Texas DPS Arrest Records & Criminal Lookup 2026

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Texas statewide · DPS CCH, county jail, court and fingerprint-record guide

Use Texas DPS, County Jail and Court Records Without Mixing Them Up

Texas DPS maintains the statewide Computerized Criminal History system, but its public name-search portal is not a live jail roster or a complete public list of every arrest. Public DPS access focuses on qualifying convictions and deferred adjudications.

This guide explains what the DPS search contains, how to find a recent county booking, how to obtain your fingerprint-based record, how to repair a missing disposition and how to distinguish expunction from an order of nondisclosure.

Run the DPS name search Find a recent Texas arrest Order your fingerprint record
An arrest is not a conviction. A jail booking or arrest report records an allegation and custody event. Verify the court disposition before describing someone as convicted.
Public DPS search

Convictions and deferred adjudications.

Statewide CCH

Data submitted from 254 counties.

Fingerprint review

$10 FAST fee + $15 CHRI fee.

Personal code

11FT12

DPS record help

512-424-2474

Most important distinction

Texas DPS does not replace the county jail or the criminal court

DPS CONVICTION NAME SEARCH Does the person have public Texas conviction data?

Search qualifying convictions and deferred adjudications reported to the Texas criminal-history repository.

Not designed for: confirming that someone is in jail today.

COUNTY SHERIFF OR JAIL Is the person currently in custody?

Use the official jail locator in the county where the arrest and booking occurred.

Usually shows: booking, charges, bond, facility and release status.

LOCAL COURT AND CLERK What happened to the charge?

Search the court where the complaint, information, indictment or citation was filed.

Use for: filed charges, hearings, judgment and certified disposition.

Best workflow: Find the county booking, save the arrest and case identifiers, run the DPS public search, check the local court and order a fingerprint Personal Review when identity-level accuracy matters.

Choose the task you need to complete

The instructions needed before each official action are included directly in this guide.

What the database includes

Public search, full CCH and county records are different

Texas record type and access level
Record source Typical content Who can access it Main limitation
DPS public name search Public conviction and deferred-adjudication criminal-history information. General public through the paid name-search portal. Not a complete live-arrest or jail database.
Texas CCH repository Qualifying arrest, prosecutor, court-disposition and custody information submitted by Texas agencies. Access depends on law, purpose and requesting entity. Only information reported by Texas criminal-justice agencies.
Fingerprint Personal Review The requesting person’s fingerprint-matched Texas criminal-history record. The individual or authorized representative. Texas record; FBI review is a separate process.
County jail search Current booking, charges, bond, facility and release information. Usually public, subject to county policy and law. Covers that jail or county, not statewide history.
Arresting-agency report Incident narrative, officer actions and agency case details. Public portions subject to Texas disclosure exceptions. Active-investigation and protected information may be withheld.
Local criminal court Complaint, information, indictment, docket, plea, judgment and sentence. Public unless sealed, restricted or confidential. Search systems and fees vary by county and court.

Required and optional reporting

Class B or greater

DPS states that Chapter 66 requires arrest, prosecution and disposition information for Class B misdemeanor or greater Texas criminal offenses.

Class C records

An arresting agency is not required to report a Class C arrest but may choose to report it.

Texas-only repository

DPS records are built from information submitted by criminal-justice agencies within Texas.

Indefinite retention: DPS states that reported criminal arrest information remains on the criminal-history record indefinitely unless corrected or affected by lawful record relief.
Result decoder

