Mineral deed questions
How do I find my deed?
Your deed is in the county clerk's records where the land lies. Start from what you already have, a name and a county, and work through the index.
Start with what you have
A royalty check stub or division order names the operator, the lease or well and often the county. A tax statement names the appraisal district account. Old family papers may hold the deed itself or its volume and page.
Search the county index
Search the name of the person who owned the minerals in the grantee column to find how they got them, and in the grantor column to see what they conveyed. Try every spelling, initials, maiden names and "Estate of".
Our county steps on the home page show where each Texas county's deed records are online.
Get a copy
Many counties show images online. Otherwise the county clerk's office makes copies, and you can ask for one with the clerk's seal if you need it for an operator or a court.
If the owner has died
Look for a probate case or an affidavit of heirship in the same county. Probate records are kept by the county clerk too, often in a separate index.
What to check on your deed
- The county where the land lies.
- The full name of the last known owner, with every spelling.
- The volume and page or instrument number once you find it, written down exactly.
- The deed before it, from the reference in its legal description.
See the recording stamp on the sample deed
Related
We are landmen, not attorneys. This page explains how mineral deeds are usually read. What your deed means can turn on its exact words and on Texas law, and a title opinion comes from an attorney.
Want us to read yours?
Tell us what your deed says and what you want to know. We can read the deed and explain what it conveys, or pull the chain of title in the county records and show how the interest reached you. We read every request and can reply by email.
For a lease, a division order or a check you cannot read, Landman Help works for owners. For a full runsheet or title packet, Landman Services runs the county records.