Office Wait Times

County Clerk Justice Center - Court services are walk-in services only at this time.

Commissioners Court

The State of Texas Constitution created each of the 254 counties in the state. Each county has a five member governing body called Commissioners Court.

Court agendas and minutes can be found at: 

 

Membership of Commissioners Court

  • Four county commissioners representing an equal portion of the county population, land, and roads.
  • County Judge is the presiding officer of the court.
  • County Clerk is the clerk of court responsible for taking, filing, and preserving the minutes and supporting documents of the court meetings. The County Clerk is also the custodian of the seal of the court.
Scheduled Meetings
TIME 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 1:00 PM
LOCATION Room 203 of the 1909 Courthouse, 401 Jackson Street, Richmond, Texas, 77469
MINUTES Prepared by the County Clerk's staff and is available for public access
AGENDA NOTICE Prepared by the County Judge's staff, filed with the County Clerk, and posted by Friday. The agenda lists the items that may be discussed at each Thursday's court meeting.
The meetings are open to the public. A "public comment" time is given at the beginning of each meeting allowing each speaker three minutes to make comments regarding any issue of interest on the agenda.
County Clerk
Maintenance: On Sunday, February 15, we will perform maintenance on the County Clerk’s system that maintains our Official Public Records and Vital Statistics documents. The system will be unavailable from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM CDT. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

 

WELCOME!

APPOINTMENTS ARE AVAILABLE, BUT NOT REQUIRED.

Thank you for visiting the County Clerk's website. My office provides a number of critical services to the citizens of Fort Bend County. Many of our services are available online for your convenience or we have a nearby office to assist you. Please visit About the County Clerk page for more information on my office's advancements, statistics, budget, and current goals for the office. If you have a question, please contact us at cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov for the Records Division and cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov for the Courts Division.

My staff and I are ready to serve you.

Your Public Servant,

Laura Richard

County Clerk Forms
Instructions

In order to view and print the forms below, you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you need to download the Reader, click on the Adobe icon at the bottom of this page. 

Birth & Death

Marriage

Appointments are not required. Be prepared for possible waiting periods.

The Marriage License Application must be filled out online before coming into the office and then signed in the presence of County Clerk staff.

Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)

Brands

Official Public Records

Civil Court 

    Juvenile Court

    Misdemeanor Court

    Probate Court

    Press Releases

    2025

    2024

    2023

    2022

    2021

     2020

    About The County Clerk

    Laura Richard 2021 WEB

    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

    • During tenure, opened two additional annex locations to better support the community located in Sienna and Sugar Land, and extended annex hours
    • Implemented new user-friendly records search function
    • Completed digitization of 2.3 million pages of probate and civil files (Kofile) 
    • Updated easy-to-read online fee schedules
    • Enabled E-commerce for Official Public Records
    • VitalChek online services for the safety and convenience of customers
    • Went live with the Contact center to improve phone support to the community
    • Introduced LanguageLine, offering translation services for over 240 languages including Sign Language via Ipad
    • To Go Boxes (emergency kits) in preparation in the event of a disaster
    • Enhanced disaster preparedness for historic records by securing 100 disaster-proof binders, with 546 additional books in production, and converting filing cabinets to disaster-proof storage for legislatively required paper copies

    Launched New Services

    • More Than Words - Thank-A-Veteran Program
    • New Business Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
    • Saturday Hours for Birth Certificates and filing of Veteran documents
    • Quarterly Newsletter for the Public launched in January 2025
    • Property Fraud Alert Service, offering alerts on possible fraudulent filing
    • Records Express service launched 

    Enhanced Efficiency

    • Established electronic workflow between clerk and court 
    • E-Certification (Triedata) Implemented an additional method of providing customers with a secure, self-validating, and tamper-evident certified copies of court records 
    • 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
    • Recovered revenue from past due fines to date over $409K 
    • Instructional videos added to the website featuring frequently asked questions

     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
    • Implemented new safeguards for recording property records in the Official Public Records of Fort bend County

    County Clerk Statistics  2015 - 2025

    2025 CC Stats

     

    2025 CC Stats

     

    2025 CC Stats

     

    2025 CC Stats

     

    2025 CC Stats
    Credit Card Payments

     

    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

    Deluxe Merchant Services 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 and the agent will transfer you to Records or Courts.