How to read a Texas DPS criminal-history result

DPS record fields and what to check next
Field What it identifies What it does not prove Best next action
SID Texas State Identification number connected with a fingerprint-based record. It is not the local court case number. Use it when contacting DPS Error Resolution.
TRN Tracking number connecting parts of an arrest cycle reported to CCH. It does not explain the final legal outcome by itself. Use it to identify the exact arrest cycle.
Arresting agency The police, sheriff, DPS or other agency that submitted the arrest. That agency does not necessarily maintain the court judgment. Request the arrest narrative from the agency.
Arrest date The date connected with the arrest event. It may differ from booking and court-filing dates. Use it to separate multiple arrest cycles.
Arrest charge The offense submitted at the arrest stage. It is not necessarily the final prosecuted charge. Compare it with the prosecutor and court sections.
Prosecutor action Information reported by the prosecutor regarding filing or action on the charge. An incomplete entry may not reflect later court action. Check the court docket and certified disposition.
Court offense The charge or count handled by the court. One arrest can produce several court cases or counts. Match the county, cause number and judgment.
Disposition Reported result such as conviction, dismissal, deferred adjudication or another court action. A missing disposition does not mean the case remains pending. Obtain the certified court document when missing or unclear.
Sentence or supervision Reported incarceration, probation, community supervision or other sentence information. It may not show every later modification. Review the court judgment and supervision record.
Deferred adjudication A deferred case reported to DPS. Successful completion automatically deletes the arrest. Review nondisclosure eligibility.
Missing disposition does not equal pending. DPS states that the clerk may not have reported the result or the submission may have been returned because of an error.
Troubleshooting

No DPS result, wrong person or incomplete record?

No public DPS match The record may not contain a public conviction or deferred adjudication, may use another name or may not have been reported correctly.
Arrest happened today Search the county jail. A recent arrest may not yet have moved through local booking, prosecution and CCH reporting.
Similar-name result Compare birth date, sex, race, county, arrest date, SID and court identifiers before relying on it.
Different spelling or former name Run separate searches for aliases, maiden names, suffixes and spelling variations.
Disposition is blank Obtain the certified disposition from the court and send it to DPS Error Resolution.
Arrest belongs to another state Texas DPS records contain information submitted by Texas criminal-justice agencies, not a complete national history.
Third-party site shows more The website may be using county, jail, scraped or outdated data that differs from the public DPS result.
Need identity-level certainty Order a fingerprint-based Personal Review instead of repeating name searches.
Recent Texas arrest

How to find someone arrested or booked today

Identify the county of arrest Use the incident location, highway stop, police department or arrest paperwork—not only the person’s home county.
Identify the arresting agency The arrest may involve city police, a county sheriff, Texas Highway Patrol, a constable, campus police or another agency.
Search the official county inmate locator Look for “inmate search,” “jail records,” “who is in jail” or “booking search” on the county website.
Start with the last name Add the first name or birth date only when the surname produces too many possible results.
Save the booking identifiers Record the booking number, arrest date, arresting agency, charge, bond and court cause number.
Call when the arrest is too recent The person may still be in a city holding facility or undergoing identification and intake.
Check every charge and hold Payment of one bond does not clear a second charge, probation hold, parole hold or outside warrant.
Search the court after filing The court record—not the booking—shows the formal charge and outcome.
Texas has no single statewide county-jail roster. Each county controls its own booking search, update schedule, historical access and release procedures.
Call script for a recent booking “I am trying to confirm whether [full legal name], date of birth [date], was booked after an arrest on [date] by [agency]. I have [report, warrant or cause number]. Can you confirm whether the person is being processed, held, released or transferred?”
Arrest and incident reports

Request the report from the agency that created it

Record needed and correct custodian
Record Likely custodian Information to provide
City police arrest report The municipal police department. Agency case number, date, location and arrested person’s name.
County sheriff arrest report The county sheriff’s records unit. Report number, booking number, date and location.
Texas Highway Patrol report Texas DPS when the record was created and maintained by DPS. Trooper name, incident date, highway, county and report number.
County jail booking record County sheriff, detention department or corrections office. Booking name, booking number and date.
Criminal court disposition The clerk of the court that handled the case. Cause number and exact document required.
Statewide personal history Texas DPS Crime Records. Fingerprints through the Personal Review process.
Copy-ready Texas Public Information Act request
Under the Texas Public Information Act, I request an electronic copy of the existing releasable arrest report, incident report, probable-cause statement, booking sheet and releasable supplements concerning [full legal name] for the incident occurring on or about [date and time] at [location]. Known identifiers are agency case number [number], booking number [number], SID [number] and court cause number [number]. Please provide an itemized estimate before processing if the total charge will exceed $[amount]. If information is withheld, please identify the legal basis for the withholding.
Request existing records rather than asking legal questions
Send the request to the agency maintaining the record
Use a narrow incident date and location
Include the agency case or booking number
Ask for electronic delivery when available
Keep a copy and proof of receipt
DPS Public Information Center

