Bexar County Public Services

Finding a Bexar County office is not always the hardest part. The harder question is often which office actually handles the task. Property appraisal and property tax collection are handled separately. The County Clerk and District Clerk maintain different types of records. Court, jail, warrant, animal control, fire, road, and permitting services can also depend on the type of matter and where it occurred.

Use this site to identify the right starting point, understand which office or system generally handles the task, and see what information may be useful before contacting an agency, submitting a request, making a payment, filing a document, or using an official government system.

Independent website: This site is not affiliated with Bexar County, the State of Texas, any court, or any federal agency. It does not collect government payments, issue official records, process applications, file court documents, or make decisions about taxes, court cases, benefits, licenses, eligibility, or other government services.

Before You Contact an Office

Most people start with a task rather than a department name. Matching that task to the correct office can save time and reduce unnecessary referrals.

Start With the Right Office

The table below shows common tasks, where to begin, why that service is relevant, and information that may be useful before starting.

What you need	Where to start	Why	Useful information
Look up appraisal or property information	Property Search	Property search systems provide appraisal, listed owner, account, and parcel information.	Property address, owner name, account number, or property identifier
Understand an appraisal or exemption matter	Central Appraisal District	Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD) handles property valuation, appraisal records, exemptions, and appraisal-related procedures.	Property address or appraisal account number
Review or pay property taxes	Property Tax	Property tax billing and collection are separate from BCAD's appraisal and valuation work.	Property account information or details shown on the tax bill
Find a court case or court record	Court Records	Court record access depends on the court, case type, and record system involved.	Case number, party name, defendant name, or approximate filing date
Check recent arrest or bond information	Central Magistrate	The Central Magistrate processes recent arrests and provides access to magistration and bond-related information.	Full legal name, SID number, or booking number if known
Find someone in County custody	Inmate Search	Inmate search tools are used to locate booking and custody information for people held in the Bexar County jail system.	Full legal name, date of birth, SID number, or booking information if known
Check for warrant information	Warrant Search	Warrant information may need to be checked through court or law-enforcement systems.	Full name, date of birth, or case information if known
Order a birth or death record	Birth and Death Certificates	Vital records follow specific identity, eligibility, and request procedures.	Full name, date of event, place of event, and identification
Apply for a marriage license	Marriage License	Marriage licenses have their own application, identification, fee, and recording requirements.	Identification and information for both applicants
Renew or handle a vehicle registration matter	Vehicle Registration	Vehicle registration services are handled separately from property appraisal and court services.	License plate, vehicle information, renewal notice, and identification
Look for utility assistance	Utility Assistance	Utility assistance programs may help eligible households with qualifying energy or utility expenses.	Household information, income documents, utility bill, and identification

Common Bexar County Service Mix-Ups

Several offices have related responsibilities but are not interchangeable. Choosing the correct starting point can prevent unnecessary referrals and delays.

BCAD or Tax Office?

If the question is about property value, appraisal records, exemptions, or an appraisal protest, start with the Bexar Central Appraisal District (BCAD).

If the question is about a property tax bill, payment, delinquent taxes, or tax collection, start with Property Tax or the Tax Assessor-Collector.

The key distinction is whether the issue concerns how the property is appraised or the tax account and payment based on that appraisal.

County Clerk or District Clerk?

The County Clerk and District Clerk both maintain important records, but they do not handle the same filings or court cases.

The County Clerk handles services that include marriage licenses, official and real property records, and records associated with certain county-level courts. The District Clerk maintains records connected with district courts, including many civil and felony criminal matters.

If you are unsure which clerk maintains a particular case, start with Court Records and identify the court and case type before requesting documents.

Sheriff's Office or City Police?

The Sheriff's Office operates the Bexar County jail system and performs law-enforcement and court-related functions. Incorporated cities within Bexar County may operate their own police departments and other local public-safety services.

If the purpose is specifically to locate someone in County custody, begin with Inmate Search. For recent arrest or bond-related information, Central Magistrate may also be relevant. For a local law-enforcement matter, the correct agency can depend on where the incident occurred.

Real Property Records or Property Search?

Property Search is generally the starting point for appraisal, parcel, listed owner, and account information.

Real Property/ Land Records focuses on recorded documents such as deeds, liens, releases, and other property filings. A recorded document and an appraisal record serve different purposes and may contain different information.

Before Looking Up a Court Case

The best way to search for a Bexar County court matter depends on the case type and the information you already have.

If you know the case number, it is usually the most direct way to identify a matter. If you do not, a party or defendant name may be needed. Civil, criminal, probate, Justice of the Peace, and other proceedings can also use different courts and record systems.

Before starting, it helps to know at least one of the following:

• The court case number
• The full name of a party or criminal defendant
• The general type of case
• The court or approximate filing location, if known
• The Justice of the Peace precinct, if the matter is handled by a JP court

Use Court Records as a general starting point. More specific information is available through Civil Records, Criminal Records, District Courts, and Justice of the Peace.

County, City, Court, or Another Agency?

Bexar County is both a geographic area and a county government. Those two meanings are not always interchangeable when deciding who provides a particular service.

An address may be located within Bexar County while animal services, police response, fire-code enforcement, roads, permits, or other local functions are handled by an incorporated city. In unincorporated areas, County offices may have a larger role.

For animal-related issues in unincorporated Bexar County, start with Animal Control. Residents of incorporated cities may need to contact their city or another local provider for animal-related services.

Fire inspection and fire-code matters may begin with the Fire Marshal, while roads, drainage, right-of-way, subdivision review, and certain development matters in unincorporated Bexar County may involve Public Works.

Court matters are also separate from ordinary County administrative services. Depending on the issue, the appropriate starting point may be District Courts, Justice of the Peace, Probate Courts, Central Magistrate, or another court-related service.

How Information Is Checked

Pages on this site are prepared by reviewing information published by the public agencies responsible for each service. When several offices are involved, their responsibilities are compared so readers can better understand which office handles each part of a process.

Particular attention is given to jurisdiction, contact information, required identifiers, online access methods, common service mix-ups, and steps that may affect a request. Official applications, payments, filings, record orders, court transactions, eligibility decisions, and government actions remain with the responsible public agency.

Homepage last reviewed: September 2026