Travis County Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records

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Travis County, Texas official-records guide

Start with the right Travis County criminal-record system

Travis County criminal records are divided among several offices and databases. Adult felony court records are maintained by the District Clerk, Class A and B misdemeanor records by the County Clerk, current jail and warrant information by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, Class C cases by Justice of the Peace or municipal courts, and statewide criminal-history information by the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Location: Travis County, Texas Information checked: September 24, 2026 Primary sources: Travis County, City of Austin, Texas and federal government
Fast answer: Use Travis County Odyssey for felony or misdemeanor court-case information. Use the Sheriff’s inmate search for current custody, the Sheriff’s warrant search for warrant information, and Texas DPS when you need statewide Texas criminal history rather than Travis County cases only.
Search a criminal case Felony and misdemeanor case information through Travis County Odyssey.
Case search →
Find an inmate Current Travis County Jail and correctional-complex custody.
Inmate search →
Search warrants Use the Travis County Sheriff’s public warrant search.
Warrant search →
Check statewide Texas history Public conviction and deferred-adjudication information through TxDPS.
Texas DPS →
Order a certified record Felony and misdemeanor copy, certification and search procedures.
Copy options →

Which Travis County criminal record do you need?

Travis County uses different record custodians for different stages and levels of a criminal case. Identifying the record type first can save a great deal of time.

District Clerk

Adult felony records

Felony criminal cases, felony search warrants, felony nondisclosures, expunction filings and district criminal court files.

County Clerk

Class A and B misdemeanors

County Criminal Courts handle offenses such as DWI, theft, assault and other qualifying misdemeanors.

Sheriff

Jail, warrants and Sheriff’s reports

Current custody, jail information, warrant search, incident reports and historical incarceration records.

Justice Courts

Class C criminal matters

Traffic citations and other Class C misdemeanor complaints can be handled by one of Travis County’s five Justice of the Peace courts.

Austin Municipal Court

City Class C offenses

Traffic, city ordinance, parking and other lowest-level state criminal matters filed with the City of Austin.

Texas DPS

Statewide criminal history

Use DPS when Travis County court records are too narrow and you need public Texas conviction or deferred-adjudication information.

An arrest, complaint or charge is not proof of conviction. Always read the final disposition and confirm that the record belongs to the correct person.

Travis County cause-number shortcuts

Travis County’s District Attorney publishes a useful local shortcut: the beginning of the cause number often tells you whether the case is a felony or misdemeanor.

Felony

D-1-DC

Felony cases prosecuted by the Travis County District Attorney typically begin with D-1-DC.

Example: D-1-DC-23-123456

Misdemeanor

C…

Travis County misdemeanor cause numbers handled through the County Attorney generally begin with the letter C.

The felony cause number also reflects the filing year. For example, D-1-DC-23 identifies a felony case filed in 2023.

Why this matters: If someone sends you a cause number, you can often tell immediately whether to follow the District Clerk felony path or County Clerk misdemeanor path before opening another search.

Find upcoming Travis County criminal court dates

Travis County provides a separate Criminal Docket Search for future felony and misdemeanor settings.

The docket application can search by:

  • arrested person’s name
  • attorney name
  • attorney State Bar number
  • judge name
  • court number
  • case number
Search Travis County Criminal Dockets
Case record vs. docket: Odyssey is useful for the case history itself. The Criminal Docket Search is often faster when your immediate question is the next scheduled court setting.

Travis County felony criminal records: District Clerk

The Travis County District Clerk Criminal Division maintains adult felony criminal records, including felony search warrants, felony nondisclosures and court records supporting the Travis County criminal district courts.

Criminal Division

Travis County District Clerk

Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center
501 W. 11th Street, Room 2.300
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-854-9420, option 3
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Services

What the division handles

  • adult felony criminal files
  • felony search warrants
  • felony nondisclosures
  • all Travis County expunction filings
  • certified felony criminal-history search letters
  • criminal record copy requests

The District Clerk states that public online Odyssey access provides a summary/Register of Actions for publicly available felony cases. Attorneys and qualifying justice partners can receive broader registered access.

District Clerk Criminal Division

Older Travis County felony records may not appear online

Travis County specifically warns that felony criminal records prior to 2004 may be archived and unavailable through the public Odyssey Portal.

