Fort Bend County Clerk - Fourth Quarter Newsletter

Fourth Quarter Newsletter

Oct. 2025

Catching Up with the County Clerk

As the crisp air of fall settles over Fort Bend County, we're embracing the season of change, gratitude, and community. The vibrant colors and cooler days remind us that this is a time to reflect, reconnect, and give back.

Looking back, the end of summer was filled with energy and engagement—from community celebrations to civic milestones—and we thank all who participated and supported those efforts whether you attended one of our Property Fraud Alert speaking events or made it to our Saturday Birth Certificate weekend hours. Your involvement helps us build a stronger, more connected Fort Bend.

Looking ahead, we’re excited to announce our 2025 Buddy's Buddies Pet Donation Drive in support of Sugar Paws Pet Pantry, running throughout the month of November. This is a wonderful opportunity to lend a hand (or a paw!) to local animals in need. We invite you to join us in donating pet food, toys, and other essential items to support the loving work Sugar Paws Pet Pantry does for our furry friends.

As we move through this beautiful season, we remain committed to serving you with transparency, efficiency, and heart.Thank you for being an essential part of our community.

The Fort Bend County Clerk's office is looking forward to what we have planned in 2026!

Sincerly,

Laura Richard,

Fort Bend County Clerk

✤ County Clerk Division News

Did you know? The County Clerk's Record Division went live with a Name Change Service through NewleyNamed Box, to assist those who need to change their names due to marriage, divorce, or a court-ordered name change. This packet comes with instructions and forms to make the process easy! Ask one of our clerks about this service for more information.

Property Fraud Alert is a FREE notification service to the citizens of Fort Bend County.

Sign up online to receive an alert when documents containing your name, business name, or trust name are recorded in the Official Public Records of Fort Bend County.

Service Spotlight - More Than Words

The Fort Bend County Clerk’s Office is proud to honor those who have served through the More Than Words, Thank-A-Veteran program—because gratitude should be more than words. This initiative offers local veterans a complimentary photo ID card when registering their discharge paperwork with the County Clerk that can be used to access discounts at participating businesses countywide. It’s a small token of appreciation with a big impact, connecting our community and recognizing the sacrifices made by those in uniform.

Learn more and help spread the thanks at:

www.fbctx.gov/morethanwords

Active Military and Veteran Services

FREE military discharge paperwork recording;
FREE certified copies of military discharge paperwork filed with the County Clerk's office to qualified applicants;
Discounted DBA (Assumed Name Certificate) filing fees;
Sign up for the FREE Property Fraud Alert program, should any document be recorded in property records of Fort Bend County, and receive an alert;
Seventy-two hour waiver when applying for a marriage license;
The following service fees are waived if being deployed to a hostile fire zone: (1) certified copy of birth certificate; (2) issuance of a marriage license; (3) certified copy of a marriage license; (4) fees for transferring title to a real or personal property (Government Code 437.217).

✤ Looking Back

Join us in taking a look back to the third quarter and everything the County Clerk's office has accomplished with new services, events, and community engagement.

In July, the Fort Bend County Clerk participated once again in the county's 2025 Youth Employment Program (YEP) and hosted a local Fort Bend student interested in learning about public service.

Fort Bend County Clerk Laura Richard joined county leaders, emergency officials, and community partners at the Hurricane Preparedness Press Conference held at the Fort Bend County Emergency Operations Center in Richmond where attendees toured the command vehicles and took part in a special media briefing on Fort Bend County's new flood camera technology.

This annual event emphasized the importance of planning and awareness as the county moved through hurricane season and was one of several informational events scheduled in the month of July from the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

The County Clerk's office was open on Saturday, July 19, 2025 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for special weekend hours to help out the community needing to pick up their birth certificate records just in time for the back-to-school season. Clerk Richard hopes to have many more special weekend open hours in 2026!

On August 19, 2025, Clerk Laura Richard attended the Richmond Rotary Club to share important information about her FREE Property Fraud Alert Service.

The event gave local residents a chance to learn how this easy to use service can help protect their property from fraudulent activity by notifying them if any unauthorized documents are recorded in their name.

The Fort Bend County Clerk’s Office was honored to attend the Fort Bend Senior Event on August 27, 2025, hosted by the Department of Family and Protective Services - Adult Protective Services.

Staff of the County Clerk's office had the opportunity to speak with seniors and community members about the Property Fraud Alert Program—an important tool that helps protect property owners from potential fraud.

County Clerk Laura Richard had the pleasure of attending the Sugar Land Rotary Club's meeting on September 3rd at the Sugar Creek Country Club. She spoke with local citizens about several important initiatives, including the Property Fraud Alert Service, the More Than Words Thank-A-Veteran Program, and the newly opened County Clerk's office in Sugar Land, located at the Precinct 3 Annex.

Fort Bend County Clerk Laura Richard attended the 2025 County and District Clerks' Association of Texas (CDCAT) Fall Conference at A&M! This year’s theme, "Building A Team Together That Wins Together," emphasized the importance of collaboration and unity across counties to better serve our communities. Clerk Richard was able to connect with Lubbock County District Clerk Sara Smith (pictured) during the conference.

Clerk Richard was celebrated this Boss's Day from the Official Public Records and Court Division's with flowers, cards, and both team's best wishes.

Did you know? To date, the County Clerk's office recorded a total of:

5,793,599 Official Public Records
206,464 Marriage Licenses Issued
83,778 Death Certificates Issued
231,535 Birth Certificates Issued

✤ Clerk Excellence Spotlight

The Records Division Customer Service Award winner for 2025 was Rebecca, a clerk from the County Clerk's Katy Annex office location. Some qualities noted by her co-workers and supervisors include that she's always helpful with customers, never hesitates to step into the lobby to assist customers who need help, super friendly and always has a smile on her face. Congratulations!

I just want to thank you (again) for continuing to include the Property Fraud Alert service in your budget. Twice now I have received notifications of recording activity. Thankfully neither affected me but it is good to know the system works.

Your continued support for this service is appreciated.

~ via email

✤ Commissioners Court - Update

The Fort Bend County Commissioners Court schedule has changed! Commissioners Court will now meet on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 1:00 PM, on the second floor of the 1909 Courthouse in Richmond, Texas. If there are planned changes to the schedule, they will appear on the Commissioners Court website located HERE.