Choose the right Texas DPS criminal-history search
Texas DPS maintains the state’s Computerized Criminal History system, but the information available to the general public is not the same as the full criminal-history information available to authorized agencies. A public name search, your own fingerprint-based personal review, a county criminal court file and an FBI background record all answer different questions. Use the path below to avoid searching the wrong system.
What the Texas Computerized Criminal History system actually contains
Texas DPS is the state’s central criminal-history repository. Criminal-justice agencies across Texas submit information to the DPS Computerized Criminal History system, commonly abbreviated CCH.
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 66 requires reporting of specified arrest, prosecution and disposition information for reportable offenses. DPS states that the system receives criminal-history data from all 254 Texas counties.
Arrest information
CCH can contain the person’s identifiers, arresting agency, arrest charge, offense level, arrest date and related criminal-justice identifiers.
Charging information
Prosecutorial information can include charged offenses, offense level and information about rejected cases when those records are properly reported.
Disposition information
Courts report how the case concluded, including qualifying conviction, deferred-adjudication and other disposition information.
Public DPS search vs. complete criminal-history information
Texas law does not give the general public unrestricted access to every item in the statewide criminal-history repository. The type of information available depends on who is requesting it and why.
Public CCH search
Texas Government Code §411.135 allows public access to DPS criminal-history information relating to convictions and grants of deferred adjudication, including qualifying arrest information associated with those events.
Personal review
A person may obtain their own DPS criminal-history information using the personal-review procedure. Fingerprints provide stronger identity verification than a name search.
Restricted CCH / FACT access
Criminal-justice agencies and certain organizations specifically authorized by Texas law can qualify for restricted DPS systems that are not available to ordinary public users.
How to search Texas DPS public criminal-history records online
DPS provides a public Criminal History Conviction Name Search for people who want to search public Texas criminal-history information about another person.
Open Texas DPS CRD Public Website Texas DPS Crime RecordsCreate a CRD Public Website account
DPS requires a public-site account before using its public criminal-history conviction search. Do not apply for Secure Site access unless your organization qualifies under Texas law.
Purchase search credits
The current DPS criminal-history search interface lists search credits at $1 per search credit. Credit-card purchases can include a transaction charge. Confirm the displayed price before purchasing because fees can change.
Enter the person’s legal name
First and last name are required. DPS also allows additional identifiers such as middle/maiden name and date of birth to narrow the result.
Review possible matches carefully
DPS uses broader matching logic that can include similar-sounding names. Compare date of birth and descriptive information rather than assuming the first matching name is the correct person.
Read the complete criminal-history entry
Look beyond the arrest and charge. Check prosecution and court-disposition information before deciding whether the case resulted in conviction, deferred adjudication or another outcome.
How to get better results from the Texas DPS name search
The DPS search system expands searches using multiple combinations and similar-sounding names. Giving it accurate identifying information makes false matches less likely.
- use the person’s full legal first name
- enter the full last name
- include the middle name when known
- try a maiden or former surname when relevant
- enter a complete date of birth when known
- avoid nicknames
- avoid initials when the full name is available
- compare identifiers before opening a match
Why a Texas DPS search can return no matching record
“No matching records” is not necessarily proof that a person has never been arrested, charged or involved in a Texas criminal case.
No public DPS record
There may be no conviction or deferred-adjudication information that Texas law permits DPS to disclose through the public search.
Agency reporting gap
The local arresting agency, prosecutor or court may not have submitted the information, or the submission may have been returned because of an error.
Wrong identifiers
A different legal name, maiden name, date of birth or spelling may prevent a useful match.
Expunction
A qualifying Texas record may have been expunged under Chapter 55 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Nondisclosure
An order of nondisclosure can restrict public release of qualifying criminal-history information.
Local-only information
A court, sheriff, police department or municipal system may maintain information that is not available through the public DPS search.
Request public Texas criminal-history information without using the online search
DPS also publishes Form CR-42, Request for Public Criminal History Data. This is useful when a requester needs an offline public-record check rather than the web interface.
