Texas criminal-record research is not a one-search process. Statewide public criminal-history information comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety, while actual criminal court cases are usually maintained by district clerks, county clerks, justice courts or municipal courts. Recent arrests and jail bookings are generally local, state-prison and supervised-release records come from TDCJ, and criminal appeals use the Texas appellate court system.
Start here: choose the Texas record you actually need
Who keeps criminal records in Texas?
The phrase “Texas criminal records” can describe several different records. Knowing the record’s source saves far more time than simply searching a person’s name everywhere.
State criminal history
The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains the Computerized Criminal History system and provides a public name-based criminal-history search for information made public by law.
Felony court records
District courts have original jurisdiction over felony criminal cases. District clerks generally maintain those court files.
Misdemeanor records
Constitutional county courts and many county courts at law handle Class A and B misdemeanor matters. The applicable county clerk often maintains these records.
Class C cases
Justice courts hear Class C misdemeanor cases, while municipal courts handle city-ordinance violations and many Class C misdemeanors committed within the city.
Arrest and incident records
Arrest reports, police incidents, offense reports and other law-enforcement records usually originate with the agency that created them.
Prison and supervision
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice provides information about people within the state prison and correctional supervision system.
Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search
Texas DPS operates the state’s official Criminal History Name Search. This is the primary statewide public criminal-history search maintained by Texas DPS.
DPS states that Texas conviction records and grants of deferred adjudication are considered public criminal-history information and may be made available through the public system.
Texas-reported criminal history
DPS is the Texas criminal-history repository. Its information depends on data submitted by Texas criminal-justice agencies.
Name-based
Public searches use identifying information such as first name, last name, middle/maiden name and date of birth.
Search credits
DPS’s current online instructions list search credits at $1 per search credit. Credit-card purchases also have the transaction charges disclosed by DPS at checkout.
How to search the Texas DPS criminal-history database
Create the appropriate DPS public-site account
DPS requires an account to use its public Criminal History Conviction Name Search. Do not confuse the public website with secure criminal-history access reserved for legislatively authorized organizations.
Purchase search credits
DPS currently lists search credits at $1 each. Credit-card orders include additional transaction charges shown by the system.
Enter the full legal name
DPS requires first and last name. Add a middle name, maiden name and full date of birth whenever you have them.
Avoid nicknames and initials
DPS specifically recommends full information and says not to use nicknames, initials or partial names when trying to obtain the strongest match.
Review all identifiers
Name-based searches can produce mistaken matches. Compare date of birth, middle/maiden name and available case information before deciding that a record belongs to a specific person.
Follow the case back to the court
Once you identify the county or court, use that local clerk’s official record system to review the underlying criminal case.
How to obtain your own Texas criminal history by fingerprint
If you need to verify your own Texas criminal history, a fingerprint-based personal review is substantially more reliable than a name-only search.
Texas DPS explains that fingerprint matching is the most accurate method because the submitted fingerprints can be compared with fingerprints attached to criminal-history records.
Official starting point: Texas DPS Fingerprinting Services.
DPS currently states that a fingerprint-based criminal-history check carries a DPS fee, with additional fingerprint-service charges when FAST is used. Because fee schedules can change, verify the amount when you make the appointment rather than relying on an old printed fee sheet.
How to search Texas criminal court cases
Texas is different from states that offer one centralized trial-court search. The Texas Judicial Branch explicitly says its website does not provide one portal for statewide trial-court case searches.
Instead, you need to identify the county and court that handled the case.
Identify the county
Start with the county where the offense was prosecuted—not simply where the person currently lives.
Identify the offense level
Felony cases generally point toward the district clerk. Class A and Class B misdemeanors generally point toward county-level criminal courts.
Find the correct clerk or court
Use the Texas Judicial Directory when you do not already know the correct court.
Use that county’s official search portal
Many larger counties provide online case searches, but the interface, historical coverage and document availability differ from county to county.
Request the original record if necessary
If a record is missing online, contact the clerk who maintains the actual file rather than assuming the case does not exist.
