Choose between a public name check, your own fingerprint record, and the actual court file
Texas criminal-history information is split between several official systems. The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains the statewide Computerized Criminal History repository, county and district clerks maintain the underlying trial-court files, TDCJ handles state correctional records, and the Texas appellate courts maintain separate appeal records. The right starting point depends on whether you want a quick public check, your own complete identity-based record, or the actual criminal case.
What Texas criminal-history information actually is
The Texas Department of Public Safety is the statewide repository for criminal-history record information reported by Texas criminal-justice agencies. DPS refers to its core statewide repository as the Computerized Criminal History system (CCH).
CCH can contain information submitted at different stages of a Texas criminal case, including an arrest event, prosecution information and the disposition reported by the court or other responsible criminal-justice agency.
Arrest information
Identity and qualifying arrest information submitted by Texas criminal-justice agencies.
Case progression
Prosecutor and criminal-case information associated with the reported arrest event.
Disposition
The final court outcome when the disposition has been properly reported and matched to the record.
Public Texas DPS criminal-history checks
Texas DPS provides a public Criminal History Conviction Name Search.
DPS explains that Texas law permits public access to criminal-history information relating to convictions and deferred adjudications. The public search can also contain arrest information associated with those qualifying public outcomes.
Open official DPS public search| Record type | Public DPS name search? | Where to verify it |
|---|---|---|
| Texas conviction | Generally yes, when maintained and publicly releasable | County/district court for official disposition. |
| Deferred adjudication | Generally public, unless disclosure is lawfully restricted | Court that granted deferred adjudication. |
| Arrest tied to public conviction/deferred adjudication | May appear as part of the public criminal-history entry | Arresting agency and court. |
| Complete nonpublic CCH | No | Personal review or authorized-agency process. |
| Court pleadings and docket documents | No | District, county, justice or municipal court. |
| Federal criminal case | No | PACER / federal court. |
How much does a Texas criminal-history check cost?
| Service | Current fee | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| DPS online name-search credit | $1 per search | A submitted search uses one credit, even if no matching public record is found. |
| Credit-card purchase surcharge | 2.25% per credit + $0.25 transaction fee | Applies to credit-card purchases shown by DPS. |
| Offline / mail name-based DPS search | $10 per search | Use the current DPS criminal-record-check form. |
| Fingerprint-based DPS criminal-history check | $15 DPS fee | Additional fingerprinting costs may apply. |
| FAST fingerprint fee | Additional $10 | Current DPS FAQ amount when FAST is used for the record check. |
Government fees can change. Confirm the amount shown by DPS before purchasing credits, mailing payment or scheduling fingerprints.
How to run the DPS name-based check
Open the DPS Crime Records public website
Use the official Texas DPS public criminal-history portal rather than a commercial people-search site.
Create a public account
DPS requires an account before searching the public Criminal History Conviction database.
Purchase search credits
Online searches use prepaid search credits. One initial submitted search currently costs one credit.
Enter the person’s legal name
First and last name are required. Add the middle or maiden name if you know it.
Add date of birth
A complete DOB is optional but can substantially narrow the list of candidate records.
Review every possible match
DPS’s current system expands the search automatically and indicates what fields each result matched.
Verify important results with the court
Use the county and case details to locate the official court file before relying on a criminal-history entry for an important purpose.
How to reduce false matches
DPS advises users to enter as much accurate information as possible.
Full legal name
Use the formal first and last name rather than a nickname.
Middle or maiden name
These fields can separate people with otherwise identical names.
Complete birth date
Month, day and year provide a much stronger filter than name alone.
Nicknames
DPS specifically recommends not using informal names when the legal name is known.
Initials and partial names
Incomplete identifiers can create broader or less useful candidate results.
Similar-sounding names
The search can expand to name variations, so a result still needs identity verification.
Name-based checks can match the wrong person
DPS warns that a name-based search has a greater risk of both false matches and missed matches than fingerprint identification.
Before assuming a result belongs to the person you searched, compare as many available identifiers as possible.
- full middle name
- date of birth
- former or maiden name
- known arrest county
- known case dates
- court name
- case number
- other lawful identifying information
A “no matching record” result is not proof of no criminal history
A DPS public search can return no matching public record for several different reasons.
