Dallas County Court Records

Dallas County court records refer to documentary materials generated in the course of legal proceedings within county limits. These records include pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, transcripts, and other relevant materials. Preserving court records is the primary reason for ensuring transparency in judicial matters. Other reasons include:

• Educating the general public about the law.
• Providing reference materials for similar or related cases in the future.
• Keeping track of ongoing cases.

Per Texas Government Code, Chapter 51, the primary custodians of Dallas County court records are the District Court and County Court clerks.

Are Court Records Public in Dallas County?

Yes, court records are public in Dallas County. Common law, statutes, and court rules in Texas govern access to court records.

However, some information is exempt from public disclosure if considered confidential by constitutional or statutory law or judicial decisions. Some examples include sensitive personal information, settlement negotiations involving the state, specific investigation or prosecution documents, and juvenile records.

The Public Information Act, codified in Texas Government Code Chapter 522, does not regulate court record access. While the law requires governmental bodies to furnish requestors, citizens or non-citizens, with access to public records, the court system is not subject to the PIA.

Dallas County Court Records Search

Persons seeking access to Dallas County court record may direct their inquiry to any of these entities:

• The court where a case was initially filed
• The Dallas District Clerk or Court Clerk offices
• Third-party public records providers

Dallas County Court Records Search by Name

A Name-based records search involves providing a person's first and last name to facilitate a court case search. A Dallas County court record search by name requires a requestor to provide first and last names to the court's record custodian. Name-based searches can be done online, in person at the record custodian's office, or through a written mail request form.

Name-based searches may be performed through the district court clerk's office as well as the county clerk's office. In either case, inquirers will be required to pay copy and certification fees where applicable.

Each certified copy of a county court record costs $5 for certification plus $1 per page. Uncertified copies filing is $1 per page.

The State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH)

This is an online tool for searching general docket case files. Users need to register before accessing the tool. Case records for most general docket hearings since March 2020 at SOAH are publicly available at no cost through this tool.

Dallas County Courts

Dallas County Courts are broadly divided into Civil District Courts, County Courts at Law, County Criminal Courts, Criminal District Courts, Family District Courts, Justice of Peace and Small Claims Courts, Juvenile District Courts, and Probate Courts.

Civil District Courts

The Civil District courts are located at the George Allen Building.

101st District Court:
6th Floor West
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6937
Fax: (214) 413-4233

134th District Court:

6th Floor West (Old)
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6995

193rd Civil District Court: 8th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6998

298th Civil District Court: 8th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6781

162nd Civil District Court: 7th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7156

191st Civil District Court:

7th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6609

192nd Civil District Court:
7th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7709

95th Civil District Court: 6th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6603

116th Civil District Court:

6th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6015

160th Civil District Court:

6th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7273

14th Civil District Court:
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6000

44th Civil District Court:
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7427

68th Civil District Court:
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6510

Tax Court: 6th Floor West
Aux 6-A,
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6061
(214) 653-6061

County Courts At Law

County Court at Law No. 1:

5th Floor West Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7556

County Court at Law No. 2:

5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7366

County Court at Law No. 3:

600 Commerce Street
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7595

County Court at Law No. 4: 5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7466

County Court at Law No. 5: 5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6441

Family District Courts

254th Family District Court:

3rd Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6136

255th Family District Court:

4th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6159

256th Family District Court:

4th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6449

301st Family District Court:

3rd Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7385

302nd Family District Court:

4th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7236

303rd Family District Court:

4th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7611

330th Family District Court: 3rd Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7208

County Criminal Courts

Frank Crowley Criminal Building (Criminal Courts)

133 N. Riverfront Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75207

Criminal District Courts

Criminal District Court No. 1:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5605

Criminal District Court No. 2:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5615

Criminal District Court No. 3:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5620

Criminal District Court No. 4:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5630

Criminal District Court No. 5:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
5th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5640

Criminal District Court No. 6:
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5650

Criminal District Court No. 7

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5660

194th Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5801

195th Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5810

203rd Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5820

204th Criminal District Court 133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5830

363rd Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
5th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5890

265th Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5840

282nd Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
5th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5850

283rd Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5860

291st Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5870

292nd Criminal District Court

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
6th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5880

