Start with the Dallas County record you actually need
Dallas County criminal records are split among several agencies. Felony court files are maintained by the Dallas County District Clerk, misdemeanor court files by the County Clerk, jail and many sheriff records by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office, statewide criminal-history information by the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Class C municipal cases by individual city courts. Choosing the correct system first can save a great deal of time.
Which office holds Dallas County criminal records?
The phrase “Dallas County criminal records” can refer to several different things. The fastest route depends on whether you are looking for a court case, statewide criminal history, a jail booking, a police report, a warrant or a state-prison record.
Felony court cases
The Dallas County District Clerk is the record custodian for felony criminal courts and the Magistrate Court associated with the Lew Sterrett Justice Center.
Misdemeanor cases
Dallas County misdemeanor criminal-court records are handled by the County Clerk’s Criminal Courts and Central Records divisions.
Jail / sheriff records
Use the Sheriff’s Office for county jail information, many booking-related records, warrant questions and sheriff-created reports.
State criminal history
DPS maintains Texas’s statewide criminal-history repository. This is different from searching only Dallas County court files.
Class C cases
City courts such as Dallas Municipal Court handle many fine-only Class C misdemeanor and ordinance cases separately from Dallas County felony and misdemeanor courts.
Prison or federal case
State-prison records use TDCJ. Federal prosecutions use the U.S. District Court and PACER.
Free Dallas County felony and misdemeanor case search
Dallas County provides an official Criminal Background Search covering felony and misdemeanor court case information.
Open the official Dallas County Criminal Background Search
The tool supports searches by name and by case number.
Enter the last name first
Last name is required for a name search. You can also add first name, middle name and date-of-birth information to narrow results.
Use demographic details carefully
Race, sex and date-of-birth fields can help distinguish people with similar names, but do not rely on a name match alone.
Open the court case
Review the charge, case status, disposition, filing history and other available case information.
Move to the Court Portal when documents are needed
Dallas County’s Courts Portal provides court case information and available documents. Public users do not need the attorney/employee registration used for restricted portal functions.
Search Dallas County criminal cases Open Dallas County Courts Portal
Dallas County felony criminal records
Felony criminal matters in Dallas County are handled by district criminal courts, and the Dallas County District Clerk is the custodian of those felony records. The District Clerk currently supports seventeen district courts hearing felony matters.
District Clerk
Court case information is available online for Dallas County criminal cases dating back to 1975. For most felony cases filed after 2009, the District Clerk also makes case-record documents available online.
County Clerk
Misdemeanors belong to Dallas County’s County Criminal Courts and County Clerk, not the felony District Clerk records counter.
When the felony document is not online
Dallas County instructs users to contact or visit the District Clerk’s Felony Records Desk when a case record is not remotely available or when certification, a record search or another clerk service is required.
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Riverfront Blvd.Second Floor, between the Jury Room and cashier windows
Dallas, Texas
Records phone:
214-653-5950
Email:
DCRecordsCriminal@dallascounty.org
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Dallas County misdemeanor criminal records
Misdemeanor court records are maintained by the Dallas County Clerk rather than the District Clerk. The County Clerk’s Criminal Courts Division operates from the Frank Crowley Courts Building.
Dallas County Clerk
Frank Crowley Courts Building133 N. Riverfront Boulevard
2nd Floor, Room A-1
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone:
214-653-7099
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
except court-approved holidays.
Misdemeanor record requests
Criminal Records:
214-653-5767
Email:
DC.CriminalRecords@dallascounty.org
Dallas County identifies email as the preferred method for many misdemeanor criminal-record requests.
Misdemeanor background search by mail
The County Clerk currently lists a $5 record-search fee for a certified misdemeanor background search. A mailed request should include the person’s full name, date of birth, required payment and a self-addressed stamped envelope.
