Start with Denton County’s own court-record system
Denton County maintains a public Judicial and Law Enforcement Records Search that brings together case records, court calendars, jail information and bond records. For criminal court research, the next step depends on the level of the case: felony and magistrate records are handled through the District Clerk, while misdemeanor criminal cases are handled through the County Clerk and Denton County’s County Criminal Courts.
Which Denton County office keeps the criminal record you need?
Denton County does not keep every criminal record in one clerk’s office. Start by identifying the case level.
Felony criminal cases
The District Clerk is custodian of pleadings, filings and records for Denton County District Courts.
Magistrate records
Since January 1, 2020, the District Clerk has been designated clerk to the Denton County Magistrate Court.
Misdemeanor criminal cases
Denton County’s County Criminal Courts handle misdemeanor criminal matters and use the county judicial-record system.
Jail / booking records
The Sheriff provides online jail and bond searches and maintains Sheriff’s Office public records.
Lower-level cases
Municipal courts and Justice Courts can maintain traffic, ordinance and other qualifying lower-level criminal matters.
State criminal history
Texas DPS provides qualifying statewide public conviction and deferred-adjudication information.
Use Denton County’s Judicial & Law Enforcement Records Search
Denton County provides a public records hub that links to case records, court calendars, Sheriff jail records and bond information.
Open Denton County Judicial RecordsThe District Clerk also directs the public to the county Public Access system for general district-court case and jail information.
Open Denton County Public AccessHow to search Denton County criminal court records
Open Denton County Public Access
Start from the county’s official Judicial Records page rather than a commercial people-search site.
Select the appropriate case-record category
For District Court cases, choose the District Court Case Records and Calendar option. County criminal cases can also be reached through the county records system.
Search using the strongest identifier available
A case number is usually more reliable than a common name. If searching by name, compare additional identifiers before assuming the result belongs to the correct person.
Review the registry or case history
Look for filing events, charges, settings, pleas, judgments, dispositions and sentencing entries.
Verify important information with the clerk
If the record matters for legal, employment, licensing or other formal use, obtain the actual court document rather than relying solely on the online summary.
How to read a Denton County criminal case result
| Item | What it can tell you | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Case number | Unique court-file identifier. | Use it for copy requests and clerk inquiries. |
| Charge | Criminal offense alleged or filed. | A filed charge is not itself a conviction. |
| Case events | Hearings, motions, settings and other docket activity. | Look for later events that change the case outcome. |
| Disposition | How a charge or case ended. | Convicted, dismissed, acquitted, deferred or other outcome. |
| Judgment | The court’s formal decision. | Order a copy when official proof is needed. |
| Sentence | Penalty or conditions ordered by the court. | Confirm which count or conviction the sentence relates to. |
Felony criminal records are maintained by the Denton County District Clerk
The Denton County District Clerk is the custodian of records filed in the county’s District Courts. That includes felony criminal court records.
The District Clerk provides a specific Felony Case Record Search Form as well as a general Records Request Form.
District Clerk criminal record formsUseful information to provide
- defendant’s full legal name
- case number if known
- date of birth when relevant
- approximate filing year
- specific document requested
- your return contact information
Denton County magistrate records have a special filing rule
Denton County states that, effective January 1, 2020, the District Clerk was designated clerk to the county Magistrate Court.
Documents related to an unfiled charge that are filed after that change are maintained through the District Clerk. Documents filed before January 1, 2020 remain with the district or county clerk’s office where they were originally filed.
Misdemeanor criminal cases use the County Clerk and County Criminal Courts
Denton County has multiple County Criminal Courts handling misdemeanor criminal matters. Court dates and case status can be checked through the county’s Records Inquiry system.
The County Clerk also provides a Misdemeanor Background Search Request form through its forms page.
County Clerk criminal formsDenton County has five County Criminal Courts
Denton County currently lists County Criminal Courts Nos. 1 through 5. Several operate from the county courts building at 1450 E. McKinney Street in Denton.
| Court | Location | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| County Criminal Court No. 1 | 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 1419, Denton, TX 76209 | 940-349-2160 |
| County Criminal Court No. 2 | 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 1325, Denton, TX 76209 | 940-349-2170 |
| County Criminal Court No. 3 | 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 2400, Denton, TX 76209 | 940-349-2180 |
| County Criminal Court No. 4 | 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 2306, Denton, TX 76209 | 940-349-2380 |
| County Criminal Court No. 5 | 1450 E. McKinney St., Suite 2315, Denton, TX 76209 | 940-349-2190 |
How to request a Denton County criminal court document
For a District Court criminal record, the District Clerk requires a completed Record Request Form before record-request research or copy processing is performed.
