Reviewed and updated October 4, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link on this page was opened and checked against the office's own website at review time.
Bay City is a city in Matagorda County, Texas, with about 17,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). Its public records are split between the city and the county. The city keeps council records and its own licenses and permits; court cases, jail bookings, deeds and vital records are county or state records. This guide names the Bay City offices SearchSystems verified, links to each one's own website and gives the phone number and address where the office publishes them. SearchSystems verified 2 city office pages for Bay City, every one opened and checked.
In this guide: City or county, City Hall, Records requests and Questions.
City or county record: where Bay City records are kept
- Kept by the City of Bay City: council and board meeting records, ordinances and the city's own licenses and permits.
- Kept by Matagorda County or the state: court cases, jail bookings, deeds and property values and birth and death certificates. These are not city records; they are in the Matagorda County public records guide under court records, jail lookups, property records and vital records.
Bay City City Hall: departments, licenses and permits
Business licenses, building permits, code enforcement cases and the city's other records are kept by the department that issued them. The city's own website below lists its departments and how to reach them.
- Website: baycitytx.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/City-Hall-Council-Chamber... (page title: Facilities, City Hall Council Chambers)
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
Public records requests to Bay City
Texas public records law applies to the city government of Bay City. The city runs one records request page for its departments; it is the page below, verified by SearchSystems. A request that names a date, an address, or a report or case number is the easiest to answer.
- Website: baycitytx.gov/402/Open-Records (page title: Public Information | Open Records Requests | Bay City, TX)
- Phone: 979-245-8500
- Address: 2201 Avenue H Bay City, TX 77414
- Checked: September 25, 2026, the page answered.
A record the request page does not cover is asked for from the office that holds it: the department that issued a permit or license for its records.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the official Bay City website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records directory, online since 1997. It links to the official Bay City offices listed above, and the city's own website is baycitytx.gov; SearchSystems does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.
Where do I find court records or jail bookings for Bay City?
Bay City cases are heard by the courts that serve Matagorda County, and people arrested in Bay City are usually booked into the county jail. Both are covered in the Matagorda County public records guide on SearchSystems.
How do I request a public record from Bay City?
Through the city's records request page at baycitytx.gov/402/Open-Records, phone 979-245-8500. A record it does not cover is requested from the office that holds it: the department that issued a permit or license for its records.