If an older felony does not appear online:

1 Confirm the county Make sure the case was actually filed in Travis County.
2 Try the name carefully Use legal name and known aliases when appropriate.
3 Contact Criminal Records Call 512-854-9420, option 3.
4 Submit a records request Ask the District Clerk to search archived records when necessary.
Do not conclude “no felony record” solely from an empty Odyssey search for an older case. The county itself warns that pre-2004 felony information may be archived.

Travis County misdemeanor records: County Clerk

The Travis County Clerk serves as clerk for the County Criminal Courts. Travis County currently has County Courts at Law #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8 and #9 handling Class A and B misdemeanor cases.

Common examples include:

  • DWI
  • theft
  • assault
  • family-violence-related misdemeanor matters
  • other Class A misdemeanors
  • other Class B misdemeanors
Misdemeanor Department

Travis County Clerk

1000 Guadalupe Street, #222
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-854-9188

Mailing address

County Clerk

P.O. Box 149325
Austin, TX 78714

Use the Misdemeanor Division instructions for records, copy requests and filings.

County Clerk Misdemeanor Division

Travis County misdemeanor online coverage dates

The County Clerk publishes unusually useful detail about what is actually online.

Record component Online coverage Important detail
Case data June 1986 to present Searchable court-case data is available online.
Redacted document images December 2005 to present Personal identifiers such as SSNs are blocked from public images.
Case-data update cycle About every 24 hours A same-day court action may not appear immediately.
New document-image delay About 72 hours A newly filed document may lag behind the docket entry.
Practical tip: If the docket shows a newly filed document but you cannot open its image yet, wait for the County Clerk’s normal document-processing delay before assuming the filing is unavailable.

Older misdemeanor searches

The County Clerk also publishes different search rules for older records:

  • 1981 to present: one-name misdemeanor search may include up to three aliases at no search charge
  • before 1981: currently $10 for one name, with up to three aliases
  • additional pre-1981 aliases can incur additional search fees
  • microfilm or paper research may carry separate search costs

Travis County criminal record copies and certification fees

A screenshot or online docket may be sufficient for casual research, but a licensing agency, immigration authority, attorney or other organization may request a certified court document.

Service Published fee Office
District Clerk records search $5 per cause/name/item searched District Clerk
District Clerk paper copy $1 per page District Clerk
Electronic document up to 10 pages $1 District Clerk
Electronic pages after first 10 $0.10 per page District Clerk
District Clerk certification $5 per document District Clerk
County Clerk self-service photocopy $0.20 per page County Clerk
County Clerk clerk-made copy $1 per page County Clerk
County Clerk certified copy $5 certification + $1/page County Clerk
Use the cause number. Finding the exact case online before submitting a copy request can reduce uncertainty and avoid unnecessary clerk search work.

Certified Travis County felony history letter

The District Clerk can provide a certified positive or negative criminal-history search letter, but that certification covers Travis County felony criminal cases only. It is not a statewide Texas background check.

Search current Travis County Jail inmates

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office operates the county jail system and provides a public inmate search.

Search Travis County Inmates

Travis County’s jail facilities include:

Central Booking

Travis County Jail

500 W. 10th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Correctional complex

Travis County Correctional Complex

3614 Bill Price Road
Del Valle, TX 78617

When someone is arrested in Travis County, TCSO explains that the person is initially brought to the Central Booking Facility located within the Travis County Jail.

Jail record ≠ conviction. Current custody tells you that someone is being detained. Use Odyssey to determine what case was filed and how the case ultimately ended.

Historical Travis County incarceration records

Travis County Sheriff’s Office offers an additional service that is easy to miss: formal incarceration records dating from May 1988 to the present.

The current TCSO fee is $15.

Requesting your own record

TCSO requires current government-issued identification, such as a driver’s license, state ID, military ID or passport.

Requesting another person’s incarceration record

TCSO currently requires a notarized authorization signed by the individual or appropriate power of attorney, along with a copy of the person’s ID.

This is not a Travis County criminal-history check. TCSO explicitly states that it does not provide criminal histories or clearance letters through the incarceration-record process. For broader criminal history, it directs users to Texas DPS or the FBI.
TCSO Incarceration Record Request

Travis County warrant search

The Travis County Sheriff’s Office provides a public warrant-search service.

Search Travis County Warrants

TCSO also lists a Central Warrants contact: 512-854-9751.

Verify current warrant status. TCSO itself warns users that public online information should be verified before reliance. A warrant may be served, recalled, cleared or otherwise changed after a web result was generated.

