Dallas County Court Records
Dallas County court records carry details about cases heard in a court of law. They include motions, docket sheets, claims or charges, subpoenas, witness testimonies, and other materials used in or generated during court proceedings in Dallas County, Texas.
The court clerks are the primary custodians of court records in the county and are responsible for maintaining and releasing court records upon request. Per Texas law, these documents are categorized as Dallas County Public Records unless otherwise specified by judicial order.
In Texas, legal entities need to preserve court records as a matter of necessity because of the following reasons:
- Past case records set precedents for future proceedings.
- Court records allow legal institutions to remain accountable to citizens.
- By studying records of past cases, lawyers, researchers, citizens, and reporters can learn about the law and the consequences of violations.
Are Court Records Public in Dallas County?
Yes. Per Title 5, Chapter 552.002 (15), court records do not fall under restricted documents in Dallas County. All records a judicial agency uses in its regular course of business are accessible to the public. Also, under Rule 12 (Access to Judicial Records), judicial records are available for public inspection and copying.
However, certain records are exempt from the public requirement for disclosure under Rules 12.3 and 12.5. These include documents concerning the judiciary's legal operations and sealed court records.
Notwithstanding, some records may be removed from public access but available to certain parties. For example, records from the juvenile courts in Dallas are not open for public inspection but may be accessible to child protection agencies and noncriminal justice agencies under the law.
What Do Dallas County Court Records Contain?
Dallas County court records contain information and documentation from court cases filed in the county. Information that one may find in a court record includes:
- The type of case filed
- The case number
- The date of filing
- Location of the court where a case was heard
- Name of the presiding judge
- Full names and addresses of the petitioner and defendant
- Evidence exhibits
- Written and electronic transcripts of the court proceedings
- Full names of the lawyers prosecuting and defending the case
- Case disposition
- Case calendar and docket (date and time of hearings)
- Court orders, pleadings, motions, and other documents filed during a case
- Final sentence delivered by the judge
Where to Conduct a Dallas County Case Lookup
To conduct a Dallas County case lookup, a researcher may:
- Visit the courthouse where a case was filed.
- Mail a letter to the clerk of the court's office where a case was heard.
- Visit Dallas County's official website.
How to Conduct a Dallas County Court Case Search
Dallas County case records are obtainable both online and offline. Although civil and criminal court cases are heard at different courts in Dallas County, two offices are responsible primarily for handling court records requests: the Dallas County Clerk's Office and the Dallas County District Clerk's Office.
Thus, individuals can contact these offices at the following addresses to request court records:
County Clerk's Office
Records Building
500 Elm Street
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75202
Email: CC-Inquiry@dallascounty.org
District Clerk's Office
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street, Suite 103
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7307
Generally, individuals can submit in-person and mail inquiries to the clerks of courts. They can also access an Online Records Search portal to search case records maintained by the two custodians.
Usually, to complete any case records search request, the clerk's office will require certain information to identify the records in question. This may be a party's name, case number, filing date, or a description of the desired record.
Dallas County Civil Court Case Records
Dallas County civil court case records include noncriminal cases heard in the family, district, civil district, county, and probate courts. The family courts handle cases involving children, property, and pets. The civil district court's jurisdiction extends to divorce cases, civil issues involving $200 or more, land title issues, felony criminal cases, election contests, and other related matters. Meanwhile, the probate court oversees wills and estates of deceased persons, guardianships and conservatorships for underage persons, and mental health cases.
Generally, family court records cannot be accessed online in Dallas County, so a researcher must go in person or send a mail request to the relevant clerk's office. However, county, civil district, and probate court records are obtainable online, in person, or by sending a letter to the clerk of the court's office.
Dallas County Criminal Court Case Records
The Dallas Courts criminal courts prosecute cases stemming from misdemeanor and felony offenses, as described in Sec. 12.04 of the Texas Statutes. Misdemeanor files from criminal court case proceedings in Dallas County are obtainable from the county clerk's office at the following address:
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
2nd Floor, Room A-1
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 653-7099
Fax: (214) 653-7176
Meanwhile, felony criminal court case records can be obtained from the district clerk's office at the address below:
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: (214) 712-3088
How to Get Court Records Online for Free
Interested persons can find information about civil and criminal court proceedings heard in Dallas County for free by visiting the county's Online Records Search portal. One can choose from one of two search engine types on the portal: criminal or civil. Regardless of the tool selected, each requester can search cases with a name or case number for free. Other search criteria like a court location or case type may also be provided.