The District Clerk currently accepts completed requests:
- in person
- by mail
- by fax
- by email
Denton County District Clerk record requests
1450 E. McKinney Street, 1st FloorDenton, TX 76209
Mail:
P.O. Box 2146
Denton, TX 76202
Email:
dcrecords@dentoncounty.gov
Fax: 940-349-5754
Current Denton County District Clerk copy and search fees
| Service | Current listed fee | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Record search | $5 per search | Locating a cause number or establishing whether a record exists. |
| Certified paper copy | $5 certificate/seal + $1 per page | Official authenticated court copy. |
| Noncertified paper copy | $1 per page | Ordinary paper copy. |
| Converted paper document to electronic format | $1 per page | Paper record scanned into electronic format. |
| Noncertified electronic document | Fee depends on document/page structure | Electronic records maintained by the clerk. |
Fees can change. Verify the current amount on the Denton County District Clerk fee page before mailing payment.
Check current District Clerk feesDenton County District Clerk contact and hours
Main office
1450 E. McKinney Street1st Floor
Denton, TX 76209
Phone:
940-349-2200
Alternate: 972-434-8822
Hours:
Monday–Friday
8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Criminal records unit
Phone:
940-349-2210
Alternate: 972-434-8839
Fax: 940-349-2211
This is the county contact specifically listed for felony and magistrate records.
Denton County Courts Building map
Many county and district criminal-record services are centered at the Denton County Courts Building on East McKinney Street. Verify the exact floor or suite for the court or clerk division you need before visiting.
Denton County jail and inmate records
The Denton County Sheriff provides an official online Jail Records Search. The county’s Services page links directly to jail records, inmate services and bond records.
Denton County Sheriff online servicesJail information answers a different question from the court file. It can help establish that someone is or was in county custody, but a booking entry does not establish a conviction.
Prisoner Information
Phone:
940-349-1600
Alternate: 972-434-5500
Bond records are available separately
Denton County Sheriff’s online services include a Bond Records Search. This can be useful when the immediate question is whether a bond was set or recorded after arrest.
Bond information should still be cross-checked against the criminal court case because later court orders can modify conditions or amounts.
How to request a Denton County Sheriff’s Office record
Denton County Sheriff identifies four approved methods for requesting public information: postal mail, email, hand delivery and its GovQA portal.
DCSO Records Division
127 N. Woodrow LaneDenton, TX 76205
Email:
so.orr@dentoncounty.gov
Records phone:
940-349-1630
Alternate: 972-434-5507
Warrant questions should go to the responsible court or Sheriff
Denton County Sheriff lists a dedicated Warrants contact line.
Denton County Sheriff Warrants
Phone:
940-349-1560
Alternate: 972-434-5505
Not every Denton County criminal case is filed in a county criminal court
Justice Courts and municipal courts can handle lower-level criminal matters, traffic cases and ordinance violations within their jurisdiction.
For example, Denton County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 provides its own Case Access Portal and Denton County Records Inquiry link. The City of Denton also has a separate municipal court.
Texas court directoryUse Texas DPS for statewide public criminal-history information
Denton County court records are local. For qualifying statewide Texas criminal-history information, use the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal History Name Search.
The DPS search uses prepaid credits and currently charges one $1 search credit per initial name search. DPS automatically expands the search using additional name and date-of-birth combinations without charging additional credits for those expanded matches.
Texas DPS Criminal History SearchTexas prison and supervision records use TDCJ
If the person may be incarcerated in the Texas state-prison system or under TDCJ jurisdiction, use the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Search.
TDCJ Offender SearchThe current search supports name, SID number and TDCJ number. It also supports an asterisk wildcard when only part of a name or SID is known.
Sex-offender searches are available through local and state resources
Denton County Sheriff maintains information for qualifying registrants under its jurisdiction, and the county’s Judicial & Law Enforcement Records page links to several city-level sex-offender resources.
For a statewide search, use the Texas DPS Public Sex Offender Registry.
Texas DPS Sex Offender RegistryCriminal appeals are searched separately
If a Denton County criminal case was appealed, use the Texas appellate case-search system. Texas appellate records can be searched by appellate case number, trial-court number, party and other available fields.
