Selling landlocked land in Texas

How Texas law handles land with no road access

Texas has no right to condemn a neighbor's land for access. A landlocked owner usually needs a negotiated easement or must prove an easement by necessity in court. A county may, at its discretion, open a public road.

Statutory route: No general statutory private condemnation; a county commissioners court may discretionarily open a public access road on a sworn application under Tex. Transp. Code 251.053.

Common-law route: Easement by necessity recognized; requires unity of ownership before severance and necessity at severance.

Law: Tex. Transp. Code 251.053. Court routes take time and cost money. Ask a local attorney.

Your options as a landlocked owner

• Ask a neighbor to sell or grant an access easement, in writing and recorded.
• Offer the land to the neighbor who borders it. They are often the most natural buyer.
• Use the Texas legal route above to create access, then sell.
• Sell as-is to a cash buyer who accepts land without access.

Texas land at a glance

• Average farm real estate value: $3,100 per acre (2026, USDA).
• Average property tax on farmland: about $6.34 per acre per year (2022 Census of Agriculture).
• Transfer tax: Texas has no state or local transfer tax, and the Texas Constitution bars new ones. Only normal county clerk recording fees apply.
• Seller disclosure: Tex. Prop. Code Sec. 5.008's seller's disclosure notice covers only residential property with not more than one dwelling unit. But a vacant land sale contract must include the rollback-tax notice required by Sec. 5.010. Land outside city limits needs the annexation notice in Sec. 5.011. A sale of land with a dwelling worth no more than 5% of value is also exempt from Sec. 5.008.

These are statewide averages, not an appraisal. See selling land in Texas for county values, or try the land value estimator.

How a cash sale handles this

Liberty Acres is a family-owned cash land buyer. We buy land anywhere in the US, in any condition, including land with back taxes, inherited land and land with no road access. We pay back taxes and all closing costs, use no agents and charge no commissions, and close through a title company, escrow company or real estate attorney who pays you by wire or check.

Common questions