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Texas · Central Texas · Greater Austin Area · State Capital County · #26 Most Populous County in the US
Travis County, Texas
Government offices, property tax appeals, public records, courts, senior services, and local resources for Austin and Travis County residents
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Travis 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 Travis County property tax assessment?
File a protest with TCAD by May 15, or within 30 days of receiving your Notice of Appraised Value. File online at traviscad.org, by mail using Form 50-132, or in person at 850 E Anderson Lane, Austin. After filing, you will have an informal meeting 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 Texas's homestead appraisal cap and how does it help Austin homeowners?
Texas law limits annual appraisal increases on homesteaded properties to 10 percent of the prior year's appraised value — regardless of how much the market value increases. This means even in a year where Austin home values rise 20 percent, a homesteaded property's appraised value can only increase by 10 percent. The cap applies only if you have a valid homestead exemption on file with TCAD.
What exemptions are available in Travis County after 2025 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. The over-65 school tax freeze prevents school tax from increasing even as appraised values rise. Veterans with service-connected disabilities may qualify for partial or full exemption. File all exemptions at no cost with TCAD at 512-834-9317.
Where do I file probate in Travis County?
Travis County has two Probate Courts at 200 W 8th Street in downtown Austin. Probate Court No. 1 (Judge Herman, 512-854-9258) and Probate Court No. 2 (Judge Chu, 512-854-5512). For filing questions, contact the County Clerk's Probate Division at 512-854-5958. Texas allows independent administration for most estates, minimizing court involvement. Small estates under $75,000 with no real property may use a Small Estate Affidavit without any court filing.
What property tax options are available for Travis County seniors?
The over-65 school tax freeze caps the school district portion of the tax bill at the amount owed in the year the exemption was first applied — it cannot increase. The $60,000 additional exemption for qualifying seniors reduces taxable value further. Texas also offers a Property Tax Deferral for seniors 65 or older with a homestead exemption, allowing property taxes to be deferred until the property is sold, with 5 percent annual interest. Contact TCAD at 512-834-9317 to apply for exemptions and the Tax Office at 512-854-9473 for deferral information.
Emergency Services: Travis County’s Executive of Emergency Services oversees the Office of Emergency Management, Fire Marshal, Technology & Communications, and STAR Flight (the county’s air ambulance service), plus coordinates with the Medical Examiner’s Office and rural Emergency Services Districts.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: I-35, US-183, and SH-71 serve Austin, the county seat and Texas state capital
Transit: Capital Metro provides public bus and light rail service throughout Austin and parts of Travis County; confirm current routes and fares directly.
Notes: Travis County, established in 1840 by the 4th Congress of the Republic of Texas, is named for William Barret Travis, commander at the Alamo. It’s home to roughly 1.2 million residents and sits partly in the Texas Hill Country.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: City of Austin Development Services handles permits within city limits; other municipalities in the county handle their own; for unincorporated Travis County, contact the County Judge’s office or Commissioners Court to confirm current requirements.
Notes: Austin is genuinely and officially branded the “Live Music Capital of the World,” a title it earned in the 1990s based on its number of live music venues per capita. The city’s musical heritage traces back to the 1930s, when Kenneth Threadgill opened the first live music venue in Travis County; the scene grew through 1970s-era venues like the Armadillo World Headquarters and Antone’s (opened 1975). Today, real annual festivals like South by Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits (ACL) draw hundreds of thousands of visitors. Austin was settled in 1835 and incorporated December 27, 1839, named for Stephen F. Austin; the Texas State Capitol, completed in the late 1800s, remains the seat of Texas government.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Travis County Veterans Services Department – PO Box 1748, Austin, TX 78767; Hours: Monday–Thursday, 9 AM–4 PM (appointment only, virtual appointments available via online form with a verified Travis County email); confirm current phone via traviscountytx.gov/veterans-services.
