Hays County Court Records

Hays County Court records are recorded materials containing case information collated by the County's courts. These records comprise pleadings, subpoenas, motions, trial documents, evidence, recordings, judgments, and court notices. They may be stored in any format, including audio, video, recordings, paper, or electronic forms (TRJA §12.2(d)). Court records generated by the courts in Hays County and other counties constitute Texas Court Records.

The Texas Judiciary preserves court records for intellectual and historical use. These records also foster candor and fairness in the judicial system.

Are Court Records Public in Hays County?

Yes. Rule 12.4 of the Texas Rule of Judicial Administration permits interested persons to inspect and make copies of court records maintained in the County, provided such records are not restricted from public access or sealed. Court records may also be considered as part of Hays County public records per the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). Hays County court records and case information exempt from the public as specified in Rule 12.5 and Texas Code § 552.108 are listed below:

• Drafts and adjudicative notes of Judicial officers
• Security plans and codes
• Personnel information that may violate the person's safety/privacy
• Information about a person's home address, phone number, and family members
• Juvenile/ sexual abuse victims records
• Records containing information on applicants for volunteer services or employment
• Medical reports and mental health assessments
• Internal reviews on Court or judicial administration issues
• Data related to a Court Law Library
• Information about a judicial officer's schedule or appointments
• Any record that is confidential or exempt from public access by other state laws

Hays County Court Records Search

Available options for persons intending to search for Hays County court records include:

• In-person visits and mail requests sent to the County Clerk or District Court Clerk's office
• Querying a local courthouse where the case was originally filed or decided
• Searching Online repositories maintained by the clerk's office
• Employing Third-party Aggregate search portals.

Hays County Court Records Search by Name

Interested members of the public may search for Hays County court records by name. To do so, the inquirer may conduct in-person searches at the County Clerk's or District Court Clerk's offices. The District Court Clerk's office performs name searches for civil and criminal case records filed within the last ten years for a fee of $5 per name. Obtaining physical copies of court records costs $0.5 per page and $1 per page for certified copies.

Online name-based searches for Hays County court records are free of charge and can be performed at:

• The Hays County Clerk's Self-Service Web
• The Hays County Courts Records Inquiry portal.

Searchers using the online search portals will need to enter either a plaintiff's or defendant's last or first name to begin the search. To further streamline the search results, they may use additional filters like the case number, filing date range, or case type. While searching the online portals are free, copies of the documents are disbursed for a fee.

Hays County Courts

The Court System in Hays County comprises various court types with varying judicial authorities. The Courts in Hays County include the District Court, Constitutional Court, Court-at-Law, Justice of the Peace Court, and Municipal Court. Outlined below are the physical addresses and contact information of all courthouses located in Hays County:

Hays County 22nd, 207th, 274th & 428th District Court
Hays County Government Center
712 S Stagecoach Trail
Suite #2211
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-7660

Hays County Constitutional Court & County Court at Law
Hays County Government Center
712 South Stagecoach Trail
Suite #2008
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-7738
Fax: (512) 393-7735

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 - Place 1
712 S Stagecoach Trail
Suite #2235
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-7871
Fax: (512) 878-6565

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 - Place 2
712 S Stagecoach Trail
Suite #2235
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-7636
Fax: (512) 393-7641

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
5458 FM 2770,
P.O. Box 1449,
Kyle, TX 78640
Phone: (512) 268-3151

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
200 Stillwater Street
P.O. Box 366
Wimberly, TX 78676
Phone: (512) 847-2000

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
195 Roger Hanks Parkway
Suite #2,
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Phone: (512) 858-7446
Fax: (512) 858-4779

Hays County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5
500 Jack C. Hays Trail
P.O. Box 215
Buda, TX 78610
Phone: (512) 295-2700

Buda Municipal Court
121 Main Street
P.O. Box 1218
Buda, TX 78610
Phone: (512) 295-2562
Fax: (512) 295-5981

Dripping Springs Municipal Court
511 Mercer Street
P.O. Box 384
Dripping Springs, TX 78620
Phone: (512) 858-4725

Kyle Municipal Court
100 W Center Street
P.O. Box 40
Kyle, TX 78640
Phone: (512) 262-3994
Fax: (512) 262-3800

San Marcos Municipal Court
712 Stagecoach Trail
Suite #2233
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-8190
Fax: (855) 246-9121

Wimberley Municipal Court
P.O. Box 2027
Wimberley, TX 78676
Phone: (512) 847-0025

Woodcreek Municipal Court
41 Champions Circle
Woodcreek, TX 78676
Phone: (512) 847-9390

Hays County Superior Court Case Search

Hays County, as well as other Texas counties, do not have superior courts in their judicial systems; instead, District courts perform similar roles to the Superior courts in different states.

