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Form T-47 is a Texas owner's sworn statement about an existing survey. The Texas Department of Insurance publishes it; title companies use it to accept an older survey. Sellers sign it when a buyer or lender asks for area and boundary coverage.
This page explains each line of the current T-47 residential real property affidavit, what counts as a change since the survey, how the form is signed, and what to do after closing. You can also build and fill in the form online with the FormsPal editor.
The T-47 affidavit, full name the T-47 Residential Real Property Affidavit, is a statement in which the person who knows the property confirms what has or has not changed on it since the date of an existing survey. People often call it the "T47 survey affidavit" because it always travels with a survey.
The title company reads the affidavit together with the old survey. If both line up, the parties can close with that survey instead of ordering a new one.
| Full name | T-47 Residential Real Property Affidavit |
|---|---|
| Short names | Form T-47, the T-47 affidavit, the T47 survey affidavit |
| Published by | Texas Department of Insurance, title forms |
| Goes with | An existing survey of the home |
| Who signs | The owner, or another person who knows the property |
| Steps below | Nine steps, from the date and GF number to the signature |
A T-47 affidavit comes up when a home sale or refinance closes with title insurance and the buyer or lender wants the policy to cover area and boundary questions based on a survey that already exists. Paragraph 3 of TDI Form T-47 says the affiant is closing a transaction where "the proposed insured owner or lender has requested area and boundary coverage in the title insurance policy(ies)".
The choice behind it is simple. The buyer and seller either pay for a new survey or reuse the last one. The affidavit is the seller's side of reusing it: a sworn account of what happened on the land since that survey was drawn.
Typical situations:
Who pays for a new survey, if one is ordered, is a matter for the purchase contract. It really depends on how the parties negotiate and what conclusions they come to.
The official T-47 form PDF is posted by the Texas Department of Insurance with its title insurance forms, and the edition in use today is marked "Form T-47 Sec. V Effective November 1, 2024" (TDI Form T-47).
Check the footer of any copy you are handed. An older edition is laid out differently: the date of the survey sat in the body of Paragraph 4, while the current TDI Form T-47 asks for it on a "Date of Survey" line at the top.
Your title company usually sends the form with its GF number already filled in. You can also complete it here and print it, which lets you fix a typo before anyone signs. For other sworn statements, see our affidavit forms.
To fill out Form T-47, have your survey, your deed or tax statement, and the title company's GF number in front of you, then complete the header, the basis of your knowledge and the list of changes, in that order. The steps below follow the form from top to bottom.
Enter the Date and GF Number
Write the date you complete the affidavit on the "Date" line at the top left. Use the same day you sign.
The "GF No." line on the right is the title company's file reference for your closing. Copy it from their paperwork, or leave it blank for the title company to fill in so no wrong number goes on the form.
Name the Affiant or Affiants
The affiant is the person making the statement. Enter your full legal name on the "Name of Affiant(s)" line. If two owners sign, such as spouses, list both names.
Give the Affiant's Address
Write your current mailing address on the "Address of Affiant" line. If several affiants live at different addresses, list each one in the same order as the names.
Describe the Property and Its County
Copy the legal description exactly as it appears on the survey: lot, block, subdivision, and any recording details shown there. Then enter the county.
If you cannot find the survey, the legal description is also on your deed and your county appraisal district's listing. A street address alone does not identify the land the survey shows.
Complete the Notary's State Line
The sentence that opens the sworn part reads "Before me, the undersigned notary for the State of", followed by a blank (TDI Form T-47). Leave the blank for the notary to complete if you sign before one.
State How You Know the Property
Paragraph 1 says "I am an owner of the Property." If you are not the owner, the form lets you state another basis for your knowledge, such as a lease, management or being a neighbor.
Enter the Date of Survey
Enter the date printed on the survey you are relying on, whether you or a previous owner ordered it. The date is usually in the surveyor's certificate near the seal.
Every promise in Paragraph 4 runs from this date, so a wrong date changes what you are swearing to. Do not use your closing date or the day you moved in unless the survey itself carries that date.
List Any Changes, or Write "None"
Below Paragraph 4 is a section headed "EXCEPT for the following (If None, Insert "None" Below)" (TDI Form T-47). Describe each change since the survey date there, in plain words: what was built or moved, and roughly when.
If nothing on the list in Paragraph 4 happened, write "None". Do not leave the lines blank, since a blank answer can read as an unfinished form.
Sign the Affidavit
TDI Form T-47 prints two ways to sign: a notary block ending "SWORN AND SUBSCRIBED", and affiant lines under "I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct". Ask your title company which one it wants before the signing.
A notary can be found at many banks, title company offices and shipping stores. Bring a photo ID that matches the name on the form.
Before you leave the signing, check that the names, addresses and dates match your survey and your IDs, and keep a signed copy for your records.
Paragraph 4 of TDI Form T-47 asks the affiant to confirm that "since Date of the Survey, there have been no" changes in four groups, to the best of their actual knowledge and belief. Anything in those groups goes on the EXCEPT lines.
| Group in Paragraph 4 | Examples to list |
|---|---|
| a. Construction on the property | A new structure, added building, room, garage, swimming pool, decking, or other permanent improvement or fixture |
| b. Boundary fences or walls | A fence or wall moved, extended or rebuilt in a new place |
| c. Building next door near the line | A neighbor's construction on or near your boundary |
| d. Changes to the land's legal shape | A conveyance, replatting, or an easement granted or dedicated, such as a utility line |
When you are unsure whether some work fits one of the four groups, describe it on the EXCEPT lines anyway and let the title company decide how it affects coverage. Saying too much costs little; leaving out a change you knew about is what Paragraph 6 does not protect.
Listing a change does not end the deal. Paragraph 3 says the title company may make exceptions to its coverage as it deems appropriate (TDI Form T-47), and it may ask for an updated survey.
By signing the T-47 affidavit, you confirm that you know the property and that your answers are true to the best of your actual knowledge. The last paragraphs of the form spell out the limits of that promise.
The practical lesson: disclose what you know. A shed you built, a fence your neighbor moved, a utility easement you signed, each belongs on the form.
Most problems with a T-47 affidavit come from a date or a description that does not match the survey, or from a change that was left off. Check for these before you sign:
A "T47 survey" usually means an existing survey used together with a T-47 affidavit, instead of a new survey. The survey shows the boundaries and improvements, and the affidavit confirms what has changed since it was made.
Usually the seller who owns the home fills it out. Paragraph 1 of TDI Form T-47 also allows another person with knowledge of the property, such as a manager or a neighbor, to state that basis instead.
TDI Form T-47 prints both a notary block and lines for signing under penalty of perjury. Your title company decides which signature it accepts for your closing, so ask before you sign.
List each change on the EXCEPT lines below Paragraph 4. The title company then decides whether the old survey still works for coverage or whether a new one is needed.
Searchers also ask about a form numbered T-47.1. This guide covers Form T-47 as the Texas Department of Insurance posts it; ask your title company which form it accepts for your closing.
The Texas Department of Insurance posts the current T-47 form PDF with its title forms. Your title company also sends one, and you can fill one in online on this page.
Keep a signed copy for your records. Then ask your title company how they want to receive the original.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
