When doing a search of your deed to see if mineral rights have been severed. You must read every deed you find along the way, not just the "first" deed ever on your property.

On-Line Search

Manual Search

Tarrant County's Official Public Records Search

contains online permanent documents from 01/01/1970.

Any deed search prior to that time will require you

to visit the county courthouse.

See Manual Search.

Help on how to use the search

can be found on the public records web site.

The "Grantor" is the seller and the "Grantee" is the buyer.

When looking back in time use the Grantor name in your next search.

When looking forward in time use the Grantee name in your next search.

The most efficient way to start your search is done by

typing your LAST name in the Grantee block,

then pick from the list of results for your property.

When you find your deed, use the Grantor's name in the next search.

Repeat the same search by entering the Grantor's name 

(the person who sold you the property) in the Grantee field.

Repeat

Keep Repeating until you get back to identifying

if the rights were severed or, if not, retained.

If you must search prior to 1970

you will have to visit the courthouse and do a manual search.

You are mainly looking for a Warranty Deed.

You can save your deed as a PDF file.

Start Here Your Property Deed and Mineral Rights Search - then goto Real Property Search

Should you require to manually search your deed, you must go to the Tarrant County courthouse (if your property is in Tarrant County)

Records Library

Rooms B20 and B30
Tarrant County Courthouse
100 West Weatherford Street
Fort Worth, Texas 76196-0401
TEL: 817-884-1195
Mon - Fri 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

There is a parking garage two blocks east on Weatherford that is easy to get to and costs at least $4.00 to park.

Upon entering the courthouse and passing security, (no knives are allowed), take the elevator or stairs to the basement and find room B30. You may see a number of tables set up in the hallway with people who wait for calls from their employer to do searches. There are also snacks available on this floor.

In room B30, to the right, there are books back to 1876. These are index books with a record of property deeds. Anything 1970 or later, you must use the computer to do your search. Therefore, unless you want to go to the courthouse and wait for an available terminal, it is best first to do your search back to 1970 from home.

In room B30, the books in one row of cabinets is ordered by Grantee and the other by Grantor. The books are categorized by year and alphabet, and each book is numbered for your convenience in putting it back. If you know your starting point, you go find the book that applies to your property, (based on date range and last name),  and retrieve it. Make sure you have chosen the correct book type Grantee or Grantor. You must get the book yourself. Find a place to open the book and search for your listing. You must also replace the book back where you got it.

In the beginning of each index book there is a table of contents of names and/or dates. Some books simply have names and dates intermixed where you would just search alphabetically in the book. Sometimes it is not exactly alphabetically, so go a few pages before and after. However, other books are more organized and have specific pages assigned by year and name. Here you have to go to the specific page assigned to that year and name. The page may be physically many pages. Each listing is on a single line and contains the Grantee, Grantor, Deed Book Numnber and Page, Dates, descriptions, etc. It is suggested that you write all the information you find on a piece of paper. You continue the process until you want to review a deed.  (You should at least read every deed. That can be done as you find them or after you've searched all the way back) When going to look for a deed  note the Deed Book and Page number from that entry.  (It's about in the middle columns)

With your Deed Book Number and Page Number, go across the hall to room B20. In room B20 there will be a counter, some microfilm machines, and computer terminals, and another room to the right with more machines. First you must go to the filing cabinets to the left, in the corner. The filing cabinets are labelled by Deed Book number. Open the draw for your Book Number and get the microfilm cartridge for that book. Then good luck finding an available microfilm machine. When you find one, make sure the large knob in the front on the right is in the middle position. Turning the knob, you'll feel a notch when it is. This knob is used to wind the tape forward and back. Place the cartridge in the slot on the left of the machine and the tape should load automatically. You can center and focus the image by using some of the other adjustments. The large knobs will move the tape forward and back. Since the machine controls are awkwardly laid out, it's best to ask someone how to do this or experiment.

If you find what you are looking for, you can print the image, or record the information on paper if you feel you need to do a further search. If you print the image, when you retrieve it, it will cost you $1.00.

I searched my property back to 1932  where I found the property was a joining of two other parcels of  land and then I had to go perform a double search. After the first step of this double search, I stopped because the room was getting too crowded.

It looks as if most of the people there are there all day doing searches for local companies. They also tend to commandeer microfilm machines and computer terminals. If you see a machine unattended but with someone's stuff around, and noone has been using it for osme time, ask at the counter, if you can use the machine.

While you are there, you can look up marriages, mortgages, etc. So make it a day at the clerks office!