A Texas trustee is regularly asked to prove the trust: a title company examining a sale, a lender refinancing trust property, a bank retitling an account. Handing over the full trust instrument answers the question at the cost of the family's privacy, because the dispositive terms, who ultimately takes and on what conditions, travel with it. Section 114.086 of the Texas Property Code supplies the alternative this form prepares: a certification of trust, signed by a currently acting trustee, that carries the administrative facts a third party legitimately requires and expressly omits the dispositive terms of the trust.

What the Certification Carries

The statute lists seven items: the trust's existence and the date the trust instrument was executed, the settlor's identity, the currently acting trustee and mailing address, the trustee's powers (stated specifically or by reference to the general powers of Chapter 113, Subchapter A), revocability and who holds a power to revoke, the authority of cotrustees, and the manner of vesting title to trust property. Section 114.086(c) adds one required sentence: the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner that would cause the representations in the certification to be incorrect. The form collects the seven items in numbered sections and performs the certification in a single operative paragraph the trustee signs before a notary.

Reliance the Statute Enforces

What gives the certification its force is the reliance structure built around it. A person who acts in reliance on a certification without knowledge that its representations are incorrect is not liable and may assume without inquiry the facts it contains, and a good faith counterparty may enforce the transaction against the trust property as if the representations were correct. The statute also polices the other side of the exchange: a recipient may require excerpts from the trust instrument showing the trustee's designation and power to act in the pending transaction, but a person who demands the entire trust instrument on top of a certification or those excerpts is liable for damages where a court finds the demand was not made in good faith.

Built for the County Records

No statute conditions the certification on recording, but a certification connected to real property is commonly placed of record so later title examiners find it. The form is built for that path. It carries a notarial acknowledgment, which qualifies it for recording under Property Code Section 12.001(a); an optional section identifying the property by county and legal description, so the recorded instrument indexes against the parcel; and a printed statement that the certification is not a conveyance and transfers no interest in real property. Because Section 114.086(b) lets any trustee sign, the form provides a signature block and a separate acknowledgment certificate for one trustee and for a cotrustee who joins.

What Arrives in the Download

The package contains the certification as a fillable PDF formatted to Texas recording standards, a completed example filled in for a realistic Travis County fact pattern, and a plain language guide covering every numbered section, the signing formalities, and recording, including the photo identification requirement at the recording counter for documents presented in person on or after December 4, 2025. The materials are informational and are not legal advice; a Texas attorney can apply Section 114.086 to a particular trust or transaction.

How to Use This Form

Select your county from the list above
Download the county-specific form
Fill in the required information
Have the document notarized if required
Record with your county recorder's office

What Others Like You Are Saying

— Lois S.

"This website made it easy to quickly research what was recorded/released on the title of my home."

— Jackson J.

"Thank you for your help the website is simple and easy to use and dealing with this county for the 1…"

— Title H.

"THIS SERVICE IS DIFFICULT TO USE AND TROUBLESOME, IN MY PROFESSIOBAL OPINION; a true NUGHTMARE! As a…"

— Julie P.

"Quick & easy to use. Spoke a lawyer and saved hundreds by doing it myself."

— PATRICK C.

"Fast, honest company Worth every penny! DO IT YOURSELF SAVE THOUSANDS"

Common Uses for Certification of Trust

Notify third parties of a trust's interest in real property
Distribute inherited property among multiple heirs
Provide proof of trust existence without disclosing trust terms
Transfer property from a trust to a beneficiary
Facilitate the sale of trust-held real estate
Transfer property from a deceased person's estate

Compare other Texas deed forms and documents

General Warranty Deed (Individual Grantor) Transfer on Death Deed (Individual) Revocation of Transfer on Death Deed (Individual) Affidavit of Death (Transfer on Death Deed Beneficiary) Administrator Deed (Independent Administrator) Easement Deed (Ingress and Egress) Deed Without Warranty (Individual) Appointment and Acceptance of Successor Trustee (Recordable) Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Individual) Affidavit of Death of Life Tenant (Enhanced Life Estate Deed) Disclaimer of Interest by Transfer on Death Deed Beneficiary (Individual) Deed Without Warranty (Two Grantors) Transfer on Death Deed (Joint Owners with Right of Survivorship) Revocation of Transfer on Death Deed (Joint Owners) General Warranty Deed (Joint Grantors) Easement Deed (In Gross - Utility) Certification of Trust (Single Trustee) Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Gift Deed Without Warranty Gift Deed Special Warranty Transfer on Death Deed (Community Property with Right of Survivorship) Release of Easement Certification of Trust (Sworn Certification) Enhanced Life Estate (Lady Bird) Deed (Joint Owners with Right of Survivorship) Special Warranty Deed (Individual Grantor) Special Warranty Deed (Joint Grantors) Grant Deed (Individual Grantor) Grant Deed (Joint Grantors) Quitclaim Deed Correction Deed Deed Without Warranty (Signed by Attorney-in-Fact) Enhanced Life Estate Deed - Lady Bird Deed (Individual by Attorney-in-Fact) Community Property Survivorship Agreement Revocation of Community Property Survivorship Agreement General Warranty Deed (Executed by Attorney-in-Fact) Executor Deed (Independent Executor) Personal Representative Deed Under Court Order Affidavit of Heirship Heirship Deed (Special Warranty by Heirs) Disclaimer of Interest Trustee Deed Mineral Deed (General Warranty) Mineral Deed (No Warranty) Mineral Deed (Special Warranty) Royalty Deed Specific Power of Attorney for the Purchase of Property Specific Power of Attorney for the Sale of Property Statutory Durable Power of Attorney General Warranty Deed with Vendor Lien (Individual Grantor) Demand for Payment Notice of Contractual Retainage Notice of Specially Manufactured Materials Preliminary Notice to Original Contractor Preliminary Notice to Owner and Original Contractor Affidavit of Lien Request for Information from Owner Request for Information from Subcontractor Request for Information from Original Contractor Conditional Waiver and Release on Progress Payment Conditional Waiver and Release on Final Payment Unconditional Waiver on Progress Payment Unconditional Waiver on Final Payment Release of Lien Contract for Deed Memorandum of Contract Deed of Trust and Promissory Note General Warranty Deed with Vendors Lien (Third-Party Lender) Release of Lien - by Deed of Trust and Note Appointment of Substitute Trustee for Deed of Trust Assignment of Deed of Trust Collateral Assignment of Note and Liens (Security Agreement) Release of Collateral Transfer of Note and Lien Collateral Assignment of Leases, Rents and Rights Release of Collateral Assignment of Leases and Rents Lis Pendens Lis Pendens Release

Important: County-Specific Forms

Our certification of trust forms are specifically formatted for each county in Texas.

After selecting your county, you'll receive forms that meet all local recording requirements, ensuring your documents will be accepted without delays or rejection fees.

Back to Texas Forms