Texas surplus funds claim kit
A free, step-by-step guide to claiming excess proceeds after a Texas tax sale. You don't need to hire anyone to do this. Read how surplus funds work in Texas for the background.
The most important thing: your petition must be filed before the second anniversary of the sale. After that, the money goes to the county, city, school district and other taxing units.
Who can claim
- A former owner who was a defendant in the tax judgment.
- A relative of that owner within the third degree, such as a child, grandchild, parent, sibling, niece or nephew.
- Someone who inherited that owner's interest, by will or by law.
Someone who acquired the property after the tax judgment usually can't claim, unless they are one of the relatives or heirs above.
Steps
- Call the district clerk in the county where the property is (contacts below). Ask whether excess proceeds from the tax sale are in the court's registry, how much, the sale date, and the case number. If the clerk mailed you a notice, have it with you.
- Prepare a petition claiming the excess proceeds. It is filed in the court that ordered the sale, and can be filed under the same case number. Ask the clerk whether they have a form; there is no single statewide form.
- File it and get a hearing date, well before the second anniversary of the sale.
- Serve a copy on all parties to the original tax suit, at least 20 days before the hearing, as Rule 21a of the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure requires.
- Go to the hearing. The court decides who is paid, in order: lienholders and taxing units first, then former owners. The court's order can be appealed.
Watch out: in Texas, a person who isn't a lawyer may not charge any fee to get excess proceeds for you, and a lawyer's fee is capped at 25% or $1,000, whichever is less. Anyone offering to buy your claim must wait at least 36 days after the money is deposited, can't approach you in person or by phone, and must pay you at least 80% of your claim on the day.
Free legal help
- TexasLawHelp.org has free guides and help finding a lawyer.
- Texas RioGrande Legal Aid and Lone Star Legal Aid give free civil legal help to people with low incomes.
District clerk contacts
| County | District clerk |
|---|---|
| Anderson County | 903-723-7412 |
| Andrews County | 432-524-1417 |
| Angelina County | 936-634-4312 |
| Aransas County | 361-790-0128 |
| Archer County | 940-574-4615 |
| Armstrong County | 806-226-2081 |
| Atascosa County | 830-769-3011 |
| Austin County | 979-270-6830 |
| Bailey County | 806-272-3165 |
| Bandera County | 830-796-4606 |
| Bastrop County | 512-332-7244 |
| Baylor County | 940-889-3322 |
| Bee County | 361-621-1562 |
| Bell County | 254-933-5197 |
| Bexar County | 210-335-2113 |
| Blanco County | 830-868-0973 |
| Borden County | 806-756-4312 |
| Bosque County | 254-435-2334 |
| Bowie County | 903-628-6757 |
| Brazoria County | 979-864-1316 |
| Brazos County | 979-361-4230 |
| Brewster County | 432-837-6216 |
| Briscoe County | 806-823-2134 |
| Brooks County | 361-325-5604 |
| Brown County | 325-646-5514 |
| Burleson County | 979-567-2336 |
| Burnet County | 512-756-5450 |
| Caldwell County | 512-398-1806 |
| Calhoun County | 361-553-4630 |
| Callahan County | 325-854-5825 |
| Cameron County | 956-544-0838 |
| Camp County | 903-856-3221 |
| Carson County | 806-537-3873 |
| Cass County | 903-756-7514 |
| Castro County | 806-647-3338 |
| Chambers County | 409-267-2432 |
| Cherokee County | 903-683-4533 |
| Childress County | 940-937-6143 |
| Clay County | 940-538-4561 |
| Cochran County | 806-266-5450 |
| Coke County | 325-453-2631 |
| Coleman County | 325-625-2568 |
| Collin County | 972-548-4320 |
