How to request public records in Guadalupe County, Seguin and Schertz

For residents seeking county, Seguin or Schertz records, the first step is finding the office that holds them; Schertz explains its ten-business-day response process.

By Guadalupe.News Government Desk · Source-linked local reporting

Published October 24, 2026 at 7:44 AM CDT3 min read

Official records guide

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A blank sheet in an envelope sits below three branching arrows pointing to separate civic buildings. — Illustration: A written records request branches toward three government offices.Original editorial illustration; not a photograph and does not depict the reported event or an exact property.Guadalupe.News Visual Desk · Original illustration · Source ↗ · Guadalupe.News original illustration ↗

To request public records, send a written request for existing information to the Guadalupe County office or city that holds it.

Guadalupe County says the Texas Public Information Act applies when a person makes a written request to a governmental body. Schertz likewise requires a written request and offers an online submission route.

From the source record

County records guidanceStart with the office that holds the record

Before submitting your public information request, it is important to determine the appropriate elected official or county department responsible for the information you need.

Guadalupe County ↗

Guadalupe County directs requesters to the elected official or department responsible for the records.

Residents in Guadalupe County, Seguin and Schertz have different starting points for requests, and Schertz offers an online portal that tracks them. The county directs people to the elected official or department responsible for the records. Seguin's transparency page points people with general open-records questions to the City Secretary. Schertz says requesters can track status, pay online and receive records through its portal.

1. Identify the agency and the record

Start by naming the existing document or information you want and the office likely to hold it. The county's records page lists contacts for offices including the County Clerk, Elections Office, Purchasing Department, Road and Bridge Department and Sheriff's Office. It says county departments and elected officials are custodians of their records. If the right county office is unclear, the page says to call the main operator at 830-303-4188 for direction.

Ask for records, rather than an explanation or a newly prepared report. The county says the Act does not require an office to create information, do legal research or answer questions. Schertz says the same about questions, legal research and new information, and says the request should identify details such as a name, address, date range and subject matter when relevant. Those details can help an office locate the record you mean.

2. Send it through the right route

Use the county office list when seeking county records; it gives addresses, phone numbers and, for some offices, an email address or request form. For general Seguin open-records questions, its transparency page directs residents to the City Secretary at 830-401-2468. That page does not specify a separate police-records submission route. If the record concerns Seguin police, ask the City Secretary which route applies before sending it to an assumed address.

For Schertz city records, the city's page says a requester may submit in writing through its online portal or obtain a paper request at the City Secretary's Office, 1400 Schertz Parkway, Building 2. The office can be reached at 210-619-1030. The same page separately lists Police Records at 1400 Schertz Parkway, Building 6, and 210-619-1200. If you need that type of record, use those contacts to confirm the appropriate submission route.

Starting points and response information stated on the three official pages reviewed
Agency	Where to start	Timing or tracking on the page
Guadalupe County	Responsible elected official or department; main operator: 830-303-4188	No response deadline or tracking method specified
Seguin	City Secretary for general open-records questions: 830-401-2468	No response deadline or tracking method specified
Schertz	Online portal or City Secretary's Office: 210-619-1030	Portal tracks status; page explains a ten-business-day response process

The Seguin transparency page does not establish a police-records submission route. The three pages do not state a fixed fee for a particular request.

3. Track the response and possible charges

Schertz says its portal lets requesters track a request, make payments and receive records in one place. Its page says the city has ten business days to respond, give an expected response date, seek clarification or ask the Texas Attorney General for a ruling on withholding information; weekends and city holidays are excluded. That is a response process, not a promise that every record will be released within ten business days. The page gives no fixed charge for a particular request.

The county page and Seguin transparency page do not specify a response deadline, tracking method or charge for a particular request. Keep a copy of what you submitted and ask the receiving office about any charge or status question. To find the next contact, use the county's office directory on its public-information page, Seguin's City Secretary contact on its transparency page, or Schertz's City Secretary contact and portal instructions on its open-records page.

How to request public records in Guadalupe County, Seguin and Schertz

1. Identify the agency and the record

2. Send it through the right route

3. Track the response and possible charges

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