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Texas · North Texas · Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex · #14 Most Populous County in the US
Tarrant County, Texas
Government offices, property tax appeals, public records, courts, senior services, and local resources for Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents
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Tarrant 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 Tarrant County property tax assessment?
File a Notice of Protest with TCAD by May 15, or within 30 days of receiving your Notice of Appraised Value. File online at tad.org using the Online PIN printed on your notice — TCAD strongly encourages online filing. After filing, you will go through an informal review with a TCAD appraiser. If unresolved, the Appraisal Review Board holds a formal hearing. Ownwell can manage the entire process and only charges if you save.
What is the school tax freeze for Tarrant County seniors?
Homeowners 65 or older who have filed for the over-65 homestead exemption are eligible for a school tax freeze that caps the school district portion of the property tax bill at the amount owed in the year the freeze was first applied. Even if TCAD raises your assessed value, the school tax portion cannot increase. This is the most valuable ongoing property tax benefit for qualifying Tarrant County seniors and must be applied for through TCAD at 817-284-0024.
What is the homestead exemption worth in Tarrant County after 2025 legislation?
Following 2025 state legislation, the standard homestead exemption removes $140,000 from the taxable value for school district taxes. Homeowners 65 or older or with qualifying disabilities receive an additional $60,000 exemption. These exemptions do not apply automatically — file with TCAD. Tarrant County also has no filing fee for exemption applications.
Where do I file probate in Tarrant County?
Tarrant County has two Probate Courts, both located at the County Courthouse, 100 E Weatherford St in Fort Worth. Contact the County Clerk's probate office at 817-884-1069 for case information and filing guidance. Texas allows independent administration, which minimizes court involvement after the initial filing. Small estates under $75,000 with no real property may use a Small Estate Affidavit without court filing.
Why does Tarrant County have more property tax accounts than any other Texas county?
Tarrant County's combination of high population density, a large number of incorporated cities each with their own taxing entities, significant commercial and industrial development, and the rapid growth of the DFW Metroplex has resulted in a very large number of individual taxable parcels and accounts. Each property can generate multiple tax accounts because different taxing entities (county, city, school district, water district, hospital district) each assess and collect separately.
Office: Tarrant County Office of Emergency Management – 100 E Weatherford St, Ste 404, Fort Worth, TX 76196 | Emergency Management Coordinator David McCurdy, (817) 884-1804 | Assistant Coordinators William Wessel (817) 884-2906 and Esmeralda Sanchez (817) 884-2850 | Hours: Monday–Friday 8 AM–5 PM (extends to 24/7 during a disaster – do not call office lines during an active event; use emergency communication systems or media)
City of Fort Worth Emergency Management & Communications: (817) 392-6170
Tarrant County Emergency Services District No. 1 (formerly Rural Fire Prevention District, formed 1996): provides fire/EMS to roughly 50,000 residents across ~183 square miles of unincorporated county, contracting with 17 fire departments.
Notes: This is a very large, urbanized North Texas county (Fort Worth metro) – many services (animal control, libraries, waste management, code compliance) are handled at the CITY level rather than countywide; confirm with your specific municipality. For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-30, I-35W, I-20, and I-820 serve Fort Worth, the county seat and largest city
Transit: Trinity Metro provides public transit within Fort Worth and parts of the county; confirm current routes and fares directly.
Notes: Tarrant County anchors the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex; Fort Worth was established at the fork of the Trinity River in 1849 by Major Ripley Arnold as a frontier military outpost.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Fort Worth Development Services handles permits within city limits; other municipalities in the county handle their own; for unincorporated Tarrant County, contact the County Judge’s office or Commissioners Court to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Fort Worth is genuinely and famously nicknamed “Cowtown,” a name Texans adopted soon after the Civil War as cattle drives passed through en route to market. When the railroad arrived in 1876, Fort Worth became a major livestock shipping hub; the Union Stockyards opened January 19, 1890, and after purchase by Boston investor Greenleif Simpson in 1893 became the Fort Worth Stockyards Company. The Fort Worth livestock market grew into the largest in Texas and the Southwest – ranked third or fourth nationally among large terminal livestock markets from roughly 1905 to the mid-1950s. The Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District, a 98-acre National Register of Historic Places listing (1976) with 46 contributing buildings, still hosts the world’s only twice-daily cattle drive and remains one of Texas’s most popular tourist destinations, home to the Stockyards Museum (opened 1989 by the North Fort Worth Historical Society) and the historic Livestock Exchange Building and Coliseum.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Tarrant County Veteran Services Office – an advocate agency funded by Tarrant County (separate from the federal VA), assisting veterans and survivors with entitled benefits from the VA and State of Texas at no cost; confirm current address and phone via tarrantcountytx.gov/veteran-services.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Note: Public library service in Tarrant County is provided at the municipal level – the Fort Worth Public Library serves Fort Worth; other cities in the county (Arlington, Grand Prairie, etc.) operate their own systems. Confirm your specific city’s library directly.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: The Fort Worth Stockyards National Historic District (see Building & Permits above) is genuinely one of the most significant and extensively preserved Old West heritage sites in Texas. Tarrant County Archives maintains historic records; the Dell Dehay Law Library serves as the county’s law library resource.
