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Texas · Greater Houston Area · #3 Most Populous County in the US
Harris County, Texas
Government offices, property tax appeals, public records, courts, senior services, and local resources for Houston and Harris County residents
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you use them, at no extra cost to you. Our editorial recommendations are independent of these relationships.
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Harris County's assessment ratio means effective tax rates are low — but incorrect appraisals still cost money. Ownwell manages the appeal with no upfront cost.
How do I protest my Harris County property tax assessment?
File a protest with the Harris Central Appraisal District by May 15, or within 30 days of receiving your Notice of Appraised Value, whichever is later. You can file online through HCAD's iFile system at hcad.org, by mail, or in person at 13013 Northwest Freeway in Houston. Your protest will be heard by the Appraisal Review Board. The two strongest grounds are market value (your property is worth less than HCAD's estimate) and unequal appraisal (similar properties are assessed lower). Ownwell handles the entire process on your behalf and only charges if you save.
What is the senior tax freeze in Harris County?
Homeowners 65 or older who have applied for the over-65 homestead exemption are eligible for a school tax freeze, which caps the school district portion of their property tax bill at the amount owed in the year the freeze was first applied. Even if HCAD raises your assessed value, your school tax bill cannot increase. This is separate from the general homestead exemption and must be applied for through HCAD. It can save qualifying seniors thousands of dollars annually.
Who polices my neighborhood in Harris County, HPD or the Sheriff?
If you live within the City of Houston, the Houston Police Department handles law enforcement. If you live in an unincorporated area of Harris County, or in a smaller municipality that does not have its own police department, the Harris County Sheriff's Office provides law enforcement. The Sheriff's Office is the largest in Texas with approximately 3,500 employees and covers roughly 1,118 square miles of unincorporated county area.
How does probate work in Harris County?
Harris County has four dedicated Probate Courts at 201 Caroline St in downtown Houston. Texas allows independent administration, which means an executor can manage an estate with minimal court oversight once the will is admitted and an inventory filed. This makes Texas probate faster and less expensive than many other states. Wills must be filed within four years of death. Small estates under $75,000 with no real estate may qualify for the small estate affidavit procedure without probate.
How do I get a copy of a property deed in Harris County?
Property deeds are recorded with the Harris County Clerk. Search online at the County Clerk's records portal or visit the downtown office at 201 Caroline St or any of the 10 annex locations across the county. Copies are available online or in person for a per-page fee. The clerk's general number is 713-274-8683.
Office: Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (OHSEM) – branded “Ready Harris” | readyharris.org | General questions: contact via readyharris.org/contact | For emergencies: dial 911
Alerts: Ready Harris Alerts – a mass notification system used during major events/emergencies (hurricanes, floods, etc.); residents choose email, text, phone call, or a combination; register via readyharris.org. Text GULF to 888777 to sign up specifically for hurricane season alerts.
24-Hour Customer Service: Harris County Customer Service Call Center – (713) 755-5000, for any county service not easily found elsewhere.
Notes: Harris County – the 4th largest county in the United States – has a real, documented and ongoing flood-resilience planning process; the county has hosted public open houses seeking resident feedback on its Harris County Flood Resilience Plan (HCFloodResilience.net) as recently as 2026. Given the county’s real hurricane and flash-flood exposure (including the historic impact of Hurricane Harvey), residents should treat hurricane-season preparation seriously each year. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-10, I-45, I-69/US-59, and the Sam Houston Tollway/Beltway 8 and Grand Parkway (SH-99) all serve Harris County, anchored by the City of Houston
Transit: METRO (Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County) serves Houston and much of the urban core; Harris County Transit, a separate agency (a division of the Harris County Community Services Department), serves areas METRO does not reach – including Baytown, La Porte, Pasadena, Seabrook, Shoreacres, South Houston, and unincorporated communities like Crosby and Highlands.
Notes: Confirm which transit agency serves your specific address, since coverage is genuinely split between the two systems.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Harris County Engineering Department handles building permits for unincorporated Harris County – apply in person or via the county’s e-Permits online portal; e-Permits Support Line: (713) 274-3232. Unincorporated Harris County does NOT require a General Contractor’s License to perform construction. Some permits (water wells, and any project over $50,000 requiring Texas Department of Licensing & Regulation accessibility review) must go through separate state agencies rather than the county.
Within Houston or any other city: Contact that city’s building department directly – this is Texas’s largest and most complex county for the incorporated-vs-unincorporated distinction, with dozens of separate cities inside county lines.