County Criminal Court No. 8 133 North Riverfront Boulevard
4th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5670

County Criminal Court No. 9

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
4th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5680

County Criminal Court No. 10 133 North Riverfront Boulevard
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5690

County Criminal Court No. 11

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
4th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5068

Auxiliary Court 1

Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
5th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-5905

Auxiliary Court 6

133 North Riverfront Boulevard
Dallas, Texas 75207
Phone: (972) 739-3910
Fax: (214) 875-2342

Auxiliary Court 8

Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
5th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207

Juvenile Justice Center (Juvenile Courts)

304th Juvenile District Court:

Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Building
2600 Lone Star Drive
3rd Floor
Dallas, Texas 75212
Phone: (214) 698-4330

305th Juvenile District Court:
Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Building
2600 Lone Star Drive
3rd Floor
Dallas, Texas 75212
Phone: (214) 698-4300

Probate Courts

Probate Court No. 1:

1201 Elm Street, 24th Floor
Suite 2400-A
Dallas, TX 75270
Phone: (214) 653-7236

Probate Court No. 2:
1201 Elm Street, 22nd Floor
Suite 2200-A
Dallas, TX 75270
Phone: (214) 653-7138

Probate Court No. 3:
1201 Elm Street, 22nd Floor
Suite 2200-B
Dallas, TX 75270
Phone: (214) 653-6166

Dallas County Justices of the Peace

South Dallas Government Center (Jp 1-1)

8301 South Polk Street
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75232
Phone: (972) 228-0280
Fax: (972) 228-2737

South Dallas Government Center (JP 1-2)

8301 South Polk Street
Suite 2200
Dallas, TX 75232
Phone: (972) 228-2272
Fax: (972) 228-2472

Garland Office JP 2-1

140 North Garland Avenue
Garland, TX 75040
Phone: (214) 643-4773
Fax: (214) 643-4772

Mesquite Office (JP 2-2)

823 N. Galloway Avenue
Mesquite, TX 75149
Phone: (972) 285-5429
Fax: (972) 288-2461

North Dallas Government Center (JP 3-1)

6820 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Suite 3100
Dallas, TX 75240
Phone: (214) 321-4106
Fax: (214) 321-4912

North Dallas Government Center (JP 3-2)

6820 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75240
Phone: (214) 904-3042
Fax: (214) 904-3049

Grand Prairie Government Center (JP 4-1)

106 West Church Street
Suite 205
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Phone: (214) 751-4040
Fax: (214) 751-4050

Grand Prairie Government Center (JP 4-2)

106 West Church Street
Suite 210
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Phone: (214) 589-7000
Fax: (214) 589-7048

East Dallas Government Center (JP 5-1)

3443 St. Francis Avenue
Dallas, TX 75228
Phone: (214) 943-6980
Fax: (214) 943-2871

Oak Cliff Government Center (JP 5-2)

702 East Jefferson Boulevard
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75203
Phone: (214) 943-5981

Dallas County Superior Court Case Search

Texas has only one superior court, and it is not located in Dallas County. Hence, Dallas County in Texas does not have a superior Court. According to Article 5, Section 8 of the Texas Constitution, the district courts are the highest court at the county level. The Dallas District Court has original jurisdiction over all felony criminal cases, divorce cases, cases involving title to land, election contest cases, and civil matters in which the amount is controversial.

Hence, any person who wants to search for case information within any of the Dallas County District courts may:

• Use the Dallas County courts portal by registering as a user, or use the "quick search" tool, which requires the user to enter a Record Number or Name in Last, First Middle Suffix Format
• Use the Dallas County Felony and Misdemeanor case search tool for a name or case number search.

Dallas County District Court Records

Dallas County district courts hear felony cases, and the District Clerk is the custodian of record for the Felony Courts of Dallas County. District court records can be obtained thus:

Online

Dallas County District Court records dating back to 1975, including criminal, felony, and misdemeanor cases, may be obtained online using the Dallas County Criminal Case Record and Document Portal tool. Using this tool, an interested person can find felony and misdemeanor Court Documents by providing a case number or using the criminal background search tool.

An alternative option for finding Dallas County District Court records is to use the Dallas County Texas Courts portal and enter the subject's record number or last, first, and middle names, respectively.

