Fort Bend County, Texas
29 local notes for Fort Bend County — practical, plain-English, and pointed at the official source to confirm. Houston / Upper Gulf Coast.
See the Sugar Land place page ->Money & Taxes
Property Tax Basics
Two offices handle your property tax in Fort Bend County
The appraisal district sets your home's value; the tax assessor-collector sends the bill and takes payment.
Homestead Exemption
How to apply for a homestead exemption in Fort Bend County
Homeowners who live in their home as their main residence can apply with FBCAD to lower the taxable value.
Municipal Utility Districts
Many Fort Bend neighborhoods are inside a MUD
Municipal Utility Districts (MUDs) are special taxing districts that built and now run water, sewer, and drainage in many subdivisions.
Ag Valuation
Agricultural land in Fort Bend can be taxed at a lower rate
Land used for farming or ranching may qualify for a lower tax value based on what it can produce, not what it would sell for.
Appraisal Protest
You have the right to protest your Fort Bend County property appraisal
If you think FBCAD valued your home too high, you can file a protest and make your case to an independent review board.
Senior & Disability Exemptions
Seniors and disabled homeowners in Fort Bend can get extra property tax relief
Homeowners who are 65 or older or who are certified as disabled may qualify for additional exemptions that lower their property tax bill.
Home & Property
Groundwater & Subsidence
Most water wells in Fort Bend County need a permit
The Fort Bend Subsidence District regulates groundwater wells to stop land sinking that makes flooding worse.
Flood Risk
Fort Bend County flood maps were updated after a major mapping project
Flood Insurance Rate Maps for Fort Bend County were revised after a five-year study; look up your address before you buy.
River Flooding
The Brazos River is the main flood threat in Fort Bend County
The Brazos River runs diagonally through the county and can flood widely after heavy rain, especially in low-lying areas near the river.
Neighborhoods
Fort Bend County has many large master-planned communities
Large planned communities like Greatwood, Sienna Plantation, and Sugar Creek are common in Fort Bend County and usually come with HOAs and MUD taxes.
Mineral Rights
Mineral rights can be owned separately from the land in Fort Bend County
In Texas, the owner of oil and gas beneath a property may be a different person from the owner of the land surface.
Subsidence Risk
Land sinking from groundwater pumping made flooding worse in parts of Fort Bend County
Decades of heavy groundwater pumping caused parts of the Houston-Fort Bend area to sink, increasing flood risk.
Cars & Driving
Hurricane Evacuation
Fort Bend County is a pass-through route during coastal hurricane evacuations
Fort Bend County is not a coastal evacuation zone, but it carries heavy evacuation traffic from the coast during major storms.
Vehicle Registration
Vehicle registration in Fort Bend County uses Two Steps, One Sticker
Fort Bend County is in the Houston area emissions testing zone, so vehicles must pass an emissions test before registration renewal.
Outdoors
State Park
Brazos Bend State Park offers 37 miles of trails 45 miles from Houston
Brazos Bend State Park in southern Fort Bend County has hiking, fishing, camping, and live alligators in the lakes.
Fishing
You do not need a fishing license inside Brazos Bend State Park
Fishing from the shore or pier inside Brazos Bend State Park does not require a Texas fishing license.
Hunting
Brazos Bend State Park offers limited drawn hunts
Hunters can apply for drawn hunts at Brazos Bend State Park through the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Astronomy
The George Observatory at Brazos Bend State Park opens Saturday nights for stargazing
A public observatory inside Brazos Bend State Park lets visitors look through professional telescopes on Saturday nights year-round.
Rules & Licenses
City Limits & ETJ
Much of Fort Bend County is unincorporated — rules differ outside city limits
Outside city limits, county rules apply; inside city limits or a city's ETJ, additional city rules may also apply.
Emergency Preparedness
Fort Bend residents who need evacuation help can register with STEAR
People who cannot evacuate on their own during a disaster can register in advance with the State Texas Emergency Assistance Registry.
Water & Wastewater
Fort Bend County regulates water and wastewater connections in unincorporated areas
Outside city limits in Fort Bend County, the county sets rules for how you hook up to water and sewer.
History & Culture
County Origins
Fort Bend County was founded in 1837 and named for a bend in the Brazos River
Fort Bend County gets its name from a small cabin settlement built near a sharp curve in the Brazos River in the 1820s.
Plantation History
Fort Bend County was one of Texas's major plantation and slavery counties
By 1860, Fort Bend County had more enslaved people than white residents, making it one of the heaviest slaveholding counties in Texas.
Reconstruction & Race
The Jaybird-Woodpecker War in 1889 ended Black political power in Fort Bend
A violent political conflict in 1889 led to the exclusion of Black voters from Fort Bend County politics for more than 60 years.
Immigration History
German, Austrian, and Czech immigrants settled small farms in Fort Bend County in the 1890s
About 400 Central European immigrants moved to Fort Bend County between 1890 and 1900, founding towns like Beasley and Needville.
Oil & Gas History
Oil was discovered in Fort Bend County in 1919
Gulf Oil drilled the county's first producing oil well in 1919, adding petroleum to a county economy built on sugar and cotton.
County Seat
Richmond has been Fort Bend County's seat since 1838
Richmond on the Brazos River has served as the county seat since 1838 and is where county government offices are located.
City History
Sugar Land grew from a sugar plantation company town into a major suburb
The city of Sugar Land traces its roots to a 19th-century sugar plantation and the Imperial Sugar Company that once dominated the area.
Reconstruction Era
Black residents held major county offices in Fort Bend during Reconstruction
After the Civil War, African Americans won elected office in Fort Bend County as sheriff, commissioner, and justice of the peace.