Felony search warrants

Travis County’s District Clerk states that its Criminal Division maintains felony search warrants as part of its official criminal records responsibilities.

Arrest warrants and search warrants are different records. If you need a filed felony search warrant, contact the District Clerk rather than assuming the Sheriff’s general warrant-name search will display the document.

Travis County Sheriff’s incident reports

The Sheriff’s Office provides both basic public incident reports and a fuller Public Information Act request process.

Basic public incident report

TCSO states that its ordinary public incident report includes information such as:

  • type of offense
  • date and time of offense
  • responding officer’s name
  • items reported stolen or damaged

The basic public report does not include the officer’s narrative. TCSO currently charges $0.10 per page.

Need the narrative?

TCSO directs requesters to submit a written Open Records Request for the full and complete report or the portion legally releasable under the Texas Public Information Act.

TCSO Incident Report Information

Public Information Act requests in Travis County

Travis County is decentralized. The county specifically warns that it does not have one central open-records office covering every department.

A request submitted to one office does not automatically count as a request to another Travis County office.

1 Identify the custodian Sheriff, District Clerk, County Clerk, District Attorney, County Attorney or another office.
2 Describe the existing record Include dates, names, report numbers and specific document types.
3 Use that office’s request method Online form, email, mail or in-person submission as published.
4 Review the response Confidential or legally excepted material may be withheld or redacted.
Court files are different from administrative/open records. If you want a filed felony judgment, indictment or criminal-court document, use the District Clerk court-record process rather than submitting a generic PIA request.

Sheriff Open Records

TCSO currently requires open-record requests to be made in writing and says requests should include the requester’s name, address and a detailed description of the requested records.

Sheriff Records

Travis County Sheriff’s Office

5555 Airport Boulevard
Austin, TX 78751

Records phone: 512-854-9749
Open-records help: 512-854-9718
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

TCSO Open Records Request

Travis County Justice of the Peace criminal cases

Travis County has five Justice of the Peace precincts. Their criminal workload includes Class C misdemeanor complaints such as traffic citations, bad-check matters and other qualifying lower-level cases.

Travis County Justice Courts

If you do not know the JP precinct

Travis County explains that its JP criminal payment/search systems can return traffic-ticket results from the other Justice Courts, so a user who is unsure of the precinct may still be able to locate the citation through one of the JP search pages.

Be careful when paying a citation online. Travis County’s JP guidance explains that payment can operate as a guilty or no-contest plea and can result in a conviction being entered. Read the court’s options before paying.

Austin Municipal Court criminal and traffic records

A city citation may not belong in Travis County’s felony or County Criminal Court systems. Austin Municipal Court handles the state’s lowest-level criminal offenses within its jurisdiction, including traffic, city ordinance, juvenile and disabled-parking matters.

The City of Austin provides an online case-information lookup. Users can search using identifying information such as:

  • last name
  • date of birth
  • driver’s license number
  • citation or case information
Look Up an Austin Municipal Case
Main courthouse

Austin Municipal Court

6800 Burleson Road
Building 310, Suite 175
Austin, TX 78744

Main phone: 512-974-4800

North customer center

North Austin option

2121 W. Parmer Lane, Suite 116
Austin, TX 78727

Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Texas DPS statewide criminal-history search

A Travis County court search does not show every criminal record from elsewhere in Texas. For statewide public criminal-history information, use the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division.

Texas law makes qualifying conviction and deferred-adjudication information available to the public through the DPS name-search system.

Current online search price

DPS currently charges $1 per search credit. Credit-card purchases include a 2.25% fee per credit plus a $0.25 transaction fee.

Create the required Crime Records account

The public search requires an account and search credits.

Use full legal name

First and last name are required. Add middle, maiden and DOB information when known.

Review possible matches carefully

DPS warns that a name-based match is not positive identification.

Use fingerprints when identity matters

Fingerprint-based searches provide stronger identity verification than a name-only match.

Texas DPS Criminal History Search

Request your own fingerprint-based Texas criminal history

A person who needs to verify their own Texas criminal-history record should use the fingerprint-based Texas DPS personal-review process.

DPS criminal-history check

Fingerprint record fee

DPS currently lists the fingerprint-based criminal-history record-check fee at $15.

FAST fingerprinting

Fingerprint service fee

DPS currently lists an additional $10 fingerprinting fee when using FAST.

When to use this instead of Odyssey: Odyssey answers “What Travis County court cases can I find?” A fingerprint-based DPS review answers a different question about the individual’s statewide Texas criminal-history record.

