Written by Background Check Repair
Background Checks | June 7, 2024
Table of Contents
Tarrant County is the third most populous county in the state of Texas, and many married and divorced persons living there need to access their Tarrant county divorce records.
Obtaining divorce records from the county is fairly inexpensive, if a resident needs an official copy, but if they simply need to verify a divorce record has been finalized, this type of free search can be done instantly.
Since most divorce records fall under the category of a court record, by using a name-based search, anyone can see free Tarrant County divorce records search quickly and easily.
However, if you need an official copy, the following guide explains how to access official Tarrant County divorce records.
The Annual Statistical Report for the Texas Judiciary last year noted that nearly half of all civil cases in the state are family court cases with divorce cases accounting for almost 40% of those.13
Thus, knowing how to find divorce records is imperative for a significant subset of the population, and many of these people want to know how to find divorce records online for free.
Unfortunately, this task is not always as easy as may be hoped due to the sensitive nature of divorce documents. The following sections explore all the ways in which someone can find Tarrant county divorce records.
In Texas, divorce cases are adjudicated in the District Court, and thus, the Tarrant County District Clerk is the one in charge of divorce records and family law records.11
However, individuals seeking to find Tarrant county divorce records online will find it difficult to do so at a low cost.
The Tarrant County District Clerk offers a web-based access service that allows individuals to search and view family law records, but this service requires a membership. The membership charges a non-refundable processing fee of $50 and a subsequent monthly fee of $35 for unlimited access to all civil records in Tarrant county.12
People looking for a cheaper online route can order or download a divorce verification letter through the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Records Online Ordering system or use the free search tool provided here to find Texas divorce records.15
Understandably, many people do not wish to pay a monthly membership fee to conduct a one-time search and this is why it is important to know how to do a Tarrant county divorce records search for free.
Although online access to records is limited, the Tarrant County District Clerk’s Office (Tim Curry Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap Street, Fort Worth, Texas 76196) allows individuals to visit in person and conduct a free self-service document search. Anyone can perform a search for free or pay $5 for the clerk to run a basic records search. The self-service permits individuals to view documents, but a standard fee applies for copies.6
Additionally, Texas Vital Statistics Indexes are searchable through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) and often provide free downloads of unofficial divorce verification documents.18,19
Tarrant County Divorce is handled in the District Court, and there are six District Court locations where the Tarrant county divorce court is located.7,14
Tarrant County divorce court records are kept at the following location:
Family Law Center
200 E. Weatherford, 3rd Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-1265
The divorce decree is the most important divorce record in the state of Texas, where divorce certificates do not exist. This is why so many people are wondering “How to get a copy of my divorce decree in Tarrant county, Texas?”
There is only one way to get a certified copy of a divorce decree in Tarrant county, and that is by going through the District Clerk. To order a Tarrant county divorce decree an individual must do one of the following:
Family Law Center
Attn: Family Court Records
200 E. Weatherford, 3rd Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76196
Browse the following table for more Tarrant County resources.