How to request a record maintained by Texas DPS

Electronic request

DPS Public Information Center or publicrecords@dps.texas.gov.

Mail
Texas Department of Public Safety
Office of General Counsel – Public Information
Box 4087
Austin, TX 78773-0140
In person
5805 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78756
Not accepted as formal requests

DPS states that telephone requests are not Public Information Act requests and fax requests are no longer accepted.

DPS cost-control rules

More than $40

DPS provides an itemized written estimate and identifies a less costly alternative when available.

Respond within 10 days

The requester must accept the cost or select an alternative in writing. No response may cause withdrawal.

More than $100

DPS generally requires a prepaid deposit or bond before compiling the responsive records.

Criminal-history exception: Do not use a general Public Information Act request as a substitute for the DPS conviction-search or fingerprint Personal Review process.
Submit a DPS public-record request Email the designated DPS address
Fingerprint-matched record

Texas DPS Personal Review: fees, code and appointment steps

FAST fee

$10.

CHRI fee

$15.

Total published cost

$25.

Service code

11FT12

Scheduling phone

888-467-2080

Select Personal Review Use service code 11FT12. Do not substitute an employer or licensing service code.
Choose mail or email delivery Enter the designated recipient information accurately during scheduling.
Enter demographic information Be prepared to provide birth date, sex, race, ethnicity, height, weight, eye color, hair color, place of birth and home address.
Select a FAST location and appointment IdentoGO operates the statewide electronic Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas network.
Bring acceptable photo identification A valid unexpired Texas driver license is accepted. Review DPS identification requirements before using another document.
Pay the required fees The vendor accepts major cards, business checks, money orders and approved coupon codes. Cash and personal checks are not accepted.
Keep the IdentoGO receipt The receipt contains the UE ID needed to track an email-delivery submission.
Contact DPS promptly when results do not arrive DPS instructs applicants to make contact within 14 days after fingerprinting. Results are not sent for fingerprints more than 30 days old.
Accuracy advantage: FAST locations state a 98% classifiable-rate commitment, reducing rejected or unreadable fingerprint submissions.
Social Security number is optional. It must be provided during fingerprinting when the applicant wants it printed on the criminal-history result.
Schedule Personal Review fingerprints Open the DPS Personal Review instructions
Employment-purpose copy

Texas Personal Review for Employment

Service code

11HRZF

Published cost

$10 fingerprinting plus $15 for the criminal-history record.

Result delivery

Mailed or emailed to the designated recipient entered by the applicant.

Do not confuse two processes. An applicant’s Personal Review for Employment is not necessarily the same as a fingerprint check required by an authorized employer, regulator or licensing agency. Use the service code supplied by the requesting agency when one is provided.
Obtain the employer or licensing agency’s required service code
Confirm whether Texas-only or Texas-and-FBI results are required
Ask whether the result goes directly to the agency
Keep the UE ID and payment receipt
Request a copy from the agency when permitted
Challenge inaccurate information before a final decision
Schedule Employment Personal Review Open the employment instructions
Outside Texas