Notes: Real, extensively documented cattle-industry and Old West heritage – one of the most significant in the state.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Tarrant Appraisal District (TAD) – confirm current phone via tad.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: For UNINCORPORATED Tarrant County, animal control is handled by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office (Sheriff Bill E. Waybourn), with the City of Fort Worth assisting in those areas by interlocal agreement at the Sheriff’s Office’s request. ALL OTHER municipalities in the county (Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, etc.) conduct their own independent animal control – confirm with your specific city.
Notes: Loose livestock or any animal posing an immediate danger – call 911. For non-emergency stray dogs/cats or feral animals, contact your city’s animal control department directly.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Note: Waste management and code compliance are handled at the municipal level throughout Tarrant County – contact your specific city (Fort Worth, Arlington, etc.) directly.
NOTES: Tarrant County is the fourth county in this batch (Stonewall, Sutton, Swisher, Tarrant, Taylor, Terrell, Terry) and by far the largest and most urbanized county covered so far in this project – a major DFW-metroplex county where most day-to-day services (animal control, libraries, waste management, building permits) are handled at the CITY level rather than countywide. The genuine, world-famous Fort Worth Stockyards heritage is a distinctive local landmark. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office or your specific municipality before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Tarrant County
Tarrant County is the third most populous county in Texas and the fourteenth most populous in the United States, home to Fort Worth and dozens of incorporated cities including Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Southlake, Colleyville, Grapevine, Keller, Euless, Hurst, and Bedford across 902 square miles of North Texas. It anchors the western half of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the country. Tarrant County has the highest number of individual property tax accounts of any county in the State of Texas – a reflection of its density, its mix of residential and commercial development, and the large number of taxing entities operating across the county. County government is structured around a five-member Commissioners Court, with independently elected offices including the Tax Assessor-Collector, County Clerk, District Clerk, Sheriff, and Criminal District Attorney.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Tarrant County property taxes are assessed annually by TCAD. Texas has no state income tax, making property taxes the primary funding mechanism for local schools, roads, and services. Effective property tax rates in Tarrant County typically run between 2.1 and 2.5 percent of assessed value when all taxing entities – county, city, school district, and special districts – are combined. The variation reflects the different tax rates set by cities and school districts across the county; a home in Southlake faces different combined rates than an identical home in Mansfield.
The protest deadline is May 15 each year, or 30 days after the Notice of Appraised Value is mailed to the property owner, whichever is later. TCAD strongly encourages filing online through an account on the TAD website at tad.org using the Online PIN printed on your Notice of Value. After filing a protest, property owners typically go through an informal review with a TCAD appraiser. If that does not resolve the dispute, the Appraisal Review Board (ARB) conducts a formal hearing. Both market value (your property is worth less than TCAD says) and unequal appraisal (similar properties are assessed at a lower rate) are valid grounds for protest.
Exemptions in Tarrant County are substantial following 2025 state legislation. The standard homestead exemption removes $140,000 from the taxable value for school district taxes. Homeowners 65 or older or with qualifying disabilities receive an additional $60,000 exemption. The school tax freeze for seniors 65 and older prevents the school district portion of the bill from increasing even as assessed values rise. Veterans with qualifying service-connected disabilities may qualify for partial or full exemption depending on disability rating. Exemptions do not apply automatically – file with TCAD at 817-284-0024.
OWNWELL CTA: Are you overpaying Tarrant County property tax? TCAD reassesses every property annually and Tarrant County has more tax accounts than any other Texas county. Ownwell analyzes your assessment, files the protest, and only charges if you save. The deadline is May 15.
LINK CLUSTER: How to protest your TCAD assessment, Homestead exemption Tarrant County, Over-65 school tax freeze, Disabled homestead exemption, Veterans exemption, Pay Tarrant County property taxes, Search your TCAD appraised value, Unequal appraisal explained, ARB hearing process
Recommended
Are you overpaying Tarrant County property tax? TCAD reassesses every property annually and Tarrant County has more tax accounts than any other Texas county. Ownwell analyzes your assessment, files the protest, and only charges if you save. The deadline is May 15.