Mail misdemeanor record-search requests to:John F. Warren, Dallas County Clerk
ATTN: Record Search
133 N. Riverfront Blvd., LB-43
Dallas, TX 75207
Dallas County criminal record copies and certification fees
The type of copy matters. A plain online document may be enough for personal research, while a licensing agency, court or other institution may request a certified copy.
| Service | Current published fee | Office / note |
|---|---|---|
| County Clerk misdemeanor record search | $5 | Published by Dallas County Clerk. |
| County Clerk plain copy | $1 per page | Many 2011-present misdemeanor documents can be viewed online without charge. |
| County Clerk certification | $5 per case | Added where certification is required. |
| County Clerk archive-file order | $2 per file | Applicable when a file must be ordered from archives. |
| District Clerk record search | $5 | Applied when a name/instrument search is needed and no case number is supplied. |
| District Clerk paper copies | $1 per page | Current District Clerk records fee schedule. |
| District Clerk certification | $5 per certified document | In addition to applicable copy charges. |
| District Clerk exemplification | $5 per document | Assessed in addition to certification and copy costs. |
District Clerk felony copy instructions County Clerk copy fees
How to find older Dallas County criminal records
Older Dallas County court records frequently require a different workflow from a recent case.
Dallas County says misdemeanor cases prior to 2011 may be stored offsite and can take up to 72 hours to retrieve. The District Clerk’s felony request form states that felony cases prior to 2009 are stored offsite and may take a minimum of 3-5 business days to retrieve.
Dallas County jail and inmate lookup
A jail booking is different from a court conviction. For someone currently held in Dallas County custody, use the official Dallas County Online Jail Search.
Jail information may help identify custody status, charges, booking information and related case or warrant numbers. Use the court portal afterward if you need the underlying court case.
Open official Dallas County Jail Lookup
Dallas County warrant search
Dallas County operates an official Wanted and Delinquent Offender Lookup Service. It supports several search methods, including name, case number, citation number, ZIP code and demographic information.
Open Dallas County Wanted Search
For Sheriff warrant information, Dallas County also publishes: 214-761-9026.
City warrants may be separate
Dallas County includes multiple municipalities. A City of Dallas municipal warrant, Garland municipal warrant or another city’s Class C warrant may be maintained by that city’s municipal court rather than appearing in the county criminal-court workflow.
Dallas County arrest reports and police records
Court clerks do not necessarily hold the underlying police report. Dallas County Sheriff’s guidance specifically says police reports should be requested from the law-enforcement agency that generated the report.
Dallas County Sheriff’s Office
Use the Sheriff’s public-information process for reports created by Dallas County Sheriff’s deputies.
Dallas Police Department Records
For an arrest made by Dallas Police, request the report from the Dallas Police Department, not the county clerk.
Dallas Police Records Section
1400 Botham Jean Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75215
214-671-3343
Dallas Police currently says an arrest-report request should include the arrested person’s name, date of birth, sex, race and arrest date. Release restrictions can apply, and the department says it does not provide the offense details by telephone.
How to make a Dallas County Public Information Act request
Texas Government Code Chapter 552, commonly called the Texas Public Information Act, gives the public a process for requesting government records maintained by governmental bodies, subject to statutory exceptions.
Identify the agency that created the record
Request a Sheriff’s report from the Sheriff; a Dallas Police report from Dallas Police; a District Attorney record from the DA; and a court-file document from the appropriate clerk.
Describe the record specifically
Include names, date of birth when relevant, incident date, location, case/report number and the type of record requested.
Choose inspection, copies or both
The Sheriff’s Office notes that requesters may choose to inspect qualifying information, receive copies, or both. Inspection is often available without copying charges.
Watch for a cost estimate
Dallas County Sheriff’s guidance states that if estimated charges exceed $40, the requester has a right to receive an advance written estimate.
Understand withholding rules
Some material may be withheld because of confidentiality statutes, active-investigation exceptions, juvenile protections, privacy provisions or another recognized legal exception.
Dallas County uses the GovQA Public Records Center for many county-department requests.