Hays County District Court Records

The Hays County District Court is a trial court of all-around jurisdiction. It has original jurisdiction to handle criminal felonies, divorce cases, title-to-land disputes, and civil cases with claims up to or above $200,000.

The District Court Clerk's Office preserves court records created by the district courts in Hays County and makes them available to requesters. Interested persons may search for District Court records at the search terminals provided in the reception area of the District Clerk's office during regular business hours. The clerk's office may also assist a researcher in performing a name search for a fee of $5 per name researched. Mail requests for Hays County district court records may be addressed to:

Hays County District Court Clerk
Hays County Government Center
712 South Stagecoach Trail
Suite 2211
San Marcos, Texas 78666
Email: distclerk@co.hays.tx.us.

Furthermore, interested persons may be able to retrieve Civil and Criminal Court Case information and the Court Calendar online via the Courts Records Inquiry portal. The inquirer will be required to provide a party's first/last name, case status, or filing date on the records inquiry portal. Physical copies of District Court records can only be accessed at the clerk's office for $0.5 per page for plain copies and $1 per page for certified copies.

Hays County Criminal Records

Hays County Criminal Records are maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety(TxDPS) and are publicly available per the State's Public Information Act. Criminal records are case information and documents related to felonies, misdemeanors, and other criminal matters heard by the courts in Hays County.

Interested persons may perform a Criminal History Conviction Name Search for Hays County residents on the DPS Computerized Criminal History System (CCH). To use the conviction database, the user is expected to create an account and purchase search credits with a card or check at $3 per unit, excluding other service fees. Subsequent searches can be conducted on the database by entering a last name or date of birth.

Inquirers may be able to find Hays County arrest records, warrants, police reports, and inmate information from the Records Division of the County Sheriff's Office at:

Hays County Sheriff's Office
1307 Uhland Road
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: (512) 393-7800

Hays County Criminal Court Case Lookup

Interested members of the public may lookup and obtain copies of Hays County criminal court case information from the County Clerk or the District Court Clerk at:

Hays County District Clerk
Hays County Government Center
712 South Stagecoach Trail
Suite 2211
San Marcos, TX 78666
Email: distclerk@co.hays.tx.us

Hays County Clerk
The Government Center
712 S. Stagecoach Trail
Suite 2008
San Marcos, TX 78666.

Alternatively, remote options such as the Courts Records Inquiry tool and the Self-Service web page can also be used to search for criminal court cases adjudicated by the courts in the County. Both onsite and remote options require the researcher to provide the offender's last name, birth date, or case number.

How To Get Hays County Civil Court Records

Both County and District Court Clerks maintain Hays County Civil Court records. Civil court records consist of case information assembled from adjudications involving non-criminal, personal, and organizational disputes such as small claims, torts, evictions, personal injury, and real estate agreements.

To get Hays County civil court records, inquirers may:

• Submit in-person and mail requests to either the County Clerk or the District Court Clerk using the approved request form
• Utilize the search terminals available at the District Court Clerk's office
• Search the online repositories maintained by the clerks' offices.

In any of the options, the requester will be directed to provide at least one of the case parties' names and additional search criteria, such as the filing date, case number, case status, or case type. The search and copy fees for these records depend on the record custodian and the nature of the document requested.

Hays County Family Court Records

Family court records in Hays County are generated while adjudicating family law cases such as divorce, legal separation/annulments, child custody, paternity, adoption, and juvenile delinquency/negligence. Hays County Family Court records are usually publicly available unless they are sealed by law or related to minors or sexual abuse victims.

The County and District Court Clerks' offices are responsible for maintaining Family court records. Hence, interested persons may inspect and obtain copies of the family court records from these offices. These records can be accessed in person or through mail by submitting a completed request form to the clerk's physical address. The Hays County Court Records Inquiry and Self-Service search tools can also be used to inspect family court records.

Hays County Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dissolution of Marriage Records typically includes information on court processes that involve marriage annulment, legal separation, and divorce. These records form family records in Hays County. To obtain Dissolution of Marriage Records in Hays County:

• Go to the Clerks' offices during working hours and use the search terminals provided
• Submit in-person or mail requests to the Clerks' offices by filling out the necessary request form
• Search the online inquiry or self-service portals.

Hays County Marriage and Divorce Records

Hays County Marriage Records are official reports pertaining to marriage ceremonies officiated by the County. They typically contain information about the couple and the marriage and encompass both marriage licenses and certificates. Divorce records likewise contain information about the annulment or dissolution of a marriage and include Divorce decrees and certificates. Both Marriage and Divorce records are public records in Hays County unless otherwise stated by law.

