What is Address Lookup in Texas
Texas address lookups are conducted to obtain information about an address by running it against an official database. This process is also known as address verification or reverse geocoding. An address lookup can validate a residential or business address, a street or postal/mailing address, and an IP (internet protocol) address. The tools or software required are typically available on the internet, with companies offering these services for free or at some cost.
The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) governs most address lookup requests made by the public. The PIA allows for the release of certain information about an individual, including their address, if it is considered part of the public record. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, addresses may be withheld if disclosure would pose a safety risk to the individual or their family.
In Texas, an address lookup is an excellent way for individuals to validate mailing addresses, locate a person, or learn about a seemingly interesting area or community. Address lookup tools are essential in the day-to-day running of businesses and corporations because outdated and erroneous client address data costs organizations a lot of money and effort.
Texas Reverse Address Lookup
There isn't much of a distinction between a "reverse address lookup," an "address lookup," and a "reverse address search". Address lookup services use all three phrases as substitutes for one another. They all refer to an internet application software that allows users to do quick, anonymous searches to find out information about a property at a specific location, such as the current or previous inhabitants or owner of a home or company, by utilizing a particular street address.
What information is included in a Reverse Address Lookup?
Ownership Data:
An address search might disclose who lives at this addres or owns a piece of property. The individual's first and last names, phone number, date of birth, age, and email address. It can also reveal information on previous owners or residents. A search can also reveal prior residences, social media accounts, criminal histories, financial data for the owner or resident, and relationships (family, friends, business partners).
Address/Property Data:
- Local area code
- The property's year of construction
- A legal description of any property or building situated at the address.
- Property square footage and estimated market value
- Tax and mortgage information
- Building layout and number of rooms
- Property sale history
- Complete address
The Address Lookup tools also provide information about the neighborhood or community the property is located in. This includes:
- Names, ages, residences, and criminal records of neighbors.
- Popular attractions
- The market value of the neighborhood
- Community map
- Registered sex offenders in the area
- Security Information
- Average resident income
Can I Lookup a Person's Address in Texas?
According to Texas Government Code, Chapter 552, a governmental body is not required to release information that would give a member of the public a right of access to information that is excepted from required disclosure under the Texas Public Information Act.
Addresses are considered "directory information," defined as "information in a document that would identify an individual" and can be released unless the person has requested that it remain confidential. Persons seeking an address in Texas may use online people search databases or private investigators.
How to Lookup a Person's Address History in Texas
Looking up a person's address history in Texas can be done in a few different ways. The most common way is to use a public records search website. These websites allow requestors to enter a person's name and state, and then they will provide a list of addresses that the person has lived at in the past.
Alternatively, requestors can look up a person's address history in Texas by contacting the county courthouse where the person lives. The courthouse should have records of all of the addresses that the person has lived at in the past. However, these records may not be available to the public.
Finally, requestors may try contacting the Texas Department of Public Safety. The DPS keeps records of all residents of Texas, and they may be able to provide inquirers with a list of addresses that a person has lived at in the past. However, these records are not always available to the public.
How to Lookup an Address By Name in Texas
The proliferation of address lookup tools on the internet has made it easier to look for an address by name in Texas. When using an internet lookup tool to look up a Texas address, the requester is typically expected to input the address (or a portion of it) into a search box to find associated public data. However, when an address is unknown, a person can search using other information, such as the address owner's name and location.
In Texas, the most common method to lookup an address on an internet search tool is a name search. Once the requester has the details of the search subject, all they need to do is access their preferred lookup website. If they do not have one, a quick search of the top lookup sites will give them options. After accessing a lookup tool, the next stage is to enter the required information (for example, a first and last name) and hit the search button.
Can I look Up an Address by Postal Code in Texas?
Yes, interested persons can look up an address by postal code in Texas. The Texas Department of Information Resources provides a statewide database of addresses that can be searched by postal code. This service is available to both residents and businesses.
To lookup an address by postal code, the requestor may either:
- Visit the website of the Texas Department of Information Resources
- Enter the postal code in the search box on the website
- View the results of the search, which will include a list of addresses that match the postal code
An alternative means to lookup an address by postal code in Texas is by using the Online Address Change Request System. This system can be used when trying to figure out how to file someone’s address on file for a specific individual or business. The requestor will need to provide their name, date of birth, and Social Security Number or driver's license number.
The Online Address Change Request System is available to:
- Individuals who are requesting a change of address for themselves
- Businesses that are requesting a change of address for one of their employees
Can I Lookup a Texas Address by License Plate?
Yes, in Texas, interested persons can look up an address by license plate number. This is because Texas keeps a record of all registered vehicles and their corresponding owners. To look up an address by license plate number, requestors can visit the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, a local county office or use an online service. However, not everyone is authorized to access this information. Law enforcement officials and private investigators are some of the few people who can legally obtain this information. Other persons will need to obtain permission from the vehicle's owner before looking up the address.
When using an online service, requestors will need to provide the license plate number and state of registration. The service will then search its database and return the address associated with the license plate number. Keep in mind that there may be a fee for using this type of service.
If the inquirer opts to visit a local county office, they will need to fill out a public information request form. Once the form is submitted, the office will search and provide them with the requested information. There is usually no charge for this service.
The information obtained through a license lookup search may only be used for legitimate or legal purposes. Those who misuse this information could be subject to criminal penalties.
Texas Residential Address Lookup
Many online residential address lookup tools are available in Texas. These tools may be used to discover public documents related to a homeowner or resident using a house number, street name, or ZIP code.
The most common and accurate way to search for an address is by using the Texas Department of Public Safety's (DPS) website. The DPS offers a searchable database of all residential addresses in Texas. The website also allows users to narrow their search by entering specific information about the address, such as the street number, city, and zip code.