City of Dallas Municipal Court criminal and citation records
The City of Dallas Municipal Court handles many Class C misdemeanor, fine-only offenses and city-ordinance matters. These cases are different from the felony and higher-level misdemeanor cases handled through Dallas County’s criminal courts.
The official Dallas Municipal Court Citation and Docket Search supports searches using citation number, name plus date of birth, docket number or police case number.
The municipal search also displays warrant information in red when a qualifying warrant is associated with the citation.
Other cities inside Dallas County have their own municipal courts. A Garland, Mesquite, Irving or other city citation should be checked with the issuing municipal court rather than assuming it will be available through the City of Dallas system.
Texas DPS statewide criminal-history search
Dallas County’s local case search does not replace a statewide Texas criminal-history search. The Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division maintains the state’s Computerized Criminal History system.
For public searches, Texas DPS provides the Public Criminal History Conviction Name Search.
Search someone by name
Texas law treats qualifying conviction and deferred-adjudication information as public. DPS’s public search is the statewide route rather than a Dallas-only search.
Check your own record by fingerprint
DPS recommends fingerprint-based personal review when identity accuracy is important or when disputing a possible name-based match.
Why fingerprints matter
DPS explains that a fingerprint-based search is more accurate than a name-based search. Name searches can produce multiple possible matches or miss a record when identity details differ.
Texas prison, parole and offender records
Someone in Dallas County Jail is not automatically a Texas Department of Criminal Justice inmate. County custody and state-prison custody use different systems.
For someone under TDCJ jurisdiction, use the official TDCJ Offender Search.
The search accepts a name, State ID number or TDCJ number and can provide available information concerning offender status, facility, expected release information and related custody data.
Texas state prison / TDCJ supervision → TDCJ Offender Search.
Dallas County expunction and nondisclosure records
Texas has separate legal procedures for expunction and orders of nondisclosure. They do not mean the same thing, and eligibility depends on the person’s case history, disposition and applicable Texas law.
Dallas County District Clerk provides an official Expunctions & Non-Disclosures resource for local filing information.
Self-represented filers may file completed qualifying petitions with the District Clerk, including at the Frank Crowley Courts Building or electronically when permitted. The District Clerk expressly states that staff cannot give legal advice or tell a filer how to complete the petition.
Dallas County juvenile criminal records are handled differently
Juvenile records do not follow the same open-access pattern as ordinary adult criminal cases. Dallas County has a separate Juvenile Courts Records function at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center.
2600 Lone Star Drive
3rd Floor
Dallas, TX 75212
Juvenile Records Clerk: 214-698-4903
Access can depend on the type of juvenile matter, the requester’s relationship to the case, statutory confidentiality and judicial-record rules. Do not assume an adult public-record search will expose juvenile case information.
Federal criminal records filed in Dallas
A federal prosecution is not a Dallas County criminal case. Federal criminal matters involving Dallas are generally filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas.
Public electronic federal records are generally searched through PACER.
Northern District of Texas — Dallas Division
Earle Cabell Federal Building & U.S. Courthouse1100 Commerce Street, Room 1452
Dallas, TX 75242
Phone:
214-753-2200
Public office hours: Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Frank Crowley Courts Building: where many Dallas criminal-record tasks meet
The Frank Crowley Courts Building is the most useful physical starting point for many Dallas County criminal-record tasks because both felony and misdemeanor criminal-court record functions are located there.
Felony Records Desk
133 N. Riverfront Boulevard2nd Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Criminal Courts Division
133 N. Riverfront Boulevard2nd Floor, Room A-1
Dallas, TX 75207
Frank Crowley Courts Building map
The map below is centered on the primary Dallas County criminal-courts location used by the District Clerk felony section, County Clerk Criminal Courts Division and several Sheriff’s Office functions.
Map location: Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N. Riverfront Boulevard, Dallas, Texas 75207. Confirm office hours with the specific clerk or agency before traveling.