Open DPS Form CR-42The form explains that the response is limited to criminal-history information maintained by DPS that relates to convictions or grants of deferred adjudication, including qualifying arrest information connected to those matters.
| Request type | DPS-published fee | Important note |
|---|---|---|
| Online public name search | $1 search credit | Current online CRD search interface pricing; verify when purchasing credits. |
| Offline name-based DPS check | $10 | DPS Crime Records FAQ lists this fee for an offline name-based request. |
| Fingerprint-based DPS criminal-history check | $15 | DPS lists an additional fingerprint-service fee when FAST is used. |
| Certification of open-record check | No extra certification charge | The underlying criminal-history request fee still applies. |
Fee schedules can change. Confirm the current form and amount with Texas DPS before mailing payment.
How to get your own Texas DPS criminal-history record
If you want to know what Texas DPS has associated with your identity, a fingerprint-based personal review is more reliable than searching your own name online.
DPS publishes the CR-63 Procedure for Review of Personal Criminal History Record Information and directs Texas residents to use the state’s fingerprinting process.
Find DPS personal-review forms DPS fingerprinting instructionsTexas FAST fingerprinting: what it is and when you need it
FAST stands for Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas. Texas DPS contracts with a statewide fingerprint provider to electronically capture and transmit fingerprints for authorized background checks and personal-review requests.
DPS currently identifies IDEMIA/IdentoGO as its fingerprinting vendor.
DPS FAST informationWhat the Texas FACT Clearinghouse is — and why most public users do not need it
The Fingerprint-based Applicant Clearinghouse of Texas (FACT) is a restricted DPS service used by organizations authorized to receive fingerprint-based criminal-history results.
FACT can hold both Texas DPS and FBI fingerprint-based results for people processed through FAST, and authorized subscribing entities can receive notifications of qualifying new criminal-history activity.
Why a Texas DPS record may show an arrest but no court disposition
One of the most useful Texas-specific troubleshooting points is understanding who reports each stage of a criminal case.
DPS explains that when a case goes to court, the clerk of the court exercising jurisdiction is responsible for reporting the court disposition to DPS. If the disposition is missing, it may never have been submitted or the submission may have been returned because of an error.
Identify the court that handled the case
Use the county, arrest information, cause number or court information already shown in the DPS record.
Get the final disposition from the court
Contact the district clerk, county clerk, municipal court or justice court that maintains the case.
Request a certified court document
DPS states that a privately obtained printout is not enough for correcting a missing disposition. Obtain the certified disposition from the court of jurisdiction.
Send the certified document to DPS Error Resolution
Use the current DPS correction procedure so the state criminal-history entry can be evaluated and updated.
How to correct an inaccurate Texas DPS criminal-history record
The DPS Crime Records Service Error Resolution Unit evaluates possible inaccuracies in Texas criminal-history records.
DPS Criminal History Error ResolutionDPS says certified supporting documents are required when a criminal-history entry needs to be corrected or updated.
Get a certified court record
Ask the court of jurisdiction for a certified disposition and submit it using the DPS correction process.
Document the correct event
Use certified records from the agency responsible for the inaccurate information.
Use fingerprints
DPS directs people disputing a name-based result to obtain a personal fingerprint review.
Error Resolution email: error.resolution@dps.texas.gov
What to do if someone else’s Texas criminal record appears under your identity
Identity misuse requires more than simply correcting a misspelled court disposition. Texas DPS distinguishes criminal-history errors from situations in which another person falsely used your identifying information during an arrest.
DPS explains that Texas law provides procedures for removing falsely used identifying information and also allows creation of an Individual Identity File in qualifying circumstances.
Texas DPS criminal history is not the same as a Texas court-record search
Texas does not operate one statewide Judicial Branch portal where the public can search every trial-court criminal case by name.