Which Texas court should you search?
| Texas court | Typical criminal jurisdiction | Where to start for records |
|---|---|---|
| District Court | Felony criminal cases. | District Clerk in the county where the case was filed. |
| Constitutional County Court / County Court at Law | Class A and Class B misdemeanors and other jurisdiction assigned by law. | Usually the County Clerk or the clerk designated for that county court. |
| Justice of the Peace Court | Class C misdemeanor cases and other limited matters. | The specific Justice Court / precinct. |
| Municipal Court | City-ordinance violations and many Class C misdemeanors within the city. | The city’s municipal court. |
| Court of Appeals | Appeals of most criminal cases after trial-court judgment. | Appropriate Texas Court of Appeals. |
| Court of Criminal Appeals | Texas’ highest court for criminal cases. | Texas Court of Criminal Appeals case-search and records resources. |
Examples of official criminal-record searches in major Texas counties
The examples below show why Texas cannot be treated as a single trial-court database. Each county organizes online access differently.
| County | Official resource | Useful detail |
|---|---|---|
| Harris County | Harris County Sheriff’s criminal / jail inquiry | Supports defendant searches using name, birth date or other identifying information. Court records may also require the Harris County District Clerk or County Clerk. |
| Dallas County | Dallas County Online Record Search | Dallas provides public felony and misdemeanor case information. Its District Clerk says online criminal case information extends back to 1975, while availability of actual documents varies by filing year. |
| Tarrant County | Tarrant County District Clerk Criminal Section | District Clerk handles felony district-court records; other county-level records use additional Tarrant County portals. |
| Bexar County | Bexar County Records | Official page links to criminal court records, district clerk records and a Central Magistrate search for recent arrests. |
| Travis County | Travis County District Clerk Records | Travis offers free online public district-court records with criminal digital coverage currently described as beginning in 2008. Older records may require another request route. |
Texas arrest records, police reports and incident records
Arrest information is not the same thing as a DPS public conviction search or a court case. The agency that made the arrest—such as a city police department, sheriff or another law-enforcement agency—may hold reports and incident records that are not reproduced in a court portal.
A useful practical workflow is:
Texas Public Information Act: police records vs. court records
This distinction is especially important in Texas.
Police / sheriff / state-agency records
The Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Chapter 552, provides a process for requesting public government records from covered governmental bodies.
Government agencies generally must provide public information promptly, although legal exceptions may permit or require some information to be withheld.
Court case records
Texas courts and Judicial Branch agencies are not subject to the Texas Public Information Act or federal FOIA in the same way.
Court case records follow court-specific laws, rules and clerk procedures. For a criminal case file, request the record from the clerk that maintains the case.
How to make a Texas public-information request
- Identify the governmental body that actually holds the record.
- Use its designated public-information email, portal or mailing address.
- Describe the record specifically enough to locate it.
- Give date ranges, names, report numbers or incident numbers where available.
- State whether you want inspection, electronic copies or paper copies.
- Keep a copy of the request and any confirmation number.
The Texas Attorney General explains that public information generally must be produced “promptly.” If production will take longer than ten business days, the governmental body must notify the requestor when it expects to produce the information.
If an agency believes requested information may legally be withheld, the Public Information Act contains procedures involving the Attorney General’s Open Records Division.
Texas Public Information Act guideTexas arrest warrants and search-warrant records
“Warrant search” can mean two different things: looking for an active arrest warrant, or trying to obtain an arrest/search warrant and its supporting affidavit after it becomes public.
Active arrest-warrant searches
Texas does not provide one unrestricted public statewide warrant-search site for every county. Local sheriff offices, courts, constables and municipal courts may provide their own warrant tools.
If you know the county, start with that county’s sheriff and relevant court. If you know the case number, use it when contacting the clerk.
Executed arrest warrants and supporting affidavits
Search-warrant affidavits
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Article 18.01 provides that, except where another statutory provision applies, the affidavit supporting a search warrant becomes public information when the search warrant is executed.
Texas jail records vs. TDCJ prison records
A county jail and a Texas state prison are not the same system.
Recent or local custody
Search the county sheriff or county detention system when someone has recently been arrested, is awaiting trial, or is serving time in local custody.
State correctional custody
Use the Texas Department of Criminal Justice when the person is within the state correctional system or under qualifying TDCJ supervision.
The TDCJ Offender Search allows searches using a person’s name, State Identification (SID) number or current TDCJ number.
TDCJ’s search also supports wildcard searching. For example, an asterisk can be used when only part of a name or identification number is known.
Texas Public Sex Offender Registry
Texas DPS also maintains the statewide Texas Sex Offender Registration Program. Most qualifying registration information is public by law, although certain personal information, victim-identifying information and some juvenile information are not publicly released.
Start with the official Texas DPS Sex Offender Registration Program .
Texas criminal appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals
A criminal case does not necessarily end with the trial court.
Texas has 14 Courts of Appeals. Most criminal appeals proceed to the appropriate intermediate Court of Appeals. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is the state’s highest court for criminal cases.
Death-penalty appeals go directly to the Court of Criminal Appeals, while the court can review decisions from the intermediate Courts of Appeals in other criminal matters.
