FAQs

The County Judge is elected to a four-year term by the entire county and is required to maintain an office in the County Seat, Richmond, Texas. Four Commissioners, each elected from a quarter of the county’s population, serve along with the County Judge on Commissioners Court and are required to office within their precinct for a four year term. Every county in Texas has four precincts. You, as a voter, elect your Commissioners and County Judge. All decisions of the Court are made by majority vote of its members.

Yes, County Judges in the State of Texas can officiate and perform Marriage Ceremonies. The Historic County Courthouse is an excellent location for this special occasion. Please see the Wedding Policy webpage for additional details on how this process works.

The County Judge is the presiding officer and a voting member of Commissioners Court. In the role of presiding officer, the County Judge oversees all county government departments through the court's responsibility for approving annual budgets for the entire county. The County Judge, as an agent of the state, approves applications for beer, wine, and mixed beverage licenses. The County Judge also signs delayed birth and death certificates and may perform wedding ceremonies.

Commissioners Court approves the budgets of other Elected Officials, however the elected official retains all other control over their respective operations. They are responsible to you as a taxpayer and voter.

Concerns about District and County Court Judges can be made to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct at this address:

P.O. Box 12265
Austin, Texas 78711-2265
512-463-5533

The County Judge does not hold traffic court. There are five Justice of the Peace offices located throughout the county that are responsible for holding traffic court for tickets issued by county deputies and the local officers of the Department of Public Safety. Cities have the authority to issue traffic tickets and hold traffic court. Refer to your ticket to confirm which policing agency issued the citation.

The County Judge will respond to complaints concerning county departments. These departments will be notified of the complaint and allowed to respond before action is taken. If a department is governed by an elected official, you as a voter have the right to contact that elected official and voice your concerns directly. The County Judge will receive complaints on elected officials, but does not govern these offices, and will forward the complaint to the respective elected official for response. If your complaint concerns the actions of a member of the judiciary, the complaints may be sent in writing to the State Commission of Judicial Conduct, P.O. Box 12265, Austin, Texas 78711.

Please contact the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission. They are located at the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office at 1521 Eugene Heimann Circle - 2nd Floor, Richmond, TX 77469 and can be reached at 281-239-2607. They will provide you with a list of procedures to follow.

If you were not issued a certificate at the time of your birth, you will need to contact the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics in Austin to secure the paperwork to apply for a delayed birth certificate. Once Austin has denied issuing a birth certificate, they will tell you in a letter to go to the County Judge in your county of birth. You must have been born in Fort Bend County for the County Judge to approve issuing a certificate. This requires three forms of identification that show parent names, place of birth and date of birth. When you have gathered this information, call the County Judge's office to set a time for reviewing the documents and signing the petition.

Hardship driver's licenses are not issued by the county. These must be obtained through the Texas Department of Public Safety. Please call the local Department of Public Safety office to obtain a hardship license application.

Some employers require a "Consent for Employment" form to be signed by the parent or guardian of a minor under eighteen years of age. These forms can be picked up from the Office of the County Judge, at the following address:

401 Jackson Street 
Richmond, Texas 77469

Please read and fill out the application to use the seal.

Download Application [PDF]

Please read and fill out the online County Seal Usage form to request approval to use the seal.