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Are Criminal Records in Tarrant County Publicly Accessible?
Yes, Tarrant County criminal records are public. Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code (Texas Public Information Act) grants public access to Tarrant County criminal records and other official documents in the custody of local and state government agencies. Under Texas laws, interested individuals can access Tarrant County records (if there are no legal restrictions to public access).
In addition to the Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 58 of the Texas Family Code, Articles 55.01 and 42A.701 of the Code of Criminal Procedures, and Chapter 411 Subchapter F of the Texas Government Code are supporting laws governing access to criminal records within Tarrant and other Texas counties.
However, criminal records are not public within Tarrant County or other parts of Texas if such documents relate to:
- Minor offenders
- Active law enforcement investigations
- Sealed or expunged cases.
In addition, there are restrictions to Tarrant County criminal information that may violate the owner's constitutional rights.
Under Texas laws, the public can access Tarrant County arrest records and other documents relating to trials, sentencing, and incarceration of criminals within the county. Nonetheless, Tarrant County criminal record custodians may deny access to the documents if they are sealed or have judicial restrictions, the requestor is ineligible to access them, or the records do not exist.
Who is Eligible to Access Tarrant County Criminal Records in Texas?
Tarrant County criminal records are accessible to:
- The public
- Law enforcement agencies
- Judicial authorities
- Government agencies responsible for security clearance, background checks, licensing, and certification
- Employers and landlords
- Legal representatives of the owners of the criminal records.
Per Texas laws, there are several requirements for accessing Tarrant County criminal records. The table below outlines the conditions for accessing criminal records in Tarrant County.
| Requesting Entity | Requirements for Accessing Criminal Records | Limitations |
| Owners of Tarrant County criminal records | Although there are no restrictions to accessing personal records, individuals must provide valid government-issued identifications to access their criminal records. | Expunged criminal records are inaccessible |
| Law enforcement agencies | Law enforcement agencies can access open or sealed Tarrant County criminal records. However, the requests must be for work-related purposes | Law enforcement must not disclose criminal records they access to unauthorized individuals |
| Judicial officers and personnel | The courts can access crime-related documents during trials; they can permit access to sealed Tarrant County criminal records under certain circumstances. Also, judicial personnel must obtain authorization from the court or their supervisors before accessing criminal records. | Under the Texas judicial system, a lower court cannot unseal a Tarrant County criminal record sealed by a court of higher authority. |
| Licensing and Certification agencies | Authorized entities like those responsible for licensing and certification can access Tarrant County criminal records. However, they must seek the consent of the owners of the criminal records | Documents relating to criminal charges that did not result in convictions are inaccessible.
Also, requesting entities can only access documents that are relevant to applications that are accessible |
| Employers and landlords | Potential employers and landlords must obtain written consent from owners of criminal records before requesting background checks. Also, access to Tarrant County criminal records must be through authorized services only. | Sealed and expunged records are not accessible. |
| Legal representatives | Attorneys and legal representatives must have the consent of the owners to access criminal records; they can request the courts to unseal criminal records for legal reasons | A legal representative cannot access a Tarrant County criminal record without the authorization of the owner. |
How to Request Criminal Records in Tarrant County
Tarrant County criminal records or its related documents are accessible online and offline requests through the:
- Tarrant County District or Clerk's Offices
- Tarrant County Sheriff's Office
- Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
- Tarrant County Jail.
Interested individuals can access Tarrant County criminal records using the Tarrant County Inmate Search Tool or subscribe to the Tarrant County District Clerk's Web-Based Access Service. Alternatively, information seekers can submit official requests to access Tarrant County criminal records through mail or in-person visits to any of the following agencies:
Tarrant County District Clerk's Office (felony records)
Tim Curry Justice Center
401 W. Belknap Street,
Fort Worth,
Texas 76196
Tarrant County Clerk's Office (misdemeanor criminal records)
Tarrant County Courthouse
100 E Weatherford Street,
Fort Worth,
TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-1195
Tarrant County Sheriff's Office (to access arrest records, incident reports, and other crime-related documents in the possession of law enforcement)
200 Taylor Street, 6th Floor,
Fort Worth,
TX 76102
Phone: (817) 884-3099
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS)
The DPS offers online and offline access to Tarrant County criminal records. Information seekers should log into the DPS Criminal History Conviction Name Search online database, create accounts, and conduct name-based searches for Tarrant County criminal records. For fingerprint-based search for Tarrant County criminal records, designated volunteers, employment and licensing applicants, and other eligible entities should make Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST) schedules online, visit the nearest IdentoGo Center for fingerprint capture, or visit the DPS criminal department at:
5805 North Lamar Boulevard,
Austin,
TX 78752-4422
Phone: (512) 424-2474
Email: crime.records@dps.texas.gov.
