Navigate Freestone CAD Records From First Search to Verified Next Step
Freestone County records can include homes, rural acreage, agricultural and timber land, mineral interests, manufactured housing, business assets and properties divided among school or city jurisdictions.
This guide shows how to use every official search tab, understand the property result, find a tract without a normal address, prepare exemption or special-appraisal forms, build a protest, confirm the correct tax collector and locate deeds or liens through the County Clerk.
Basic, owner, property, all-criteria and advanced searches.
Official CAD page currently displays tax-year 2025 rates.
Don Awalt, RPA, CTA and CCA.
903-389-5510 for appraisal-record assistance.
Portals and local contacts checked July 28, 2026.
What are you trying to resolve in the Freestone County record?
This browser helper runs locally and does not transmit an owner name, address, property ID or appraisal information.
Find owner, property ID, values, exemptions, acreage, legal description and taxing entities.
Follow the search walkthroughAbstract, geographic ID, legal description and acreage can work better than an address.
Prepare rural-land recordsFreestone CAD controls appraisal value, property characteristics and exemption processing.
Decode the appraisal valuesSearch the collection record and confirm every taxing entity and tax year before paying.
Use the payment checklistRegister, obtain the property PIN when needed and preserve the filing confirmation.
Build a protest fileThe CAD owner display is not a substitute for a recorded deed, lien or plat.
Search official documentsSearch Freestone CAD without choosing the wrong parcel
Use the Freestone property-search screenshot as a click guide
Understand what the appraisal record does—and does not—prove
| Field | What it helps identify | What it does not prove | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property ID | The appraisal account connected to the displayed taxable property. | That adjacent land, minerals or another improvement are included. | List every related property ID separately. |
| Owner name | The owner currently displayed for appraisal administration. | Complete legal title or every ownership interest. | Compare the recorded deed or probate documents. |
| Geographic ID | A location-based identifier useful for parcel and map research. | A surveyed boundary or legal ownership. | Match it with the map, deed and survey. |
| Legal description | The abstract, survey, tract, subdivision, lot or block used in the appraisal record. | That abbreviated CAD wording is sufficient for a legal instrument. | Read the complete recorded deed or plat. |
| Acreage | The acreage used for appraisal administration. | Surveyed acreage, fence position or access rights. | Use a licensed surveyor when precision matters. |
| Category or property type | Residential, agricultural, timber, commercial, mineral or another appraisal classification. | That every related account uses the same classification. | Search all relevant property types. |
| Market value | The district’s estimate of market value for the displayed appraisal year. | Taxable value, purchase price or tax due. | Compare appraisal limits and exemptions. |
| Appraised value | The value after an applicable cap, limitation or special appraisal. | That the market value is correct or cannot be protested. | Review market and appraised values separately. |
| Exemptions | Benefits shown for the appraisal account. | That every taxing unit grants the same amount. | Review taxable value for each entity. |
| Taxing entities | The county, city, school or hospital districts associated with the account. | That every entity uses one collector or one taxable value. | Match the final tax statement and collection record. |
Fix a Freestone CAD search that returns no useful result
| Problem | Likely reason | What to try |
|---|---|---|
| Full owner name fails | Surname-first format, initials, spouse, trust, estate or company suffix. | Search the surname or main business word only. |
| Address search fails | County-road wording, highway format, rural route, abbreviation or no ordinary situs address. | Use the street name, property ID, owner, abstract, legal description or map. |
| Rural tract is unclear | The land may be indexed by abstract, survey, geographic ID or a larger legal tract. | Use By Property or Advanced Search and compare the interactive map. |
| Mineral account is missing | The interest may use another owner, lease, operator, agent or separate account. | Use the mineral property type, lease name, lease number and owner variations. |
| Business account is missing | The record may use a DBA, legal entity, agent or prior business name. | Select personal property and use the owner or agent filters. |
| New buyer is not displayed | The deed or appraisal ownership update may still be processing. | Verify recording through the County Clerk and provide the instrument information to CAD. |
| Too many matches appear | The owner has several accounts or the search terms are too broad. | Add property type, property ID, tax year, abstract, subdivision or geographic ID. |
| Tax bill differs from CAD value | Certified values, exemptions, entity rates, penalties, payments or a prior-year balance affect the bill. | Match the appraisal year and ask the Tax Office about the collection account. |
Use the map for parcel context—not a legal boundary decision
The map is particularly helpful for acreage, county-road property, timber land, mineral locations, adjoining tracts and properties that do not have a reliable street address.
Follow the Freestone property value to the final tax account
The district’s estimate of what the property would sell for under normal market conditions as of January 1.
The value after an applicable homestead limitation, special appraisal or other statutory restriction.
The entity-specific amount remaining after applicable exemptions and appraisal treatment.
