GAINESVILLE, Texas — If you need a county record in Cooke County, the first step is making sure you ask the right office.
The county's open-records guidance says requests for public records should be made in writing directly to the department that has custody of the records. If you send a request to the wrong office, the county says it can delay the process.
Start with the office that holds the record
The Cooke County Clerk handles marriage licenses, deeds, vital records and many other official public records. Pam Harrison serves as county clerk. The office is at the Cooke County Courthouse, 101 South Dixon, Room 108 in Gainesville, and the county page lists the main number as 940-668-5474. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:50 p.m.
The Clerk's office also links residents to online criminal and civil records searches and to a real-property and land-records search. The county page says staff will help residents use the system, but they do not conduct personal or title searches.
Court records go to the District Clerk
If the record involves district court civil, family, felony or some juvenile cases, the 235th District Clerk is the right office. Marci A. Gilbert serves as district clerk. The office is in Room 207 of the courthouse, with the main phone at 940-668-5450 and the jury information line at 940-668-5472.
The District Clerk also keeps court records, handles jury information and offers records request forms for court files.
Sheriff and jail records follow a different path
The Cooke County Sheriff's Office handles offense reports, arrest reports, call sheets, letters of clearance and proof of incarceration. Sheriff Ray Sappington's office is at the Cooke County Justice Center, 300 County Road 451, and the non-emergency phone is 940-665-3471.
The jail also has an inmate custody lookup site and information for families who need inmate telephone or mail details.
A few things to know before you file a request
Cooke County's open-records page says some records may be excluded by law and some copying or retrieval fees may apply. It also says judicial records are not covered by the Public Information Act in the same way as other county records, so residents may need to go through the court clerk or judge depending on the document.
If you are not sure where a record belongs, start with the office that created or maintains it. That one step can save a lot of back-and-forth.