For years, Harris County had no free deed alert. In 2023, the County Clerk's Office told ABC13 there was "currently no application available that can be implemented to catch this type of activity before it happens"6. In fall 2026, the Clerk built one.
Is the Harris County property fraud alert live now?
Yes. The Clerk's Property Alert System (PAS) is open, and it's free. The Clerk calls it "a free, in-house alert system" that emails owners about new real property documents filed under their name1.
The Clerk's Real Property Department records deeds, so it's Harris County's recorder of deeds4. A deed is the signed paper that hands a home to a new owner. Recording adds it to the public land records.
How Harris County got here
- 2023After a forged-deed case in River Oaks, the Clerk's Office says no tool can catch fake filings before they happen6.
- Dec. 2024KPRC lists Harris among Houston-area counties with no alert. Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria have one7.
- July 2025Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth tells the Houston Chronicle her office has started planning an alert9.
- Aug. to Sept. 2026ABC13 and the Chronicle report that the Clerk is getting ready to launch a free Property Alert System8,9.
- Fall 2026PAS opens. A banner across the Clerk's website introduces it1.
Harris built its own alert instead of joining a national one. Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria use Fidlar Technologies' Property Fraud Alert, which on October 25, 2026, still listed Harris under "Nominate a County"10.
Own land next door too? Our map of free fraud alerts by county lists the neighbors.
How do you enroll in the Harris County Property Alert System?
Make a free account on the Clerk's website, confirm it by email, then add each name you want watched. All you need is an email address2.
Tap a step to jump to it.
- Step 1Go to the PAS login page
- Step 2Create your free account
- Step 3Confirm it from the second email
- Step 4Enter each spelling of your name
- Step 5Pause, review or delete names
Step 1: Go to the PAS login page
Go to the PAS sign-up page. It opens the login screen of the Clerk's Document Search Portal, so click "Create New User Account"2. HCAD, the appraisal district, links to the same page from its home page, under "Deed Protection"11.
Step 2: Create your free account
Pick a user name and a password with at least 7 characters and one capital letter. Enter your email twice, choose a security question, tick "I'm not a robot" and click "Create User"2.
A pop-up warns that private or custom email domains may miss the Clerk's messages. Add help@cco.hctx.net and no-reply@cco.hctx.net to your safe senders2.
Step 3: Confirm it from the second email
The Clerk sends two emails, and your account works only after you click the link in the second one. Then log in. The site logs you out after one hour with no activity2.
Step 4: Enter each spelling of your name
Open Property Records, then Property Alert System, and pick "Name" or "Name of Business or Trust." Type the first and last name, add a "Description for Property" such as "Home" if you like, then click Add and accept the legal disclaimer3.
Enter every way your name appears on your deeds, with no limit on names. The Clerk's example is a man listed as William John Smith, as Bill Smith and by his initials1.
Our suggestion: if a home is still in a late parent's name, add that name too. The description box even suggests "Grandmother's House"3.
Step 5: Pause, review or delete names
Your names appear in a table. The green switch pauses or restarts alerts for one name, Alert History lists past alerts, and Delete removes a name3.
When an alert comes, the email links to PAS, where you can open unofficial, watermarked copies of the documents1.
What does the Clerk's alert watch, and what slips past it?
PAS watches names in new real property filings and emails you once a document is already on record. It matches the last name, or a business name, exactly. It matches the first name by its first letters1.
| Name on a new document | Alert? |
|---|---|
| Wil Davis | Yes |
| Wilson Davis | Yes |
| William Davis | Yes |
| Bill Davis | No. The first name doesn't start with Wil |
| Wil Davison | No. The last name isn't an exact match |
- It doesn't stop a filing. The Clerk says PAS "does not prevent the recording of a real property instrument"1.
- It doesn't watch your address. HCAD's home page says you can "register your home," but PAS matches names only1,11.
- It misses spelling changes. A misspelled last name, or "Bill" when you typed "William," sends no alert.
- It isn't instant. Emails go out within 1 to 2 business days after a filing1.
- It doesn't judge ownership. Someone who shares your name can set off an alert, because PAS "is only matching names"1.
- It only emails. The Clerk's PAS pages mention no texts or calls.
Why this matters here: the Clerk takes deeds in person, by mail and electronically4. Texas requires photo ID only from people who file in person20. Deeds sent by mail or e-filing skip that counter check, and PAS tells you only afterward.
Can you get a home back after Harris County deed fraud?
Yes, and it has happened here. In 2025, one court judgment returned 40 Harris County homes to their owners13. The County Attorney's office won it with a consumer protection lawsuit.
That office brings civil cases only, asking judges to cancel fake transfers. It can't be your lawyer, sue just for you, or file criminal charges15,18.
We found no official count of Harris County deed fraud cases. The court cases we found cover dozens of homes, and many belonged to owners who had died13,15,16. For how these schemes work, see what deed theft is.
"These are people's homes, their livelihood, the generational wealth they have worked hard to pass on to their children. It's home theft."
What do you do if an alert shows a deed you don't recognize?
Look at the document, tell the Clerk, then report it to the County Attorney and the police. Call a lawyer early, since the Clerk can't give legal advice or decide who owns a home1.
- Open the copy from the alert email. Check the names, the date and the legal description, the lot and subdivision words that identify your land1.
- Tell the Clerk's Real Property Department. For a deed filed after January 1, 2026, the Clerk must then tell local law enforcement. It also passes on any photo ID details from a person who filed the deed at the counter20,21.