Alternatively, an inquirer may find a Texas address by using an online reverse phone directory. These directories allow users to enter a phone number and receive the associated address. However, it is essential to note that not all phone numbers are listed in these directories. In addition, some of the listings may be inaccurate or out-of-date.
Users can also try searching for an address using online maps. Simply enter the desired address into the search bar to find an address. The results will show an area map with the specific address pinpointed.
How Do I Find a Mailing Address in Texas?
Individuals searching for mailing addresses must remember that all mail-in Texas is privacy-protected. Therefore, the only way to access information about the owner of a mailing address is if the information has been made public by the owner themselves or an authorized third party or if the information is deemed necessary to the progress of a legal proceeding. In such a case as the latter, the searching party may go to the post office with a court order and access the mailing address information.
Online lookup tools may also be used to search for mailing addresses in Texas. However, because they are configured to locate street addresses precisely, the tools can only find mailing addresses that are also physical.
When a postal address is a non-physical address (such as a mailbox), a person can use an appropriate tool - for example, a reverse P.O. Box lookup tool - to find a physical or forwarding address. The holder can then be found by searching for that address.
Unlike a residential or commercial (company) address, a mailing address does not have to be where a person lives or works. A post office (PO) box, private mailbox service (PMB), centralized (or communal) mailbox, and virtual mailbox are examples of services that do not require a geographic or physical location.
How to Verify a Street Address in Texas
Street address verification is the process of establishing the accuracy of a street or physical address. This validation is crucial for physical mailing addresses since it guarantees that they comply with official formatting requirements and that mail can be delivered to them.
Interested persons can easily verify a street address in the United States using free address verification software (often known as an address checker or address validation tool/validator). Some of these tools used to verify Texas addresses are provided by mail carriers; for example, the United States Postal Service, while third parties provide others.
How to Lookup An Address For Free in Texas
Interested persons can look up a Texas address for free using the online resources of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The commission provides an online searchable database of Texas addresses. The website also offers a reverse phone lookup service for landline numbers in Texas. To use search the database, the requesting party will be required to input information required to facilitate the search; this may include the record owner's name and personal information.
While several other paid options are hailed for providing more extensive information, a free address lookup tool can nonetheless reveal:
- The complete address
- The property's year of construction
- The number of bedrooms and bathrooms in the house
- The property's square footage
- The type of house (single-family, condo, mobile/manufactured home, etc.)
- The population of the area
- Median neighborhood statistics (e.g., the average age, property value, household income, and ethnicity of a neighborhood)
How to Conduct an IP Address Lookup
Similar to a physical address, there are various reasons an individual or business may want information about a particular IP address. Typically, such information is used to decipher an internet user's real-world location, which in turn is used to make location-specific services available to them. To gain access to such data, interested persons and businesses use IP address lookup tools.
An IP address lookup tool enables members of the public who are interested in learning more about a person to do so, using geolocation data associated with that person's IP address. The information gleaned may comprise:
- A hostname
- Name and version of a web browser
- Internet service provider (ISP)
- The screen resolution of the device
- City, state, and country
- Timezone
- Postal/zip code
- Latitude and longitude
It is essential to highlight the fact that one cannot trust information gained from IP address lookup tools to be entirely accurate. This is due to several interfering factors like encryption, VPNs, and proxy tools that help disguise a user's IP address.
Texas Address Lookup USPS
The United States Postal Service (USPS), sometimes known as the postal service or post office, is a federal government institution that processes and delivers mail to people of the United States. The USPS compiles mailing addresses into a database to promote timely mail delivery. This database contains about 160 million postal addresses in the United States (residential, business, and P.O. Box addresses), ZIP code, and city information.
Official USPS policy does not permit the agency to release this database to anyone, nor does it keep a record of clients or sell address listings. On the other hand, it provides APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and online forms that allow mailers to confirm the accuracy of their addresses against the database, format addresses according to USPS criteria, and update their mailing lists.
One of such programs is the ZIP Code Lookup tool, which allows public members to search for residential and business street addresses to view a specific ZIP Code. Individuals can also use the USPS website's ZIP Code Lookup to view addresses in the usual USPS format.
USPS Address Lookup by Name
The USPS does not have a tool or program for the public to search a Texas address by an owner's or resident's name since it does not keep track of customers' names in its database - only postal addresses. These postal addresses refer to a house, a business facility, or another physical place, not to a single person.
Utility Lookup by Address
The Public Utility Commission of Texas' website has a lookup tool to enable residents to locate public utilities like water and electricity in Texas. The Railroad Commission of Texas handles natural gas utility.
How to Search Texas Criminal Records by Address
To search for criminal records associated with an address in Texas, the requestor must apply to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The DPS will search its criminal history database and provide the requestor with a report that includes any matching records.
The cost of the criminal history search is $25, and the turnaround time is typically 5-10 business days.
To search for civil records associated with an address in Texas, the requestor can contact the county clerk in the county where the property is located. The county clerk will be able to provide information on any lawsuit filings, divorce proceedings, or other civil matters that have taken place at the address.
Requestors may also try searching for criminal records on third-party websites. These websites collect public records from various sources and make them available online. However, it's essential to be aware that not all of these websites are reliable or accurate.
Can Someone Steal My Identity with my Address in Texas?
Yes, criminals can commit identity theft using the address of an individual. They can do so through mail theft. By intercepting the victim's mail, they can sign up for new credit cards, accounts, or loans without the address owner's knowledge or consent.
How to Avoid Address Scams in Texas
- Only provide your address to trusted sources
- Never click on links or attachments from unknown senders
- Be wary of unsolicited requests for personal information
- Report suspicions of an address scam to the authorities immediately.