State VSO: Texas Veterans Commission – tvc.texas.gov
Notes: The Travis County Veterans Services Department was formally created March 22, 1944 by the Travis County Commissioners Court – one of the longer-established county veterans offices covered in this project. Staff are all honorably discharged veterans, accredited by the VA Veterans Benefits Administration.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Note: Public library service in Travis County is provided at the municipal level – the Austin Public Library serves Austin; other cities in the county operate their own systems. Confirm your specific city’s library directly.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Travis County offers 26 parks countywide for hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, and boating; the City of Austin alone maintains roughly 14,300 acres of parkland, with the hills west of the city adding another 7,566+ public acres. Real, well-known local destinations include Zilker Park, Barton Springs, and Lake Travis. The Texas State Capitol and LBJ Presidential Library are significant real historic and cultural landmarks in Austin.
Notes: Genuine, extensively documented outdoor recreation and cultural/musical heritage – one of the most significant urban counties covered in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Travis Central Appraisal District (TCAD) – confirm current phone via traviscad.org.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Travis County has contracted with the City of Austin’s Animal Protection department to handle dangerous animals, animals at large, nuisance animals, and animal bite reports (county code violations) countywide, including unincorporated areas. Call 911 if a person has been attacked, bitten, or scratched and needs emergency care; otherwise call 311 to reach Animal Protection directly. All animal bites must be reported to Animal Protection, and dog owners involved in bite cases must provide proof of current rabies vaccination or the animal will be quarantined for veterinary observation.
Separate resource: The Travis County Sheriff’s Office investigates animal cruelty cases (abuse, abusive breeding, hoarding) via a dedicated detective, and its Estray Unit handles loose livestock – but does NOT handle dangerous/nuisance animals or bites (routed to Austin Animal Protection instead).
Notes: A genuinely clear jurisdictional split worth understanding – cruelty investigations go to the Sheriff, everyday animal-control matters go to Austin Animal Protection.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Note: Waste management is handled at the municipal level throughout Travis County – contact your specific city (Austin Resource Recovery, etc.) directly.
NOTES: Travis County is the fourth county in this batch (Throckmorton, Titus, Tom Green, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur) and, alongside Tarrant, one of the largest and most urbanized counties covered in this project – home to the Texas state capital. The clear Sheriff-vs-Austin-Animal-Protection jurisdictional split for animal issues is a genuinely useful, checkable local detail. 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 Travis County
Travis County is Texas’s state capital county and the twenty-sixth most populous in the United States, home to Austin and a rapidly growing unincorporated population across 1,023 square miles of Central Texas. Austin has been one of the fastest-growing large cities in the United States over the past decade, driven by a wave of technology company relocations and expansions – Apple, Tesla, Oracle, Meta, Google, Samsung, and dozens of other major employers have established significant operations here. This growth has driven some of the largest property value increases of any county in the country, making the annual protest process especially important for Travis County property owners. 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 District Attorney.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Travis County property taxes are assessed annually by TCAD. Austin’s explosive growth over the past decade drove property value increases among the steepest in the country. The total market value of all property in Travis County was $469.32 billion in 2023, and effective tax rates run approximately 2.1 percent of assessed value when all taxing entities are combined. Texas has no state income tax, making property taxes the primary mechanism for funding schools, roads, and local services.
The protest deadline is May 15 each year, or 30 days after the Notice of Appraised Value is mailed, whichever is later. TCAD mails notices in mid-April. File your protest online through traviscad.org, by mail using Form 50-132, or in person at 850 E Anderson Lane. TCAD’s ARB hearing success rate in Travis County has historically been strong – approximately 91 percent of ARB appeals in 2023 resulted in some type of reduction.
Texas homesteaded properties benefit from a 10 percent annual cap on appraisal increases – meaning even if TCAD raises the market value significantly, the appraised value used for your tax bill cannot increase more than 10 percent per year. This cap applies only to properties with an active homestead exemption. 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 over-65 school tax freeze prevents the school district portion from increasing even as values rise. File exemptions with TCAD at no cost.
OWNWELL CTA: Are you overpaying Travis County property tax? TCAD reassesses every year and Austin values have risen dramatically. 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, Texas homestead 10% appraisal cap, Homestead exemption Travis County, Over-65 school tax freeze, Disabled homestead exemption, Veterans exemption, Pay Travis County property taxes, Search your TCAD appraised value, Unequal appraisal explained, ARB hearing process
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Are you overpaying Travis County property tax? TCAD reassesses every year and Austin values have risen dramatically. 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 Travis County agencies. The County Clerk maintains official public records including property deeds, liens, marriage licenses, and probate records. Deed records are searchable online through the Travis County Clerk’s records portal. The District Clerk at 1700 Guadalupe Street, 3rd Floor, maintains civil and felony criminal court records for the District Courts, accessible through the re:SearchTX online system. Arrest records are maintained by the Travis County Sheriff and by the Austin Police Department for arrests within Austin city limits.