| Tarrant County Records | Resource | Contact Information |
| Tarrant County Marriage Records Search | Tarrant County Marriage Records Search | N/A |
| Tarrant County Divorce Court Records Search | Tarrant County Divorce Court Records Search – Family Law Record Requests | Family Law Center 200 E. Weatherford, Third Floor Fort Worth, TX 76196 Phone: (817) 884-1265 Tarrant County Family Courts List |
| Tarrant County Divorce Forms | Set A – Divorce without Children Set B – Divorce with Children Set C – Divorce with Children and a final order for child support and custody is in place Set D – Divorce without Children – Same-Sex Divorce EFILETexas – Tarrant County Divorce Forms | N/A |
| Tarrant County Family Court Forms | EFILETexas Tarrant County Family Court Forms | N/A |
| Tarrant County Family Court Records Search | Tarrant County Family Court Records Search – Record Requests | Family Law Center 200 E. Weatherford, Third Floor Fort Worth, TX 76196 Phone: (817) 884-1265 Tarrant County Family Courts List |
| Tarrant County Public Records Search | Tarrant County Public Records Search | N/A |
| Tarrant County Civil Case Search | Tarrant County Civil Case Search | N/A |
| Tarrant County District Court Records Search | Tarrant County District Court Records Search Tarrant County District Clerk Online District Judges By Judicial District | Thomas A. Wilder (District Clerk) Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building 100 N. Calhoun Street Fort Worth, Texas 76196 Hours: 8 am to 5 pm M-F Phone: (817) 884-1240 |
| Tarrant County Judges List | Tarrant County Judges List – Civil Courts Tarrant County Judges List – Misdemeanor Courts Tarrant County Judges List – Felony Courts Trial Court Judges List – State of Texas District Judges By Judicial District | N/A |
| Tarrant County Magistrate Court Docket | Tarrant County Magistrate Court Docket | N/A |
| Tarrant County Felony Court Records Search | Tarrant County Felony Courts Docket Tarrant County Felony Court Records Search – Request Copies of Criminal Records | N/A |
| Tarrant County Criminal Court 1 | Tarrant County Criminal Court 1 Trial Courts By County | Judge David Cook Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center – 5th Floor 401 W. Belknap Fort Worth, TX 76196-0256 Phone: (817) 884-1337 |
| Tarrant County Criminal Court 2 | Tarrant County Criminal Court 2 Trial Courts By County | Judge Carey F. Walker Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center – 6th Floor 401 W. Belknap Fort Worth, TX 76196 Phone: (817) 884-1338 |
| Tarrant County Criminal Court 3 | Tarrant County Criminal Court 3 Trial Courts By County | Judge Bob McCoy Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center 7th Floor 401 W. Belknap Fort Worth, TX 76196-0243 Phone: (817) 884-1376 |
| Tarrant County Criminal Court 4 | Tarrant County Criminal Court 4 Trial Courts By County | Judge Deborah Nekhom Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center 7th Floor 401 W. Belknap Fort Worth, TX 76196-0243 Phone: (817) 884-1426 Fax: (817) 884-3359 |
There is good news for anyone interested in conducting a Tarrant County marriage records free search. Tarrant County has a free online database that allows individuals to search many types of public records, including property records and marriage records. To conduct this search, individuals should:9
1. Navigate to the Tarrant County Official Records Search page.
2. Select “Marriage” from the gray drop-down menu.
3. Enter the Party Name and Date Range. Then, click the orange search icon.
4. View results, including copies of original Marriage Licenses.
Alternatively, marriage verification may be viewed and downloaded free through the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).19
Any person who wishes to conduct a Tarrant County District Clerk records search must do so directly through the District Clerk. The individual will typically need the case number and/or names of the parties involved and will have to visit the record location in-person to make the request.6
The individual can conduct a free document search (self-service) or pay $5 for a clerk-conducted search at the appropriate location.
Many people still want to know how and where to access Tarrant County District Court online records. The Tarrant County District Clerk website has a web-based access service for records, but a pricey membership is required. To utilize this resource, follow these steps:20
1. Navigate to the Tarrant County District Clerk Online portal and click “Apply for District Clerk Subscriber Access.”
2. Click and review the “Subscriber Agreement.”
3. Check the box, and click “Request Subscriber Access.”
4. Complete the “Application for Web-Based Access” and click “Proceed & Add Users.”
5. Follow the instructions to submit payment (the $120 start-up fee includes a non-refundable $50 processing fee and the first 2 months of membership).
6. Sign the digital Subscriber Agreement and set up the user account.
Tarrant County family court records are under the jurisdiction of the District Court, and therefore, a Tarrant County Family Court online records search runs into the same issues as the District Court records search. Namely, individuals must pay a hefty activation fee and monthly membership fee to access these records online.
