Conduct a free Galveston County divorce records search today and view details of marriage dissolution cases in the district.
A wide range of information can be obtained from these records, such as basic details of the divorcees — including names, addresses, ages and dates of birth, location and time of the legal finalization, and the circumstances of the divorce. Divorce documents can even provide insight into matters such as alimony, asset division, custody of minor children, and child support.
This resource describes how to quickly and effectively perform a free divorce records search in Galveston County, Texas, via various search tools.
How Do I Access Galveston County Divorce Records for Free?
Divorce records in Galveston County can be searched through different county level agencies. Primarily interested citizens can obtain divorce records from the Galveston County Clerk. The clerk’s office maintains a complete record of cases heard in the district’s courts including divorce cases.
The department has an online records search tool that can be used by interested individuals to look up divorce records in Galveston County.1 This public portal offers two kinds of searches; one is for searching case hearing dates, while the other titled “Smart Search” is for looking up court records.
Using the “Smart Search” option residents can search divorce records through the court case number or the name of either one of the divorcees.2
In addition to that, the tool offers a variety of advanced search options for the convenience of citizens to help them narrow down their records search and obtain precise results.
Not only can residents narrow their search by restricting it to a precise location, but they can also choose other search criteria such as attorney name, attorney bar number, judicial officer name, citation number, and case cross reference number. Furthermore they can also choose to search marriage dissolution records by the case filing date.
The Galveston County Clerk Office’s online records search tool provides a wide variety of information about the divorce case such as the name of the divorcee, dates of birth, case filing date, case number, case status and location.
The clerk’s office also provides a complete user guide on how to use the records search tool on its official webpage for the convenience of citizens. Furthermore, the department also has an FAQ page that can assist residents in case they have general queries or other questions.3
As another option, residents can also choose to visit the Galveston County Clerk’s office directly and request the desired divorce records:
Main Office – Galveston County Clerk
600 59th Street Suite Number 2001
Galveston. Texas 77551
Mailing Address:
Main Office – Galveston County Clerk
P.O. Box Number 17253
Galveston, Texas 77552
Phone: 409-766-2200
Fax: 409-765-3160
The county clerk’s office is open from 8 AM to 5 PM during regular business days, Monday through Friday (note that the office is closed during weekends and other public holidays).
Researchers can request divorce records by visiting the office in person, through mail, or by a phone call using the abovementioned credentials. Primary details of the case, such as the name of the people involved in it or the case number, must be given to the department so that it can conduct a comprehensive search and provide precise records.
Residents must also keep in mind that the county clerk’s office charges a fee for providing divorce records. Each page of the records (non-certified) will cost the requester $1. Whereas if they require certified copies, there is a fee of $5 per document and $1 for each of its pages.
As another option, interested parties can also obtain divorce records from the Galveston County District Clerk. The department also keeps a record of the civil and family cases heard in the county. Residents can order divorce records from the District Clerk’s Department by visiting the main office in person, through mail, or by phone call using the following credentials:4
Main Office – District Clerk Galveston County
600 59th St. Room Number 4001
Galveston, Texas 77551
Address for Mailing:
Main Office – District Clerk Galveston County
P.O. Box Number 17250
Galveston, Texas 77551
Phone: 409-766-2424
Fax: 409-766-2292
Email: [email protected]
The main office of the District Clerk is open Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 AM (it is closed during weekends and holidays). Interested residents will have to fill out a Request for Copies of Documents Form and submit it to the department.5
The District Clerk Department also charges a fee for providing divorce records similar to that of the County Clerk Department: $1 per page for non-certified copies of records, whereas $5 for certification of each document plus an additional $1 per page.
The government of Galveston County, Texas also has an online public case portal that can be used to search court records for free. By clicking on the “Civil & Family Case Records” option on the portal, interested residents can conveniently search for divorce records in the county.6
The online tool allows users to search records through case number, attorney name or bar number, party name, filing date, or any of these details in the knowledge of the researcher.
The tool also allows researchers to narrow down their searches by entering a time frame in which they think the divorce occurred, which provides more precise results. The results will show details such as case number, judicial officer assigned, case filing date, location, and case status.
How To Track Down Divorce Records in All of Texas Through the Department of State Health Services
In case researchers are unable to find the desired public divorce records through county-level agencies, there could be a huge chance that they are, in fact, available at a state agency.
If such circumstances arise while searching for Galveston divorce records, citizens must know which agency they should approach for an all-Texas marriage dissolution records search.
The Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) keeps records of all divorce cases heard throughout the state from 1968 till the present.7
The divorce indexes can be searched by year, and researchers can find information such as the location and time of the separation, the name of the divorcees (along with other details such as age and date of birth, case number, as well as the names of minor children involved in the case.8 Furthermore, interested citizens can also choose to order divorce records from the department.9
For questions, suggestions, and in case the searcher is facing an issue while accessing the indexed, the Department of State Health Services can be contacted at 512-776-7111 (toll-free number 888-963-7111) or [email protected].
For records of divorces that took place before the year 1968, researchers will have to contact the county or district clerk of the respective county in which the separation originally took place.
Interested citizens can also search older divorce papers in Galveston County, Texas for genealogy research or lineage purposes through the district clerk and the county clerk.10
Can Anyone View Divorce Records in Galveston County Texas?
Yes, anyone from the general public can view marriage dissolution records (as well as common law divorce instances) in Galveston County, Texas (except in special cases when the court orders to seal a specific case).
This availability of records has been ensured in accordance with the Texas Public Information Act (or the Open Records Act).11
Before beginning their research, individuals must keep in mind the difference between a divorce certificate and a decree. Certificates of divorce simply announce the official separation of a couple. Whereas a divorce decree is the final in-detail court order regarding the case.
Certificates of divorces are easily available to the public whereas there can be difficulties in obtaining complete case decrees. Several third party websites can also help interested residents in searching divorce records. However citizens must keep in mind that unless the third party source is endorsed by an official agency the information gained from it should not be used for formal purposes.
This streamlined resource has complete instructions on how to carry out a free Galveston County divorce records search through local and state-level agencies and search tools.
References
1Galveston County Clerk Office. (n.d). Records Search. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/county-clerk/records-search>
2Galveston County Clerk Office. (n.d). Tyler Odyssey Portal – Smart Search. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://portalnav19.galvestoncountytx.gov/Portal/Home/Dashboard/29>
3Galveston County Clerk Office. (n.d). Frequently Asked Questions. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/county-clerk/faq>
4Galveston County District Clerk Office. (n.d). Family Section. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/district-clerk/family-section>
5Galveston County District Clerk Office. (n.d). Request for Copies of Documents. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/1130/637399527061370000>
6Galveston County District Clerk Office. (n.d). Galveston County Records search. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://publicaccess.galvestoncountytx.gov/PublicAccess/Search.aspx?ID=200>
7Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d). Contact Us. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.dshs.texas.gov/contact-us>
8Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d). Marriage/Divorce Indexes. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.dshs.texas.gov/vital-statistics/marriage-divorce-records/marriage-divorce-indexes>
9Texas Department of State Health Services. (n.d). Order vital records. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://ovra.txapps.texas.gov/ovra/order-vital-records>
10Galveston County Clerk Office. (n.d). County Clerk’s Office. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.galvestoncountytx.gov/our-county/county-clerk/county-clerk-86>
11Texas Office of the Attorney General. (2022). Public Information Act Handbook. Retrieved February 19, 2024, from <https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/files/divisions/open-government/publicinfo_hb.pdf>