Notes: This distinction – unincorporated county vs. one of dozens of individual cities – is the single most important thing to confirm before assuming which authority applies to any Harris County address.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Harris County Veterans Services Department – 2100 Travis St, Suite 210, Houston, TX 77002 | (281) 876-6600 | Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM (call ahead to schedule an appointment)
Notes: Harris County has the largest veteran population of any county in Texas, and one of the largest in the country – the department was created specifically to provide personal, hands-on assistance navigating VA benefits, pensions, healthcare, and other entitlements given that scale.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Harris County Public Library (HCPL) – a genuinely large, separate system from Houston Public Library, established in 1921, now with 26 branches serving over 1.3 million users across unincorporated Harris County and several cities that lack their own library systems; holds a collection of over 2.5 million items. Headquartered at 5749 South Loop East, Houston. Three HCPL branches sit within Houston city limits due to annexation, but most of Houston proper is served separately by the Houston Public Library – confirm which system covers your specific address.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Harris County contains extraordinary, nationally significant landmarks. San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site, a 1,268-acre National Historic Landmark in unincorporated Harris County about 22 miles east of downtown Houston, marks the site of the 18-minute April 21, 1836 Battle of San Jacinto that won Texas independence from Mexico. The San Jacinto Monument there stands 567.31 feet tall – the tallest monument column in the world, 12 feet taller than the Washington Monument – and houses the San Jacinto Museum of History with roughly 17,000 artifacts; the surrounding grounds offer self-guided battlefield driving tours, hiking, birdwatching (200+ species), fishing, and a marsh boardwalk. NASA’s Johnson Space Center, established 1961 as the original Manned Spacecraft Center, sits in Harris County and has served as Mission Control for every American human spaceflight since Gemini IV; Space Center Houston operates as its public visitor center with behind-the-scenes tours and astronaut memorabilia. Other major county landmarks include Buffalo Bayou Park, Hermann Park (home to the Houston Zoo), Discovery Green, the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
Notes: These are real, extraordinary, nationally and internationally significant historic and scientific landmarks – genuinely among the most significant sites covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) – confirm current contact via hcad.org for property records, exemptions, and parcel maps.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility (unincorporated county): Harris County Pets, operated by the Veterinary Public Health Division of Harris County Public Health – 612 Canino Rd, Houston, TX 77076 | Adoption Hours: Monday–Friday 1:00 PM–5:30 PM, Saturday–Sunday 11:00 AM–3:30 PM (no phone holds, adopters must be 18+, adoptions in person only); an open-admission shelter legally required to accept every animal from unincorporated Harris County regardless of breed, temperament, or condition; adoption fees include spay/neuter, vaccination, microchip, and a one-year county pet license; discounts available for seniors (60+) and military. Harris County Pets also operates the low-cost Harris County Pets Clinic for owned pets. All cats/dogs over 3 months old in unincorporated Harris County must be licensed and currently rabies-vaccinated.
Within Houston: BARC (City of Houston’s animal shelter) handles animal services within Houston city limits – separate agency, separate jurisdiction, confirm directly which covers your address.
Notes: The unincorporated-county-vs-Houston-vs-other-city split applies here too – always confirm which agency serves your specific location.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Harris County Pollution Control Services Department monitors Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) permitting activity for facilities like petrochemical plants, landfills, and sewage treatment plants within the county, reviewing applications and submitting comments/concerns during the state permitting process.
For household waste collection, contact your specific city or, for unincorporated areas, confirm current arrangements with the County Judge’s office or Harris County Public Health’s Environmental Public Health Division.
NOTES: Harris County is the fifth county in this batch (Hamilton, Hansford, Hardeman, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hartley) and by far the largest, most populous, and most complex covered in this entire project – the 4th largest county in the United States. The unincorporated-county vs. incorporated-city distinction (Houston plus dozens of other cities) is the single most important repeated theme across every section here – always confirm which jurisdiction actually covers a specific address before assuming which office to contact. San Jacinto Battleground and NASA’s Johnson Space Center are genuinely extraordinary, nationally significant sites. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Harris County
Harris County is the most populous county in Texas and the third most populous in the United States, home to Houston and dozens of incorporated cities including Pasadena, Baytown, Sugar Land, and Pearland across 1,777 square miles. County government is structured around a five-member Commissioners Court – four elected commissioners plus the County Judge – along with a set of independently elected officials including the District Clerk, County Clerk, Sheriff, District Attorney, and Tax Assessor-Collector. Texas has no state income tax, which means property taxes carry more of the burden of funding local schools, roads, and services than in most other states. Understanding your Harris County property tax assessment and your right to protest it annually is one of the most financially consequential things a Harris County homeowner can do.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Harris County property taxes are among the highest in the nation in absolute dollar terms, a direct consequence of Texas having no state income tax. The state funds local services primarily through property taxes, and Harris County homeowners typically pay effective rates of 2 to 2.5 percent of assessed value annually. Unlike California’s Proposition 13 or Cook County’s triennial cycle, Texas law requires annual reassessment of all properties. Every year, HCAD mails a Notice of Appraised Value, typically arriving in late March or early April, reflecting the district’s estimate of your property’s market value as of January 1.
