Dallas County Arrest, Court, and Public Records

What Are Dallas County Arrest Records?

Dallas County arrest records refer to official documents that provide information about persons taken into custody in the county. These records summarize all arrests made on an individual or in the county. They contain details about the apprehension, the arrestee, the alleged offense, and information about the arresting officer and issuer of warrants. Dallas County arrest records are locally available at the appropriate department that made the arrest. These records are issued to members of the public, as long as disclosure does not violate the individual’s privacy rights or put risk to ongoing investigations.

Crime Statistics

In 2016, the city of Dallas recorded 171 murders, 767 rapes, 4,604 robberies, 4,529 assaults, 10,948 burglaries, 26,370 larcenies, 7,592 vehicle thefts, and 369 arsons. Compared to crime statistics for 2015, murder (25.7%), robbery (10.2%), assault (14.9%), larceny (1.1%), and arson (5.7%) rates rose. With only two fewer cases, the auto-vehicle theft rate barely changed from the previous year. However, the incidence of rape fell by 1.9% over the one-year period.

What Are Dallas County Criminal Records?

Dallas County criminal records refer to official documents created by the Dallas County Sheriff or Police Departments, which provide information about the criminal activities of individuals in the county. These records contain Dallas arrest records but also summarize all criminal incidents of a person from the offenses to convictions. Contained within these documents are:

Full names, aliases, birth date, gender, and nationality
Race, hair color, height, body markings, and other physical descriptors
Fingerprints and photographs or mugshots
Criminal offenses and charges
Arrest warrants, apprehensions, and convictions

Dallas County criminal records are locally available at law enforcement agencies and courts in the county. The Texas Department of Public Safety also maintains criminal information at the state level. Individuals should note that like with Dallas arrest records, access to certified or complete criminal records depends on the requester’s authorization, claim, and purpose for the request.

How Do I Get Dallas County Criminal Records?

Individuals can obtain criminal records from county courts, the TXDPS Department of Public Safety, and county law enforcement agencies. The County Clerk’s Office makes criminal records publicly available on the online court system where individuals can conduct criminal background checks. Individuals can also make mailed, emailed, or in-person requests by sending the felony criminal records request form to the District Court at:

Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N. Riverfront Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75202
Email: DCRecordsCriminal@dallascounty.org

The TXDPS also provides online access to criminal information through the Criminal History Name Search. Interested persons may register for this service, search with the offender’s full name, pay the $3 charge, and obtain related search results. Processing fees may also apply.

Lastly, the Dallas County Sheriff Office and Dallas P.D. are the local custodians of criminal information. Interested persons can obtain these records by contacting the Sheriff’s Office or division of the Dallas P.D. which has jurisdiction over the case.

How to Find Dallas County Sex Offender Information?

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department is responsible for registering all sex offenders living in the county. It passes along the list of registered offenders to the Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS). Texas laws empower the TXDPS to collate and maintain an up-to-date registry of sex offenders residing in all the counties of the state. The Department of Public Safety also makes this database accessible to the public on its website.

This category of Dallas County public records are easily obtainable and free. To find a registered sex offender living in Dallas County, use the search function on the TXDPS’ Public Sex Offender Registry. Citizens can search for registered offenders by name or conduct a map search to see all registered offenders living in a certain neighborhood. The search tool also makes it possible to find registered sex offenders residing in and around college and university campuses all over the state.

How Do I Visit an Inmate in Dallas County Jail?

Inmates in any of the different detention facilities in Dallas County must fill a visitor registration form upon detainment. Individuals who are on the form may visit inmates remotely or in-person face little restrictions by the jail supervisor. Minor under 17 years should go to jail with a parent or guardian and proof, married minors with certificates, while adults can simply visit the appropriate detention facility. The North Tower Detention Facility, West Tower Detention Facility, and the Suzanne Lee Kays Detention Facility are all located at:

Lew Sterrett Justice Center
111 West Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75202

Meanwhile, the George Allen Jail is located at:

600 Commerce Street
Dallas, TX 75202

Inmates in these facilities either have pending court disposition, are awaiting transportation after sentencing, or were summoned to appear in court from another facility. Inmates can have visits every day except Wednesday. However, minors can only visit on weekends. Inmates with surname initials from A to L receive visits on Mondays and Thursdays, initials from M to Z receive are available on Tuesdays and Fridays, and open visitation on Saturdays and Sundays.