Texas Appellate Case SearchFederal criminal cases are not Denton County court records
A federal prosecution involving conduct in Denton County uses the federal court system rather than the Denton County District Clerk or County Clerk.
Search federal cases through PACER. If the specific federal court is unknown, the PACER Case Locator can search the nationwide federal index.
Search federal court recordsWhy a case may be missing from the public search
Denton County specifically states that cases sealed by court order or statute are not available through its public viewing system.
Other reasons a record may not appear as expected include:
- the case is sealed or expunged
- the search name was entered incorrectly
- the case is in a municipal or Justice Court
- the case is federal rather than state/local
- the record predates current online coverage
- the case is filed under another name or identifier
- the information has not yet been entered or updated
- the case exists but a document is not remotely available
Expunction
Denton County provides expunction-related forms through both the County Clerk and District Clerk depending on the case and filing context. Texas expunction eligibility depends on the facts and applicable law; it should not be inferred merely from a dismissal.
Denton County criminal-record search tips that save time
Start with county Public Access
The county’s own portal is the quickest way to see whether a local case appears before contacting staff.
Know felony vs misdemeanor
Felony record requests generally go to the District Clerk; misdemeanor cases use the County Clerk/county criminal courts.
Save the case number
It is far more useful than repeatedly searching a common name.
Online result is not the official file
Denton County itself tells users to verify judgments and details against the actual court record.
Recent arrest? Search jail first
Custody information may appear before the complete court history is obvious online.
Ask the correct agency
Sheriff records, District Clerk records and municipal police records are separate record systems.
Missing lower-level case?
Check the appropriate municipal or Justice Court rather than assuming it should appear as a county criminal case.
Need proof?
Order a certified judgment or disposition instead of using a screenshot from the online search.
Statewide question?
Switch to Texas DPS. Denton County’s local search does not cover criminal history from every Texas county.
Questions about Denton County criminal court and public records
1. Can I search Denton County criminal court cases online?
Yes. Denton County provides a Public Access and Judicial & Law Enforcement Records Search for case records and court calendars. The county cautions that online data should be verified against the actual court record.
2. Where are Denton County felony criminal records kept?
Felony criminal court records are maintained by the Denton County District Clerk because that office is custodian of records filed in the county’s District Courts.
3. Where are Denton County misdemeanor criminal records kept?
Misdemeanor criminal matters are handled through Denton County’s County Criminal Courts and County Clerk record system.
4. How do I request a certified Denton County felony court record?
Submit the District Clerk Record Request Form and identify the case and documents needed. The District Clerk currently lists certified paper copies at a $5 certificate/seal fee plus $1 per page.
5. How much does the Denton County District Clerk charge for a record search?
The current District Clerk miscellaneous fee schedule lists a $5 search fee for locating a cause number or establishing whether a record exists.
6. How do I find someone in Denton County Jail?
Use the Denton County Sheriff Jail Records Search linked from the Sheriff’s online Services page. Prisoner Information can also be reached by phone through the Sheriff’s Office.
7. Can I request a Denton County Sheriff record by email?
Yes. Denton County Sheriff lists so.orr@dentoncounty.gov as an approved public-record request channel, along with postal mail, hand delivery and its GovQA portal.
8. Does Denton County’s search cover all criminal records in Texas?
No. Denton County’s system covers county judicial and law-enforcement information. For qualifying statewide public criminal-history information, use Texas DPS.
9. Why might a criminal case not appear online?
The case may be sealed, filed in a municipal or Justice Court, federal, older than current online coverage, indexed differently, or not yet fully entered into the public system.
10. Is a Denton County jail booking proof that someone was convicted?
No. A booking shows custody or arrest information. The criminal court case and final disposition should be reviewed to determine whether the person was convicted, acquitted, dismissed or had another outcome.
Official sources used to verify this guide
- Denton County — Judicial & Law Enforcement Records Search
- Denton County Public Access
- Denton County District Clerk
- Denton County District Clerk Forms
- Denton County District Clerk Fees
- Denton County County Clerk Criminal Forms
- Denton County Courts
- Denton County Sheriff
- Denton County Sheriff — Jail, Bond and Records Services
- Texas DPS — Criminal History Name Search
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Offender Search
- Texas DPS — Public Sex Offender Registry
- Texas Appellate Case Search
- PACER — Federal Court Records