Texas DPS Criminal History Search, Fingerprint Review and Court Verification
The public Texas DPS portal is useful for finding reported convictions and deferred adjudications—not for locating every recent arrest or person currently in jail. This guide shows you how to run the official name search, avoid false matches, obtain your own fingerprint-based review, correct an error, and move to the proper county court, county jail or TDCJ system when DPS is not the right database.
Texas DPS Arrest Record Search Quick Facts
The public conviction database contains reported conviction or deferred-adjudication information extracted from DPS CCH.
One search credit costs $1. A credit-card order adds a 2.25% fee per credit plus a $0.25 transaction fee.
DPS debits a search credit even when the search produces no matching records.
DPS warns that a name and birth date cannot positively link a record; fingerprint identification is the reliable method.
512-424-2474. Option 2 covers personal fingerprint results and obtaining your own history.
IdentoGO: 888-467-2080. Follow the requesting agency’s service-code instructions.
936-295-6371 for state-prison location and general inmate information.
Use the arresting county sheriff for current county custody and TDCJ for state-prison custody.
Do not start by purchasing a DPS conviction search. Identify the arresting city or county, open the county sheriff’s official inmate locator, and contact that jail if the booking is too recent to appear. Use DPS later for statewide public criminal-history information.
Which Texas Record System Do You Need?
Select your goal. The result runs locally and does not request a person’s name, date of birth, fingerprint, case number or payment information.
Create a public account, buy credits and search reported convictions or deferred adjudications.
Use fingerprints when you need to know whether DPS has a record linked to your identity.
Confirm filed charges, case status and disposition with the court that handled the case.
Use county sheriffs for local custody and TDCJ for state-prison location.
Submit certified documents after a fingerprint-based personal review identifies a DPS error.
Eligible organizations receive fingerprint-based DPS and FBI results through restricted access.
How to Run a Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search
The public portal is called the Criminal History Conviction Name Search. DPS states that the public database is extracted from its Computerized Criminal History system and is public only when a conviction or deferred adjudication has been reported on an offense.
dps.texas.gov before entering account or payment information.Estimate Texas DPS Search Credit Cost
This local estimator uses the currently published public-search pricing: $1 per credit, plus 2.25% per credit and a $0.25 transaction fee for a credit-card order. Confirm the actual checkout total before purchasing.
How Texas DPS Expands and Ranks Name Matches
DPS starts narrowly and expands the search to find possible variations. This improves recall but also increases the need to compare identity details carefully.
First, middle and last name with the closest identifiers.
The system can search first and last name without the middle name.
Month, day or full birth date can narrow possible results.
Soundex may return names that sound alike but are spelled differently.
User question | DPS public search | Better source when DPS is not enough |
|---|---|---|
Does the person have a reported Texas conviction or deferred adjudication? | This is the main purpose of the public conviction database. | Verify the final disposition with the county or district clerk. |
Was the person arrested today? | Not a reliable live-arrest tool. | Arresting agency or county sheriff jail locator. |
Is the person still in jail? | No current custody status. | County sheriff, municipal jail or TDCJ. |
What is the next court date? | Not the primary scheduling system. | County or district clerk and the handling court. |
Is this definitely the same person? | Name searches can produce false matches. | Fingerprint-based personal or authorized review. |
Does the person have a Texas driving record? | Crime Records does not contain driving-record information. | Texas DPS Driver License driving-record service. |
How to Obtain a Personal Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Review
Use a personal review when you need to know whether DPS has a Texas criminal-history record linked to your fingerprints, or when you intend to dispute a name-search result. A public name search is not a substitute for this identity-based process.
How to Correct an Error in a Texas DPS Criminal History Record
DPS’s Error Resolution Unit evaluates possible criminal-history errors reported by agencies and private citizens. The correction process is evidence-based; a screenshot from a private background-check website is usually not enough.
County Court, County Jail and TDCJ Lookup Routes
Texas does not use one statewide public website for every live county-jail booking and every trial-court record. Route the search according to the question.
Need | Correct official source | What to prepare | What to do next |
|---|---|---|---|
Recent county arrest | Arresting county sheriff or city jail | Legal name, birth date, arrest time and agency | Confirm booking, custody, bond and release status. |
Trial-court case or disposition | County or district clerk; re:SearchTX may help route statewide case information | County, case number, legal name and filing year | Open the docket and verify charge-level disposition. |
Texas state-prison inmate | Last name, first name, TDCJ number or SID | Check unit, offenses and projected release information. | |
Federal inmate | Legal name or federal register number | Verify institution and release information. | |
Public statewide conviction history | Legal name, maiden name and date of birth | Preview the match and verify with fingerprints or court records. |
Use the case’s arrest county, filing county or DPS court information. The Texas Judicial Directory can help locate court personnel and official contact information.
Contact the county jail holding the person. Bond methods, visiting hours, money providers and mail rules are facility-specific and are not controlled by the DPS conviction database.
Texas Fingerprint Checks and FACT Clearinghouse Explained
Fingerprint-based employment or licensing checks are not the same as purchasing a public name-search credit. The requesting agency should provide the correct authorization and service code.
Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas electronically captures and submits qualifying fingerprints for the required check.
Authorized entities can access consolidated DPS and FBI fingerprint results and qualifying notification services.
FACT and the CRD Secure Site are restricted to eligible organizations; members of the public use the CRD Public Website.
Texas Public Sex Offender Registry Search
The sex-offender registry is a separate DPS public system with different legal reporting rules. Do not treat an ordinary criminal-history search and registry search as interchangeable.
Find a Texas Lawyer, Expunction Help or Nondisclosure Forms
800-252-9690
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Central
TexasLawHelp provides updated instructions and forms for qualifying adults seeking to clear an arrest record.
A nondisclosure order can restrict public disclosure of qualifying records but does not erase the record for every government or authorized user.
Texas DPS Crime Records Phone, Address and Map
- Option 1: Secure Site or FACT account and password help
- Option 2: Personal fingerprint results, open records, legal-name change, adoption, immigration or obtaining your own record
- Option 5: FAST appointment availability and location issues
- Option 6: FACT, FBI Rap Back and technical FAST concerns
PO Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143
Attn: Criminal History Inquiry Unit
Confirm the correct attention line and required form before mailing sensitive or certified documents.
Crime Records
5805 N. Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78752
DPS does not publish general public walk-in hours for every Crime Records service. Call first to confirm whether the request is handled online, by fingerprint appointment, by mail or by the reporting court or agency.
Austin, TX 78752
DPS headquarters cannot provide a county jail’s live housing, bond payment, visitation schedule or release-processing time.
Follow the current form instructions and keep copies of all supporting records and delivery tracking.
New-user and search support is also listed at 855-481-7071.
Prepare These Details Before Using Texas DPS
Common Texas DPS Criminal Record Situations
Create a public account, buy the minimum credits, use the legal name and birth date, and preview possible matches.
Use the arresting county’s sheriff or city jail first; DPS is not a live booking locator.
Do not republish the result. Obtain a fingerprint-based personal review before disputing identity.
Get a certified disposition from the handling court and use DPS Error Resolution if the CCH entry needs updating.
Use the employer or licensing agency’s service code; do not substitute a public $1 name search.
Compare expunction and nondisclosure, gather every disposition and consult current Texas forms or a lawyer.
Texas DPS and Criminal Record Resources
Texas DPS Arrest Records FAQs
What does the Texas DPS public criminal history search include?
The public DPS conviction database contains public information extracted from the Computerized Criminal History system when a conviction or deferred adjudication has been reported on an offense. It is not a complete live-arrest, warrant, jail or national background-check database.
How much does a Texas DPS criminal history name search cost?
Each search credit costs $1. For a credit-card order, DPS currently lists a 2.25% fee per credit plus a $0.25 transaction fee. A search that returns no matching record still uses a credit.
Do I need an account to search Texas DPS criminal history?
Yes. Members of the public use the CRD Public Website account to access the Criminal History Conviction Name Search and purchase search credits. The CRD Secure Site and FACT Clearinghouse are restricted to eligible organizations.
Can I use Texas DPS to find someone arrested today?
Texas DPS is not the best live-booking source. Contact the arresting city or county and use that county sheriff’s official inmate locator. Use TDCJ only after a person has entered Texas state-prison custody.
Why did the DPS search return several people with similar names?
DPS expands searches using name variations, birth-date matches and Soundex for similar-sounding names. Compare the full legal name, maiden name, birth date, physical description, counties, agencies and offenses before opening a full record.
Is a Texas DPS name search a fingerprint background check?
No. A public name search uses names, birth dates and other identifiers and can produce false matches. DPS states that fingerprint identification is the way to positively link a person to a criminal record.
How do I get my own Texas criminal history record?
Use the DPS personal fingerprint-review process. Call Crime Records at 512-424-2474, option 2, for current instructions, then follow the authorized fingerprint appointment and submission route.
How do I correct an error in my Texas DPS record?
First obtain a fingerprint-based personal review. Gather certified documents from the reporting court or agency, complete the current DPS Error Resolution form and submit the evidence using the instructions on the official Error Resolution page.
Does Texas DPS show current jail or prison custody?
The public conviction search is not a current custody locator. Use the appropriate county sheriff for county-jail custody, the TDCJ inmate search for Texas state-prison custody and the Federal Bureau of Prisons locator for federal custody.
Can a Texas DPS criminal record be expunged or sealed?
Some records may qualify for expunction or an order of nondisclosure, depending on the charge, disposition and criminal history. Obtain every court disposition and use current Texas forms or legal advice. Correcting an error is a separate process from clearing an accurate record.
Official-resource review completed 1 August 2026
This independent guide is not affiliated with the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Judicial Branch, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, IdentoGO, State Bar of Texas or another government agency.
Search fees, fingerprint charges, portal access, contact options, court availability and public-record rules can change. Recheck the responsible official source before paying, submitting fingerprints, mailing certified documents or making a legal decision.
Responsible-use notice: A name-based result is not proof that a record belongs to a particular person. Do not use criminal-history information to harass someone or to make employment, housing, credit, insurance or other decisions that require a legally compliant consumer report.