Texas Courts of Appeals
If a trial-court criminal case was appealed, identify the appellate district and search the relevant Court of Appeals case records.
Court of Criminal Appeals
Search the Court of Criminal Appeals for qualifying criminal appellate matters, opinions, orders and filings.
How to obtain copies of Texas criminal court records
Texas does not have one statewide criminal-court copy office. Request the document from the clerk that maintains the underlying case.
| What you need | Where to request it | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Online case information | County / court public-search portal | Researching charges, case history and disposition. |
| Plain copy | District Clerk, County Clerk or specific court | Personal research or reference. |
| Certified copy | Clerk holding the official case | When another agency or proceeding requires an authenticated court copy. |
| Older archived record | Original clerk / records department | Cases outside the online portal’s historical coverage. |
| Appellate record | Appropriate Court of Appeals or Court of Criminal Appeals | Appellate filings, orders or opinions. |
What to do when an older Texas criminal record is not online
Online coverage varies dramatically by county. A missing digital document does not mean the original record has disappeared.
Confirm the county and court
Use any case number, arrest record or DPS entry you already have to identify the court.
Check the portal’s historical cutoff
Some Texas counties publish only newer documents online while maintaining older records in archives or off-site storage.
Contact the records desk
Ask whether the file is available in person, by mail or through a formal copy request.
Allow extra retrieval time
Archived files can require retrieval from storage. Some county clerks explicitly advise callers to contact the office before visiting for older cases.
Dallas County, for example, states that some older misdemeanor files are stored off-site and may require additional retrieval time. Travis County likewise publishes historical cutoffs for the criminal cases available through its online portal.
Texas expunction and orders of nondisclosure
Texas uses more than one mechanism for limiting public access to criminal records, and they should not be confused.
Expunction
Texas recodified its expunction law into Chapter 55A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, effective January 1, 2025.
An expunction order can require qualifying arrest and related records to be destroyed or otherwise handled as required by the statute and court order. Eligibility depends heavily on what happened in the individual case.
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55AOrder of nondisclosure
An order of nondisclosure is different from an expunction. It generally restricts public disclosure of qualifying criminal-history information while allowing access by criminal-justice agencies and certain other entities authorized by law.
The Texas Judicial Branch provides official Orders of Nondisclosure forms and resources.
What to do if a Texas criminal-history record is wrong
Texas DPS maintains a Criminal History Error Resolution process for inaccurate or incomplete information in the state’s criminal-history system.
DPS says people seeking a correction may need to provide certified court or agency documents showing the correct disposition or information.
Official resource: Texas DPS Criminal History Error Resolution .
If somebody used your identity during an arrest
Texas DPS treats identity misuse differently from an ordinary clerical error. DPS explains that Texas law provides procedures for someone whose identifying information was falsely given by another arrested person.
Depending on the circumstances, remedies can include an expunction process or an Individual Identity File established through the sheriff of the county where the affected person resides.
Texas juvenile criminal-history records
Juvenile records are subject to different confidentiality and sealing rules than ordinary adult criminal records. They should not be treated as automatically available simply because a similar adult record would be public.
Texas law also provides automatic-sealing procedures for qualifying juvenile records. DPS specifically identifies juvenile criminal-history and juvenile record sealing as separate areas within its Crime Records program.
Federal criminal cases in Texas are separate
A federal criminal prosecution filed in Texas is not a Texas state-court criminal case. Texas DPS and county court portals do not replace federal court systems.
Federal case records are generally accessed through PACER.
Texas has multiple federal judicial districts, so the PACER Case Locator can be useful when you know the person or case but do not know which federal court handled it.
FBI Identity History Summary
Someone seeking their own FBI Identity History Summary should use the FBI’s official fingerprint-based process rather than treating a Texas DPS search as a nationwide check.
Official FBI resource: FBI Identity History Summary Checks .
Using Texas criminal records for employment, housing or screening
Finding a public criminal record does not automatically mean the information can be used without additional legal requirements for employment, housing, credit, insurance or other eligibility decisions.
A public court or DPS search is also not automatically the same as a consumer report prepared under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Texas DPS headquarters and Crime Records contact
Texas Department of Public Safety
5805 North Lamar BlvdAustin, TX 78752
Main customer service: 512-424-2000
Crime Records Access & Dissemination: 512-424-2474
Crime Records mailing address:
Texas Department of Public Safety
PO Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143
DPS recommends using FAST locations for fingerprint-based personal criminal-history review rather than simply appearing at headquarters for fingerprinting.
Find a FAST location
Texas DPS contracts for statewide FAST fingerprint-submission locations. DPS states that the network is designed to provide broad geographic coverage across Texas.