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Search Travis County public records, including arrests, court filings, property history, and background information for Austin and Travis County residents.
Search Travis County arrest and court records. TruthFinder aggregates publicly available arrest records, court filings, and background information for Austin and Travis County residents.
Courts & Legal
Courts & Legal
Travis County operates a court system spread across several downtown Austin locations. The Civil and Family Court Facility at 1700 Guadalupe Street handles civil district courts and family courts. The Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center at 509 W 11th Street handles criminal district courts. The Travis County Courthouse at 1000 Guadalupe Street handles County Courts at Law and other county matters. The two Probate Courts are at 200 W 8th Street. Travis County also hosts the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division, at 501 W 5th Street.
Courts Directory
Court
Type
Phone
Address
Civil and Family Court Facility
Civil district courts, family courts
512-854-9457
1700 Guadalupe St, Austin
Blackwell Thurman Criminal Justice Center
Criminal district courts
512-854-9400
509 W 11th St, Austin
Travis County Courthouse
County Courts at Law
512-854-9000
1000 Guadalupe St, Austin
Probate Court No. 1 (Judge Guy Herman)
Wills, estates, guardianship
512-854-9258
200 W 8th St, 2nd Floor, Austin
Probate Court No. 2 (Judge Nicholas Chu)
Wills, estates, guardianship
512-854-5512
200 W 8th St, 4th Floor, Austin
US District Court (Western District)
Federal civil and criminal
512-916-5896
501 W 5th St, Austin
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Senior Services
Senior services in Travis County are coordinated through Meals on Wheels Central Texas and the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG), which serves as the Area Agency on Aging for the 10-county Capital Area region. Services include home-delivered meals, transportation, caregiver support, case management, the Long-Term Care Ombudsman program, and the SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) Medicare counseling service. Reach CAPCOG’s aging services at 512-916-6000. Austin-Travis County also operates senior activity centers and coordinates access to in-home support services.
Travis County’s rapid growth has created a large and growing senior population with diverse needs. Austin’s high cost of living – particularly in housing – has made it increasingly difficult for fixed-income seniors to age in place in central Austin neighborhoods. The over-65 school tax freeze and expanded homestead exemption following 2025 legislation provide meaningful property tax relief for qualifying long-term Austin homeowners.
Texas STAR+PLUS Medicaid funds long-term care for eligible low-income seniors through managed care organizations operating in Travis County. Texas also offers the Property Tax Deferral program for seniors 65 or older with a homestead exemption – allowing eligible residents to defer payment of property taxes until the property is sold or passes to an heir, with interest accruing at 5 percent annually.
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Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
5501 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 854-9188
DISTRICT CLERK
1000 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701
(512) 854-9457
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Travis County Clerk’s Probate Division, Austin (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Travis County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories beyond the state-level TSLAC and TxSGS presence in Austin.
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, Travis County – Probate Division 5501 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751 (physical); PO Box 149325, Austin, TX 78714 (mail) (512) 854-4996 Travis County is home to the Texas state capital, Austin.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Texas probate law is governed by the Texas Estates Code. Travis County is one of Texas’s STATUTORY PROBATE COURT counties, with a dedicated Probate Division of the County Clerk’s office handling probate filings.
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 Travis County Clerk’s Probate Division.
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 Travis 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
5555 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 854-9770
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
5501 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX 78751
(512) 238-8683
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Public Health
15 Waller St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 972-5000
HHSC Office
5928 West William Cannon Dr, Austin, TX 78749
(512) 383-4700
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Travis County Health and Human Services – confirm current contact via traviscountytx.gov.
Editorial independence: CountyOffices maintains strict editorial independence from our affiliate partners. Our content is researched from official government sources. Affiliate relationships do not influence our recommendations or the information we publish.
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