Tarrant County criminal records are also available through third-party platforms such as Texascourtrecords.us.
Information seekers should note that access to Tarrant County criminal records may require valid identification and fee payments.
The costs of accessing criminal records in Tarrant County depend on the source of the documents. The following fees apply to accessing Tarrant County criminal records through the Tarrant County District or County Clerk's Office:
- Search fee (if the case number is unknown) - $5.00
- Non-certified paper copy - $1.00 per page
- Non-certified electronic copy - $1.00 for 1 to 10 pages and $0.10 per each additional page
- Certified paper copy - $1.00 per page plus $5.00 certification fee
- Certified electronic copy - $1.00 for the first 1 to 10 pages, $0.10 for each additional page, and $5.00 certification fee.
In contrast, it costs $10.00 to perform a name-based search for Tarrant County criminal records through the DPS Crime History Conviction Name Search Portal. Also, a fingerprint-based search for Tarrant County criminal records costs a minimum of $38.00 (between $10.00 and $20.00 for fingerprinting and $28.00 for DPS processing fees).
Results for name-based searches for Tarrant County criminal records are available after making payments and submitting the requests. However, the timeline for receiving fingerprint-based criminal history search results may vary between 5 to 7 working days.
What Information Is Contained in Tarrant County Criminal Records?
Tarrant County criminal records provide comprehensive details of criminal acts, their prosecutions, and legal outcomes under the Tarrant County criminal justice system. These documents encompass arrest histories and other documents relating to criminal trials within the county. A typical Tarrant County criminal record contains:
- Personal details such as full name, date of birth, gender, race, and physical description of the owner of the record
- Date and time of arrest, name of the arresting agency
- Charges against the record owner, incident details, mugshots, and other booking information
- Offense classification and case number
- Case status
- Court dates
- Trial outcome
- Prison location
- Terms of probation or parole (if any)
- Active warrants (if applicable).
Inquirers should note that Texas laws do not permit public access to information relating to juveniles, sealed, or expunged Tarrant County criminal records.
Are There Restrictions on Accessing Criminal Records in Tarrant County?
Yes, there are restrictions on accessing some Tarrant County criminal records. Under Texas laws, the public cannot access Tarrant County criminal records relating to:
- Juveniles
- Sealed or expunged cases
- Active law enforcement investigations
- Victims of crimes such as sexual assault, human trafficking, or domestic violence.
Tarrant County criminal record custodians will redact information that infringes privacy rights or those protected by the Texas Public Information Act.
Notwithstanding restrictions to public access to Tarrant County criminal records, these documents are accessible to law enforcement agencies and through judicial orders.
What Happens if My Request for Criminal Records is Denied in Tarrant County?
Although most Tarrant County criminal records are public, custodian agencies may deny access for several reasons. For instance, the following are legitimate reasons for access denial:
- The requester is not eligible to access the criminal records
- The requestor sends the request to the wrong agency
- The criminal records do not exist
- The criminal records are sealed or expunged.
Applicants should apply the following steps if custodians deny them access to Tarrant County criminal records:
- Contact the records custodian agency for an explanation for the denial
- Verify eligibility for accessing the specific criminal records
- Clarify or narrow the request (if necessary)
- Gather all the necessary documents relating to the request (this includes the original request, supporting documents, and denial response) and petition the Texas Attorney General's Office at:
The Office of the Attorney General, Open Records Division
P.O. Box 12548,
Austin,
TX 78711-2548
- Consider legal actions if the petition to the Attorney General does not yield favorable results.
How to Expunge or Seal Tarrant County Criminal Records
Criminal record owners in Tarrant County can petition the Tarrant County District or Criminal Courts to expunge their criminal records or any of the District, County Criminal, Justice of Peace, or Municipal Courts to obtain nondisclosure.
A Tarrant County criminal record may be eligible for removal or sealing if:
- The underlying criminal charges do not result in a conviction
- The criminal records result from a mistaken identity
- The court reversed the sentence after an appeal
- The owner of the criminal record completes a pretrial diversion program.
In addition to the above requirements, owners of criminal records must observe applicable waiting periods before filing for expungement or orders of nondisclosure.
Individuals seeking expunction or nondisclosure of Tarrant County criminal records should:
- Determine if they are eligible to remove or seal their criminal records
- Gather documents that will aid the petition for expunction or nondisclosure (this should include their arrest records, proof of eligibility for sealing or removal of criminal records, and disposition documents)
- Prepare formal petitions for expunction or orders of nondisclosure (the petitions should include their full names, case numbers, and arrest histories)
- File petitions at the Tarrant County courts responsible for the specific cases (this may be through the Tarrant County District or County Clerk's Offices or any of the Tarrant County municipal courts)
- Pay all applicable filing fees
- Notify the arresting agencies, prosecuting attorneys, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
- Attend hearings relating to their petitions.