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Aransas County Texas
County Clerk

Peggy L. Friebele
Aransas County Courthouse 
301 N. Live Oak St., Rm 101
Rockport, TX 78382

Phone: (361)790-0122
Fax: (361)790-0119
email: acclerk@sbcglobal.net 

Forms - This page provides downloadable forms for your use.

Welcome to the web page for the Aransas County Clerk. We hope this site will be of assistance to you while giving new insight into the work we do.

Our Mission

This office of County Clerk has been in existence in Texas since 1836, superseding the "escribano" (secretary) of Spanish-Mexican rule. Article 5, Section 20 of the Texas Constitution, provides:

"There shall be elected for each county, by qualified voters, a County Clerk, who shall hold his office for four years, and shall be clerk of the County and Commissioners Courts and recorder of the county, whose duties, prerequisites and fees of office shall be prescribed by the 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 the District and County Clerks."

The County Clerk is elected in the same year that voters select the Governor of the State and the County Judge and in Aransas County, the County Court at Law Judge.

Qualification Requirements:

Must be a citizen of the United States, have lived in the State of Texas for a period of 12 months before the date of any primary, general, or special election, have not been determined mentally incompetent by a final judgment of court, have not been pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities, and have lived for six months before such election in Aransas County.

Continuing Education:

Within one year of the day on which a person first takes office as County Clerk and each year thereafter, he or she must successfully complete 20 hours of instruction in the performance of the duties of the office including 1 hour in the Registry of the Court and 1 hour in fraudulent filings.

County Clerk's Profile:

The County Clerk's office is staffed by 6 persons and is responsible for the following:

Recording and Filing Instruments

• Instruments that prove ownership or interest in real or personal property such as deeds, deeds of trust, heir-ship affidavits, financing statements, assumed names, brands, etc. 

• Notices of Meetings, foreclosures, and beer and wine licenses are filled by the County Clerk's Office and posted on Courthouse bulletin board. 

• Instruments concerning the identity of persons, such as birth and death certificates, marriage licenses, military discharge papers. 

• All official map and plat records are maintained in the Clerk's Office, along with county precinct and city ward boundary maps. As a courtesy to the public, an index to restrictions is also maintained. 

Civil Court:

Civil cases do not deal with criminal action, but rather with disputes between private parties. Cases may be filed in the County Court at Law when the matter in controversy exceeds $500.00 but does not exceed $100,000.00, excluding interest, statutory or punitive damage and penalties, and attorney's fees and costs as alleged on the face of the petition. Judgment nisi's (generated when a defendant fails to come to court on criminal case hearing-- also known as bond forfeiture) and occupational driver's licenses required when a person's driver's licenses is suspended are also civil matters.

Commissioners Court:

The Count Clerk is the Ex-0fficio Clerk of the Commissioners Court. She posts the notices of the meetings and sends notices to interested parties. She attends all regular and special meetings and takes minutes of all actions. These minutes are transcribed, recorded, and indexed for public viewing.

Criminal Court:

All misdemeanor criminal cases, such as DWI's, thefts by check, possession of marihuana, criminal trespass, tampering with government records, are filed in the Clerk's Office. The Clerk issues arrest warrants and subpeonaes, receives and reports payment of fines and court costs; reports dispositions to the Office of Court Administration and to the Texas Department of Public Safety and acts as the Clerk for the County Court at Law.

Probate Court:

Probate cases deal with protecting the wishes, rights and obligations of persons regarding their property when these people are unable to do so as a result of death, or incapacitating illness, either physical or mental.

Mental illness commitments filed in the Clerk's Office are closed and confidential records. A commitment starts in the County Attorney's Office; the clerk's office assigns the cause number, prepares the writ of commitment and makes the other copies necessary for transport of the mentally ill person to the proper facility. Drug treatment commitments are also handled through the mental illness docket.

Elections:

• The County Clerk conducts all countywide special and general elections and handles Early Voting (formerly known as Absentee Voting) for the countywide elections. The Early Voting Clerk is responsible for appointment and training of all elections clerks that assist in the elections and all balloting by mail. 

