About the Brazoria County District Clerk
The District Clerk is an elected office, currently held by Cassandra Tigner. The office cites Article 5, Section 9 of the Texas Constitution as the basis for its role. In Texas, the District Clerk and the County Clerk split the county's record duties. The District Clerk handles district court matters, while the County Clerk handles county court, probate, marriage, and real property records.
That split shapes every request. A felony, a divorce, or a large civil suit is a district court matter, so its file sits with the District Clerk. A misdemeanor, a probate case, or a marriage license is a County Clerk matter. The County Clerk page covers that side of the county's records. Sending a request to the right clerk the first time is the single best way to avoid delay.
District Clerk Office and Hours
The District Clerk works out of the Administration Building on Locust Street in Angleton. The office is open on weekdays, and the lobby closes a few minutes before the office does. The records, criminal, and civil divisions each have their own direct line. The main contact is below.
Brazoria County District Clerk
Cassandra Tigner, District Clerk
237 E. Locust St., Suite 206
Angleton, TX 77515
979-864-1316
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; lobby to 4:45 p.m.
The Records Department line is 979-864-1128, the Criminal Department is 979-864-1189, and the Civil Department is 979-864-1137. Use the division that matches your record for the fastest help.
Records the Brazoria County District Clerk Keeps
The District Clerk is the custodian for three broad families of court records. Each runs through the district courts and the clerk's case-management system. The list below shows what the office holds.
- Civil district court records: petitions, motions, orders, and judgments.
- Family records: divorce, custody, support, and protective orders.
- Felony criminal records: indictments, warrants, docket entries, and sentences.
The Criminal Department keeps causes updated, issues warrants and directives to the jail, accepts pleadings, and prepares penitentiary packets after a conviction. Civil suits are randomly assigned among the 149th, 239th, and 412th District Courts. The court records page explains how to search all of these online.
The District Clerk is the custodian of record for these files, which means the office certifies that a copy is a true copy of what the court filed. That role is why a certified copy comes from the clerk and not from a private site. It is also why the clerk, not the judge or the attorney, is the right contact for a copy, a fee question, or a record search.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is the version a court or an agency accepts as official. The District Clerk provides copies in person, by mail, or by email, and it lays out a clear online process. The steps below cover an online copy request.
- Search the records and documents portal and open the case or cause.
- Decide which documents to buy and note the event type and date.
- Pay online through Certified Payments using bureau code 4375276.
- Print the receipt or write down the payment ID number.
- Return to the Records Department page and finish the online copy request form.
For a mailed request, complete the copy request form and send it with a cashier's check or money order to the District Clerk in Angleton. Payment is due when services are requested, by attorney check, cashier's check, money order, credit card with a service fee, or cash until late afternoon.
Know which copy you need before you order. A plain copy works for personal reference. A certified copy carries the clerk's seal and is what a court, an agency, or another state will accept as proof. An exemplified copy goes a step further for use in another jurisdiction. Asking for the right type the first time saves a second request and a second fee.
Brazoria County District Clerk Copy Fees
Copy fees depend on whether a document is plain or certified and how it is delivered. Emailed documents from the case system carry a small minimum, with a per-page rate once a request runs long. Certified copies add a certification fee per document. The common amounts are below.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Emailed non-certified document (minimum) | $1.00 |
| Each page over 10 pages | $0.10 |
| Certified emailed document (per page) | $1.00 per page + $5.00 certification |
| Microfilm reproduction (per page) | $1.00 |
| Records search fee | $5.00 |
Confirm current amounts with the Records Department, since fees can change. The County Clerk sets separate fees for the records it keeps.
Brazoria County Felony Records Search Request
The District Clerk offers a felony records search, and only a felony search, through its records request page. The search fee is $5.00 and covers records from 1987 to the present. Each extra 10-year period adds $5.00, and a Certificate of Felony Found or No Felony Found is another $5.00. Online requests are credit-card only, paid through Certified Payments with bureau code 4375276. The web form marks all fields required. The main fields are below.
| Field | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Search option | Radio | Record search only, or search plus certificate |
| Requester name and address | Text | Full contact details |
| Payment ID | Text | From Certified Payments; no card number entered |
| Amount paid | Text | The amount paid online |
| Name to be searched | Text | The subject of the felony search |
| Date of birth | Date | Subject date of birth |
| Social Security number | Text | Subject identifier |
| Driver license number | Text | Number and state |
| Time period from / to | Date | The years to be searched |
Unsealing a Brazoria County District Clerk Record
A sealed case is not a normal copy request. The District Clerk requires a motion and order to unseal, which a judge reviews. The requester must add an affidavit that explains why the case needs to be unsealed, a color copy of the front and back of a current driver's license, and callback information. A case from the 300th District Court also needs a Notice of Hearing.
This process protects the people a seal was meant to shield. The clerk's front counter cannot simply hand over a sealed file, no matter who asks. The arrest records page covers expunction and nondisclosure, the two main ways an old record is limited under Texas law.
E-Filing and the Criminal Department
The District Clerk runs on modern filing tools. Attorneys file through eFileTexas, and criminal e-filing has been mandatory for attorneys since January 1, 2018, except for indictments and complaints. The clerk also offers an attorney portal and online case search, so much of the office's work now happens online rather than at the counter.
The Criminal Department handles a lot more than filing. It keeps causes current, issues warrants and directives to the jail, and prepares penitentiary packets after a conviction. People who need a court-appointed attorney are pointed to the county's Indigent Defense office rather than the clerk, since the clerk cannot decide who qualifies for appointed counsel or what a person should file.
Jury, Passport, and Other District Clerk Services
The District Clerk does more than store files. The office manages jury information for the district courts, so a summoned juror checks in and finds instructions through the clerk. It also schedules passport appointments and runs a forms library that self-represented litigants can use to find the right paperwork.
The Civil Department adds a few special services. It gives guidance on occupational driver license filings, which let a person drive on a limited basis after a license is suspended. An occupational license petition tied to a closed felony can be filed as a new civil case with its own filing fee. For anything beyond a clerk's routine task, the office points people to an attorney or to the county Law Library, since clerks cannot give legal advice under the law that defines the practice of law.
District Clerk Compared to County Clerk
Texas counties split clerk duties, and Brazoria County is no exception. Mixing up the two offices is the most common reason a request goes to the wrong place. This table sets them side by side.
| Point | District Clerk | County Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| Court level | District courts | County courts at law |
| Criminal | Felony | Misdemeanor |
| Family and probate | Divorce and family | Probate and guardianship |
| Other records | Civil district cases | Marriage, deeds, vital records |
For the County Clerk's records and services, including marriage licenses and land records, see the Brazoria County Clerk page.