. 
• Filing an Assumed Name Certificate does not prevent another party from using the same name. Direct any legal question regarding business name to an attorney. 
• The withdrawal of a partner or abandonment of an assumed name is recorded in the same office.
• Military veterans can obtain a partial waiver of fees. See Business & Commerce Code 71.155(a) Filing Fees.
• You can search here for Assumed Name Certificates (DBA) that are currently on file in Fort Bend County. 
• You can download and print DBA forms from the County Clerk Forms page. For instructions on how to complete the Assumed Name Certificate (DBA), please see the Texas Business and Commerce Code Section 71.052 Contents of Certificate.  
• For additional resources, please go to the Starting a New Business page. 

Recording Fees

The County Clerk accepts MasterCard, Visa, Discover, and American Express credit card payments. See the Credit Card Payments page for more information. 

April 2025 Sales

May 2025 Sales

As a courtesy, this foreclosure list is imaged and available to the public.  To search the document use CTRL-F. Foreclosure sales and tax property sales are held the first Tuesday of each month between the hours of 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

HB 1128 amended Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §34.01, Property Code §51.002, and Tax Code §34.01 to move the public sale to the first Wednesday of the month, if the first Tuesday of the month occurs on January 1st or July 4th. 

The location for the property sales is:

Fort Bend County Fairgrounds
4310 Highway 36 South
Rosenberg, TX 77471

For more information about tax sale properties, please visit Fort Bend County Constables. 

For more information on foreclosure sales, please contact the party listed as filing the foreclosure sale notice on any given piece of property. That could be the mortgage company, the attorney of record, or the substitute trustee. There is not a specific office that can answer all questions.

You may order a certified copy of a birth or death record or a certified copy of a marriage license online using your credit card through our only approved official Internet business partner of the Fort Bend County Clerk's office, VitalChek Network, Inc.

Processing times are estimated at 1 to 14 business days. Delivery times are overnight, if you select express delivery through UPS,  and 7 to 10 business days using regular mail (based on average US domestic delivery times).

If you need additional assistance from VitalChek concerning records that you have ordered specific to Fort Bend County, they may be reached at:

Phone: 1-877-817-7362

Fax:      1-844-941-0763