Guide to filing a mechanics lien in Johnson County

Johnson County is one of the biggest counties in Texas, making recording your mechanics lien with the Johnson County Clerk a potentially long and drawn out process. In order to get paid as quickly as possible, it’s important to avoid mistakes that prolong the process even more. To help you avoid those mistakes, this page compiles useful information about Texas lien law and the Johnson County Clerk’s own requirements.

  • First and foremost, the preliminary notice requirements in Texas cause the most hangups. In order to retain your lien rights, you must submit monthly recurring notices if you aren’t contracted with the property owner. There are also multiple different types of notices, each of which needs to be submitted at the right time throughout the construction project.
  • Similarly, if you aren’t contracted with the property owner on a homestead, the rules are different. In this case, the general contractor who is contracted with the property owner needs to uphold their lien prerequisites. If they fail to meet those requirements then you lose your right to file a mechanics lien.
  • Lastly, mechanics lien deadlines cause a good deal of confusion for lien claimants in Texas. Usually, lien claimants have until the 15th day of the fourth month after the last month in which work was performed to file a mechanics lien. If that’s not confusing enough, this rule depends on the situation, and it could change.

After you get to know Texas’s lien laws, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the Johnson County Clerk, the office you’ll record your lien claim with if the project is located in Johnson County. Below, you can find information about the Johnson County Clerk’s recording requirements, recording fees, formatting requirements, and contact information, as well as information about how you can file by mail, eRecord your lien claim, or eFile your mechanics lien with Levelset in just a couple of clicks.

To learn more about the mechanics lien process, see our step-by-step guide to Filing A Texas Mechanics Lien.

Where is the Johnson County Clerk's Office that files mechanics liens?

You can file your mechanics liens in person, by mail or by electronic recording.

In Person

You can bring your documents to the Johnson County Clerk’s office located at:

Historic Courthouse
2 N. Main St. # 131
Cleburne TX 76033
Phone: 817-556-6310

Mail

You can mail your documents to the following addresses:

Overnight Delivery Recording Address:
Johnson County Clerk-Recording
2 N. Main St. Room 131
Cleburne TX 76033

Regular Mail Recording Address:
Johnson County Clerk-Recording
PO Box 1986
Cleburne TX 76033

Electronic Recording

Persons authorized to file electronically (attorneys licensed in Texas, banks, credit unions, lenders, title companies, federal and state agencies and municipal clerks) may do so through one of following e-recording vendors. Vendor fees are in addition to standard filing fees.

Corporation Service Company (CSC) – 866-652-0111 erecording.com; Simplifile – 800-460-5657 simplifile.com; eRecording Partners Network – 608-616-2314 GOePN.com; ErxChange – erxsupport@conduent.com; or Indecomm – 877-272-5250 dmg.indecomm.net

What is Johnson County's Recording Backlog?

The Johnson County Clerk does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog.

Should my mechanics lien be filed in Johnson County, or some other county?

If the project is located in Johnson county, then yes, you will want to record your lien with the Johnson County, Texas Clerk’s office.

What are Johnson County's requirements for recording a mechanics lien?

Documents submitted for recording with the Johnson County Clerk’s Office must have original signatures and notary seals or be a certified copy.

What are the margin & page size requirements to file a lien in Johnson County?

The margin requirements for filing a lien in Johnson County are 2 inch margins at the top of the first page with .5 margins on all other sides. All other pages must have .5 inch margins on all sides. Your lien claim should be filed on Letter size 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Not following these margin and paper size requirements may invalidate your lien claim.

How can I make payment to the Johnson County Clerk?

The Johnson County Clerk’s Office accepts credit cards, cashier’s check, money order or business check. Money order or check must be made payable to Johnson County Clerk. No personal checks accepted.

Note that all fees are due and payable at time of service. Business checks are accepted with company information on check.
Credit Cards are accepted with a small fee.

What are the filing fees to record a mechanics lien in Johnson County?

The Johnson County Clerk’s recording fee is $26.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page.

Lien Fees

Federal Tax Lien: $31.00
Release of Federal Tax Lien: $31.00
State Tax Lien or Release filed by State Agency: $16.00
State Tax Lien or Release filed by Public: $26.00

Copy Fees

Non-Certified Copies: $1.00 per page
Certified Copies: $5.00 for certification plus $1.00 per page

How do I get a recorded copy of my lien from Johnson County Clerk's Office?

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person at the Johnson County Clerk’s office located at:

Historic Courthouse
2 N. Main St. # 131
Cleburne TX 76033
Phone: 817-556-6310

Public access computers are available for research/copies.

Copy Fees are as follows:

Copies – $1/page, $5.00 for Certification plus $1.00 per page, $3.00 fax fee (in addition to copy fee). Fax limit 50 pages.

If requesting copies by mail, enclose a cashier’s check, money order or business check (no personal checks) payable to Johnson County Clerk.

Regular Mail Address:
Johnson County Clerk
PO Box 1986
Cleburne TX 76033

Overnight Mail Address:
Johnson County Clerk
2 N Main St Room 131
Cleburne TX 76033

You can also search Johnson County’s Real Property Records online at: https://www.texaslandrecords.com/txlr/TxlrApp/index.jsp/

You can print and view any document available in the online system. Commercial users will be charged a flat monthly fee per user to view any document available online, while Pay-Per Access Member/Free Search will be charged for the entire document at the rate of $1 per page.

You can contact or visit the County Clerk’s office for a certified copy of a document. Copies printed online cannot be certified by the County Clerk.

Do I have the right to file a mechanics lien in Johnson, Texas?

Determining if you have the right to file a lien in Johnson County, Texas can be complicated. Texas has one of the most complex lien laws in the U.S. and filing a lien in Johnson is no different. Generally, construction contractors who

1) furnish labor or materials.
2) send all required documents before filing a lien, such as monthly notices.
3) if a homestead, have a proper written contract.
4) and meet any state deadlines and fees for your lien claim.

You can learn more about Mechanics Liens in Texas and more specific requirements for filing a lien overall in our step by step guide.

Do I have to send a monthly notice to file a lien in Johnson County, Texas?

Yes, you will need to have sent a Texas Preliminary Notice (monthly notices) to be able to file a lien in Johnson County, TX. Not sending the correct Texas Monthly Notice may result in an invalid lien claim at the time of filing with the Johnson County Clerk / Assessor.