Use the property’s exact Freestone taxing entities
As of July 2026, local tax-year 2026 rates have not all completed the normal adoption process. Freestone CAD currently publishes tax-year 2025 rates, which were used for bills issued after the 2025 rate process.
| Taxing entity | Rate per $100 taxable value | Local check |
|---|---|---|
| Freestone County | $0.333500 | County line on the individual tax account. |
| City of Fairfield | $0.351747 | Confirm the parcel is inside the city taxing boundary. |
| City of Streetman | $0.292409 | Streetman is split with Navarro CAD. |
| City of Teague | $0.543805 | Compare the city and Teague ISD account lines. |
| City of Wortham | $0.581698 | Wortham ISD also crosses appraisal-district boundaries. |
| Buffalo ISD | $1.110500 | The district is split with Leon CAD. |
| Fairfield ISD | $0.971600 | The district is split with Navarro CAD. |
| Oakwood ISD | $0.881300 | The district is split with Leon CAD. |
| Corsicana ISD | $0.862000 | The district is split with Navarro CAD. |
| Dew ISD | $0.757500 | Match the school entity on the tax record. |
| Teague ISD | $0.669200 | Compare the taxable value used by the school. |
| Wortham ISD | $0.852960 | The district is split with Limestone and Navarro CADs. |
| Mexia ISD | $1.089700 | The district is split with Limestone CAD. |
| Fairfield Hospital District | $0.134323 | The district is split with Navarro CAD. |
| Teague Hospital District | $0.054186 | Use the entity line shown on the property account. |
Educational estimate only. Each entity may use a different taxable value, and the tax account can include credits, prior years, penalty, interest or collection costs.
File the correct Freestone CAD exemption and verify the result
The official forms page includes residence-homestead, disabled-veteran and Spanish homestead applications. Other state forms are available through the Texas Comptroller.
Do not assume the seller’s homestead limitation, senior benefit or exemption automatically transfers after closing.
Review exemption, school-tax ceiling, deferral and eligible instalment rules as separate benefits.
Use the appropriate veteran form and attach the official rating or survivor documentation requested by the form.
Document qualifying land use—not simply ownership or acreage
Freestone CAD publishes open-space agricultural, timber-land, wildlife-management and agricultural-use-history forms. Its records page also provides local agricultural intensity standards and open-space value-calculation information.
Document the type, degree and history of agricultural use and compare the operation with Freestone CAD’s published local intensity standards.
Prepare timber type, stand age, management, planting, thinning, harvest, access and production records.
Confirm prior qualification, submit a compliant plan and preserve evidence of the required wildlife-management practices.
Separate the taxable interest from the surface parcel
Furniture, machinery, equipment, computers and inventory can have a separate account from the land or building.
A mineral account may use another owner, lease name, lease number or agent from the surface real-estate record.
Freestone CAD states that mineral, utility and industrial accounts are appraised under contract by Pritchard & Abbott.
Business rendition preparation
Mineral search workflow
Track application, protest, rate and payment deadlines separately
Build a Freestone CAD protest around the exact appraisal issue
| Property type | Useful evidence | Common weak evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Single-family residence | Dated condition photographs, repair estimates, measurements, inspections and similar sales. | Mortgage balance or a statement that taxes are unaffordable. |
| Rural land and improvements | Survey, access, terrain, utilities, land use, improvements and genuinely comparable rural sales. | A distant listing with different access, use or improvements. |
| Vacant lot | Location, size, frontage, utilities, flood constraints, access and comparable lot sales. | Improved-property sales that include houses or commercial buildings. |
| Manufactured housing | Make, model, year, size, condition, ownership documents and comparable manufactured homes. | Site-built-house sales without meaningful adjustments. |
| Agricultural or timber | Use history, intensity, production, leases, management, maps and dated photographs. | Acreage ownership without proof of qualifying use. |
| Business or mineral | Asset, cost, age, condition, production, decline, operator and ownership records. | An unsupported total value without account-level details. |
Pay through the collection account—not the appraisal record
Units currently listed by the Freestone County Tax Office
Freestone County and the cities of Fairfield, Streetman, Teague and Wortham.
Buffalo, Dew, Fairfield, Oakwood, Teague and Wortham school districts are listed on the tax site.
Fairfield Hospital District and Teague Hospital District are listed among collected jurisdictions.
Track proposed rates before the final bill is issued
Freestone CAD provides a direct property-tax transparency database. It is updated during the normal rate-setting period as local governing bodies propose and adopt rates.
Use the Freestone County Clerk for legal property records
The County Clerk preserves deeds, deeds of trust, tax liens, affidavits, UCC records, assumed names and other real-property documents. Its land records are indexed and imaged online from 1933 to the present.
The Clerk currently states that online land-record printing is $1 per page and requires a credit card.
The published real-property recording fee is $25 for the first page and $4 for each additional page.
The Clerk offers a free alert that can notify a subscriber when a document containing the registered name is recorded.
Register for property alertsAdjust the workflow to the Freestone County property
Compare county, City of Fairfield, Fairfield ISD and Fairfield Hospital District taxable values separately.
Check City of Teague, Teague ISD and Teague Hospital District lines and confirm each exemption.
Confirm county boundaries because Wortham ISD and Streetman cross appraisal-district jurisdictions.
