Frequently Asked Questions

What tips can you give for searching?

• Capitalization does not matter. For example, "main st" will return the same listing as "MAIN ST" and "Main St".
• Partial names can be used. For example, "river" will return "river," "riverwind," and "riverwalk" (that is, every name that starts with the letters RIVER). You can use this same methodology with account numbers, but not address numbers.
• When entering account numbers to search, do not use hyphens or spaces. Real Property account numbers have thirteen (13) digits; personal property account numbers have seven (7) digits.

I found the right account, but the wrong data is being displayed.

Our data is usually refreshed every night. Therefore, it is possible for our records here at the District to differ from what is shown on the Internet. Please wait at least three days before contacting us. If the information is still incorrect after three days, please send an email to Account Questions. Note: On special occasions, the data refresh may be delayed a day or so.

I enter an address, but the property is not found (and I know I have the correct address).

The HCAD address search does NOT work like online address search engines (such as Map Quest or Yahoo.) Consequently, addresses for the same street may be listed in different ways.

Here are two samples:

1153190000016	KEMP GARY & SHARON	0 FM 1960 W
0440420001036	HARRIS COUNTY ROW DEPT	0 FM 1960 WEST

In these examples, there are two issues:

1. A street name is listed in two different ways.
2. The site address number is zero. See sections below for explanations. It is obvious that both properties are on the same road, but each is listed differently.

Please attempt all of the possible combinations you can think of before contacting us. For instance, you can try doing a "range search" from our address search page. In a range search, those addresses that do not have a street number should be displayed in the results.

If you do not find the exact address you are searching for, it could be one of several reasons:

• HCAD does not have an account for that real or business property.
• The address we have listed is a mailing address and therefore would not show up on the website.
• The property owner sent us the wrong address.
• The real property is missing from our system.
• The business personal property has not been rendered, therefore does not exist in our system.
• HCAD staff entered the address incorrectly.
• The street number is 0. (See next Question.)

Why does my account have a 0 (zero) site address?

Our data may show "0" as the street number on properties where we do not know the correct number or from previously vacant properties converted from prior processes. If you would like to help us correct "0" property addresses, please send an e-mail to Account Questions with the HCAD account number and the correct address for us to research internally.

This is not for mailing addresses. To officially change your mailing or property address, you must send us a "Request to Correct Name or Address on a Real Property Account form" found on the Forms Page -- Corrections Section.

I am trying to find a record for a property on one of the freeways, but I am not sure what to use for the street name. How can I locate the record?

Because there may be more than one street name for a freeway (i.e. Katy Freeway, I-10 West), a good way to search for a property on a freeway is to use the Real or Personal Property Advanced Search.

Enter the street number in the Beginning Property Street Number field and the zip code in the Zip Code field. Click Search at the bottom of the page. The record for which you are searching should be returned along with others that matched your search criteria.

This will work for any record in which you are unsure of the exact street name.

What's the easiest way to locate a property with a numbered street name?

Some street names are actually numbers (e.g., FIRST ST or 24TH ST). Our suggestion is to try both the number and the spelled out versions for the street name.

For the examples above, try "FIRST" and "1ST" or "TWENTY FOURTH" and "24TH".

Why is the account on the maps, but is not found when searching the website?

In the process of entering new accounts into our system, we first create the maps for the parcels in our GIS (Geographic Information System). Later we enter all of the pertinent account information into our main appraisal system, which you can search on the website.

Due to the high volume of new subdivisions that are continuously filed in Harris County, we are sometimes behind in this process.

Why is an account on the website, but not found on a map?

In the process of adding, merging and splitting hundreds of accounts a day, an account can FIRST be maintained in the appraisal system before it is mapped in our GIS. In some cases, it may not be mapped due to an HCAD error.