Upon arrival, all visitors into any of these facilities must get and fill a jail visitation card and visitor slip. The visitation card cost $5 for individuals who have not created one, while the slip must be filled by every adult visitor. Required documents for the visitation card include the original identification, social security card, birth certificates, or TXDPS renewal slip.

On the other hand, information to be included in the visitation slip includes names, date of birth, gender, and race of all persons who will be visiting the inmate at a time. Inmates can have two visits weekly and two children per adult visitor, except under special circumstances. Other jail rules include:

Visitors are subject to metal detector screening and physical search with probable cause
Visitors must not take in prohibited items or hand them over to inmates
Disorder during visits may lead to restriction or termination of the visit
Potential visitors must hold valid government-issued photo identification
Special visits are only available to persons living over 75 miles away from Dallas
Except for special visits, all visits will be non-contact only
Persons must be properly dressed

Where and How to Find Dallas County Inmate Information?

The Sheriff’s Department keeps jail records including information about inmates booked into all of the correctional facilities in Dallas County. Use the Sheriff’s Jail Lookup System to find inmates. The System allows anyone to search by name, booking number, and case number.

What Are Dallas County Court Records?

Dallas County court records are paper or electronic files maintained and issued by a court in the county. These records contain information on civil, criminal, family, probate, and other court proceedings that occur in the court. As a Dallas County public record, individuals can easily obtain information online and in-person without much difficulty. However, it should be noted that the ability to get redacted information and sealed files depend on the individual claims and authority.

The County Clerk’s Office is responsible for keeping and updating court documents in Dallas County. The Clerk provides different online portals for searching for court records. Records from Civil and Family District Courts as well as County and Probate Courts are available on a separate portal. Use the Search Hearings sub-system to find documents related to hearings in civil, probate and family courts in Dallas County. The Smart Search sub-system is for viewing other case records for these courts

Dallas County Clerk also provides two separate portals for searching for criminal case records. The first one is for retrieving Criminal and Protective Order documents for cases tried in the county’s felony and misdemeanor courts. The second public access portal is for viewing case information from these courts and conducting criminal background checks.

The District Clerk is also responsible for keeping the records of Civil, Family, and Felony Courts in Dallas County. To access felony court records that are not available online, visit the Felony Records Desk located on the second floor between Jury Room and Cashier Windows of:

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

The Desk remains open from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Enquirers can call the Records Desk during these hours at (214) 653-5950. The District Clerk can also provide copies of felony case records at this address. The Records Desk accepts email requests for criminal court records. Submit a request by emailing it to DCRecordsCriminal@dallascounty.org along with a completed Civil Records Request Form.

Civil and Family records are available at the records counter located at:

George Allen Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
Basement “B” Floor West
Dallas, TX 75202

The Desk is open from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. Its phone number is (214) 652-6076. Alternatively, send an email request to DCRecords@dallascounty.org with a completed copy of the Civil and Family Records Request Form attached.

Location of All Courts in Dallas County

District Courts in Dallas County

Dallas County District Courts – Civil
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street,
Dallas, TX 75202

Dallas County 194th District Court – Criminal
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N Riverfront Blvd,
Dallas, TX 75207

Dallas County District Courts – Family
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street,
Dallas, TX 75202

Dallas County District Courts – Juvenile
Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Building – 3rd Floor
2600 Lone Star Dr,
Dallas, TX 75212

Dallas County District Courts – Tax
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street,
Dallas, TX 75202

Constitutional County Courts in Dallas County

Dallas County Constitutional Court
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street,
Dallas, TX 75270

County Courts at Law in Dallas County

Dallas County Court at Law
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street,
Dallas, TX 75202

Dallas County Criminal Court
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 N Riverfront Blvd,
Dallas, TX 75207

Statutory Probate Court in Dallas County

Dallas County Probate Court
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street,
Dallas, TX 75270

Justice Courts in Dallas County

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 – Place 1
South Dallas Government Center
7201 South Polk Street,
Dallas, TX 75232

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 1 – Place 2
Dallas County Government Center
107 Texas Street,
Lancaster, TX 75146

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 – Place 1
140 N Garland Avenue,
Garland, TX 75040

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 – Place 2
823 N Galloway Avenue, #101A
Mesquite, TX 75149

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Place 1
North Dallas Government Center
10056 Marsh Lane, #132,
Dallas, TX 75229

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 – Place 2
1411 W Beltline Road,
Richardson, TX 75080

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Place 1
Grand Prairie Courthouse
106 W Church Street, #205,
Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 4 – Place 2
841 W Irving Blvd,
Irving, TX 75060