- Report it to the County Attorney with the complaint form at ScamFreeHC.com. The office may contact you if your report becomes part of a case18.
- File a police report with your city's police or the Sheriff's Office. The Clerk's video says its office isn't a law enforcement agency3.
- Ask a lawyer about Texas's no-fee path. Since September 1, 2025, an owner can record an affidavit, a sworn statement, about the fake deed and mail copies to the people it names. If no one records a sworn response within 120 days, the owner can ask a district judge to rule, with no filing fee22. The Clerk's page has both forms1.
For the full recovery path, read our guide for owners who find a fake deed.
| Who | When to call | How to reach them |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County Clerk, Real Property Department | A document you don't recognize, or to report a fake deed | (713) 274-8680. 201 Caroline, Suite 320, Houston |
| Clerk's Public Records Department | Trouble logging in to PAS | (713) 274-6390 or ccoinfoFM@cco.hctx.net |
| Harris County Attorney | A report about deed fraud, for a possible civil case | ScamFreeHC.com. Office line 713-274-5101 |
| Your city's police, or the Sheriff's Office | A criminal report | Houston police financial crimes: (713) 884-3131. Sheriff: (713) 221-6000 |
| Houston Volunteer Lawyers or Lone Star Legal Aid | Free legal help, if you qualify | (713) 228-0735 or (713) 652-0077 |
| Harris Central Appraisal District (HCAD) | The owner of record and your legal description | hcad.org or (713) 957-7800 |
We checked every link and phone number in this guide against each office's own website on October 25, 20261,18,19,23.
Questions Harris County owners ask
What is considered property fraud?
The Clerk defines it as filing a document, such as a deed, in the public record without the owner's knowledge or consent. These filings can move ownership with forged signatures or notary stamps, or place illegal liens on a home.
Is the Harris County Property Alert System free?
Yes, PAS "is provided as a free service to the public," the Clerk's FAQ says. Be wary of mailers that charge for free things: HCAD warns about companies that charge to file homestead forms you can file yourself.
Who owns Property Fraud Alert?
The site, propertyfraudalert.com, belongs to Fidlar Technologies, which works with partner counties like Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria. Harris County isn't a partner, so Harris owners use the Clerk's own PAS.
How do I report fraud in Harris County?
For a fake deed, call the Clerk's Real Property Department at (713) 274-8680 and file a report at ScamFreeHC.com. Report the crime to your city's police or the Sheriff's Office too, since the County Attorney brings only civil cases.
How can I see who owns a property in Harris County?
Look up the address on hcad.org to see the owner and the legal description. Then search that description in the Clerk's real property records. The County Attorney suggests checking your deed filings at least once a year.
How do I get a copy of my deed in Harris County?
Search the Clerk's real property records, which have images back to November 1, 1960. Log in to buy a clean copy or a certified copy, which is emailed to you. Online certified copies have no raised seal, which some offices require.
Turn on the Clerk's alert first
PAS is free. Enter each spelling of your name today, and learn how a recorded notice can work next to it.
Open the Harris County sign-up pageLearn about the recorded noticeSources
- Property Deed Fraud and Property Alert System (PAS), with FAQ and forms, Harris County Clerk's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- Sign Up for Your New Account (PAS login and new user pages), Harris County Clerk's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- How-To: Property Alert System (video), Harris County Clerk's Office, viewed October 25, 2026
- Real Property, Harris County Clerk's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- Real Property Records search, Harris County Clerk's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- Alleged home warranty deed forgery scheme exposes flaws in Harris County legal system, ABC13 Houston, November 16, 2023
- Ask Amy: How Greater Houston area homeowners can protect their home from deed theft, Amy Davis, KPRC 2, December 10, 2024
- Harris County to launch new tool to protect property owners from deed fraud, ABC13 Houston, August 26, 2026
- Woman says strangers now live in her grandmother's home as Harris County files deed theft suits, Tanya Babbar, Houston Chronicle, September 9, 2026
- Property Fraud Alert (home page and Texas county list), Fidlar Technologies, checked October 25, 2026
- Harris Central Appraisal District home page ("Deed Protection" link), HCAD, checked October 25, 2026
- Accused Houston real estate fraudster connected to dozens of stolen properties caught attempting new deed filing, KPRC 2, April 16, 2025
- Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee secures judgment returning 40 properties in forgery scheme, Harris County Attorney's Office, September 4, 2025
- Husband and wife arrested 8 months after ABC13 report on deed fraud, Luke Jones, ABC13 Houston, October 3, 2025
- Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee sues individuals for fraudulent property scheme in Trinity Gardens neighborhood, Harris County Attorney's Office, May 19, 2025
- "A Ring of Scammers": County Attorney Kamin sues bogus owners in fraudulent deed scheme, Harris County Attorney's Office, September 9, 2026
- Harris County Attorney announces lawsuits alleging deed fraud, pattern of stolen homes, Community Impact, September 10, 2026
- Stay Scam Free (report form and FAQ), Harris County Attorney's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- Helpful Contacts for Consumers (2026), Harris County Attorney's Office, checked October 25, 2026
- SB 16, enrolled bill text, Texas Legislature, 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 2025
- SB 16 bill history (in effect December 4, 2025; the clerk notice part January 1, 2026), Texas Legislature Online, checked October 25, 2026
- SB 1734, enrolled bill text, Texas Legislature, 89th Legislature, 2025
- HCAD warns homeowners to be wary of homestead designation and unclaimed money solicitations, Harris Central Appraisal District, checked October 25, 2026
