Harris County Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Texas Estates Code Chapter 114 lets an individual name one or more beneficiaries to receive the owner's interest in Texas land or a home at death through a revocable transfer on death deed.1

During the owner's life, the deed does not give the beneficiary a present ownership interest. The owner can sell or mortgage the property, keep applicable homestead and tax rights, and revoke the deed through a valid recorded instrument.1

The deed applies to the property interest it describes. It does not transfer bank accounts, vehicles, personal belongings, business interests, or real estate omitted from the document.

The deed must contain the essential elements and formalities of a recordable deed, state that the transfer occurs at the owner's death, be acknowledged by the owner, and be recorded before death in the deed records of the county where the property is located.1

For Harris County property, confirm the current deed copy and legal description through the Harris County Clerk, then record the completed instrument in the Harris County real-property records. A street address alone is not a substitute for the correct legal description.

Review every owner, beneficiary, alternate beneficiary, legal description, signature, acknowledgment, and return-address field before recording. Keep the recorded instrument and file number with the estate-planning records.

1. Get the current recorded deedConfirm the owner names and complete legal description.
2. Choose primary and alternate beneficiariesUse complete legal names and decide how multiple beneficiaries will take.
3. Sign and acknowledge the deedThe owner signs with the required notarization.
4. Record before deathFile in the county where the property is located and keep the recording details.

The beneficiary should obtain a certified death certificate, locate the recorded deed, confirm the property record, and follow the county recording and title process needed to document the transfer.

The beneficiary still needs to address the mortgage, liens, taxes, insurance, occupancy, maintenance, creditor claims, co-owner interests, and other estate issues. The deed names who receives the interest; it does not manage those obligations.

Keep the recorded deed, death proof, title filing, tax correspondence, insurance records, and sale or distribution documents together. Those records may also matter for accounting and tax work.

Probate or another route may still be needed for property not covered by the recorded deed, other asset types, an invalid or unrecorded instrument, a beneficiary who did not survive as required, disputed title, conflicting ownership, or estate obligations that require court authority.

A trust only controls property moved into it. A beneficiary designation only controls the named account or asset. Joint ownership depends on the ownership form. Review the estate asset by asset rather than assuming one document settles everything.

If the owner has already died, do not create or backdate a transfer on death deed. Confirm the document and title that actually existed at death, then identify the lawful transfer route.

Alix manages Harris County estate settlement from start to finish, with legal support included. Your Estate Settlement Specialist owns the broader plan across accounts, property, bills, taxes, records, and beneficiary updates.

A licensed attorney handles the legal work required for Texas property transfer and probate, including advice, filings, hearings, and court responses. The court work and the operational work stay on one plan, so an accepted filing does not leave you to manage the rest of the estate alone.

You stay involved in the decisions only you can make. Alix handles the institution follow-up, property work, creditor records, tax documents, beneficiary communication, and closing work needed after the court grants authority.

Alix reviews the ownership and beneficiary records for each asset, identifies what can transfer outside probate, and connects that result to the work still required across the home, mortgage, insurance, utilities, accounts, creditor records, taxes, documentation, and beneficiaries.