Fortunately, family court records can be obtained pretty easily in person or by mail at under $1 per page in many cases. See the contact information below.8
Family Law Center
Attn: Family Court Records
200 E. Weatherford, 3rd Floor
Fort Worth, TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-1265
Email: [email protected]
Tarrant County court records online can sometimes be accessed via the Tarrant County Court Records Odyssey Online Portal.21 This portal provides access to many case records which are handled in Probate courts, County Courts of Law, or Justice of the Peace Courts. Many types of civil cases and some criminal misdemeanor cases are viewable here.10
To conduct the Tarrant County court records search, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to the Tarrant County Court Records Odyssey Online Portal.21
2. Select the relevant court from the drop-down menu (Probate, County Court at Law, Justice of the Peace).
3. Click “Case Records Search.”
4. Select search criteria from the drop-down menu (Case, Party, Attorney).
5. Enter case information and select “Search.”
6. Browse results for the case of interest and click the case number to view case details.
One of the most common worries when it comes to getting a background check in Texas is what shows up on an individual’s criminal record. A person can get a background check from a trusted third-party site to find out what shows up on their criminal record or try to search through official routes.
Persons hoping to search Tarrant County criminal records online have a couple of options.
1. Use the Tarrant County Court Records Odyssey Online Portal discussed above, but click “Class C Misdemeanors Only” instead of “Case Records.”21
2. Search police reports and arrest records in Texas at the city level using municipal resources such as the Fort Worth Open Data Portal.22
3. Use a federal website such as the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) application to view cases recorded at the federal level.23
Although divorce records are public in the state of Texas, this does not mean they are easy to find, view, and obtain. In fact, it can be difficult to find the necessary records, particularly at low cost. This article provides a free search box to search any Texas divorce record and find Tarrant county divorce records now.
People often question “If divorce records are public in Texas?” There are many reasons why an individual may require their divorce records, such as a change of name on identifying documents, a change of insurance or retirement accounts, evidence of financial and custodial arrangements, and tax purposes to name a few.
Divorce records are public in Texas, but they are not as easy to access as other public records because they often contain sensitive information.5 Although the state of Texas does not issue divorce certificates, certified copies of divorce decrees can be obtained through the county where the divorce occurred.2 Note that the process to get a divorce decree differs from county to county.
In most states, individuals have a few options when it comes to providing valid proof of a divorce, including An official divorce certificate, a divorce decree, and the divorce record (entire case file including divorce filing). Many people opt to order a divorce certificate as it is often the easiest to acquire.
However, Texas is unlike other states, in that it does not issue divorce certificates. Instead, individuals who need legal proof of divorce must get a certified copy of their divorce decree. The divorce decree is the paramount document for divorce records (Texas and Tarrant County). The Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Records Online Ordering system can provide a verification letter, but this may not satisfy all cases.15, 1, 4
According to the United States Census Bureau’s 2020 census data, the national divorce rate and divorce rate by each state have been gradually declining over the last decade or so.16 The same data demonstrated that Texas has a divorce rate of approximately 9.9% which is fairly consistent with the national average.17 This number represents the percentage of the total Texas population that is divorced, not the percentage of married persons who are divorced.
Fort Worth is the most populated city in Tarrant County, and many may wonder “Are marriage records public in Fort Worth?” Fort Worth marriage records are public records and may be accessed via state and county resources.
Texas is one of the states which recognizes common law marriage when certain conditions are met, and individuals may be wondering “Are divorce records public for common law marriages?” Once a common law marriage has been recognized (see Texas Family Code Section 2.401), it can only be dissolved in court, and thus becomes a matter of public record.3
Anyone who has ever wondered how to find my divorce date online for free is likely to feel frustrated by Tarrant county’s limited online record access. Luckily, divorce records can be accessed using the free search box provided in this article and a free download of an unofficial divorce verification can be ordered through the Texas Department of State Health Services Vital Records Online Ordering.15
Because Tarrant county divorce records can be tricky to access online, individuals wondering how to find out if someone is divorced for free online may need to get creative by conducting a third-party search from a trusted site or using federal resources (PACER) or city services (e.g. Fort Worth Court Records Request Form).23, 24
Alternatively, individuals can often do a free record search in person at the District Clerk’s office.