The Texas Judicial Branch explains that the Office of Court Administration does not maintain individual trial-court records. The record remains with the court or clerk where the case was filed.
| Case type | Likely record custodian | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Felony District Court case | District Clerk | Search or contact the district clerk in the county where the case was filed. |
| County-level misdemeanor case | County Clerk | Use the county clerk’s criminal-case search or records office. |
| Justice Court case | Justice of the Peace Court | Contact the correct precinct/court directly. |
| Municipal case | Municipal Court | Search the city’s municipal court portal or records office. |
| Texas appellate case | Court of Appeals / Court of Criminal Appeals | Use Texas appellate court resources. |
Does Texas DPS show every arrest?
No. Texas DPS states that its records consist of criminal-history information submitted by criminal-justice agencies within Texas.
Chapter 66 reporting generally focuses on reportable arrests and criminal-justice events. DPS explains that Class B misdemeanor and more serious reportable offenses are part of CCH requirements.
What about Class C misdemeanors?
DPS says arresting agencies are not required to report Class C arrests to CCH, although an agency may choose to report one. That means a Class C event can sometimes appear in a DPS criminal history but should not be assumed to appear in every case.
Expunction and orders of nondisclosure in Texas DPS records
Texas has two different concepts that users often confuse: expunction and nondisclosure.
Chapter 55 process
Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 provides procedures for expunging qualifying arrest, court and criminal-history records.
Restricted public disclosure
A qualifying order of nondisclosure prevents criminal-justice agencies from releasing covered criminal-history information to the general public, although authorized agencies can retain statutory access.
Eligibility is fact-specific. DPS Crime Records legal staff cannot give private legal advice.
Texas juvenile criminal-history records are handled differently
Texas DPS also maintains juvenile justice information, but juvenile records do not follow the same public-access rules as ordinary adult public CCH information.
DPS began collecting statewide juvenile criminal-history data in the 1990s, and Texas Family Code Chapter 58 governs much of the juvenile justice information framework.
Texas Sex Offender Registry is a separate DPS search
Texas DPS also operates the state’s public Sex Offender Registry. It is a different service from the public CCH conviction search.
If the search intent is specifically to determine whether a person is currently subject to publicly accessible Texas sex-offender registration requirements, use the official registry rather than relying only on a standard criminal-history name search.
Texas DPS Sex Offender RegistryTexas DPS public-information requests vs. criminal-history requests
A Texas Public Information Act request is not the normal substitute for the DPS criminal-history processes described above.
DPS specifically directs people seeking criminal-history information to use the applicable criminal-history procedure and pay the required fee.
Use Crime Records procedures
Public conviction/deferred-adjudication search, CR-42 request or personal fingerprint review, depending on what you need.
Use a Public Information Request
DPS publishes a separate public-information procedure for identifiable agency records that are subject to the Texas Public Information Act.
Texas DPS records do not equal an FBI nationwide criminal-history check
Texas DPS is the repository for criminal-history information reported by Texas criminal-justice agencies. A DPS state record is therefore not the same thing as an FBI Identity History Summary.
For your own nationwide fingerprint-based FBI history, use the FBI’s official Identity History Summary procedure.
FBI Identity History SummaryTexas personal review = your fingerprint-linked DPS record;
FBI Identity History Summary = qualifying nationwide federal fingerprint-based history.
Texas DPS Crime Records Service contact and Austin location
Crime Records Service
5805 North Lamar Blvd., Building G
Austin, TX 78752-4143
Access & Dissemination Bureau:
512-424-2474
Criminal-history website support:
1-855-481-7071
Personal record questions
DPS currently directs questions about personal fingerprint results, open-record checks, legal name changes, immigration and obtaining a personal criminal-history record through the Access & Dissemination Bureau phone system.
Texas DPS criminal-record tips that save time
Use Public Site, not Secure Site
Ordinary users should not apply for restricted CCH access unless they are part of an eligible entity.
Add the date of birth
It helps narrow common-name matches and reduces the risk of looking at the wrong person.
Try maiden names
DPS specifically recommends including maiden names when applicable.
Never treat a name match as identity proof
Fingerprints are the reliable way to establish that a DPS record belongs to a particular person.