Hays County Marriage Certificates and Licenses are maintained by the Records Division of the County Clerk's Office. On the other hand, the District Court Clerk's Office is in charge of Hays County Divorce Records. To obtain a copy of a marriage license or inspect marriage records, inquirers may submit a completed Marriage License Copy Request Form to the physical address of the County Clerk's office or search the County Clerk's Marriage Index web page. For Divorce Records, an individual may query the District Court Clerk's office in person or view divorce records on the Hays County Court Records Inquiry search tool.

Members of the public may also be able to review public marriage and divorce records filed from 1966 to date on the Marriage and Divorce Index maintained by the Vital Statistics Section of the State Department of Statistics and Health Services (DSHS). The DSHS also offers options for interested persons to order marriage and divorce records from the vital statistics section.

Generally, individuals intending to request marriage or divorce records from any of the listed custodians should note that:

• Information about the marriage or divorce, such as party names, marriage /divorce date, and filing date, will be required
• The requesting individual may be directed to provide a valid photo identification card
• There may be fees attached to obtaining plain or certified copies of the records. For instance, a certified copy of a marriage license costs $20 at the County Clerk's office.

Hays County Birth and Death Records

Birth and Death records make up Hays County Vital Records and are maintained by the Records Division of the County Clerk's Office. Hays County birth records can be used as proof of citizenship or identity, while death records are important documents needed to claim a benefit or partake in a decedent's estate.

Hays County permits only record subjects and their immediate family members to inspect and request copies of birth and death certificates filed within the last 75 and 25 years respectively. Other persons related to the record subject such as a legal guardian must provide adequate identification and legal documentation. Acceptable forms of identification for applicants include a Driver's license, Military ID, or an Employee badge.

To request a copy of a Hays County birth certificate or death certificate, an eligible person may submit a duly filled and notarized copy of the Birth and Death Certificate Application for Office or Mail requests to the Clerk's Office at:

Hays County Clerk
712 S. Stagecoach Trail
Suite 2008
San Marcos, TX 78666.

Mail requests are to be enclosed in a packet containing a photo I.D., and a check or money order made payable to the Hays County Clerk for the sum of $23 (for birth certificate) or $21 (for death certificate). Subsequent copies of birth and death records cost $4 per copy. Interested persons may also be able to order copies of birth and death records from the vital statistics section of the DSHS.

Hays County Probate Court Records

Hays County Probate Court records are recorded information about Probate cases heard by the courts in the County. Probate cases include matters involving registration of trust, mental commitment, establishing a decedent's estate or inheritance, guardianship, and conservatorship. A last name or case number is usually the minimum requirement to search for probate court records in Hays County. Other search parameters include the case year, case disposition, and filing date range.

Requesting parties may search for probate court records at the District Court Clerk's Office in person at the Hays County Government Center, Suite 2211, 712 South Stagecoach Trail, San Marcos, Texas 78666. The Civil, Family & Probate Case Records Inquiry Tool or the Self-Service Document Search portal may also be utilized to retrieve Probate Court records.

Hays County Property Records

Hays County Property Records are documents pertaining to real estate within the County. They contain property-related information such as the parcel I.D., proprietor's name, legal description, plat maps, property address, and title deeds. The Hays County Clerk's Office preserves property records and issues them on request to the public.

To request a property record from the clerk's office, submit a filled-out Document Request Form containing relevant property record information in person or by mail. The clerk's office charges $1 per page for plain copies and $5 for certified property records. 18 x 24 plat maps cost $4 or $2 if requested by email.

The County Clerk's office also has a searchable online Records Database through which one may search for documents indexed from 1848 to date. On this public records search portal, one may search for property records by grantor/grantee name, instrument number, book/page number, recording date range, and document type.

Interested members of the public can also submit record requests to the Hays Central Appraisal District (HCAD) or use the Property Search tool with basic and advanced search options provided by the HCAD. Requests to the HCAD may be addressed thus:

Hays Central Appraisal District
21001 North I.H. 35
Kyle, TX 78640
Phone: (512) 268-2522
Fax: (512) 713-0563
Email: info@hayscad.com

Hays County Court Records Online

In addition to government websites, members of the public can find Hays County court records on third-party aggregate sites like Texascourtrecords.us. These sites are commercial independent record providers that furnish users with public records gathered from diverse sources. Third-party sites usually feature easy-to-use interfaces and allow people to search for records with just a first or last name. However, these sites are not government-owned, and the authenticity of the information retrieved from them may not be guaranteed.