Texas prison and supervision records

If a person is or was under the Texas Department of Criminal Justice system, use the official TDCJ Offender Search.

The system allows searching by:

  • name
  • SID number
  • current TDCJ number
  • previous TDCJ number
  • partial wildcard terms

For example, TDCJ permits an asterisk for partial matches: Rich*, *son or *123*.

Jail vs. prison: Use Travis County Sheriff’s inmate search for current county-jail custody. Use TDCJ for qualifying state correctional and supervision information.

Travis County criminal appeals: Third Court of Appeals

Travis County is within the jurisdiction of the Third Court of Appeals in Austin.

The Third Court has intermediate appellate jurisdiction over qualifying civil and criminal appeals from 24 Texas counties, including Travis County.

Appellate court

Third Court of Appeals

Price Daniel Sr. Building
209 W. 14th Street, Room 101
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-463-1733
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Third Court of Appeals
Search sequence: Find the trial case in Travis County first. If the docket shows a notice of appeal, follow the case into the Third Court of Appeals.

Federal criminal cases in Travis County

Federal criminal cases are not Travis County District Clerk or County Clerk records. Travis County is within the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.

Federal courthouse

U.S. District Court — Austin Division

501 W. 5th Street, Room 1100
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-916-5896
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. CT

Federal electronic dockets and filings are generally searched using PACER.

Search Federal Cases with PACER Western District of Texas

Travis County expunction and nondisclosure records

Texas uses different legal mechanisms to remove or restrict access to qualifying criminal records. Expunction and nondisclosure are not interchangeable.

Expunction

Filed with the District Clerk

The Travis County District Clerk handles all county expunction filings, including matters related to misdemeanor and felony arrests.

Nondisclosure

Restricts public disclosure

Qualifying Texas criminal-history information can be restricted from ordinary public disclosure while remaining available to statutorily authorized entities.

Current Travis County filing fees

Petition Published 2026 base fee Note
Expunction petition $350 Other service or case-specific costs may apply.
Nondisclosure petition $350 Other fees may apply.

Self-represented filers may submit completed District Clerk expunction/nondisclosure paperwork:

Travis County District Clerk Criminal Division
501 W. 11th Street, Room 2.300
Austin, TX 78701

Attorneys are required to e-file through the Texas electronic filing system.

Eligibility is not automatic. The clerk can provide filing information but cannot determine whether a person’s arrest, dismissal, deferred disposition or other case history legally qualifies for expunction or nondisclosure.
Travis County Expunction Information

What to do if a Travis County or Texas criminal record is wrong

The correction route depends on where the inaccurate information appears.

Court docket error

Contact the clerk

If the problem concerns a Travis County court entry or disposition, contact the clerk maintaining the case.

Sheriff data

Contact TCSO Records

If the issue concerns incarceration or Sheriff’s records, start with TCSO Central Records.

State criminal history

Use DPS Error Resolution

If the statewide Texas criminal history contains incorrect or missing information, use the Texas DPS error-resolution process.

Keep certified proof. If a final court disposition is missing from DPS, obtain a certified copy from the Travis County clerk before attempting to correct the statewide record.
Texas DPS Error Resolution

Travis County criminal-record offices and courthouse map

Felony records

District Clerk Criminal Division

501 W. 11th Street, Room 2.300
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-854-9420, option 3

Misdemeanor records

County Clerk Misdemeanor Department

1000 Guadalupe Street, #222
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-854-9188

Sheriff records

Travis County Sheriff’s Office

5555 Airport Boulevard
Austin, TX 78751

Central Records: 512-854-9749

Federal records

U.S. District Court — Austin

501 W. 5th Street
Austin, TX 78701

Phone: 512-916-5896

Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center map

For felony criminal-record work, the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center area is the most useful map point because the District Clerk Criminal Division and Travis County criminal courts operate there.

Confirm current office hours and county holidays before making a special trip.

Travis County Law Library help for criminal-record issues

Travis County has an unusually useful Law Library program for people navigating record searches, expunction and other legal research.

The Law Library provides:

  • court-record research guidance
  • District and County Clerk record links
  • criminal docket links
  • expunction resources
  • legal research databases
  • reference-attorney services

Main Law Library phone: 512-854-8677

Free expunction reference attorney

Travis County’s Law Library currently offers a free reference-attorney service for people seeking help understanding whether a Travis County arrest may qualify for expunction.