    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 .

    Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover

     
     
     
     
     
    • Visit https://certifiedpayments.net/index.aspx?BureauCode=5686707.
    • Follow the directions on the Deluxe Merchant Services 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 .

    Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover

    • Visit https://certifiedpayments.net/index.aspx?BureauCode=4266361.
    • Follow the directions on the Deluxe Merchant Services 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. 

    Contact Us and Other Locations

     We are here to help!

    The County Clerk has multiple offices around the County to better service the community. Please select the location that best serves your needs. 

    Note: Not all services are offered at all locations.

    Phone and Email:

    Automated information and access to an operator: (281) 341-8685

    Email:

    Mailing correspondence for Fort Bend County Clerk:

    Fort Bend County Clerk
    301 Jackson Street, Suite 101
    Richmond, TX 77469

     

    Fax:

    Civil/Probate Division Fax # 832-471-1806
    Misdemeanor/Juvenile Division Fax # 832-471-1805
    Recording/Research Division Fax # 281-238-2290
    Vital Division Fax # 281-341-8669

    Social Media:

    Office Locations

    Richmond (2 locations)

    Location provides services that include: Property Recording, DBA Filings, Birth and Death Records, Marriage Certificates, and Research and Copies

    301 Jackson Street, Richmond, TX 77469
    Vitals: Suite #136
    Official Public Records: Suite #144

    Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    (OPEN during lunch)
    Email: cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov

    Location provides services that include: Civil Cases, Probate Cases, Misdemeanor Cases, Juvenile Cases, Court Case Research and Copies, Payment of Court Cost/Fine/Fees

    1422 Eugene Heimann Circle, Richmond, TX 77469
    Suite #11005

    Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    (OPEN during lunch)
    Email: cclerkcourts@fortbendcountytx.gov

    • Fax Civil/Probate – 832-471-1806
    • Fax Misdemeanor/Juvenile – 832-471-1805

    Katy

    Location provides services that include: Property Recording, DBA Filings, Birth and Death Records, Marriage Certificates, Marriage Copies, Research and Copies, Payment of Court Cost/Fine/Fees

              22333 Grand Corner Drive, Katy, TX 77494 
              Suite #104

    Hours: Lobby is open Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    (OPEN during lunch)
    Email: cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov

    Missouri City (2 locations)

    Both locations provide services that include: Property Recording, DBA Filings, Birth and Death Records, Marriage Certificates, Marriage Copies, Research and Copies, Payment of Court Cost/Fine/Fees

    307 Texas Parkway, Missouri City, TX 77489
    Suite #102


    5855 Sienna Springs Way, Missouri City, TX 77459 
    Suite #118

    Hours: Lobby is open Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    (OPEN during lunch)
    Email: cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov

    Sugar Land 

    Location provides services that include: Property Recording, DBA Filings, Birth and Death Records, Marriage Certificates, Marriage Copies, Research and Copies, Payment of Court Cost/Fine/Fees

    151 Stadium Dr, Sugar Land, TX 77498
    Suite #168

     Hours: Lobby is open Monday thru Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
    (OPEN during lunch)
    Email: cclerkrecords@fortbendcountytx.gov

    Starting a New Business

    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:

    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
    DBA/Assumed Name

    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

     Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with one owner (clerk notarized) $15.00 
     Each additional owner listed $1.50 
     Assumed Name Certificate (DBA) with one owner (already notarized) $14.00 
     Each additional owner listed $.50 
     For a full list of fees, go to the Fees page.

     

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

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