College Station Divorce Records
Divorce records for College Station residents are held by the Brazos County District Clerk, located in Bryan at the Brazos County Courthouse. Whether you need to search for a case, get a certified copy of a Final Decree, or understand where to file, the District Clerk is the right office to contact. The city's own municipal court only handles traffic violations and minor city ordinance matters. All family law cases, including divorce, are filed and maintained at the county level through the Brazos County district court system.
College Station Overview
Where College Station Divorce Records Are Kept
All divorce cases filed by College Station residents go through the Brazos County District Court system. The Brazos County Courthouse is in Bryan, which serves as the county seat. The District Clerk's office there maintains all family law records including divorce decrees, case files, and docket records for the 85th, 272nd, 361st, and 472nd District Courts.
The courts have jurisdiction over divorce, child custody, property disputes, and other family law matters. District Courts handle cases with significant dollar amounts or legal weight. Smaller civil claims might go through a County Court at Law, but divorce specifically falls under district court jurisdiction in Texas regardless of case complexity.
| Office | Brazos County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | Brazos County Courthouse 300 E 26th St Bryan, TX 77803 |
| Phone | 979-775-7400 |
| District Courts | 85th, 272nd, 361st, 472nd District Courts |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | brazoscountytx.gov |
The courthouse in Bryan is about 5 miles from College Station. Bring a photo ID when visiting. Staff can look up cases by name or cause number and make copies on the spot. Certified copies require a small fee per page plus a certification charge.
The Brazos County homepage links to the District Clerk's office, court records, and services that College Station residents need when dealing with divorce cases.
From the Brazos County site you can reach the District Clerk's office page, which has information on how to search records, submit requests, and access court forms for family law cases.
The City of College Station website handles city services, vital records at the city level, and municipal court matters, but does not maintain divorce records.
The city's Vital Records Office at 1101 Texas Ave does handle birth and death certificates for College Station residents, but all divorce records are kept at the Brazos County District Clerk's office in Bryan.
Searching for College Station Divorce Cases
The Brazos County District Clerk handles record searches by request. You can contact the office by phone at 979-775-7400 or visit the courthouse in Bryan. Bring the full names of both spouses and an approximate year of filing. Case numbers make searches faster if you have one.
The statewide re:SearchTX system covers many district courts in Texas, including courts in Brazos County. You can search by party name and see case status, docket entries, and court assignments. This is a good starting point before calling the office directly. For a fast check, you can also use the Texas DSHS divorce verification service, which covers divorces granted in Texas from 1968 to present. It won't give you the decree, but it confirms the divorce happened and tells you which county handled it.
Brazos County Courts at Law No. 1 and No. 2 handle some family matters as well. Their numbers are 979-361-4250 and 979-361-4260. If a case was filed in a County Court rather than a District Court, those offices would hold the records.
Note: College Station birth certificates after January 1, 2019 are kept by the City Secretary, not the county. But divorce records have always been and remain at the Brazos County District Clerk's office regardless of date.
Filing for Divorce in College Station
College Station residents file for divorce at the Brazos County District Clerk's office in Bryan. Texas state law governs every step of the process under Texas Family Code Chapter 6. Residency requirements, grounds, and waiting periods are all set at the state level.
Texas Family Code § 6.301 requires at least one spouse to have lived in Texas for six continuous months and in Brazos County for at least 90 days before filing. College Station is entirely in Brazos County, so time spent living in the city fully counts toward that requirement.
Most College Station residents file on no-fault grounds under Texas Family Code § 6.001, which is called insupportability. That ground simply requires showing the marriage has become insupportable because of conflict or personality discord that prevents any reasonable hope of reconciliation. No proof of wrongdoing is needed. Fault grounds including cruelty, adultery, abandonment, felony conviction, living apart, and mental hospital confinement are also available under Sections 6.002 through 6.007.
After filing, a mandatory 60-day waiting period applies before the divorce can be finalized. Both agreed and contested divorces go through this period. Agreed cases with no disputes can be finalized quickly once the waiting period ends. Contested cases may need mediation or a full hearing before the judge signs the Final Decree.
Texas mandates a 60-day waiting period from the date of filing before any divorce decree can be signed. Both spouses must wait this period even in fully agreed cases.
Divorce Fees in Brazos County
Filing fees for a divorce in Brazos County are set by the county and subject to change. The Brazos County Clerk charges $25 for the first page of filed documents and $4 for each additional page. Certified copies cost $1 per page plus a $5 certification fee. Plain copies are $1 per page.
These are document fees. The actual filing fee for an Original Petition for Divorce will be higher and includes court costs. Call the District Clerk at 979-775-7400 to get the current fee total before filing. You can also ask about the Statement of Inability to Afford Payment of Court Costs form under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145 if fees are a hardship. Forms are available at txcourts.gov.
If children are involved, you may also need to pay for a required parenting class. Some attorneys in the Bryan-College Station area offer free or low-cost initial consultations. Shop around before committing to a full retainer if budget is a concern.
Legal Resources for College Station
Legal Aid of Central Texas serves Brazos County and can assist qualifying individuals with family law matters. Check their website and phone lines to see if you meet income guidelines. The State Bar of Texas referral line at (800) 252-9690 connects you to local divorce attorneys. Their online search is at texasbar.com.
TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org has plain-language guides on divorce, child custody, and property division under Texas law. All official court forms are available for free at txcourts.gov, including Supreme Court Approved forms for divorces with and without children. Electronic filing is available through efile.txcourts.gov for courts that participate.
The College Station Municipal Court at 300 Krenek Tap Road handles city matters and can be reached at 979-764-3683. But again, that court does not handle divorce cases. All divorce inquiries should go to the Brazos County District Clerk in Bryan.
Brazos County Divorce Records
College Station is in Brazos County, and all divorce filings go through the Brazos County District Court in Bryan. The county courthouse handles cases for the entire county including both College Station and Bryan. For courthouse details, online search tools, and contact information for the District Clerk, visit the Brazos County divorce records page.
Nearby Cities
Other qualifying cities near College Station with divorce record pages include:
- Bryan (Brazos County)
- Waco (McLennan County)
- Conroe (Montgomery County)
- Round Rock (Williamson County)