Dallas County criminal-record search tips that save time
Know felony vs. misdemeanor
Felony = District Clerk. Misdemeanor = County Clerk. Calling the wrong clerk is one of the easiest ways to lose time.
Use date of birth
Add DOB when possible to separate people with similar names.
Save the case number
A case number makes future copy, certification and clerk requests much easier.
Recent arrest? Check jail first
A very recent event may show in Dallas County Jail Lookup before the full court record develops.
Old case? Call before driving
Older misdemeanor and felony files can be kept offsite and require retrieval time.
City ticket? Use municipal court
A City of Dallas Class C citation belongs in Dallas Municipal Court, not the county felony workflow.
Statewide check? Use DPS
Dallas County records cannot tell you everything that may exist elsewhere in Texas.
Police report follows the agency
Ask the police or sheriff agency that actually created the incident or arrest report.
Read the disposition
Filing and arrest information do not tell you how the case ultimately ended.
Employment, housing and other background-check use
Public court records can help with personal research, but using criminal-history information to make employment, housing, credit, insurance or other eligibility decisions may involve additional federal and Texas requirements.
Dallas County criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Is Dallas County criminal-record searching free?
Dallas County provides a free online criminal case-history search covering felony and misdemeanor court cases. Viewing many court documents online is also free, but certified copies, formal record searches, archive retrieval and other clerk services can carry fees.
2. How far back does Dallas County’s criminal case search go?
Dallas County states that criminal case information is available online for cases dating back to 1975. Document availability is more limited: most felony documents are available for cases filed after 2009, while the County Clerk currently provides online plain-copy misdemeanor records generally from 2011 forward.
3. Who keeps felony criminal records in Dallas County?
The Dallas County District Clerk is the custodian of felony criminal court records. Its Felony Records Desk is at the Frank Crowley Courts Building.
4. Who keeps misdemeanor criminal records in Dallas County?
Dallas County misdemeanor criminal court records are maintained by the Dallas County Clerk, including the Criminal Courts and Central Records functions.
5. How can I find someone currently in Dallas County Jail?
Use the official Dallas County Online Jail Search. For inmate-information questions, Dallas County also publishes the jail information number 214-761-9025.
6. Can I search Dallas County warrants online?
Dallas County provides a Wanted and Delinquent Offender Lookup Service. The county warns that the data may not be current enough for a legal determination, so verify important warrant information with the Sheriff’s Office or responsible court.
7. Where do I get a Dallas Police arrest report?
An arrest report created by Dallas Police should be requested from the Dallas Police Department Records Section rather than from the Dallas County court clerks. Sheriff-created reports should be requested from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.
8. Is the Dallas County criminal search the same as a Texas DPS background check?
No. Dallas County searches local felony and misdemeanor court case history. Texas DPS maintains Texas’s statewide criminal-history repository and public conviction/deferred-adjudication search.
9. Can a sealed or expunged Dallas County case still appear online?
Records subject to a court sealing, expunction, nondisclosure order or another confidentiality law may be removed from or restricted in public systems. Dallas County instructs users to contact the clerk if qualifying information remains publicly accessible when it should have been restricted.
10. Where do I find federal criminal cases filed in Dallas?
Federal criminal cases are separate from Dallas County cases. Search federal case records through PACER and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division.
Official sources and verification links
Criminal-record portals, fees, office hours and access rules can change. These are the primary government resources used for this guide and the best places to verify important details.
- Dallas County Online Record Search
- Dallas County Criminal Background Search
- Dallas County Courts Portal
- Dallas County District Clerk — Felony Criminal Records
- Dallas County Clerk — Criminal Courts Division
- Dallas County Clerk — Central Records FAQ
- Dallas County Jail Lookup
- Dallas County Wanted Search
- Dallas County Sheriff’s Office — Public Information Requests
- Dallas County Open Records
- Dallas Municipal Court Citation & Docket Search
- Texas DPS Public Criminal History Search
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Search
- U.S. District Court — Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division
- PACER Federal Court Records