How to submit a hard fingerprint card through the vendor

Outside-Texas prints cannot be electronically transmitted to Texas DPS. The applicant must pre-enroll for a hard-card submission and mail the card to the address supplied in the vendor authorization letter.
Obtain a recent DPS-approved fingerprint card DPS states that fingerprint cards should not be more than six months old.
Complete all identity fields Include printed first, middle and last names, aliases, sex, race, birth date and the applicant’s signature.
Add Social Security number only when desired It is optional but must appear on the card to be printed on the result.
Pre-enroll using service code 11FT12 Choose the option to submit a fingerprint card rather than schedule Texas electronic fingerprints.
Complete online payment The hard-card pre-enrollment process accepts card payment or an approved coupon code.
Print and sign the barcode authorization letter The letter contains the mailing address and links the card to the paid enrollment.
Mail both required items Send the completed fingerprint card and signed authorization letter together.
Ink-card cost is separate. A local law-enforcement agency or fingerprint provider may charge its own fee to create the hard card.
Hard-card and Personal Review assistance

512-424-2474, option 2

IdentoGO scheduling: 888-467-2080

Correct or complete the record

Texas DPS Error Resolution workflow

Common errors and evidence needed
Problem First office to contact Evidence to obtain
Wrong arrest identity Arresting agency and DPS Error Resolution. Fingerprint comparison, photo ID and agency correction.
Wrong arrest charge Arresting agency. Corrected arrest submission or official agency letter.
Missing prosecutor action Prosecutor and court clerk. Certified filing, rejection or dismissal document.
Missing final disposition Clerk of the court with jurisdiction. Certified disposition or judgment.
Wrong sentence or probation result Court clerk and supervision agency. Certified judgment, discharge or modification order.
Third-party website is inaccurate The website or reporting company. Correct DPS result, certified disposition, expunction or nondisclosure order.
Order your fingerprint Personal Review Work from the actual DPS record rather than a commercial background report.
Mark every disputed item Identify the SID, TRN, arrest date, agency, county, charge and disposition.
Obtain certified source documents A missing court disposition must come from the court with jurisdiction.
Complete the DPS Error Resolution form Explain whether the problem concerns identity, arrest, prosecutor, court or custody data.
Send the form and evidence to DPS Keep complete copies and delivery confirmation.
Recheck the updated record Order another review when formal proof of the correction is needed.
Private-company documents are not enough. DPS instructs people correcting a disposition to obtain a certified court document. Ordinary photocopies are not accepted unless they contain the issuing court’s embossed seal.
Error Resolution email

error.resolution@dps.texas.gov

CHRI Services Bureau

512-424-2590

CCH, court reporting, data integrity and expunction processing.

Download the Error Resolution materials
Someone used your identity

Identity misuse requires a different process than a record typo

Expunction of falsely used identity data

Texas law provides a process to expunge identifying information falsely supplied by another arrested person. DPS directs the affected person to contact the district attorney in the county where the person lives.

Individual Identity File

A person may file a declaration with the sheriff in the county of residence. DPS can create a misuse-of-identity record with a unique password used to verify identity to law enforcement.

Obtain your fingerprint Personal Review
Identify every arrest that is not yours
Contact the sheriff in your county of residence
Contact the district attorney regarding identity expunction
Preserve police reports and identity-theft documentation
Use the DPS identity password when issued
DPS identity-theft and crime-information assistance

512-424-2088

County jail versus TDCJ

When to use the Texas prison inmate search

Use the county jail search
  • The arrest happened recently
  • The person is awaiting magistrate or trial
  • Bond or county release is being arranged
  • The person is serving a county-jail sentence
  • Transfer to state custody is not complete
Use TDCJ Inmate Information
  • The person entered Texas prison or state-jail custody
  • A TDCJ number is available
  • The county confirms transfer to TDCJ
  • You need the assigned unit
  • You need reported offenses or projected release information
Transfer gap: A person can disappear from the county roster before becoming searchable in TDCJ. Ask the county which agency received the person.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice

General inmate information: online, email or telephone.

Main TDCJ number: 936-295-6371

Search TDCJ custody View inmate-information options
Employment and licensing

Do not use a casual DPS name search as a fingerprint check

Public name search

Useful for reviewing public Texas conviction and deferred-adjudication information, but vulnerable to false matches and missed records.

Authorized applicant check

Used when Texas law authorizes a fingerprint check for a specific employer, license, volunteer role or regulated activity.

