- Click here for the TAC site.
- Click here for the page on county clerks.
The county clerk administers all the county and state elections unless the commissioners’ court has transferred those duties to the tax assessor-collector or a county election administrator. The county clerk may contract with local political subdivisions to conduct their elections. The county clerk conducts the primary early voting and, at the party’s request, may contract to conduct the general primary and the runoff primary elections.
The county clerk also serves as clerk of the court for all misdemeanor county, criminal and civil courts including commissioners’ court and probate court; maintaining the official records of the courts they serve. The county clerk records the acts and proceedings of each of these courts, entering all judgments, recording all executions issued and the returns issued on the executions as applicable, and administers trust accounts for minors and registry accounts; additionally, the clerk must keep an index of the parties to all suits filed in the court, and make reference to any judgment made in each case. As clerk of the county courts, the county clerk collects and is responsible for money paid in court costs, fines and fees and for the payment of juror fees.
The clerk is the custodian of all county records including birth, death, cattle brands, hospital liens, deeds, deeds of trust, liens, Certificates of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD 214), and a variety of other important records both public and non-public. The county clerk also issues and maintains marriage licenses and records assumed name certificates.
In Texas counties with a population of fewer than 8,000, unless there has been a special election, the county clerk also serves as the district clerk, assuming all constitutional and statutory duties of the district clerk, along with those of county clerk.
As with all elected county officials, both the county clerk and the district clerk have ultimate authority over the operations of the office, including the authority to hire and fire personnel and direct their daily activities. Both the county clerk and district clerk also have authority to determine how to use all other resources allocated to the office during the budget process.
County Clerks also have their own interest group.
- The County and District Clerks' Association of Texas.
The Texas Secretary of State's Office has a full list of county clerks.
- You can find it here.