- the person has no qualifying public DPS record
- identifying information was entered incorrectly
- the record is under another name
- the event was not successfully reported to DPS
- the record is not publicly releasable through the conviction search
- an expunction or nondisclosure affects public access
- the case is maintained locally and does not answer the DPS search intent
- the matter is federal rather than a Texas state case
Public DPS access and Secure DPS access are different
| Feature | Public CRD website | Secure CRD website |
|---|---|---|
| Who can use it? | General public after creating an account. | Only legislatively authorized entities. |
| Criminal-history scope | Publicly releasable conviction/deferred-adjudication records. | Broader access based on the entity’s statutory authority. |
| FACT Clearinghouse | Not ordinary public access. | Available to eligible agencies/entities. |
| Fingerprint applicant results | Not a public people-search feature. | Available when an authorized process permits access. |
Request a Texas criminal-history check by mail
DPS also provides an offline criminal-record-check process using its current Request for Criminal Record Check form.
The current DPS FAQ lists a fee of $10 for an offline name-based search.
Provide accurate identifying details such as:
- first name
- last name
- middle name
- date of birth
- sex
- race where requested
- return contact information
- certification request if needed
Crime Records mailing address
Texas Department of Public SafetyCrime Records Service
P.O. Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143
How to obtain your own Texas criminal-history record
If you need to see what DPS has associated specifically with your identity, the fingerprint-based Personal Review process is more reliable than searching your own name.
FAST and fingerprint-based criminal-history checks
Texas DPS uses Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST) for electronic fingerprint submissions. IdentoGO provides contracted fingerprint locations.
DPS’s current FAQ lists a $15 criminal-history-record fee for a fingerprint-based check and an additional $10 fingerprinting fee when FAST is used.
Employment or licensing applicants usually receive a service code from the requesting or authorized agency. The code determines how the fingerprints are processed and where results go.
DPS Fingerprinting ServicesTexas criminal-history checks do not replace court records
The Texas Judicial Branch confirms that its website does not have one universal trial-court search that lets users enter a person’s name and retrieve every Texas criminal court case.
For the underlying court file, contact:
- district clerk for district-court criminal cases
- county clerk or appropriate county-level clerk for county cases
- justice court for justice-court records
- municipal court for municipal cases
How to find the correct Texas criminal court
Identify the county
Use the county shown on the DPS record, arrest record or known prosecution.
Open the Texas Judicial Directory
Search by county to locate district, county, justice and municipal court contacts.
Check the county clerk and district clerk websites
Many large Texas counties provide their own online criminal case-search systems.
Use the case number when available
It is usually more precise than repeatedly running a name search.
Request certification when needed
Ask the clerk for a certified disposition or certified copy when the record will be used formally.
What to do when DPS shows an arrest but no final court outcome
Sometimes DPS has the arrest event but the court disposition is missing or incomplete.
DPS’s Error Resolution guidance says the person should obtain certified documentation supporting the correct disposition and submit it for review when a criminal-history entry is inaccurate or incomplete.
Use TDCJ for Texas prison and correctional records
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates a separate Offender Search.
The current system supports searching by:
- offender name
- SID number
- current TDCJ number
- previous TDCJ numbers
TDCJ also supports wildcard searching with an asterisk for partial names or partial SID numbers.
Search TDCJ offendersTexas Public Sex Offender Registry
Texas DPS also operates a statewide public sex-offender search using registration information submitted by local law-enforcement agencies.
Open Texas sex-offender searchSearch criminal appeals separately
Trial-level criminal records and appellate cases are separate. Texas provides a statewide appellate case-search system for the Courts of Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals.
Texas appellate case searchTexas Public Information Act requests to DPS
DPS accepts public-information requests for qualifying agency records through the Texas Public Information Act.
Current official submission options include:
- DPS Public Information Center
- publicrecords@dps.texas.gov
- mail to the DPS Office of General Counsel
- in-person submission at DPS headquarters
Public Information mailing address
Texas Department of Public SafetyOffice of General Counsel – Public Information
Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-0140
Expunction and nondisclosure can change public visibility
Qualifying records may be removed
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 contains provisions for expunging qualifying arrest, court and criminal-history records.
Public disclosure can be restricted
A qualifying order of nondisclosure restricts public release of specified criminal-history information while some criminal-justice and authorized entities may retain access.
How to correct an inaccurate Texas criminal-history record
DPS’s Error Resolution Unit handles potential problems in Texas criminal-history records.
Examples include:
- missing disposition
- incorrect disposition
- incorrect arrest information
- wrong identifying information
- record attributed to the wrong individual
- identity misuse
Get your fingerprint-based Personal Review
Confirm exactly what DPS associates with your identity.
Identify the incorrect event
Note arrest date, agency, court, offense, case number and disposition issue.
Obtain certified evidence
For a court-outcome error, get certified records from the court that handled the case.
Submit the DPS correction
Follow the current Error Resolution form and supporting-document instructions.