Personal Review

Allows the individual or authorized representative to obtain and inspect the person’s own Texas record.

Confirm the legal authority for the background check
Use the requesting agency’s assigned FAST service code
Verify whether FBI information is also required
Give the applicant required notices and authorizations
Allow inaccurate information to be challenged
Do not treat an arrest alone as proof of misconduct
FAST agency checks do not automatically give the applicant a copy. DPS instructs applicants to ask the requesting agency for a copy or submit a Personal Review.
Expunction and nondisclosure

Texas record relief: understand the legal effect before filing

Common Texas record-relief paths
Relief General effect What remains important
Expunction Eligible covered arrest, court and criminal-history records may be destroyed or removed under the court order. Eligibility is controlled by Chapter 55 and the facts of the case.
Order of nondisclosure Covered criminal-history information is restricted from ordinary public disclosure. Authorized criminal-justice and noncriminal-justice agencies may retain access.
Deferred adjudication completion Completion alone does not automatically delete the arrest and supervision from DPS. Review the correct nondisclosure statute and waiting period.
Juvenile automatic sealing A juvenile court must order sealing when statutory automatic-sealing criteria are satisfied. Juvenile relief follows different law and procedure.
Pardon Executive clemency may provide specified relief. A pardon is not the same procedure as expunction or nondisclosure.

Expunction preparation board

Order your fingerprint-based DPS history
Obtain certified court dispositions
List every agency holding the arrest record
Confirm the correct county and court
Review Chapter 55 eligibility
Check local petition, notice and fee requirements

Nondisclosure preparation board

Identify the exact Government Code section
Determine whether the pathway is automatic or petition-based
Check offense exclusions and waiting periods
Use the matching OCA instructions and model order
File in the court connected with the case
Confirm DPS receives and processes the signed order
Nondisclosure does not make the event disappear from every authorized check. DPS explains that the person, criminal-justice agencies and certain authorized noncriminal-justice agencies may still receive the information.
DPS legal staff cannot advise private individuals. DPS may oppose an expunction petition and recommends obtaining the personal criminal history and consulting a licensed attorney.
Choose the correct nondisclosure forms Review DPS record-relief guidance
Contact directory

Texas DPS and court-record contacts

Contact the unit matched to the problem
Office Contact Use this contact for
Access & Dissemination Bureau 512-424-2474 Criminal-history inquiries, Personal Review and fingerprint services.
Criminal History Inquiry Unit Texas DPS
P.O. Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143 		Mailed criminal-history inquiry correspondence.
CHRI Services Bureau 512-424-2590 CCH, court reporting, data integrity and expunction processing.
Fingerprint status 512-424-2365, option 6
fingerprint.service@dps.texas.gov 		Status of fingerprints submitted to DPS.
Error Resolution error.resolution@dps.texas.gov Correcting or completing Texas criminal-history data.
Identity Theft / TCIC 512-424-2088 Identity misuse and Texas Crime Information Center questions.
IdentoGO FAST 888-467-2080 Fingerprint scheduling and hard-card pre-enrollment.
Texas Judicial Directory 512-463-1625
JudInfo@txcourts.gov 		Finding district, county, justice, municipal courts and clerks.
TDCJ 936-295-6371 Texas prison and state-jail inmate information.
Open Government Hotline 512-478-6736
877-673-6839 		Questions about an agency’s response to a Texas PIA request.
DPS public-information location

Texas DPS Headquarters in Austin

Public-information in-person address
5805 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78756
Before visiting

Confirm whether the service requires an appointment, online submission, fingerprint vendor or mailed form. Driver-license offices do not replace Crime Records services.

Official-source extraction

What this guide brings into the page

1
DPS search limits

Public conviction/deferred access, full CCH distinction, Class B reporting threshold and Class C option.

2
Fingerprint process

Service codes, fees, payment methods, delivery options, UE ID, status contacts and deadlines.

3
Court routing

Felony district courts, county-level misdemeanors, municipal and justice court Class C cases.