Missing disposition? Go to the court
Obtain a certified final disposition from the court rather than relying on a private database.
Check the county record too
DPS may not contain every detail or document from the underlying local criminal case.
Deferred adjudication can still be public
Do not assume successfully completing deferred adjudication automatically removes the record from public DPS access.
Keep certified copies
They are especially useful when asking DPS to correct a missing or inaccurate court disposition.
No DPS result is not a statewide court clearance
Texas has no single statewide trial-court search portal, so local court research may still be necessary.
Employment, housing and regulated background checks
A public Texas DPS name search should not automatically be treated as a complete or legally sufficient background-screening product for every purpose.
Employment, tenant, credit, licensing and other eligibility decisions may involve the Fair Credit Reporting Act, Texas law, agency-specific rules or fingerprint requirements.
Frequently asked questions about Texas DPS criminal records
1. Can the public search Texas DPS criminal records online?
Yes. Texas DPS provides a CRD Public Website through which the general public can search criminal-history information that Texas law makes public, including information relating to convictions and deferred adjudications.
2. Is the Texas DPS criminal-history search free?
No. The current DPS online criminal-history system uses search credits. The search interface currently lists credits at $1 each, with additional transaction charges possible for credit-card purchases. Check the current DPS price before purchasing.
3. Does a Texas DPS public search show every arrest?
No. DPS maintains broader statewide criminal-history information submitted by Texas criminal-justice agencies, but public access under Government Code §411.135 is limited mainly to information connected to convictions and grants of deferred adjudication.
4. Does Texas DPS cover all 254 counties?
DPS states that all 254 Texas counties submit criminal-history information for inclusion in the statewide Computerized Criminal History system, although individual records can still be incomplete when an agency has not reported or corrected an event.
5. Is a DPS name search the same as a fingerprint background check?
No. A name search relies on personal identifiers and can produce mistaken or missed matches. DPS states that fingerprint-based searching is the most accurate way to link a criminal record to a specific individual.
6. How can I obtain my own Texas DPS criminal-history record?
Follow DPS Form CR-63 and the Review of Personal Criminal History procedure. Texas residents generally use the FAST electronic fingerprinting process so DPS can identify the correct record using fingerprints.
7. Why is a court disposition missing from my Texas DPS record?
DPS says the court clerk is responsible for reporting the court disposition. A missing disposition may never have been submitted or may have been rejected because of an error. Obtain a certified disposition from the court and use DPS Error Resolution.
8. Does deferred adjudication disappear from Texas DPS after probation is completed?
Not automatically. DPS states that deferred-adjudication and related information can remain in the criminal-history record. A qualifying order of nondisclosure or other legal relief may restrict public release when applicable.
9. Can I search every Texas criminal court case through DPS?
No. DPS maintains statewide criminal-history information, but Texas trial-court records remain with local district clerks, county clerks, justice courts and municipal courts. The Texas Judicial Branch does not provide one statewide trial-court person-search portal.
10. Does Texas DPS include nationwide FBI criminal history?
A standard Texas DPS public search is not an FBI nationwide Identity History Summary. For your own nationwide FBI fingerprint-based record, use the FBI’s official Identity History Summary Check procedure.
Official Texas and federal resources used in this guide
Criminal-history access rules, forms, fees and technical systems can change. Use these primary government resources to confirm current requirements before submitting fingerprints, payment or an official records request.
- Texas DPS — Crime Records Division
- Texas DPS CRD Public Website
- Texas DPS — How to Search the Criminal History Database
- Texas DPS Crime Records Services FAQs
- Texas DPS Fingerprinting Services / FAST
- Texas DPS Crime Records Forms
- Texas DPS Criminal History Error Resolution
- Texas DPS Criminal History Records — Expunction, Nondisclosure & Identity Issues
- Texas DPS Criminal History Reporting
- Texas Judicial Branch — Court Records FAQs
- Texas Judicial Directory
- Texas Legislature Online — Statutes
- FBI Identity History Summary Checks