How Archives in Texas Are Organized

Texas has no single archive that holds every public record. Responsibility is split among the state, 254 counties, hundreds of cities, school districts and several federal offices. Knowing which level of government created a record is the fastest way to find it.

At the state level, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) keeps the permanent records of state government. It operates from the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building at 1201 Brazos Street in Austin, the same address as our Austin State Archive listing. The phone number on file is 512-463-5455. Holdings include governors' papers, legislative records and material from the Republic of Texas.

TSLAC also sets the rules that everyone else follows. Under the Local Government Records Act, found in Title 6 of the Texas Local Government Code, it issues retention schedules. These tell cities, counties, school districts and special districts how long each type of record must be kept before it can be destroyed or moved to permanent storage. Each local government names a records management officer to apply those schedules.

Land records are a separate case. The Texas General Land Office, also in Austin, holds original Spanish and Mexican land grants and early Texas land files. If your question concerns a ranch, a farm or an old survey, ask there before you search county deed books.

Who Keeps What in a Texas Courthouse

Many listings in our database are local offices named for the department that created the records. The Bexar County Records Archive on Iowa Street in San Antonio and the Hays County Clerk Courts Records Archive in San Marcos serve county government. The Longview City Cemetery Records Archive serves a city. Others are narrow by design, such as the Coppell Police Records Archive, the Frisco Building Inspection Records Archive and the El Paso School District Internal Audit Records Archive.

As a rule of thumb, match the record to the office that created it:

Some counties combine these offices or store older volumes at a separate annex. A first phone call can save a wasted trip.

Metro and Rural Archives in Texas Work Differently

Austin has the most listings of any Texas city, which is no surprise for the state capital. Travis County has eight, and the state archive anchors them. Researchers who need legislative or agency history usually start there. Many then move on to university collections nearby, such as the Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area spreads records across several counties. Listings in Dallas County include the Texas African American Photography Archive on Columbia Avenue in Dallas, the Coppell Police Records Archive and the DeSoto City Public Records Archive. In neighboring Tarrant County, the Bedford Birth & Death Records Archive handles vital records. The Fort Worth National Archive at 1400 John Burgess Drive is a federal facility, so it follows National Archives procedures rather than county rules.

The Bexar County listing on Iowa Street is San Antonio's main entry for county records. In Houston, the Harris County Medical Records Archive on West Loop South Freeway shows another pattern. Large institutions keep specialized archives, and those are governed by health privacy law rather than the general records rules.

Mid-size cities fall in between. McLennan County has three listings, including the Waco Police Records Archive on Pine Avenue. Wichita County has the Wichita County Archive on Indiana Avenue in Wichita Falls, and Gregg County has two listings in and around Longview. In the Panhandle, the Potter County Records Archive in Amarillo and the Randall County Records Archive in Canyon cover neighboring counties.

Outside the big metros, one courthouse office often does the work of several. The Sabine County Records Archive in Hemphill, the San Jacinto County Records Archive in Coldspring and the Gonzales County Archive in Gonzales are typical. So is the Bandera County Open Records Archive on 11th Street in Bandera County. Staff are few, hours can be limited and older volumes may need to be pulled from storage. Texas is large enough that a records trip can mean several hours of driving, so call ahead and ask what to bring.

Texas Rules on Access, Eligibility and Fees

The Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552 of the Government Code, is the main access law. It presumes that government records are open unless a specific exception applies. Send your request in writing to the office's officer for public information, by mail, email or in person. Describe the records as precisely as you can. You do not have to explain why you want them.

The office must produce the records promptly. If it cannot do so within ten business days, it must tell you when they will be ready. If it wants to withhold something, it generally must ask the Texas Attorney General for a ruling within ten business days.

Fees are allowed but regulated. Governmental bodies may charge for copies and, in some cases, for staff time on large requests. Ask for a written estimate before you agree to anything. Inspecting records in person can cost less than ordering copies.

Vital records follow stricter rules. Texas birth records stay confidential for 75 years and death records for 25 years. During that period, certified copies go only to qualified applicants, usually the person named or close family, who must show identification. The Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin keeps statewide files. Local registrars hold local filings, including the offices behind the Bedford and Denton Birth & Death Records Archive listings, so confirm directly what each one can issue.

Medical, police and court material carries its own limits. Health records are protected by federal HIPAA and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act. Expect to need the patient's written authorization or proof that you are a legal representative. Active investigations, juvenile files and sealed court records are generally withheld even from valid requests.

Planning a Records Trip in Texas

Before you go, work out which office created the record. Then check hours and appointment rules by phone. Bring government-issued photo ID, any document numbers, full names with spelling variants, and approximate dates. For land and family research, also bring the county where the event happened. Texas counties were carved out of larger ones throughout the nineteenth century, so an old record may sit under a parent county.

Many offices let you photograph pages with your own phone, but rules vary, so ask first. Bring a payment method the office accepts, since small county offices may be limited to cash or checks. Certified copies carry a seal and a separate fee. You need them for legal uses such as probate, property transfers or benefit claims. Plain copies are fine for genealogy.

