Yes, divorce records are public in Texas. Anyone can request a divorce case file from the district clerk in the county where the case was filed, without showing a relationship to the parties or giving a reason. The petition, the final decree, and most documents filed along the way are open to inspection. What the public does not see is a narrow set of sensitive personal data that must be stripped out before filing, plus anything a judge has specifically ordered sealed or protected.
What Anyone Can See in Your Divorce File
A Texas divorce case file typically contains the original petition, any amended petitions, the respondent’s answer, temporary orders, the final decree, and supporting documents filed during the case. Names of both spouses, the case number, filing dates, and the date the divorce was granted all appear on the public docket.
The final decree is where the substance lives. It sets out how property and debts were divided, custody and visitation arrangements, child support, and any spousal maintenance. Sworn inventories of assets and debts, financial disclosures, and discovery documents may also sit in the file. Contested cases tend to produce fatter, more revealing records than uncontested ones.
Two documents get confused constantly, so it’s worth separating them. A divorce decree is the court order ending the marriage, containing every term the judge signed off on. A divorce certificate is a short vital record that confirms a divorce happened, listing only the spouses’ names and the date and place of the divorce. If you’re proving you’re no longer married in order to remarry or change your name, the certificate usually does the job. If you need to enforce anything the court ordered, you need the decree.
What Gets Redacted Before the File Becomes Public
Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 21c puts the responsibility on the person filing a document to remove sensitive data before it reaches the court file. This is not automatic scrubbing by the clerk; if a filer doesn’t redact, the information ends up public.
Under Rule 21c, sensitive data includes:
- Government identification numbers, including Social Security, driver’s license, passport, and tax ID numbers
- Financial account numbers, including bank and credit card accounts
- Birth dates, home addresses, and the name of any person who was a minor when the case was filed
Redaction is done by replacing digits with the letter “X” or removing the data and marking the location as redacted. The filer keeps an unredacted copy for the duration of the case and any appeal filed within six months of the judgment.1Texas Courts. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure – Rule 21c Privacy Protection for Filed Documents
If you’re filing your own paperwork, treat this seriously. A missed Social Security number on a financial exhibit becomes a searchable public document the moment it’s stamped in.
How Someone Looks Up a Texas Divorce
The District Clerk’s Office
The clerk of the district court in the county where the divorce was filed holds the case file. Requests can be made in person, by mail, or through the clerk’s online portal where one exists. Full names of both spouses and an approximate filing date will get you close; the case number gets you there immediately. Copy fees vary by county but tend to run around $1.00 per page, with roughly $5.00 more for certification. Harris County, for example, charges $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification and seal.2Harris County District Clerk. Purchase Copies
Texas Vital Statistics
The Texas Department of State Health Services maintains an index of Texas divorces going back to 1968 and issues a divorce verification letter confirming the divorce was recorded with the state. The letter is not a legal substitute for the decree. You can order it online through Texas.gov, by mail, or in person at the DSHS office in Austin or a local vital records office.3Texas Department of State Health Services. Marriage and Divorce Records
Online Court Records
The re:SearchTX portal, operated by the Texas court system, pulls case information from all 254 Texas counties. It shows documents, hearings, and case details, with a 14-day free trial followed by a paid subscription.4re:SearchTX. re:SearchTX – Texas Court Records Many county clerks also run free docket-search tools of their own. What you can actually see varies: some counties let you download filed documents, others only display basic case entries.
Keeping More Information Out of the Public File
Beyond the mandatory Rule 21c redactions, parties can ask the court to shield additional material. This comes up when a case involves detailed financial statements, business valuations, trade secrets, or medical records.
The usual tool is a protective order under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 192.6. Either party can move to limit disclosure, restrict how discovery materials are used, or ask that certain results be sealed. The court may issue whatever order serves the interest of justice, including directing that discovery be sealed subject to Rule 76a.5South Texas College of Law. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure 192.6 – Protective Orders
Medical records get an extra layer of protection from federal law. Under HIPAA, a provider can release protected health information in response to a court order, but only what the order specifically covers. If a subpoena rather than a court order is used, the provider must first confirm that the patient was notified with a chance to object, or that a qualified protective order was sought.6U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Court Orders and Subpoenas If health information is likely to come up in your case, raise it with your attorney early so the court order can be drawn narrowly.
Sealing a Divorce Case in Texas
Sealing takes an entire case file off public access. Texas courts grant it sparingly, and there’s a wrinkle specific to family law: Rule 76a, the rule governing sealed court records, explicitly excludes “documents filed in an action originally arising under the Family Code” from its definition of court records.7South Texas College of Law. Texas Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 76a – Sealing Court Records Since divorces arise under the Family Code, the strict 76a procedure, with its public notice, filing at the Supreme Court of Texas, and open hearing 14 days later, doesn’t bind family court judges the way it binds civil courts generally.
In practice, family court judges have wider discretion but still need a real reason to seal. Domestic violence, child safety concerns, and highly sensitive financial information that could cause concrete harm if released are the situations where sealing has the best chance. Courts also often limit the scope, sealing specific exhibits or financial documents while leaving the rest of the file open. Raising sealing early in the case gives your attorney the best chance of shaping what stays private.
Your Divorce on People-Search Sites
Even with a properly redacted court file, data brokers and people-search websites scrape public court indexes and republish the basics. A search of your name may show that you were divorced, roughly when, and in which county.
Removal is possible but slow. Most data broker sites have an opt-out procedure buried in their privacy policy or terms of service. You submit a request, verify your identity, and wait. There are dozens of these sites, so clearing one does nothing about the others, and some re-scrape public records periodically, meaning your information can reappear months later.
If inaccurate divorce information shows up in a background check or credit report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires the company that furnished the information to investigate any dispute you file.8Federal Trade Commission. Fair Credit Reporting Act That protection reaches consumer reporting agencies. Casual people-search sites that aren’t generating consumer reports fall outside it, and the opt-out procedure is your practical remedy there.