Error Resolution email: error.resolution@dps.texas.gov
DPS Error ResolutionSomeone used your identity during an arrest?
DPS treats identity misuse differently from an ordinary typo or missing disposition. Identity misuse can occur when another arrested person gives law enforcement someone else’s name or identifying information.
Keep copies of your identification, fingerprint review, relevant court paperwork and any law-enforcement documentation connected with the identity misuse.
Public DPS checks and employment background checks are different
A public DPS name search is useful for public criminal-history research, but it is not automatically the same as an employment, licensing or volunteer background-check process required by law.
Authorized agencies may use fingerprint-based FAST checks and, when eligible, the FACT Clearinghouse for Texas and FBI fingerprint-based results.
Texas DPS Crime Records contacts
Access & Dissemination Bureau
Phone: (512) 424-2474
DPS uses this line for criminal-history, Secure Site, personal review and fingerprint-related routing.
Criminal History Inquiry Unit
Texas Department of Public SafetyPO Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143
Texas DPS Crime Records location in Austin
DPS identifies the criminal-history records custodian at its North Lamar location in Austin. Most ordinary name searches and personal-review steps can begin online, so verify whether an in-person visit is actually needed before traveling.
5805 N. Lamar Blvd., Building G
Austin, TX 78752
Texas criminal-history search tips that prevent common mistakes
Use a full birth date
Common names become much easier to separate when a complete DOB is included.
Don’t search nicknames
Use the formal legal name whenever possible.
Save the county
The county is often the fastest bridge from a DPS result to the real court file.
Save the case number
It is usually more reliable than repeating name searches across clerk systems.
Check the disposition
An arrest or charge is not enough; determine exactly how the case ended.
Missing disposition?
Get a certified court disposition and use DPS Error Resolution.
No DPS hit?
Search the relevant county court before assuming no criminal case exists.
Your own record?
Use fingerprints if accuracy and identity confirmation matter.
Prison question?
Go directly to TDCJ rather than treating DPS as an inmate locator.
Common Texas criminal-history check questions
1. Can the public search Texas DPS criminal-history records?
Yes. Texas DPS provides a Public Criminal History Conviction Name Search for criminal-history information that Texas law permits DPS to release publicly, including qualifying convictions and deferred adjudications.
2. How much is the Texas DPS online criminal-history check?
DPS currently lists online search credits at $1 each. Credit-card orders also have the transaction charges displayed by DPS.
3. Can I search another person’s Texas criminal history?
Yes. DPS specifically directs members of the public seeking another person’s qualifying public criminal-history information to the Criminal History Conviction Name Search.
4. Is a DPS name search guaranteed to identify the correct person?
No. DPS warns that name-based searches can match the wrong person or miss the correct record. Fingerprint identification is more accurate.
5. How do I get my own full Texas criminal-history record?
Follow the Texas DPS Personal Review procedure and submit fingerprints through the authorized fingerprint process. This provides stronger identity verification than a name-only search.
6. Why is a final disposition missing from my DPS record?
The court outcome may not have been reported successfully to DPS. Obtain a certified disposition from the court of jurisdiction and use the DPS Error Resolution process.
7. Where can I find the actual Texas criminal court case?
Contact the district clerk, county clerk, justice court or municipal court where the case was filed. The Texas Judicial Branch does not provide one universal trial-court criminal name search.
8. Does DPS show every arrest in Texas?
No. The public search is narrower than the complete Computerized Criminal History repository, and results also depend on whether qualifying information was properly reported to DPS.
9. Where can I search Texas prison records?
Use the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Offender Search for state correctional records. TDCJ and DPS serve different purposes.
10. Can an expunction or nondisclosure change what appears publicly?
Yes. A qualifying expunction can remove covered criminal-history records, while an order of nondisclosure can restrict public release of qualifying information. Some authorized agencies may retain access under Texas law.
Official Texas resources used for this guide
- Texas DPS — Public Criminal History Conviction Name Search
- Texas DPS Crime Records — Criminal History Name Search
- Texas DPS — How to Search the Criminal History Database
- Texas DPS — Crime Records Services FAQs
- Texas DPS — Fingerprinting Services
- Texas DPS — Criminal History Error Resolution
- Texas DPS — Criminal History Records, Expunction and Nondisclosure
- Texas DPS — Contact Crime Records Service
- Texas DPS — Public Information Requests
- Texas Judicial Branch — Court Records FAQs
- Texas Judicial Directory
- Texas Appellate Case Search
- Texas Department of Criminal Justice — Offender Search
- Texas DPS — Public Sex Offender Registry