Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Harris County, TX Public Services, available through harristx.org, handles information when visitors use the website. The website is an independent informational resource that helps users locate tools, public records, agency information, contact details, and frequently asked questions related to services in Harris County, Texas. It is not operated by Harris County, a court, a law enforcement agency, or any other government entity.

By accessing or using this website, visitors acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Visitors who do not agree with these practices should discontinue use of the website.

Information We Do Not Actively Collect

Harris County, TX Public Services does not require visitors to create an account, register for access, or submit personal information to use the website. The website does not actively request or collect personal details such as a visitor’s name, telephone number, email address, residential address, government identification number, financial information, or account credentials.

Visitors should not submit sensitive or confidential information through the website. The website does not process applications, public-record requests, court filings, tax payments, permit requests, voter registrations, vehicle registrations, credit union transactions, or other government or financial transactions. Those activities must be completed through the responsible agency or service provider.

Information Collected Automatically

Some information may be collected automatically when a visitor accesses the website. This information may include:

Internet Protocol address or an abbreviated version of it
Device type and operating system
Browser type and browser settings
Approximate geographic area
Pages viewed and links selected
Date, time, and duration of visits
Referring and exit pages
General website interaction and performance data
Cookie identifiers and similar technical information

This information is generally used in an aggregated or technical form. It helps evaluate website traffic, identify commonly viewed resources, detect technical problems, and improve navigation and functionality.

Google Analytics

The website uses Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with its pages. Google Analytics may use cookies, device identifiers, browser information, and similar technologies to collect data about website use. This may include information about sessions, page views, traffic sources, device categories, and general visitor activity.

The purpose of using Google Analytics is to measure website performance, evaluate search and navigation patterns, identify useful content, and improve the visitor experience. Information generated through Google Analytics may be processed by Google according to Google’s own privacy practices and service terms.

Visitors may be able to limit analytics collection by adjusting browser settings, blocking cookies, using privacy-focused browser features, or installing tools that restrict analytics tracking. Blocking analytics technologies may not prevent access to the website, although certain features or measurements may not operate as intended.

Google AdSense and Advertising

The website uses Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google and its advertising partners may use cookies or similar technologies to show, measure, personalize, and evaluate advertisements. Advertising technologies may collect information about a visitor’s browser, device, general location, interactions with advertisements, and visits to this or other websites.

Advertisements displayed on the website are provided by third parties. Harris County, TX Public Services does not control every advertisement, advertiser, product, service, destination page, or data practice associated with an advertisement. The appearance of an advertisement does not represent an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee by the website.

Visitors may have options to control personalized advertising through browser settings, device privacy controls, cookie settings, or advertising preference tools offered by Google and other advertising providers. Disabling personalized advertising does not necessarily prevent advertisements from appearing. Instead, advertisements may be selected using general factors such as page content or approximate location.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies are small data files stored on a visitor’s browser or device. The website and its service providers may use cookies, local storage, pixels, tags, scripts, or similar technologies for purposes such as:

Maintaining basic website functionality
Measuring page traffic and performance
Understanding how visitors navigate the website
Preventing fraud, abuse, or technical interference
Displaying and measuring advertisements
Remembering certain browser or consent preferences

Most browsers allow users to review, block, or delete cookies. Cookie controls vary by browser and device. Restricting cookies may affect analytics, advertising, saved preferences, or certain website features.

How Information Is Used

Automatically collected information may be used to operate, maintain, protect, and improve the website. Uses may include analyzing traffic trends, improving page organization, correcting errors, evaluating website speed, identifying security threats, preventing automated abuse, and determining which public-service topics are most useful to visitors.

The website does not use automatically collected information to make decisions about a visitor’s eligibility for government services, employment, housing, credit, insurance, public benefits, court access, or other legal rights.

Information Sharing

The website may allow service providers such as analytics, advertising, hosting, security, and technical-support companies to process information as needed to perform their services. These providers operate under their own terms, policies, and legal obligations.

Information may also be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law, respond to lawful legal process, protect website security, investigate misuse, enforce website terms, or protect the rights and safety of visitors, operators, or others.

The website does not sell personal information that visitors intentionally submit because it does not provide account registration or forms designed to collect such information. Advertising and analytics providers may process technical or usage information as described in this policy.

Third-Party Websites and Official Resources

The website may direct visitors to official government agencies, courts, public offices, financial institutions, or other external services. Once a visitor leaves harristx.org, the privacy practices of the destination website apply. External websites may collect personal information, require account registration, process payments, or use different cookies and tracking technologies.

Visitors should review the privacy policy and security information of any external website before submitting personal, financial, medical, legal, or identifying information. Harris County, TX Public Services is not responsible for the content, availability, security, or privacy practices of third-party websites.

Data Security and Retention

Reasonable administrative and technical measures may be used to protect the website and information processed through its systems. However, no internet transmission, hosting service, browser, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Analytics, advertising, hosting, and security providers may retain information according to their own retention settings, contractual requirements, and legal obligations. Aggregated or non-identifying information may be retained as needed to evaluate long-term website performance and improve content.

Children’s Privacy

The website is intended for a general audience and is not designed to collect personal information from children. Children should not submit personal information through the website. A parent or legal guardian who believes that a child has provided personal information should use the website’s contact page to request a review.

Visitor Privacy Choices

Visitors may manage privacy preferences by changing browser cookie settings, clearing stored cookies, enabling tracking protection, using private browsing features, or adjusting device advertising settings. Visitors may also choose not to select advertisements or external links.

Because browser signals and privacy controls may operate differently across technologies and service providers, the website cannot guarantee that every automated privacy signal will be recognized in the same manner.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be revised when website practices, technologies, service providers, or legal requirements change. Updates become effective when the revised policy is posted on the website. Visitors are encouraged to review this page periodically to understand the current privacy practices.

Privacy Questions

Questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy may be submitted through the contact page on harristx.org. Visitors should not include Social Security numbers, account credentials, court documents, medical records, financial information, or other sensitive personal information in a privacy inquiry.