• As the Voter Registrar for Aransas County, the clerk is responsible for registering all eligible voters, providing a list of qualified voters to all other county entities for their elections, making reports to the Secretary of State. 

• The County Clerk is also responsible for notification and maintenance of candidate/officeholder reports and appointments of campaign treasurer designations for county offices. 

• The County is divided into Precincts for voting purposes. Click Here to view a list of the Precinct Locations; it is presented in English and Spanish. This form is available in "pdf" format and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to open.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How much does is cost to file a deed? Instruments filed in the official public records cost $16.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each page thereafter allowing 3 inches on the bottom of the last page for our file stamp. (Lack of this space requires an additional $4.00).

How do we get a marriage licenses? You must both be present (unless one person presents an affidavit of absent applicant), you must be 18 years of age unless a parent give underage consent, you must give proof of identification, i.e. a current driver's licenses, a certified copy of your birth certificate, or a passport. There is a 3 day waiting period, unless waived by a Judge, the licenses is only good for 30 days after purchase, and the cost is $42.00 in cash. If either of you have been divorced less than 30 days, we may not issue the license unless the District Judge waived the waiting period in the final divorce decree.

How do I register to vote? You may fill out a voter registration application giving all the necessary information. The voter registration becomes effective 30 days after the day you apply. You may register to vote when you are age 17 years and 10 months. New legislation makes the driver's license number mandatory now.

How do I get a business license? An Assumed Name form is available in our office. The cost to file it is $14.00 and a copy for your bank will be an additional $1.00. You get your tax number from the State Comptroller's Office located in Corpus Christi. Marks and brands are $16.00.

Who sets the fees of your office? The State Legislature sets our fees every other year.

How can I pay for my misdemeanor fine? You may pay in the office with cash or a money order. You may send a money order through the mail or you may contact our Collections Department at (361)790-0139 to make other arrangements.

How can I get an occupational driver's license? We have a letter that was prepared by our County Court at Law Judge; however, we do not furnish the forms necessary to the file the case. We recommend you contact an attorney for assistance.

How can I get a copy of my birth certificate? If you were born in Aransas County, your birth certificate will be on file in this office. You will need to fill out an application, provide proper identification, and pay $23.00. We may only issue certified copies of the certificate. If you were born in another County, you may contact the State Registrar or go to the Nueces County Clerk's Office in Corpus Christi for your certificate. You may also go through www.vitalchek.com for your record.

How can I get a copy of a death certificate? If you are a qualified applicant, you will need to fill out an application, provided proper identification, and pay $21.00 for the certificate. If you need more than one death certificate, the cost would be $21.00 for the first one and $4.00 for each additional certified copy.

How do I probate a will? We recommend you contact an attorney. There are several ways to admit a will to probate and we are not licensed to advise you on the best way to go. Aransas County has many qualified probate attorneys. If you cannot afford an attorney, you may contact Legal Aid at (800) 840-3379 to see if you qualify for their assistance. 

Is my DD214 safe filed in your office? The Legislature in 2003 made military discharge records confidential for 75 years. A person must meet qualified applicant standards to get a copy. You may still file your record for free and receive a certified copy for free, but rest assured your record will be safeguarded to the best of our ability. 

Voter Registration Information from the Secretary of State's Office

Birth & Death Records How to apply for a Birth or Death Certificate at your local Registrar.
 

CLICK HERE for an Application for Ballot by Mail
or
CLICK HERE for a Printable Application for Ballot by Mail

CLICK HERE for a Federal Postcard Application for Military and Overseas People
or
CLICK HERE for Printable Federal Postcard Application for Military and Overseas People

Click Here to View a Notice of Special Election to be held May 10, 2008.

Click Here to View a Public Notice of Testing of Automatic Tabulating Equipment.

Click Here to View a Sample Ballot for the Upcoming May 10, 2008, election.

Click Here to View the Precinct Locations for the Upcoming May 10, 2008, election.