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 – Place 1
East Dallas Government Center
3443 St. Francis Avenue,
Dallas, TX 75228

Dallas County Justice of the Peace Precinct 5 – Place 2
Beckley Courthouse
410 South Beckley Avenue,
Dallas, TX 75203

Municipal Courts in Dallas County

Addison Municipal Court
Police & Courts Building
4799 Airport Pkwy,
Addison, TX 75001

Balch Springs Municipal Court
3117 Hickory Tree Road,
Balch Springs, TX 75180

Carrollton Municipal Court
2001 East Jackson Road,
Carrollton, TX 75006

Cedar Hill Municipal Court
285 Uptown Blvd,
Cedar Hill, TX 75104

Cockrell Hill Municipal Court
4125 West Clarendon Drive,
Dallas, TX 75211

Coppell Municipal Court
130 Town Center Blvd,
Coppell, TX 75019

Dallas Municipal Court
2014 Main Street,
Dallas, TX 75201

DeSoto Municipal Court
211 East Pleasant Run Road,
DeSoto, TX 75115

Duncanville Municipal Court
203 East Wheatland Road,
Duncanville, TX 75138

Farmers Branch Municipal Court
3723 Valley View Lane,
Farmers Branch, TX 75244

Garland Municipal Court
1791West Avenue B,
Garland, TX 75042

Glenn Heights Municipal Court
1938 South Hampton Road,
Glenn Heights, TX 75154

Grand Prairie Municipal Court
200 West Main Street,
Grand Prairie, TX 75050

Highland Park Municipal Court
4700 Drexel Drive,
Dallas, TX 75205

Hutchins Municipal Court
321 North Main Street,
Hutchins, TX 75141

Irving Municipal Court
305 North O’Connor Road,
Irving, TX 75015

Lancaster Municipal Court
Court Building
220 West Main Street,
Lancaster, TX 75146

Mesquite Municipal Court
211 Municipal Way,
Mesquite, TX 75185

Richardson Municipal Court
2100 East Campbell Road,
Richardson, TX 75083

Rowlett Municipal Court
4401 Rowlett Road,
Rowlett, TX 75088

Sachse Municipal Court
3815 Sachse Road,
Building B
Sachse, TX 75048

Seagoville Municipal Court
702 North Highway 175,
Seagoville, TX 75159

Sunnyvale Municipal Court
127 North Collins Road,
Sunnyvale, TX 75182

University Park Municipal Court
3800 University Blvd,
University Park, TX 75205

Wilmer Municipal Court
219 East Beltline Road,
Wilmer, TX 75172

What Are Dallas County Vital Records?

Dallas County vital records are official reports and documentation relating to marriages, divorces, births, deaths, and other life events that happened in the county. This category of Dallas public record is publicly available but slightly restricted. Marriage and divorce records are fully open while death and birth records are private until 25 and 75 years after the event, respectively.

Generally, individuals can obtain open records by providing adequate record description like the location of the event, names of parties involved, and date of the event. However, restricted records require requesters to provide their relationship to the record as well as proof of identification. These records are available at the county and state levels. Custodians will not disclose full information or provide certified documents if requesters do not meet all set standards.

Where and How to Get Dallas County Divorce Records

The District Clerk’s Office is in charge of maintaining and issuing records of divorces for Dallas County. Requests for these records can be made in-person, via mail, and email. Individuals should submit the request form to:

Dallas County District Clerk
Attn: Civil & Family Court Records
George Allen Courts Building
600 Commerce St. Ste. B-30
Dallas, TX 75202
Email: dcrecords@dallascounty.org

The clerk charges $5 per copy and $1 per certified page. Payment can be made with cash (in-person only), online portal, personal check (in-state bank), and money orders or credit card. The Vital Statistics office of the Department of State Health Service (DSHS) also makes divorce records from 1968 to date public. Individuals can obtain information on the public index of divorces or request verification letters online for $20 per copy.

Where and How to Get Dallas County Marriage Records

The County Clerk’s Office is in charge of maintaining copies of marriage licenses for Dallas County, and accepts in-person and mail requests for these marriage records. To request for a copy of a marriage license, Individuals should submit requests to:

Dallas County Clerk’s Office
Attn: Vital Statistics
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street. Ste. 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270

The office opens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

The Vital Statistics office of the Department of State Health Service (DSHS) also makes marriage records from 1966 till date public. Individuals can obtain information on the public index of marriages or request verification letters online for $20 per copy.