Offline

To access case records that are not online or for services like record certification or searches, inquirers may call the records desk at (214) 653-5950 during business hours or visit:

Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Riverfront Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75202

Each record requested carries a fee that is payable online, in cash, personal check (in-state bank), money orders or credit card. Payments via debit card incurs a fee of $2.95 per transaction, and credit card payments will incur additional fee of 2.15% of amount charged. Mail check and money order payments should be forwarded to the Dallas County District Clerk's Criminal Records Division.

Before making any payment, it may be essential to contact the District Clerk's office at DCRecordsCriminal@dallascounty.org to determine the cost of copies or services.

Dallas County Criminal Records

Individuals can obtain criminal history information for Dallas County through the Texas Department of Public Safety's (TDPS) Computerized Criminal History Search. This service is accessible to eligible persons such as legislatively authorized private entities, government entities, and criminal justice agencies. To access this information, one must either register as a new user or log in if already registered.

Individuals seeking criminal records information can also utilize the Texas Crime Records Division Public Website, accessible to the general public. The Conviction Database on this platform comprises public record data sourced from the DPS Computerized Criminal History System (CCH). The information in CCH is only public if there has been a reported conviction or deferred adjudication for an offense. Users must first create an account to conduct a violent offender name search or generally search the database. The portal also lets the public search for sex offenders.

Additionally, a person may use any tools the Dallas County District Clerk provides to find criminal records with Dallas County Arrest Records. The District Clerk provides public access to criminal records online for most cases filed after 2009. However, case records that have been sealed by court order or are confidential under Federal or State law are not accessible online and usually necessitate a court order for access. Furthermore, records containing the names of children or sexual assault victims are also not available online. If these records are public, they typically need to be requested in person.

Dallas County Criminal Court Case Lookup

As explained earlier, the district court handles the criminal court case information in Dallas County. Hence, any person who wants to look up criminal court case information may explore any of the following processes:

• Use the Dallas County Felony and Misdemeanor case search tool
• Conduct a PACER search by case number
• Visit the courthouse that heard the case and request the case information from the clerk

How To Get Dallas County Civil Court Records

Dallas County Civil Court Records for cases filed in the district civil courts going back to 1975, including current cases, are obtainable through the district and county case information portal or by emailing a request attached to a Civil & Family Records Request Form to DCClosedCivilRec@dallascounty.org for closed civil records, or to DCClosedProbateRec@dallascounty.org for closed probate records.

Each record request should be accompanied by fees verified from the District Clerk's office. Case records sealed by court order or held confidential under federal or state law are unavailable online and generally require a court order to access them. Records containing children's names or other sensitive information are also restricted from online access.

Dallas County civil courts have the authority to hear cases of up to $20,000 and above, appeals from justice of the peace courts, cases transferred from state district courts, and cases from judgments executed in other counties or states.

Dallas County Family Court Records

Dallas County Family Court records are the official documents describing the processes involved in the trials and hearings of cases handled by Dallas Family District Courts, Probate Courts, and certain District Courts cases. The District Clerk preserves civil and family state district court records, Dallas County probate court records, and justice-of-peace court records, with oversight from the Dallas County Clerk's office.

Dallas County family court records are not available online to the public. This restriction ensures the security of sensitive details like social security numbers, bank and credit card account numbers, addresses, dates of birth, and information regarding minors involved in parental divorce proceedings. Individuals can obtain copies of Family Court records by filling out a request form and a Civil & Family Records Request Form and emailing them to DCRecords@dallascounty.org. The records department will then provide the requestor with a cost estimate for the order, which the requestor can pay online.

On the other hand, attorneys have access to current Family Court records through their eFile Texas credentials via the Texas Office of Court Administration's statewide court record portal re: SearchTX.

For in-person requests, certified or other copies of Family Court records can be obtained at the Civil & Family Records counter at:

600 Commerce Street
Basement "B" Floor West
Dallas, TX 75202.

Family Court case records sealed by court order or held confidential under Federal or State law are unavailable online and typically require a court order to access.

