Sec. 20. There shall be elected for each county,
by qualified voters, a County Clerk, who shall hold his office for four years, who shall
be clerk of the County and Commissioners Courts and recorder of the county, whose duties,
perquisites and fees of office shall be prescribed by Legislature, and a vacancy in whose
office shall be filled by the Commissioners Court, until the next general election:
provided, that in counties having a population of less than 8,000 persons there may be an
election of a single Clerk, who shall perform the duties of District and County Clerks.
The County Clerk is elected to a four year term.
He/She is elected in the same year that voters select the Governor of the State.
Responsibilities:
The County Clerk's offices contain a library of
records, such as deeds, maps, plats and other records pertaining to property located
within the county. These records are open to the public and provide valuable data
regarding the size, shape and location, legal description and property owner of all
property situated in the County.
Recording and Filing of Instruments:
Of all the various responsibilities assigned to the
County Clerk, the recording of legal instruments is perhaps the most traditional and basic
duty. In terms of sheer volume, legal instruments constitute the major portion of
paperwork flowing through the office, require the greatest amount of storage space, and
usually take up a larger portion of the clerk's time than any other single duty. These
legal instruments will be:
(1) Instruments that prove ownership or interest in
real or personal property,
(2) Instruments concerning the identity of
commercial activities, (also known as UCC Financing Statements) and
(3) Instruments concerning the identity of persons
and businesses (also known as Assumed Name Certificates, and DBA).
The instruments are filed and recorded in a safe and
permanent manner and a computerized index is provided so records may be easily and
completely retrieved.
Recording and Filing of Subdivision Plats:
The County Clerk's office files, indexes and
properly stores all plats for subdivision in the County of Denton. Before filing a plat,
check with this division for the guide lines and fees of filing a plat in Denton County.
Marriage Licenses:
The County Clerk's office is the local registrar
for all Marriage Licenses occurring in Denton County, and will be recorded by the Bureau
of Vital Statistics of the State of Texas. Licenses may be issued at any of the Justice's
of the Peace offices nearest to you, or in the Real Property department, located at the
County Clerk's Office.