The protest deadline in Harris County is May 15 each year, or 30 days after the notice is mailed, whichever is later. Missing this deadline forfeits your right to protest for that tax year. Property owners protest directly with HCAD’s Appraisal Review Board (ARB), which is an independent panel that hears evidence from both the property owner and HCAD staff. Protests can be filed online through HCAD’s iFile system, by mail, or in person at 13013 Northwest Freeway in Houston. The two most effective grounds for protest are market value disputes (your property is worth less than HCAD says) and unequal appraisal (comparable properties are assessed at a lower rate than yours).
Key exemptions available to Harris County homeowners include the Homestead Exemption, which reduces the taxable value of a primary residence and caps annual increases in taxable value at 10 percent per year. Senior homeowners 65 or older qualify for an additional exemption and, critically, a school tax freeze that prevents the school district portion of their tax bill from increasing even if assessed value rises. Veterans with qualifying disabilities may be eligible for partial or full exemption depending on disability rating.
OWNWELL CTA: Are you overpaying Harris County property tax? HCAD reassesses every property annually, which means every year is an opportunity to protest. Ownwell analyzes your assessment, files the protest, and only charges if you save.
LINK CLUSTER: How to protest your HCAD assessment, Homestead exemption, Senior tax freeze, Disabled veterans exemption, Pay Harris County property taxes, Search your HCAD appraised value, Unequal appraisal explained, Harris County tax rates by jurisdiction
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Are you overpaying Harris County property tax? HCAD reassesses every property annually, which means every year is an opportunity to protest. Ownwell analyzes your assessment, files the protest, and only charges if you save.
Public Records
Texas’s Public Information Act gives residents broad access to government records held by Harris County agencies. The County Clerk’s Office maintains property records including deeds, liens, mortgages, and assumed name filings for all of Harris County, searchable online through the clerk’s records portal. The District Clerk maintains civil and criminal court records for the state district courts. HCAD maintains an online property search portal with current and historical appraisal data for every parcel in the county. Arrest records for the county jail are maintained by the Sheriff’s Office.
Harris County has 10 County Clerk annex locations spread across the county in addition to the downtown office at 201 Caroline St, making in-person record access more convenient than in many large counties.
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Search Harris County public records, including arrests, court filings, property history, and background information for Houston and Harris County residents.
Search Harris County arrest and court records. TruthFinder aggregates publicly available arrest records, court filings, and background information for residents across Houston and Harris County.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Harris County operates one of the largest and most complex court systems in Texas, with state district courts handling civil and criminal matters, county courts at law handling intermediate civil and criminal cases, probate courts, justice of the peace courts, and municipal courts for incorporated cities. The 177th through 507th District Courts cover felony criminal matters. Civil district courts handle cases over $200 in controversy. Four dedicated Probate Courts handle all wills, estate administrations, guardianships, and mental health matters.
Courts Directory
Court
Type
Phone
Address
Harris County Civil Courthouse
Civil district courts, probate courts
713-755-5000
201 Caroline St, Houston
Harris County Criminal Justice Center
Felony criminal district courts
713-755-5400
1201 Franklin St, Houston
Harris County Probate Court No. 1
Wills, estates, guardianship
832-927-1401
201 Caroline St, 6th Floor, Houston
Harris County Probate Court No. 2
Wills, estates, guardianship
832-927-1402
201 Caroline St, 6th Floor, Houston
Harris County Civil Courts at Law
Civil matters under $200,000
713-755-6391
201 Caroline St, Houston
Harris County Criminal Courts at Law
Misdemeanor criminal
713-755-6391
1201 Franklin St, Houston
Harris County District Clerk
Civil and criminal court records
713-755-5711
201 Caroline St, Houston
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Senior Services
Harris County senior services are administered through the Harris County Area Agency on Aging, which operates under the Harris County Public Health department and is federally funded under the Older Americans Act. The agency coordinates home-delivered meals, congregate dining, transportation, caregiver support, legal services, and information and referral for residents 60 and older across unincorporated Harris County and participating municipalities. The main contact number for senior services is 713-794-9001.
Residents within the City of Houston are also served by the Houston Area Agency on Aging, which operates through the City of Houston Health Department separately from the county agency. Houston seniors can reach city senior services at 832-393-4301. As with the city/county split on law enforcement, which agency serves you depends on whether you live inside or outside incorporated Houston city limits.