Expunction reference attorney: 512-854-1631

Travis County Law Library

Travis County criminal-record search tips that save time

Tip 01

Read the cause-number prefix

D-1-DC points toward a Travis County felony case; misdemeanor cause numbers generally begin with C.

Tip 02

Old felony missing?

Travis County warns that felony records before 2004 may be archived and absent from Odyssey.

Tip 03

Know the misdemeanor dates

County Clerk case data is online from June 1986; document images from December 2005.

Tip 04

Wait for new images

New County Clerk document images can take about 72 hours to become visible online.

Tip 05

Use the separate docket search

If you only need the next court date, Travis County’s docket application is often quicker than reading the full case.

Tip 06

Recent felony arrest?

Check TCSO inmate information and current court settings even if the case history is still limited.

Tip 07

Do not confuse incarceration with history

TCSO’s $15 incarceration record is not a Travis County criminal-history or clearance letter.

Tip 08

Class C? Check JP or Austin Municipal

A citation may never belong in the County Clerk Class A/B misdemeanor database.

Tip 09

Use DPS for statewide history

Travis County clerks do not search every Texas county or federal criminal database.

What a Travis County criminal search may not show

  • federal criminal cases
  • criminal cases filed in another Texas county
  • out-of-state criminal records
  • sealed or expunged records
  • records subject to nondisclosure
  • confidential juvenile information
  • very old archived felony records not present in Odyssey
  • Class C cases held only in a Justice or Municipal Court
  • new misdemeanor document images still inside the normal processing delay
  • investigative information legally withheld from public release
An empty online search is not absolute proof that no record exists. Check the correct court level, older archives, municipal/JP courts, aliases and whether access has been restricted by law.

Using Travis County records for employment, housing or screening

Public court records and legally compliant consumer background reports are not automatically the same product.

Employment, tenant screening, credit, insurance, licensing and similar decisions can involve the Fair Credit Reporting Act and additional state or federal requirements.

Use-purpose matters. This guide explains how to locate government public records. It does not turn an Odyssey, Sheriff or court-clerk search into an FCRA-compliant consumer report.

Travis County criminal records: frequently asked questions

1. Where can I search Travis County criminal cases online?

Use the Travis County Odyssey Portal. Public users can search case information and the Register of Actions. Travis County also operates a separate Criminal Docket Search for future felony and misdemeanor settings.

2. Who maintains Travis County felony criminal records?

The Travis County District Clerk Criminal Division maintains adult felony criminal records, felony search warrants, felony nondisclosures and related district criminal-court files.

3. Who maintains Travis County misdemeanor records?

The Travis County Clerk Misdemeanor Division maintains Class A and B misdemeanor records from the County Criminal Courts.

4. How far back do Travis County online criminal records go?

The District Clerk warns that public felony records before 2004 may be archived and unavailable online. The County Clerk states that misdemeanor case data is online from June 1986 and redacted document images from December 2005.

5. How do I find someone currently in Travis County Jail?

Use the Travis County Sheriff’s official inmate search. TCSO operates the Travis County Jail/Central Booking Facility and Travis County Correctional Complex.

6. Does Travis County have an online warrant search?

Yes. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office provides a public warrant-search system. Current status should be verified with the responsible court or Sheriff’s Office before relying on the result.

7. Can I get a historical Travis County incarceration record?

Yes. TCSO states that incarceration records are available from May 1988 to the present. The current fee is $15, and requesting another person’s record requires authorization under TCSO’s published procedure.

8. How do I search statewide Texas criminal history?

Use the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division. The current public name-based search uses paid search credits.

9. Can a Travis County criminal record be expunged or hidden from public access?

Some qualifying Texas records may be eligible for expunction or an order of nondisclosure. Travis County’s District Clerk handles expunction filings, and statutory eligibility depends on the facts of the case.

10. Does Travis County Odyssey include federal criminal cases?

No. Federal cases are separate. Travis County is within the Austin Division of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, and federal electronic court records are generally searched through PACER.

Official government sources used for this guide

Editorial note: Criminal-Record.org is an independent informational resource and is not affiliated with Travis County, the City of Austin, the State of Texas, any court, clerk or law-enforcement agency. Records can change after dismissal, conviction, appeal, expunction, nondisclosure, correction, release or another court action. Always verify important information with the government office that maintains the original record. An arrest or criminal charge is not proof of guilt.

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