The divorce decree is the most important and comprehensive document in a divorce case, and many people may be wondering “What does a divorce decree look like in Texas?” A Texas divorce decree is the final judgment, signed and dated by the family court judge and district clerk, which includes the case disposition, date and location, and the divorce arrangements (child custody and support, division of assets, etc.).1
Harris County Divorce Records must be accessed through the Harris County District Clerk. Individuals must create a log-in from where they can search many types of records from Civil/Family cases to Criminal cases.25
While Tarrant County records aren’t easily searchable online, many cities have their own online portals and databases or record request services. To access Fort Worth court records, individuals should complete and submit the online Fort Worth Court Records Request Form.24
1The Clark Law Firm. (2021, August 2). How to Find Divorce Records in Texas. The Clark Law Firm. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.texasclarkfirm.com/blog/2021/august/how-to-find-divorce-records-in-texas/>
2Her Lawyer. (2022, February 4). How to Look up Divorce Records in Texas. Her Lawyer. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://herlawyer.com/divorce-records-texas/>
3Iowa Legal Aid. (2022, September 22). Misconceptions About Common Law Marriage. Iowa Legal Aid. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.iowalegalaid.org/resource/misconceptions-about-common-law-marriage>
4The Larson Law Office. (2021, January 22). Can You Access Texas Divorce Records? The Larson Law Office. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from <https://www.thelarsonlawoffice.com/texas-divorce-records/>
5Law Office of Bryan Fagan PLLC. (2017, June). Confidentiality Laws in a Texas Divorce. Law Office of Bryan Fagan PLLC. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from <https://www.bryanfagan.com/family-law-blog/2017/june/confidentiality-laws-in-a-texas-divorce>
6Tarrant County Texas. (2022). District Clerk Court Document Lookup. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/district-clerk/services/district-clerk-court-document-lookup.html>
7Tarrant County Texas. (2022). Family Courts. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/family-courts.html>
8Tarrant County Texas. (2022). Family Law. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/district-clerk/Divisions/Family.html>
9Tarrant County, Texas. (2022). Official Records Search. Tarrant County, Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://tarrant.tx.publicsearch.us/>
10Tarrant County Texas. (2022). Online Searches. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/county-clerk/civil-courts/online-searches.html>
11Tarrant County Texas. (2022). Vital Records FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/county-clerk/vital-records/vital-records-faqs--frequently-asked-questions-.html>
12Tarrant County Texas. (2022). Web Based Access Service. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/district-clerk/services/web-based-access-service.html>
13Texas Courts. (2021, March 10). Annual Statistical Report For the Texas Judiciary. Texas Courts. Retrieved October 22, 2022, from <https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1451853/fy-20-annual-statistical-report_final_mar10_2021.pdf>
14Texas Judicial Branch. (2022). About Texas Courts. Texas Judicial Branch. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from <https://www.txcourts.gov/about-texas-courts/frequently-asked-questions/>
15Texas Health and Human Services. (2022). Order vital records. Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://ovra.txapps.texas.gov/ovra/order-vital-records>
16US Government. (2022). Explore Census Data. US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://data.census.gov/cedsci/>
17US Government. (2022). Texas – Census Bureau Profile. US Census Bureau. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile/Texas>
18Texas State Library and Archives Commission. (2022, October 4). Texas Vital Statistics Indexes | TSLAC. Texas State Library And Archives Commission. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/vitalfaq.html>
19Texas Health and Human Services. (2022, May 25). Vital Statistics. Texas Department of State Health Services. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://dshs.texas.gov/vs/>
20Tarrant County District Clerk Online. (2022, January 17). Tarrant County District Clerk Online Log In. District’s Clerk Office. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://dcsa.tarrantcounty.com/>
21State of Texas. (2022, January 17). Tarrant County Court Records Search. Tarrant County Texas. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://odyssey.tarrantcounty.com/PublicAccess/default.aspx>
22State of Texas. (2022, January 17). Maps & Apps. City of Fort Worth, Texas. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://data.fortworthtexas.gov/>
23US Government. (2022). Home. Public Access to Court Electronic Records | PACER: Federal Court Records. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://pacer.uscourts.gov/>
24State of Texas. (2022). Public Records & Information. City of Fort Worth. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://www.fortworthtexas.gov/departments/citysecretary/services/court-records>
25State of Texas. (2022). Search Our Records. Harris County District Clerk. Retrieved November 3, 2022, from <https://www.hcdistrictclerk.com/edocs/public/search.aspx>
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it