Where and How to Get Dallas County Birth Records

The County Clerk’s Office is in charge of issuing birth records for Dallas County. It accepts in-person and mail requests for birth certificates. To request for a copy of a birth certificate, download and complete the Application Form and bring it to:

Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street
21st Floor, Suite 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270

The office opens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. You may also send a mail request to:

Dallas County Clerk’s Office
Attn: Vital Statistics
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm St., Ste. 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270

The Clerk charges $23 for each certified copy of a birth certificate. Each additional copy of the same record attracts a fee of $4. Acceptable forms of payments include cash (in-person requests), and money order.

The Vital Statistics office of the Department of State Health Service (DSHS) also makes birth records from 1903 till date available to eligible persons. Individuals can request verification letters and certificates online for $22 per copy.

Where and How to Get Dallas County Death Records

The County Clerk’s Office is in charge of issuing death records for Dallas County. It accepts in-person and mail requests for death certificates. To request for a copy of a death certificate, download and complete the Application Form and bring it to:

Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street
21st Floor, Suite 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270

The office opens from Monday to Friday between 8:00 am and 4:30 pm. You may also send a mail request to:

Dallas County Clerk’s Office
Attn: Vital Statistics
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm St., Ste. 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270

The Clerk charges $21 for each certified copy of a death certificate. Each additional copy of the same record attracts a fee of $4. Acceptable forms of payments include cash (in-person requests), and money order.

The Vital Statistics office of the Department of State Health Service (DSHS) also makes death records from 1903 to date available to eligible persons. Individuals can request verification letters and certificates online for $20 for the first copy and $3 for subsequent copies in the same request.

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.

Are Property Records Open to the Public in Dallas County?

Dallas County property records are publicly accessible, except otherwise restricted by the Texas Public Information Act or other state laws. Individuals and businesses can examine and obtain these records upon proper requests to the appropriate custodian.

Where and How to Find Property Records in Dallas County

Individuals can locate different property records from various public sources in Dallas County. For instance, while the Dallas County Clerk is responsible for recording real property records, individuals may obtain property tax information from the Tax Assessor/Collection Office and information on property appraisal or value from the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD).

Individuals interested in obtaining Dallas County property records should contact the respective custodian to make requests to inspect or obtain copies. Requests for property tax records should be directed to the appropriate Tax Collection Agency, while requests to the County Clerk should be to the Recording Division at:

Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street,
22nd Floor, Suite 2200G,
Dallas, TX 75270
Phone: (214) 653-7099

For requests to the DCAD, individuals may visit the office at 2949 North Stemmons Freeway Dallas, Texas 75247 or call (214) 631-0520 for further information. Individuals can also visit local appraisal districts in the county.

Note: These custodians can receive requests made in person and via mail. Interested persons can also find request forms at the websites of the Dallas County Clerk and Dallas Central Appraisal District.

How to Look Up Dallas County Property Records

The Dallas Central Appraisal District provides an online appraisal search tool that allows individuals to find property records by owner name, account number, street address, business name, and map location. There are also other search tools, forms, or interactive maps provided by the different local appraisal districts, such as:

Location of Dallas County Property Assessors

The locations of local appraisal districts in Dallas County are:

Collin Central Appraisal District
250 Eldorado Pkwy
McKinney, TX 75069
Phone: (469) 742-9200
Phone: (866) 467-1110 (toll-free)

Dallas Central Appraisal District
2949 North Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, TX 75247
Phone: (214) 631-0520

Denton Central Appraisal District
3911 Morse Street
P.O. Box 2816
Denton, TX 76208
Phone: (940) 349-3800
Metro: (972) 434-2602
Fax: (940) 349-3801

Ellis Central Appraisal District
400 Ferris Avenue
P.O. Box 878
Waxahachie, TX 75168
Phone: (972) 937-3552
Fax: (972) 937-1618
Email: ecad@elliscad.com

Kaufman County Appraisal District
3950 South Houston Street
P.O. Box 819
Kaufman, TX 75142
Phone: (972) 932-6081

Rockwall Central Appraisal District
841 Justin Road
Rockwall, TX 75087-4842
Metro: (972) 771-2034
Phone: (972) 771-2034 (toll-Free)
Fax: (972) 771-6871
Email: info@rockwallcad.com

Tarrant Appraisal District
2500 Handley-Ederville Road
Fort Worth, TX 76118-6909
Phone: (817) 284-0024