Public Records
Texas’s Public Information Act gives residents access to records held by Tarrant County agencies. The County Clerk maintains official public records at 100 E Weatherford St in Fort Worth, including property deeds, liens, plats, powers of attorney, oil and gas leases, marriage licenses, assumed business names, and probate records. The District Clerk manages civil and felony criminal court records for the 27 District Courts, accessible through DCSA (District Clerk Subscriber Access) at dcsa.tarrantcounty.com. Arrest records are maintained by the Tarrant County Sheriff for county jail bookings and by city police departments for arrests within incorporated cities.
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Search Tarrant County public records, including arrests, court filings, property history, and background information for Fort Worth and Tarrant County residents.
Search Tarrant County arrest and court records. TruthFinder aggregates publicly available arrest records, court filings, and background information for residents across Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Tarrant County operates a large and complex court system centered in downtown Fort Worth. The Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building at 100 N Calhoun St houses civil district courts. The Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center at 401 W Belknap St handles criminal district courts. The main County Courthouse at 100 E Weatherford St houses the County Courts at Law and the two Probate Courts. The District Clerk manages 27 District Courts hearing civil, family law, and felony criminal matters.
Courts Directory
Court
Type
Phone
Address
Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building
Civil district courts
817-884-1240
100 N Calhoun St, Fort Worth
Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center
Felony criminal district courts
817-884-1323
401 W Belknap St, Fort Worth
Tarrant County Courthouse
County Courts at Law, Probate Courts
817-884-1069
100 E Weatherford St, Fort Worth
Probate Court No. 1
Wills, estates, guardianship
817-884-2700
100 E Weatherford St, Fort Worth
Probate Court No. 2
Wills, estates, guardianship
817-884-2745
100 E Weatherford St, Fort Worth
Justice of the Peace Courts
Misdemeanor, civil under $20K, small claims
817-884-1111
Multiple precincts countywide
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Senior Services
Senior services in Tarrant County are coordinated through the Area Agency on Aging of Tarrant County, which serves residents 60 and older with home-delivered meals, congregate dining, caregiver support, transportation assistance, and connections to in-home care programs and benefits counseling. The main AAA line is 817-258-8000 and the office is located at 210 E 9th St in Fort Worth.
Tarrant County’s large and growing senior population is served by a robust network of senior activity centers operating through the City of Fort Worth, Arlington, and other municipalities. The over-65 school tax freeze and the expanded homestead exemption following 2025 legislation are the most impactful property tax benefits for Tarrant County seniors – the school district portion of the tax bill, which is typically the largest, cannot increase once the freeze is in place regardless of assessed value changes.
Texas Medicaid, administered through the Health and Human Services Commission, funds long-term care for eligible low-income seniors through STAR+PLUS, which is Texas’s managed care program for seniors and people with disabilities. Tarrant County has a broad network of assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities across its many cities and suburbs.
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Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
100 West Weatherford St, Fort Worth, TX 76196
(817) 884-1195
DISTRICT CLERK
100 West Weatherford St, Fort Worth, TX 76196
(817) 884-1240
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Tarrant County Clerk’s Office, Fort Worth (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above). Records available from 1943 to present.
Local societies
No dedicated Tarrant County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
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.
Where to go
County Clerk, Tarrant County 100 West Weatherford Street, Room 130, Fort Worth, TX 76196 (817) 884-1195
Tarrant County is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, seated in Fort Worth. Tarrant County’s 2.3+ million residents make it one of the state’s most populous counties.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Tarrant County is one of Texas’s STATUTORY PROBATE COURT counties – Tarrant County Probate Court No. 1, located at the Tarrant County Courthouse, 100 West Weatherford Street, Room 260A, Fort Worth, TX 76196, (817) 884-1200, handles probate matters with dedicated jurisdiction.
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.
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.
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 Tarrant County Clerk, which is then heard by Probate Court No. 1.
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 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 Tarrant 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. 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.
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
100 West Weatherford St, Fort Worth, TX 76196
(817) 884-1213
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
2700 Premier St, Fort Worth, TX 76111
(817) 831-8683
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
1101 South Main St, Fort Worth, TX 76104
(817) 321-4700
HHSC Office
6551 Granbury Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76133
(817) 321-8600
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Tarrant County Public Health – confirm current contact via tarrantcountytx.gov; the department also oversees animal control policy guidance for the unincorporated county (see Animal Services below).
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