Karnes County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanics liens in person at the Karnes County Clerk’s office located at:

210 W. Calvert, Suite 100
Karnes City, Texas 78118

Phone: (830)-780-3938
Fax: (830)-780-4576
E-mail: carol.swize@co.karnes.tx.us

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Closed for lunch 12:00pm- 1:00 pm

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

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

The Karnes County Clerk’s recording requirements are as follows:

1. MUST HAVE ORIGINAL SIGNATURES Texas Property Code Sec. 12.0011 (b)
2. MUST BE PROPERLY ACKNOWLEDGED/ NOTARIZED OR BE WITNESSED BY AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE, ONE OF WHOM’S SIGNATURE IS NOTARIZED Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Sec. 121.001 (a)
3. MUST HAVE A CLEARLY IDENTIFYING HEADING OF DOCUMENT
4. MUST BE TYPED OR WRITTEN IN AT LEAST 8 PT. FONT
5. MUST BE ON PAPER NO LARGER THAN 8.5 in. X 14 in.
6. MUST HAVE THE GRANTOR’S NAME PRINTED LEGIBLY/TYPED
UNDER SIGNATURE
7. MUST HAVE GRANTEE’S MAILING ADDRESS ON DOCUMENT
Failure to meet these requirements will results in a fee double the
normal recording fee Local Gov’t Code 191.007
8. DOUCMENTS MuST HAVE A 2 in. MARGIN OF BLANK SPACE AT TOP OF EACH
PAGE, AND 1 in. MARGIN AT TOP OF EACH FOLLOWING PAGE
Local request for space to affix label and electronic stamps

Confidential information in real property documents. A deed,
mortgage, or deed of trust that transfers an interest in real
property to or from an individual must include a confidentiality
notice. The notice must appear at the top of the first page of the
instrument, in 12-point boldfaced type or 12-point uppercase
letters, and read substantially as follows:

NOTICE OF CONFIDENTIALITY RIGHTS: IF YOU ARE A NATURAL PERSON, YOU MAY REMOVE OR STRIKE ANY OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM THIS INSTRUMENT BEFORE IT IS FILED FOR RECORD IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS: YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER OR YOUR DRIVER’S LICENSE NUMBER. Sec 11.008 (b)

Documents must be on paper no larger than 8.5 in. x 14 in. You must leave a 2 in. margin of blank space at the top of each page, and 1 in. margin at the top of each following page.

The Karnes County Clerk accepts checks and money orders. Checks and money orders should be payable to “Karnes County Clerk.”

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

Additional Recording Fees

Indexing Fee: $0.25 for each additional name over 5
No Heading Top of 1st Page: Double filing fee for that page
No Grantee Address: Doubline filing fee or $25.00 whichever is greater
Illegible Page: Double filing fee for that page
Names Not Printed Under Signatures: Double filing fee for that page

Lien Fees

Federal Tax Lien: $31.00
Release of Federal Tax Liens: $31.00

Copy Fees

Plain Copies: $1.00 per page
Certified Copies: $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification

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

210 W. Calvert, Suite 100
Karnes City, Texas 78118

Phone: (830)-780-3938
Fax: (830)-780-4576
E-mail: carol.swize@co.karnes.tx.us

Office Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 am- 5:00 pm
Closed for lunch 12:00pm- 1:00 pm

You can also search Karnes County Clerk’s records online at: https://www.countygovernmentrecords.com/

Users of this site must register to conduct document searches. Registration is free. As a registered user you will be able to search the index and view summary information about documents. Note that most counties require a fee to view the image of a document.

You can also request public information/copies by mail.

Copy fees are as follows:

Copy fee: $1.00 per page
Certification Fee: $5.00 per document

Fax Fee: $2.00 per page
Monthly Cd Fee: $20 per month
Processing Fee: $10.00

Fees must be paid before request will be processed and/or copy will be issued. Do not send cash through the mail. If the requested copy cannot be located, the processing fee is non-refundable and nontransferable. Providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope will help expedite your order. Checks and money orders should be payable to “Karnes County Clerk.”

You can get the property’s legal description from the Karnes County Clerk’s office in person.

You can also search for property legal descriptions online with the Karnes County Appraisal District.

Determining if you have the right to file a lien in Karnes County, Texas can be complicated. Texas has one of the most complex lien laws in the U.S. and filing a lien in Karnes 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.

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