Verify the appraisal district and tax collector because both districts extend into another county.
Save the acreage, legal description, intensity evidence, leases, production records and agricultural-use history.
Maintain management plans, activity records, photographs, receipts and annual or tri-annual reports.
Search every lease and ownership variation rather than relying on the surface property record.
Verify the deed, owner update, mailing address, exemption eligibility and every separate property ID.
Search the deceased owner, estate and heirs, then compare probate and deed records with all CAD accounts.
Contact the Freestone County office that controls the issue
Use for property search, appraisal value, exemptions, agricultural or timber appraisal, renditions, maps, property details and protests.
218 N. Mount StreetFairfield, Texas 75840
903-389-5510
Fax: 903-389-5955
general.info@freestonecad.org
Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Chief Appraiser: Don Awalt
Deputy Chief Appraiser: Jason Moore
Business Property: Tina Gilley-Lee
Ownership, Mapping and GIS: Melissa Marberry
Send applications, renditions and general questions to the district’s general information email.
Review official staff contactsUse for tax statements, balances, online payment, receipts, penalty, interest and collection questions.
305 Commerce StreetFairfield, Texas 75840
Mailing:
P.O. Box 257
Fairfield, TX 75840
Tax Assessor-Collector: Daniel M. Ralstin
903-389-2336
Fax: 903-389-6533
dralstin@freestonetax.org
Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM–4:00 PM
Use for deeds, deeds of trust, tax liens, affidavits, plats, UCC records and official copies.
103 E. Main StreetFairfield, Texas 75840
Mailing:
P.O. Box 1010
Fairfield, TX 75840
County Clerk: Renee Gregory
903-389-2635
Fax: 903-389-6956
Hours:
Monday–Thursday: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Friday: 8:00 AM–4:30 PM
Filing cut-off: 4:30 PM Monday–Thursday and 4:00 PM Friday.
Use for non-value-related access questions, process concerns, ARB complaints and taxpayer-assistance information.
Bobbi Shepherd
tlo@freestonecad.org
The TLO receives mail through 218 N. Mount Street but does not maintain an office at Freestone CAD.
Use the ARB information page for 2026 hearing rules, pre-hearing guidance, protest forms and hearing evidence.
Open ARB InformationOpen the exact Freestone County property resource
Owner, property ID, geographic ID, legal, lease, acreage and value searches.
Open CAD searchRural location, parcel context and adjoining-property research.
Open CAD mapHomestead, veteran, agriculture, timber, wildlife, rendition and address forms.
Open formsRegister, request a property PIN and manage eligible appraisal protests.
Open protest accessAg standards, value calculations, reports, certified rolls and downloadable data.
Open data centreSearch tax due, taxing entities, prior years and official payment access.
Open tax accountProperty-specific proposed and adopted tax information and email updates.
Open tax transparencyCounty Clerk land-record search, copies, recordings and property alerts.
Open County ClerkHow this Freestone County guide was rebuilt
Freestone County Appraisal District FAQs
What is the official Freestone County Appraisal District website?
The official website is freestonecad.org. It provides property search, interactive maps, forms, online protest access, reports, published tax rates and local contact information.
How do I search Freestone County property records?
Open the official property search and use an owner name, owner ID, property ID or address. By Property, All Criteria and Advanced Search provide additional fields for geographic ID, legal description, abstract, subdivision, lease, acreage, value and property type.
How do I find rural land without a normal street address?
Use the owner name, property ID, geographic ID, abstract, legal description, subdivision or acreage filters. The interactive map can help identify the general tract, but its parcel lines are not a legal survey.
Can I apply for a Freestone County homestead exemption online?
Freestone CAD provides downloadable exemption forms and online account access. The homestead application must include a driver licence copy or other information required by the application instructions and Texas law.
Where do I apply for agricultural, timber or wildlife appraisal?
Use the Freestone CAD forms page. It includes open-space agricultural, timber-land, wildlife-management and agricultural-use-history forms. Qualification depends on documented use and statutory requirements.
What is the Freestone County property-tax protest deadline?
The ordinary deadline is May 15 or 30 days after the Notice of Appraised Value is delivered, whichever is later. Follow the exact deadline printed on the individual notice.
How do I file a Freestone CAD protest online?
Use Freestone CAD’s online protest system. Register with an email address and request the property’s online account PIN when needed. Select every applicable protest reason and save the submission confirmation.
Where do I pay Freestone County property taxes?
Use freestonetax.org. Search the tax account, verify the collector, property, taxing entities and tax year, then use the official Pay Taxes Online option. Split jurisdictions may require additional collector verification.
Who handles Freestone County deeds and property liens?
The Freestone County Clerk records deeds, deeds of trust, tax liens, affidavits, UCC records and other property documents. Online land records are indexed and imaged from 1933 to the present.
Where is Freestone Central Appraisal District located?
Freestone Central Appraisal District is located at 218 N. Mount Street, Fairfield, Texas 75840. Published hours are Monday through Thursday from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. The telephone number is 903-389-5510.