| Collingsworth County | 806-447-2408 |
| Colorado County | 979-732-2536 |
| Comal County | 830-221-1250 |
| Comanche County | 325-356-2342 |
| Concho County | 325-732-4322 |
| Cooke County | 940-668-5450 |
| Coryell County | 254-865-5911 |
| Cottle County | 806-492-3823 |
| Crane County | 432-558-3581 |
| Crockett County | 325-392-2022 |
| Crosby County | 806-675-2071 |
| Culberson County | 432-283-2058 |
| Dallam County | 806-244-4751 |
| Dallas County | 214-653-7301 |
| Dawson County | 806-872-7373 |
| DeWitt County | 361-275-0931 |
| Deaf Smith County | 806-364-3901 |
| Delta County | 903-395-9302 |
| Denton County | 940-349-2200 |
| Dickens County | 806-623-5531 |
| Dimmit County | 830-876-4243 |
| Donley County | 806-874-3436 |
| Duval County | 361-279-6239 |
| Eastland County | 254-629-2664 |
| Ector County | 432-498-4290 |
| Edwards County | 830-683-2235 |
| El Paso County | 915-273-3534 |
| Ellis County | 972-825-5091 |
| Erath County | 254-965-1486 |
| Falls County | 254-883-1419 |
| Fannin County | 903-583-7459 |
| Fayette County | 979-968-3548 |
| Fisher County | 325-776-2279 |
| Floyd County | 806-983-4923 |
| Foard County | 940-684-1365 |
| Fort Bend County | 281-341-4515 |
| Franklin County | 903-537-8337 |
| Freestone County | 903-389-2534 |
| Frio County | 830-505-2996 |
| Gaines County | 432-758-4013 |
| Galveston County | 409-766-2424 |
| Garza County | 806-495-4430 |
| Gillespie County | 830-997-6517 |
| Glasscock County | 432-354-2371 |
| Goliad County | 361-645-3294 |
| Gonzales County | 830-672-2326 |
| Gray County | 806-669-8010 |
| Grayson County | 903-813-4352 |
| Gregg County | 903-237-2663 |
| Grimes County | 936-873-4432 |
| Guadalupe County | 830-303-4188 |
| Hale County | 806-291-5226 |
| Hall County | 806-259-2627 |
| Hamilton County | 254-386-1240 |
| Hansford County | 806-659-4110 |
| Hardeman County | 940-663-2901 |
| Hardin County | 409-246-5150 |
| Harris County | 832-927-5770 |
| Harrison County | 903-935-8409 |
| Hartley County | 806-235-3582 |
| Haskell County | 940-864-2030 |
| Hays County | 512-393-7660 |
| Hemphill County | 806-323-6212 |
| Henderson County | 903-675-6115 |
| Hidalgo County | 956-318-2200 |
| Hill County | 254-582-4042 |
| Hockley County | 806-894-8527 |
| Hood County | 817-579-3236 |
| Hopkins County | 903-438-4081 |
| Houston County | 936-544-3255 |
| Howard County | 432-264-2223 |
| Hudspeth County | 915-369-2301 |
| Hunt County | 903-408-4172 |
| Hutchinson County | 806-878-4017 |
| Irion County | 325-835-2421 |
| Jack County | 940-567-2141 |
| Jackson County | 361-782-3812 |
| Jasper County | 409-384-2721 |
| Jeff Davis County | 432-426-3251 |
| Jefferson County | 409-835-8580 |
| Jim Hogg County | 361-527-4031 |
| Jim Wells County | 361-668-5717 |
| Johnson County | 817-556-6839 |
| Jones County | 325-823-3731 |
| Karnes County | 830-780-2562 |
| Kaufman County | 469-376-4635 |
| Kendall County | 830-249-9343 |
| Kenedy County | 361-294-5220 |
| Kent County | 806-237-3881 |
| Kerr County | 830-792-2281 |
| Kimble County | 325-446-3353 |
| King County | 806-596-4412 |
| Kinney County | 830-563-2521 |
| Kleberg County | 361-595-8561 |
| Knox County | 940-459-2441 |
| La Salle County | 830-483-5120 |
| Lamar County | 903-737-2427 |
| Lamb County | 806-485-0071 |
| Lampasas County | 512-556-8271 |
| Lavaca County | 361-798-2351 |
| Lee County | 979-542-2947 |
| Leon County | 903-536-2227 |
| Liberty County | 936-336-4682 |
| Limestone County | 254-729-3206 |
| Lipscomb County | 806-862-3091 |
| Live Oak County | 361-449-2733 |
| Llano County | 325-247-5036 |
| Loving County | 432-309-9500 |
| Lubbock County | 806-775-1310 |
| Lynn County | 806-561-4274 |
| Madison County | 936-241-6212 |
| Marion County | 903-665-2441 |