Find FAST locationsTexas criminal-record search tips that save time
Know the county first
Texas trial-court records are decentralized. Knowing the county often matters more than knowing the city.
Felony? Start with the district clerk
District courts have original felony jurisdiction in Texas.
Misdemeanor? Check county-level courts
Class A and B misdemeanors are commonly handled by county courts or county courts at law.
Use DOB in DPS searches
A complete date of birth can help narrow DPS name-search results.
Add maiden names
DPS specifically recommends including maiden names when relevant.
Avoid nicknames
DPS advises using full legal information instead of nicknames or initials.
Recent arrest? Check the jail
A local booking can appear before a court case is fully searchable.
Read the disposition
Do not stop at the original charge. Check how each count actually ended.
Search appeals separately
Trial-court records and appellate records can live in different systems.
Older case? Call the clerk
Online portal cutoffs are not the same thing as legal record-retention periods.
Need certainty? Use fingerprints
Fingerprints are more reliable than a name-only match when reviewing your own history.
Don’t call everything FOIA
Texas state and local agency requests generally use the Texas Public Information Act; court case records follow separate court-access rules.
If the first Texas search returns nothing
A blank search result is not always the end of the road. Before concluding that no record exists, work through these checks:
- Confirm spelling of first and last name.
- Try the full middle name.
- Add a maiden or former surname.
- Confirm the date of birth.
- Search the correct county.
- Check both felony and misdemeanor record systems.
- Search a municipal or justice court for Class C cases.
- Check a county jail for very recent arrests.
- Search TDCJ if state imprisonment or supervision is involved.
- Check appellate records if the case was appealed.
- Contact the clerk for older/offline files.
- Consider whether an expunction or nondisclosure affects public access.
Texas criminal records: frequently asked questions
1. Is there a free statewide Texas criminal court case search?
No single Texas Judicial Branch portal searches every statewide trial-court criminal case. Trial court records are generally maintained locally by district clerks, county clerks, justice courts and municipal courts. Texas DPS separately operates a statewide public criminal-history name search that uses paid search credits.
2. What is the official Texas statewide criminal-history search?
The Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division operates the Criminal History Name Search. It provides public criminal-history information made available under Texas law, including qualifying conviction and deferred-adjudication information.
3. Where do I search for a Texas felony case?
Texas district courts have original jurisdiction over felony criminal cases. Start with the District Clerk in the county where the case was filed.
4. Where do I search for a Texas misdemeanor case?
Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases are generally handled by county-level courts. Check the County Clerk or the clerk responsible for the applicable county criminal court. Class C cases may instead be in a justice or municipal court.
5. Does a Texas DPS criminal-history search show every arrest?
No. DPS depends on criminal-history information submitted by Texas criminal-justice agencies, and the public name-search system does not expose every item in the underlying criminal-history repository. A local arrest report or booking record may need to be obtained from the sheriff, police department or jail.
6. How can I obtain my own Texas criminal record accurately?
Texas DPS provides a fingerprint-based Personal Review process through FAST fingerprinting. Fingerprint comparison is more reliable than a name-only search when confirming whether a record belongs to you.
7. Can I obtain Texas arrest or police records through the Public Information Act?
Many records held by police departments, sheriffs and state or local government agencies are requested through the Texas Public Information Act, although legal exceptions and confidentiality laws can limit disclosure. Court case records follow separate court-access procedures.
8. Where can I search for a Texas state prisoner?
Use the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Search for people within the TDCJ system. Someone held in a county jail may not appear there, so recent local custody should be checked with the appropriate county sheriff or detention system.
9. What is the difference between expunction and nondisclosure in Texas?
Expunction is a statutory process governed primarily by Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A and can require qualifying records to be destroyed or otherwise handled under the court order. An order of nondisclosure generally restricts public release of qualifying criminal-history information while allowing access by entities authorized by law.
10. Do Texas criminal-record searches include federal criminal cases?
No. Federal criminal cases use the federal court system. PACER is the primary federal electronic court-record service, and someone seeking their own FBI Identity History Summary should use the FBI’s fingerprint-based Identity History Summary process.
Official sources used to verify this guide
- Texas Department of Public Safety — Crime Records
- Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search
- Texas DPS — How to Search the Criminal History Database
- Texas DPS Fingerprinting Services
- Texas DPS Criminal History Error Resolution
- Texas Judicial Branch — Court Records FAQ
- Texas Judicial Branch — Trial Court Jurisdiction
- Texas Judicial Directory
- Texas Judicial Branch — Open Records Policy
- Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- Texas Attorney General — Public Information Act
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Offender Search
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure — Chapter 55A Expunction
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- FBI Identity History Summary Checks