Online tools can narrow the search before you drive. Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO) hosts finding aids from many Texas repositories. The Portal to Texas History at the University of North Texas digitizes newspapers, maps and photographs. Use them to confirm that a collection exists before you travel.

Government archives in Texas are administered by the state archives and records management division, which is typically housed within the Secretary of State's office or a dedicated cultural affairs agency. The state archives preserves official government records while also maintaining collections of historical significance to Texas residents.

Archives locations are available in 41 cities across Texas. They are spread across 35 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, which tend to have more archives facilities due to their roles as county seats, state capitals, or historic centers of government activity.

Residents of Texas conducting genealogical or historical research should check whether their county or city maintains a separate archives in addition to the state repository, as many local records are held at the municipal or county level.

Archives by Counties

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Researchers in Texas can often access digitized state archives records through the state library's online portal without visiting in person. For records not yet digitized, contact the archives office in advance to schedule a research appointment and confirm that the specific collection is available for public review.

Browse Archives by county across Texas to find the nearest location.

Finding the Right Archive Office Across Texas Regions

Texas covers a huge area, and archive services change from one region to the next. In the Panhandle, the Potter County Records Archive at 500 South Fillmore Street in Amarillo (806-379-2246) and the Randall County Records Archive at 2309 Russell Long Boulevard in Canyon (806-468-5511) sit in neighboring counties that share the Amarillo area. A record filed in one county will not be in the other's files, so check where the event happened.

In North Texas, the Wichita County Archive at 720 Indiana Avenue in Wichita Falls (940-763-0020) serves a county well away from the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. In East Texas, the Longview City Cemetery Records Archive at 300 West Cotton Street (903-237-1080) helps people tracing burials. The Sabine County Records Archive in Hemphill (409-787-3190) covers a rural county near the Louisiana border.

Central Texas adds the Bell County Clerk Records Archive at 1201 Huey Drive in Belton (254-933-5171) and the Hays County Clerk Courts Records Archive in San Marcos (512-393-7738). Further east, the Huntsville Health Services Archive on Farm to Market Road 3478 (936-295-9300) is a specialized health listing in Walker County.

Phone numbers and addresses come from our database. Confirm them before you travel, since county offices move, merge or change hours. When you call, ask three things: whether the office holds the record, whether you need an appointment, and what identification or fee applies.

Write down the exact name of the office, the person you spoke to and the date. If a later request is denied or delayed, those notes make it easier to follow up with the records officer. For Public Information Act disputes, the next step is the Office of the Attorney General.

Texas Archives: Frequently Asked Questions

The main state archive is run by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission at 1201 Brazos Street in Austin. Our database lists it as the Austin State Archive (512-463-5455). It preserves permanent records of state government, including governors' papers, agency files and legislative material, along with items from the Republic of Texas period. Researchers can use finding aids to identify what they need before visiting. Because state, county and city records are kept separately, this is the right place for state agency history but not usually for a local deed, marriage license or school record. Check opening hours and any registration requirements by phone first.

Certified copies are limited to qualified applicants, generally the person named on the record or an immediate family member, who must prove identity. Birth records stay confidential for 75 years and death records for 25 years. Statewide records are held by the Texas Department of State Health Services in Austin, and city or county registrars can often issue copies for events in their area. Older records may be available as non-certified genealogical copies, which cannot be used for legal purposes. Bring photo ID, the full name, date and place of the event, and the parents' names for a birth record.

Under the Texas Public Information Act, a government office must release requested public records promptly. If it cannot produce them within ten business days, it must tell you the date they will be ready. If it believes an exception applies, it generally must ask the Texas Attorney General for a ruling within ten business days of your request. Put the request in writing, address it to the officer for public information, and describe the records clearly. Keep a copy and note the date. Fees may apply for copies, and you can ask for an estimate before the office begins work.

Original Spanish and Mexican land grants and early Texas land files are handled by the Texas General Land Office in Austin, which keeps the state's historic land records. Later transactions, such as deeds, liens and plats, are recorded by the county clerk where the land lies. Start with the current owner's name, then trace the chain of title backward through the deed records. County offices such as the Bell County Clerk Records Archive in Belton or the Gonzales County Archive in Gonzales hold these volumes for their own territory. County boundaries changed over time, so an old tract may be recorded under a parent county.

In Texas, the county clerk and the district clerk keep different public records. County clerks typically record deeds and marriage licenses, handle county court matters and often keep commissioners court minutes. District clerks hold the files of district courts, which hear felonies and larger civil cases. Our listings reflect this split in names such as the Hays County Clerk Courts Records Archive in San Marcos and the Fannin County Criminal Records Archive in Bonham. If you are unsure, call the county clerk first. Staff can usually point you to the right office or tell you where older files were moved.

Usually not freely. Health records, such as those in the Harris County Medical Records Archive in Houston (713-439-6125), are protected by HIPAA and the Texas Medical Records Privacy Act. You normally need the patient's written authorization or proof that you are the legal representative. Police files, like those in the Waco Police Records Archive (254-750-7650) or the Coppell Police Records Archive (972-304-3610), fall under the Public Information Act. Information tied to active investigations or protected persons can still be withheld. Ask the records unit what form it requires, and expect some redactions.