Dallas Dissolution of Marriage Records

Dallas County's Family Court decides on issues pertaining to families and children, including divorce or marriage dissolution cases. Thus, records relating to marriage dissolution may be accessed similarly to other family court records, except that email requests are accompanied by a Request For Divorce Decree form to DCRecords@dallascounty.org. The records department will respond with a cost estimate for the order, which the requestor can pay online.

Dallas County Marriage and Divorce Records

In Dallas County, certified copies of marriage licenses are only available from the county clerk. Certified copies of Dallas marriage and divorce records are obtainable in the county or district where they were initially filed.

Dallas County Marriage Records: The Dallas County Clerk's Vital Records division provides marriage records for thirty-one (31) cities in Dallas County, excluding the City of Dallas, which serves as its local registrar. To access and retrieve marriage records from the Dallas County Clerk online, researchers should go to the County Clerk's Vital Records division, click "marriage certificates," and follow the prompts to the external order site. Each marriage records search attracts a non-refundable search fee of $10.00, an additional non-refundable $4 service and credit card processing fee, and a non-refundable $0.35.

Divorce Records: Certified copies of divorce records are housed in the county clerk's office and are managed by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through coordination with the district clerk. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), specifically the Department of Vital Statistics, provides verifications for divorces that occurred before 1968.

Dallas Birth and Death Records

Birth Records: There are two main options for interested persons to obtain Dallas County birth records:

• Contacting the Texas State Department of Health's Vital Statistics Division, which maintains and issues certified copies of birth records. Eligible persons can order certified copies by online requests, mail-in orders, or by visiting the Vital Statistics headquarters in person, after paying all associated fees.
• Contacting the Dallas County Clerk's Vital Statistics Division. Birth Certificate orders as far back as 1928 can be ordered by clicking on "birth certificates" on the vital statistics page and following the prompts. Requestors should note that each birth records request at the county clerk's office costs $23, and a person can order up to ten birth certificates in their lifetime.

Death Records: Per Texas Administrative Code Sec. 181.28, death records are confidential, and requestors must meet the eligibility requirements. To access a persons death record, the requestor should download a Dallas County Death Record Request form, fill it out, and mail it or submit it in person to the Dallas County Clerk's Office records office at:

500 Elm Street
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75202

Each request costs $21.00 and must include the requestor's basic information, relationship with the deceased, and purpose for the request, along with an original valid government-issued ID.

Dallas County Probate Court Records

The Dallas County Probate Courts are specialized courts that handle legal matters related to inheritance, such as managing the wills of deceased individuals, determining inheritance distribution when there's no will, establishing guardianships, and supervising mental health commitments as directed by the court. The county clerk maintains the probate court records of Dallas County.

Dallas County has three county probate courts. Probate court records may be viewed online via the Courts Portal by name search or case number. Individuals may also send mail requests to DCClosedCivilRec@dallascounty.org (for CLOSED Civil probate records) or DCClosedProbateRec@dallascounty.org (for CLOSED Probate Records).

Additionally, one may obtain probate records by written or in-person requests to:

Central Records Division
600 Commerce Street B-1
Dallas, TX 75202

Dallas County Property Records

Per the Texas Local Government Code, the County Clerk serves as the county recorder. Hence, Dallas County property records searches can be conducted online using the County Clerk's property tax lookup tool, which allows users to find property records by owner's information, address, account, or fiduciary search via the Quick Search or Advanced Search options.

Property-related information that can be obtained from a Dallas County property search includes:

• The grantor and grantee information.
• Description of the property.
• Document type (deed, deed of trust, asset transfer, homestead design, assessment records, and so on).
• Documentation number.
• A legal description of the property.

Dallas County Court Records Online

In addition to government-run online resources for accessing Dallas County court records, some third-party websites gather public records from various sources, including courthouses, and offer them to the public.

These third-party aggregator websites, like courtrecords.us, publish multiple public case record searches across many jurisdictions, offering a convenient option for record searches. They also provide users with simplified search criteria that require minimal information, such as a name and case number.

However, while users may access basic case records for free, they are often required to pay a one-time or subscription fee to access an in-depth report on the case, although this fee varies per service provider. It is worth noting that court records obtained from third-party sites are not considered official records. Therefore, verifying records against court databases is advisable to ensure authenticity.