About the Galveston County Clerk's Office
Dwight D. Sullivan serves as the Galveston County Clerk. He was elected in 2010 and took office in 2011, after more than nine years as Assistant County Treasurer. The County Clerk's office is the records hub for county court and probate matters, marriage, and the recorded instruments that touch property and business across the county.
The office sits within county government, with the general county contact at the Moody Avenue address. Court-specific questions route to separate inquiry lines, with one number for County Court inquiries and another for District Court inquiries. Use the card below to reach the County Clerk.
Galveston County Clerk
Clerk: Dwight D. Sullivan
722 Moody Avenue
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 762-8621
County Court inquiries: (409) 770-6044
What the County Clerk Does in Galveston County
The County Clerk handles a different set of records than the District Clerk. Its court work centers on the county courts at law and the Probate Court, while its non-court work covers the records most residents touch in daily life, such as marriage and property.
- County Court at Law records for Courts No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3.
- Probate Court records, including wills, estates, and guardianships.
- Marriage licenses and recorded marriage records.
- Real property records such as deeds, liens, and plats.
- Assumed name and DBA filings for businesses.
- Commissioners court records and other county filings.
Because these records sit on separate systems, the County Clerk's records search page routes each request to the right index instead of forcing one generic search. The office also serves as the official record keeper for the commissioners court, the county's governing body, so its work reaches well beyond the courtroom and into the day-to-day records of county government.
Galveston County Clerk Records Search Systems
The County Clerk Records Search page is the routing hub. It links several official search tools, each for a different record type, plus certified-copy requests for marriage and real property records. The table lists the main search paths.
| System | What It Searches |
|---|---|
| Search Court Records | County court and probate case records through the Odyssey portal |
| Search Real Property Records | Deeds, liens, plats, and recorded instruments |
| Search Marriage Records | Recorded marriage licenses |
| Search Assumed Name Records | Assumed name filings |
| DBA Records Search | Doing-business-as registrations |
The split keeps each index clean, so a person hunting a deed is not dropped into the court docket and a person seeking a marriage record is not sent to the property index. The county also warns that Tyler's public-access software support ends after December 31, 2025, so the court-record portion of the search may change over time.
Marriage Records Through the County Clerk
Marriage is one of the County Clerk's most-used services. The office issues marriage licenses, records the completed marriage, and provides certified copies later. Its marriage page links the license requirements, the marriage-record search, and several affidavits, including one for an absent applicant and one to correct an error on a recorded license.
The application and the certified copy are two different things. Applying starts a new license, while a certified copy proves a marriage already recorded. A couple should review the official requirements before applying, and confirm the current local license fee on the County Clerk page. Full detail on the process sits on the marriage and divorce records page.
Real Property and Business Records
The County Clerk also records the documents that move property and start businesses. Real property records include deeds, liens, plats, and other recorded instruments, searchable through the County Clerk's official records system. The office offers certified copies of these instruments and a property fraud alert for owners who want a heads-up about filings against their property.
On the business side, the County Clerk records assumed name and DBA filings, which let a person or company operate under a trade name. These are separate from court records, so a business-name search through the County Clerk is not the same as a business-party search in the court portal. Each system answers a different question. The County Clerk's records search page keeps DBA, assumed name, and real property tools on their own links so a business owner can file or search without wading through unrelated indexes.
How to Request a Certified Copy
A certified copy is the official version of a recorded document, used for legal and benefit purposes. A plain copy is fine for reference. The County Clerk offers certified-copy requests for marriage and real property records through its records search page.
- Start at the County Clerk Records Search page.
- Choose the record type, such as marriage, real property, or court records.
- Locate the record, or run a search and pay the $5 search fee if you lack the details.
- Use the Request a Certified Copy link for marriage or real property records.
- Pay the copy fee and choose pickup or mail.
For court and probate copies, the County Clerk handles requests tied to the county courts at law and the Probate Court it serves. If you do not know where a record lives, the search fee lets the office check its index for you, which is often faster than guessing across systems.
County Court at Law Records in Galveston County
The County Clerk serves three County Courts at Law and the constitutional county court, so it holds the records those courts produce. County Court at Law No. 1 has jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanor cases, family and juvenile matters, and civil lawsuits, and the other county courts at law carry similar dockets. These records include pleadings, orders, dispositions, and judgments in misdemeanor and mid-level civil matters.
County Court at Law No. 2 publishes detailed local procedures that shape these records. Failure to appear at a setting results in a warrant and bond forfeiture, plea documents must be submitted by a set time on docket day, and family and civil matters require mediation before a final trial. Those steps explain why a Galveston County court file shows the entries it does, from settings to dispositions, and why keeping a current address with the clerk matters for mailed notices.
County Clerk Records Request Fields
A records request needs enough detail for the office to find the document and arrange payment. The table lists what to include when you ask the Galveston County Clerk for a record.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Record Type | Yes | Marriage, real property, court, or assumed name |
| Party or Owner Names | Yes | Names on the record being requested |
| Date or Recording Info | No | A date or instrument number speeds the search |
| Copy Type | Yes | Certified or plain copy |
| Payment Method | Yes | Required to process the copy |
| Delivery | No | Pickup or mail |
Galveston County Clerk Fees
Copy, search, and recording charges follow the County Clerk's posted schedule. The documented rates below cover the most common requests; a recording or filing fee may differ by document type.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Paper copy per page | $1.00 |
| Certified copy | $5.00 + $1.00 per page |
| Records search fee | $5.00 |
| Criminal history check | $10.00 |
| Wills held for safekeeping | $5.00 |
| Subdivision plat filing | $70.00 ($50.00 each additional page) |
Note: probate filing fees follow the separate 2026 Probate Fee Schedule, covered on the probate records page.
County Clerk vs District Clerk
The two clerk offices are easy to mix up, so the split is worth stating plainly. The County Clerk handles county court, probate, marriage, and property records. The District Clerk handles district court files such as felonies, large civil suits, family cases, and juvenile matters. A divorce decree comes from the District Clerk, while a marriage license comes from the County Clerk.
If you send a request to the wrong clerk, you lose time. When you are not sure, name the court or the record type and the office can point you to the right place. For the other office, see the Galveston County District Clerk page.
One more practical note for Galveston County residents. Both clerks operate within the same county government, and both route some questions through county inquiry lines, so a quick call can confirm the right office before you make a trip. The County Clerk's records search page is the best single starting point for marriage, property, county court, and probate records.