Criminal Statistics
The Texas Department of Public Safety publishes annual index crime statistical data as part of the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program. According to the 2017 report, index crimes in Comal County declined 15% within a 12-month span, with the reported crime rate per 1000 going from 28.25 in 2016 to 24 in 2017. A break down of the data submitted by the County Sheriff's Office revealed the most recurring index offenses to be larceny, burglary and aggravated assault, which accounted for 49%, 23% and 14% of the total index crimes respectively. Additionally, there were 49 reported incidents of auto theft, which was recorded to be the least reported property crime, while the total reported incidents of rape, robbery, and murder accounted for 14% of the index crime, making them the least committed index crimes in the county
Criminal Records
The Comal County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency of the county. It is tasked with maintaining a variety of locally relevant crime reports and records. However, the Texas Department of Public Safety serves as the state repository for criminal history information, and as such processes requests for background checks and criminal records.
How to Get Criminal Records
The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains and operates a Computerized Criminal History System which houses arrest history, misdemeanor, and felony charges as well as prosecution and disposition information of Comal County residents. To access criminal records on the System, interested persons are required to create an account on the system, purchase credits and self-serve using the available search tools.
In signing up, each new user must provide a valid email and home/office address and a preferred password. The email address provided will automatically become the assigned User ID. Subsequent to obtaining relevant login information, each user must then purchase search credits by cheque or credit card. Search credits generally cost $3 each. However, credit card purchases will attract an additional payment of $0.07 per credit, plus a transaction fee of $0.25.
To conduct a check on the system, the user must log in and ensure that the account is funded, and provide the required search parameters. Each search request requires the requestor to provide the first and last name of the subject, as well as their maiden name and birthdate (if known).
Each search request will provide the requestor with the highest-ranked results based on the information provided. Users are advised to preview each record to verify the result before opening the complete record; every full record opened will deduct a search credit from the user's account.
How to Find Sex Offender Information
All information regarding sex offenders resident in Comal County is published on the Texas Sex Offender Registry, which is managed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Interested persons may view offender locations, compliance status, and criminal histories by searching the registry. Offenders may be searched by zip code, name, registration number or proximity to specific locations within the county or state. The DPS also offers a subscription service that provides interested residents with notifications regarding offenders or noteworthy database changes.
Comal County Jail Information
The Corrections Division of the Comal County Sheriff's Office is charged with managing the county jail which is located at:
3005 W. San Antonio St.
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Most facility-related information can be requested from in corrections division in person or via mail or obtained by perusing the Corrections Webpage. Intending visitors are advised to view the visitation schedule before arriving at the facility. Inmate visitors must be named on the required inmate list and visits must be scheduled beforehand. Visitors must arrive 10 minutes before the allotted time and adult visitors will be required to present a valid, photo-ID before being allowed on the premises.
Where and How to Get Inmate Information
All inmate-related information including details of inmate welfare and commissary, detainee mail, and bail/bond information can be obtained on the Corrections Webpage. Any information unavailable on the page may be requested from corrections staff at (830) 620-3450. Jail staff may also provide inmate-specific information to requestors including a detainee's primary charges, booking information and details of any pending dispositions.
Court Records
Where and How to Get Court Records
The Comal County District Clerk's Office is tasked with managing records of court cases heard by the county courts. As per state laws, records of non-confidential court records can be released by the clerk's office upon request. Generally, court record requests can be made in person, or via mail. Whichever the case, the requestor will be required to provide sufficient information regarding the record being requested, including the names of the plaintiff, defendant, and litigant as well as descriptive information of the case (date of filing, judgment, etc.) as the case file number (if known). The requesting party will also be charged a standard fee of $1 per copy of the requested record, $0.25 for each additional page and $1 for certified copies (per page).