| Martin County | 432-756-3412 |
| Mason County | 325-347-5253 |
| Matagorda County | 979-244-7621 |
| Maverick County | 830-773-2629 |
| McCulloch County | 325-597-0733 |
| McLennan County | 254-757-5057 |
| McMullen County | 361-274-3215 |
| Medina County | 830-741-6070 |
| Menard County | 325-396-4682 |
| Midland County | 432-688-4500 |
| Milam County | 254-697-7052 |
| Mills County | 325-648-2711 |
| Mitchell County | 325-728-5918 |
| Montague County | 940-894-2571 |
| Montgomery County | 936-539-7855 |
| Moore County | 806-935-4218 |
| Morris County | 903-645-2321 |
| Motley County | 806-347-2621 |
| Nacogdoches County | 936-560-7740 |
| Navarro County | 903-654-3040 |
| Newton County | 409-379-3951 |
| Nolan County | 325-235-2111 |
| Nueces County | 361-888-0450 |
| Ochiltree County | 806-435-8054 |
| Oldham County | 806-639-2119 |
| Orange County | 409-882-7825 |
| Palo Pinto County | 940-659-1279 |
| Panola County | 903-693-0306 |
| Parker County | 817-598-6114 |
| Parmer County | 806-481-3419 |
| Pecos County | 432-336-3503 |
| Polk County | 936-327-6814 |
| Potter County | 806-379-2300 |
| Presidio County | 432-729-3857 |
| Rains County | 903-473-5000 |
| Randall County | 806-468-5600 |
| Reagan County | 325-884-2442 |
| Real County | 830-232-5202 |
| Red River County | 903-427-3761 |
| Reeves County | 432-287-0222 |
| Refugio County | 361-526-2721 |
| Roberts County | 806-868-2341 |
| Robertson County | 979-828-3636 |
| Rockwall County | 972-204-6500 |
| Runnels County | 325-365-2638 |
| Rusk County | 903-657-0353 |
| Sabine County | 409-787-2912 |
| San Augustine County | 936-275-2231 |
| San Jacinto County | 936-653-2909 |
| San Patricio County | 361-364-9377 |
| San Saba County | 325-372-3614 |
| Schleicher County | 325-853-2833 |
| Scurry County | 325-573-5641 |
| Shackelford County | 325-762-9415 |
| Shelby County | 936-598-4164 |
| Sherman County | 806-366-2371 |
| Smith County | 903-590-1660 |
| Somervell County | 254-898-3971 |
| Starr County | 956-716-4800 |
| Stephens County | 254-559-3151 |
| Sterling County | 325-378-5191 |
| Stonewall County | 940-989-2272 |
| Sutton County | 325-387-3815 |
| Swisher County | 806-995-4396 |
| Tarrant County | 817-884-1574 |
| Taylor County | 325-674-1316 |
| Terrell County | 432-345-2391 |
| Terry County | 806-637-4202 |
| Throckmorton County | 940-849-8815 |
| Titus County | 903-577-6724 |
| Tom Green County | 325-659-6579 |
| Travis County | 512-854-9457 |
| Trinity County | 936-642-1118 |
| Tyler County | 409-283-2162 |
| Upshur County | 903-843-5031 |
| Upton County | 432-693-2861 |
| Uvalde County | 830-278-3918 |
| Val Verde County | 830-774-7538 |
| Van Zandt County | 903-567-6576 |
| Victoria County | 361-575-0581 |
| Walker County | 936-436-4972 |
| Waller County | 979-826-7735 |
| Ward County | 432-943-2751 |
| Washington County | 979-277-6200 |
| Webb County | 956-523-4268 |
| Wharton County | 979-532-5542 |
| Wheeler County | 806-826-5931 |
| Wichita County | 940-766-8188 |
| Wilbarger County | 940-553-3411 |
| Willacy County | 956-689-2532 |
| Williamson County | 512-943-1212 |
| Wilson County | 830-393-7322 |
| Winkler County | 432-586-3359 |
| Wise County | 940-627-5535 |
| Wood County | 903-763-2361 |
| Yoakum County | 806-456-7491 |
| Young County | 940-549-0029 |
| Zapata County | 956-765-9930 |
| Zavala County | 830-374-3456 |
Phone numbers from the Texas Judicial Branch directory of district and county clerks (July 2025), checked November 2, 2026. In some smaller counties one clerk serves as both county and district clerk. This is general information, not legal advice.
Want help?
If you'd rather not do this alone, call us at 9-SURPLUS-24 and we'll explain where things stand.