On the property tax side, the senior homestead exemption and the school tax freeze are the two most impactful benefits available to Harris County seniors 65 and older. The school tax freeze alone can save qualifying seniors thousands of dollars annually as property values rise, because it prevents the school tax portion of the bill from increasing regardless of what HCAD does to your assessed value.
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Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
201 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 274-8600
DISTRICT CLERK
201 Caroline St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 368-6187
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Harris County Probate Courts, Houston (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Harris County Clerk’s Office, 201 Caroline Street, Houston, TX 77002, (713) 755-7300 – holds birth and death records from 1903, marriage and land records from 1836, probate records from the late 1800s, and court records from the 1920s.
Harris County Digital Archives (Harris County Public Library) – genealogy resources including city directories and county court records.
Local societies
Houston-area genealogical resources through the Houston Public Library’s Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, a nationally recognized genealogy research center, confirmed local resource.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Harris County was named for John Richardson Harris, who founded the town of Harrisburg on Buffalo Bayou in 1826. It is Texas’s most populous county, seated in Houston. Harris County has FIVE dedicated statutory Probate Courts (Probate Court Nos. 1-5), all located at the Harris County Civil Courthouse, 201 Caroline Street.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Probate jurisdiction in Texas is split between statutory probate courts (in larger metro counties, including Harris, Dallas, Bexar, Travis, Tarrant, Denton, Collin, El Paso, Galveston, and Hidalgo) and county courts (in smaller counties, sometimes assisted by district courts). In Harris County, one of the five dedicated Probate Courts handles the matter.
Small Estate Affidavit (Tex. Est. Code § 205.001) – available ONLY when the decedent died WITHOUT a will (intestate), the estate (excluding homestead and exempt property) does not exceed $75,000, and assets exceed debts. At least 30 days must have passed since death. The affidavit must list every asset and debt, establish the family history showing who the heirs are, and be sworn to by the heirs and two disinterested witnesses; a judge then reviews and approves it under § 205.003. A small estate affidavit CAN convey homestead title to heirs when other statutory requirements are met, even though the homestead itself doesn’t count toward the $75,000 cap.
Independent Administration – used when a will exists (or all heirs agree) and the estate has debts; minimal court supervision after the executor is appointed. This is the most common and efficient path in Texas when available.
Muniment of Title – available when a valid will exists, there are no unsecured debts (other than a mortgage), and there’s no other need for a full administration; transfers title without appointing an executor.
Dependent Administration – required for complex, contested, or disputed estates; involves ongoing court supervision and approval of most actions.
Affidavit of Heirship (Tex. Est. Code § 203.001) – a title-clearing tool (not a probate substitute) used to establish heirship for real property records.
Step 2: filing for administration
The personal representative (or an interested party) files an Application for Probate of Will and Issuance of Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration, if intestate) with the appropriate Harris County Probate Court, generally within 4 years of death.
The original will (if one exists), a certified death certificate, and information about heirs and the proposed executor are included with the application.
The court holds a hearing (often brief and administrative for uncontested independent administrations) and issues Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
The personal representative publishes notice to creditors and gathers, inventories, and appraises the estate’s assets.
The personal representative pays valid debts and expenses.
Remaining assets are distributed to beneficiaries or heirs, and the estate is closed.
What it costs
Filing fees in Texas typically run $250–$400 depending on the county; confirm current Harris County fees directly.
Texas law allows a statutory executor fee of 5% of all sums actually received and paid out in cash, with specific exceptions (e.g., for simply managing cash/bank accounts). The court may also approve reasonable attorney fees paid from the estate.
Small estate affidavits typically cost $600–$1,900 total when factoring in filing and related fees.
Texas does NOT impose a state estate tax or a state inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax may apply, and only to very large estates.
Small estate affidavit proceedings can close in 30 to 60 days; independent administrations vary with complexity.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
1200 Baker St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 221-6000
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
1001 Preston St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 274-8330
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
1111 Fannin St, Houston, TX 77002
(713) 439-6000
HHSC Office
2050 North Loop West, Houston, TX 77018
(713) 682-8951
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Harris County Public Health (HCPH) – for most services (clinics, nutrition, animal control, preparedness, environmental health), HCPH’s jurisdiction covers unincorporated Harris County plus over 30 municipalities within the county – a combined population of more than 4.5 million residents. For some services (mosquito control, refugee health screening), jurisdiction extends to all of Harris County including the City of Houston. The Environmental Public Health Division inspects and permits food establishments, public pools/spas (in unincorporated areas), drinking water systems, and handles lead-hazard and neighborhood nuisance abatement – a food establishment permit from HCPH is legally required to operate. Confirm current contact via publichealth.harriscountytx.gov.
Note: The City of Houston Health Department serves Houston separately for many core services – confirm which health authority covers your specific address.
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