4
Error correction

Certified-disposition requirement, Error Resolution contact and source-agency workflow.

5
Public-record costs

DPS request methods, $40 estimate threshold, 10-day response rule and $100 deposit threshold.

6
Record relief

Expunction, nondisclosure, juvenile sealing, identity misuse and continuing authorized access.

Live-action rule: External links remain where the user must run a current search, purchase a lookup, schedule fingerprints, submit a request, find a court or begin a legal filing.
Frequently asked questions

Texas DPS arrest and criminal-record questions answered

Is the Texas DPS search a complete arrest database?

No. The public portal focuses on qualifying convictions and deferred adjudications. Search county jail and court systems for current arrests and cases.

Can I search another person through Texas DPS?

Yes, the public name portal provides access to qualifying public conviction and deferred-adjudication information. Name matching is less accurate than fingerprint matching.

How much is an offline DPS name search?

The DPS FAQ lists an offline name-based criminal-history check at $10. The live portal displays its current online search charge.

Can DPS certify an open-record criminal-history check?

Yes. DPS states that certification is available on request without an additional certification charge, although the underlying record-request fee still applies.

How accurate is a name search?

It can return another person with a similar name or miss the intended person. Fingerprints provide the most accurate identity match.

How much is a fingerprint Personal Review?

The published total is $25: $10 for FAST fingerprinting and $15 for the Texas criminal-history record.

What should I bring to IdentoGO?

Bring acceptable unexpired photo identification and the selected payment method. Keep the receipt containing the UE ID.

Does IdentoGO accept cash?

The DPS Personal Review instructions state that cash and personal checks are not accepted. Major cards, business checks, money orders and approved coupon codes are accepted.

Why does DPS show an arrest but no disposition?

The court clerk may not have reported the disposition, or the report may have been rejected because of an error. Obtain a certified disposition and contact Error Resolution.

Will a private website’s court printout correct DPS?

No. DPS requires a certified disposition from the court with jurisdiction. Ordinary photocopies are insufficient unless they contain the court’s embossed seal.

How long does an arrest stay on the DPS record?

DPS states that reported arrest information remains indefinitely unless it is corrected or affected by lawful record relief.

Does completing deferred adjudication remove the arrest?

No. DPS states that the arrest and probation can remain after successful completion. Review eligibility for an order of nondisclosure.

How do I search someone arrested today?

Use the official county jail locator. The public DPS conviction search is not a live statewide booking roster.

Where do I search a felony case?

Start with the district clerk or county criminal-record portal because Texas district courts have original jurisdiction over felony cases.

Where do I search a Class A or B misdemeanor?

These cases are generally handled by a constitutional county court or county court at law. Verify the local court through the Judicial Directory.

Where do I search a Class C citation?

Search the municipal court or justice court where the citation was filed.

Can I use the DPS name search for a licensed job?

Only when the requesting entity accepts it. Many regulated jobs require a fingerprint check using an agency-specific FAST service code.

What is the difference between expunction and nondisclosure?

Expunction can require removal or destruction of eligible covered records. Nondisclosure restricts ordinary public access but permits specified authorized access.

How do I find a Texas state-prison inmate?

Use the TDCJ Online Inmate Search after the person enters state custody. Use the county jail search for recent or pretrial custody.

Who can help with a failed Texas public-record request?

The Texas Attorney General Open Government Hotline is available at 512-478-6736 or 877-673-6839.

Accuracy, identity and legal-use notice

County Arrest Records is an independent informational guide. It is not the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Texas Judicial Branch, a county sheriff, a court clerk, IdentoGO or a law firm.

Criminal-history, jail, prosecutor and court information can change after correction, later reporting, appeal, expunction, nondisclosure or another court order. Verify identity with multiple official identifiers and obtain the current certified record before making a legal, employment, housing, financial, licensing or publication decision.

Every arrested person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court. Eligibility for expunction, nondisclosure or another remedy is case-specific. This page provides procedural information and is not legal advice.

Official-source review completed July 16, 2026.

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