Aside from the aforementioned free court records search, another way to find court case records online for free is to use a third-party website, although some sites may charge a fee for access.
Considered open to citizens of the United States, court records are available through both traditional, government sources, and through third-party websites and organizations. In many cases, third-party websites make the search easier as they are not limited geographically or by technological limitations. They are considered a good place to start when looking for a specific record or multiple records. In order to gain access to these records, interested parties must typically provide:
- The name of the person listed in the record. Juveniles are typically exempt from this search method.
- The last known or assumed location of the person listed in the record. This includes cities, counties, and states.
While third-party sites offer such services, they are not government sponsored entities, and record availability may vary on these sites when compared to government sources.
Courts in Dallas County
Below are the physical addresses and contact information of the courts in Dallas County, Texas:
County Courts at Law
There are five County Courts at Law in Dallas County situated at the following address:
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-7556 (County Court at Law No. 1)
(214) 653-7366 (County Court at Law No. 2)
(214) 653-7595 (County Court at Law No.3)
(214) 653-7466 (County Court at Law No. 4)
(214) 653-6441 (County Court at Law No. 5)
Civil District Courts
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
5th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6000 (14th District Court)
(214) 653-7427 (44th District Court)
(214) 653-6510 (68th District Court)
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
6th Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Phone: (214) 653-6361 (95th District Court)
(214) 653-6937 (101st District Court)
(214) 653-6015 (116th District Court)
(214) 653-6995 (134th District Court)
(214) 653-7271 (160th District Court)
(214) 653-7348 (162nd District Court)
(214) 653-6609 (191st District Court)
(214) 653-7709 (192nd 162nd District Court)
(214) 653-6998 (193rd District Court)
(214) 653-6781 (298th District Court)
County Criminal Courts
There are 11 county criminal courts in Dallas County located at:
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
3rd Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Criminal District Courts
Dallas County, Texas, has seventeen criminal district courts and four auxiliary courts at the following address:
Frank Crowley Courts Building
133 North Riverfront Boulevard
7th Floor
Dallas, TX 75207
Family District Courts
Dallas County has seven family district courts located at:
George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building
600 Commerce Street
3rd Floor New Tower
Dallas, TX 75202
Juvenile District Courts
There are two juvenile district courts in Dallas County located at:
2600 Lone Star Drive
3rd Floor
Dallas, TX 75212
Phone: (214) 698-4936 (304th District)
(214) 698-4924 (305th District)
Probate Courts
Dallas County has three probate courts. These probate courts are found at:
Renaissance Tower
1201 Elm Street
Suite 2200-A
Dallas, TX 75270
Dallas Small Claims Court
Justice of The Peace 1-1
South Dallas Government Center
8301 South Polk Street
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75232
Justice of The Peace 1-2
South Dallas Government Center
8301 South Polk Street
Suite 2200
Dallas, TX 75232
Justice of The Peace 2-1
Garland Office
140 North Garland Avenue
Garland, TX 75040
Justice of The Peace 2-2
Mesquite Office
823 North Galloway Avenue
Mesquite, TX 75149
Justice of The Peace 3-1
North Dallas Government Center
6820 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Suite 3100
Dallas, TX 75240
Justice of The Peace 3-2
North Dallas Government Center
6820 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75240
Justice of The Peace 4-1
Grand Prairie Government Center
106 West Church Street
Suite 205
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Justice of The Peace 4-2
Grand Prairie Government Center
106 West Church Street
Suite 210
Grand Prairie, TX 75050
Justice of The Peace 5-1
East Dallas Government Center
3443 St. Francis Avenue
Dallas, TX 75228
Justice of The Peace 5-2
Oak Cliff Government Center
702 East Jefferson Boulevard
Suite 2100
Dallas, TX 75203