All court record requests, in-person or mail, may be made to:
Comal County District Clerk
150 N. Seguin Ave., Ste. 304
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1250
Location of all Courts in County
Listed below are the addresses and contact information of all the courthouses in Comal County, Texas:
Comal County District Court
Comal County Courthouse Annex
150 N Seguin Ave,
No 304,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1250
Fax: (830) 608-2006
Comal County Constitutional Court
Comal County Courthouse Annex
150 N Seguin Ave,
No 101,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1230
Fax: (830) 620-3410
Comal County Court at Law No. 1
199 Main Plaza,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1180
Fax: (830) 620-3424
Comal County Court at Law No. 2
Comal County Courthouse Annex
150 N Seguin Ave,
No. 301,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1193
Fax: (830) 620-0465
Comal County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1
145 David Jonas Dr,
New Braunfels, TX 78132
Phone: (830) 608-2025
Fax: (830) 608-2085
Comal County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2
30470 Cougar Bend,
P.O. Box 250,
Bulverde, TX 78163
Phone: (830) 438-2266
Fax: (830) 438-3127
Comal County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3
3079 W San Antonio St,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 626-4888
Fax: (830) 620-3465
Comal County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4
Physical:
160 Oak Dr,
Sattler, TX 78132
Mailing:
P.O. Box 2038,
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
Phone: (830) 964-3886
Fax: (830) 964-4798
Bulverde Municipal Court
30360 Cougar Bend,
Bulverde, TX 78163
Phone: (830) 980-8832
Garden Ridge Municipal Court
9400 Municipal Pkwy,
Garden Ridge, TX 78266
Phone: (210) 651-6632
Fax: (210) 651-9638
New Braunfels Municipal Court
550 Landa St,
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-4180
Fax: (830) 608-2148
Where and How to Get Property Records
The Comal County Clerk's statutorily assigned duties include recording and maintaining the real property and land records as well as disseminating these to interested county residents. The office issues copies of deeds, plats, liens, land records and other documents pertaining to property ownership. To obtain any of these records, requesters may query the Clerk's office in person, via mail, email, or using the Land Records Index or Clerk's Office Plat Viewer.
Online requests typically require the requestors to furnish the search tools with details of the property of interest. However, mail, email and in-person requests require that the requesting party download and complete the General Research Request Form. The application must be filled legibly and sent along with a payment of $1 per page plus $5.00 per page if certification is required. Requests must be delivered to:
Comal County Clerk's Office
150 N. Seguin
Suite 101
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1230
Fax: (830) 620-3410
Vital Records
The Texas Department of State Health Service is the state's main custodian of records of vital events. In compliance with state laws, Texas state residents may obtain birth, death, marriage and divorce records from the department. However, this service is also provided at the county level, and in Comal County, by the office of the Comal County Clerk's Office. Essentially, Comal county vital records may be accessed at the state or county level.
Where and How to Get Divorce Records
Records of divorces granted by the Comal County Court are maintained by the District Court Clerk's Office. Interested persons may obtain these records by querying the Clerk's office in person or via mail. All requests require that the requesting party provide information regarding the divorce such as the names of the parties involved, the date of the divorce, and the date the petition was filed as well as the case file number of the court record (if known).
Requestors will also be charged a standard fee of $1 per copy and an additional $1 fee for certification. Divorce record requests may be made to:
Comal County District Clerk
150 N. Seguin Ave., Ste. 304
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1250
Where and How to Get Marriage Records, Birth Records and Death Records
All marriage, birth, and death record requests are processed by the Comal County Clerk's Office. As per state laws, birth and death records are closed until 75 and 25 years after the event respectively. Thus, only persons who can prove reasonable interest may access these records.
On the other hand, interested members of the public may access marriage records upon request.
To be eligible to access birth or death records, the requestor must be directly related to the subject of the record, or be a legal representative of the subject. Other persons must be legally authorized to obtain the record (i.e. be authorized by a court subpoena).
Interested and eligible persons may request any of these records in person or via mail.
All requests can be made by downloading and completing the Application For Certified Birth/Death Record or Application For Marriage Record Form. Applications must be filled legibly, notarized and submitted along with the indicated fees and ID requirements to:
Comal County Clerk
150 N Seguin,
Suite 101
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Phone: (830) 221-1230 Ext. 1126
In addition to government agencies, county public records may also be obtained from third-party websites. These non-government platforms come with intuitive tools that allow for expansive searches. Record seekers may either opt to use these tools to search for a specific record or multiple records. Users are able to search third-party websites remotely for multiple records at a time with just the name of the record subject and their last known location, including the city, county, or state. Third-party sites are not sponsored by government agencies. Because of this, record availability and results may vary.
