Cooke County Criminal Court Records
Cooke County criminal court records are filed and maintained by the District Clerk in Gainesville, Texas. The office handles felony filings through the district court and works alongside the County Clerk for Class A and B misdemeanor cases. You can search these records online through the statewide re:SearchTX portal, visit the courthouse in person, or send a written mail request to the clerk's office on Dixon Street. Records go back many years, and staff can help you find cases by name or cause number.
Cooke County Overview
Cooke County District Clerk
The Cooke County District Clerk sits at the courthouse on Dixon Street in Gainesville. This office files and stores all felony criminal cases heard in the 235th Judicial District Court. That district covers Cooke County on its own, so all district-level filings run through one court and one clerk. The clerk is your main contact for felony indictments, judgments, sentencing documents, and post-conviction filings like expunction petitions.
The clerk's office keeps an index of cases by defendant name and cause number. If you know the cause number, a search takes only a few minutes. Name searches take slightly longer if the name is common. Staff can also confirm whether a record has been sealed or expunged before you make a formal request. Expunctions under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 are filed with this same clerk.
| Office | Cooke County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 101 S. Dixon Street Gainesville, TX 76240 |
| Phone | (940) 665-2060 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
How to Search Cooke County Criminal Records
The Texas Office of Court Administration runs the re:SearchTX portal, which gives free public access to criminal case records across all Texas counties including Cooke. You can search by name or cause number and see charges, filing dates, case status, and hearing history. No account is needed. This is the best starting point for most searches.
The screenshot below shows the re:SearchTX interface, which covers Cooke County district court filings along with courts statewide.
For a broader statewide criminal history check, the Texas DPS Criminal History Search costs $3 per name search and pulls from courts across Texas. If you need a verified result tied to a specific individual, the FAST fingerprint program is the most reliable option. In-person searches at the Cooke County Courthouse require a valid photo ID and the full name of the person you are looking up.
Cooke County Misdemeanor Records
Class A and B misdemeanor cases in Cooke County go through the County Court at Law. The County Clerk handles filings for that court. Common Class A and B charges include first-offense DWI, assault causing bodily injury, theft between certain dollar amounts, and criminal mischief. The County Clerk's office in the same Gainesville courthouse can help with those records.
Class C misdemeanors are not handled by the County Clerk or District Clerk. Those minor offenses are processed at justice of the peace courts and at the Gainesville Municipal Court. If you need a Class C record, contact the specific JP precinct or the city court that heard the case. The District Clerk can point you in the right direction if you are not sure which court handled a particular matter.
Keep in mind that the County Clerk and District Clerk are separate offices in Cooke County. Unlike smaller counties with combined offices, you may need to contact both depending on what type of record you need.
Cooke County Arrest Records
The Cooke County Sheriff's Office makes arrests and runs the county jail in Gainesville. When someone is booked, the jail creates an arrest record with the name of the person, the charges at booking, and basic identifying information. Arrest records are not the same as court records. An arrest shows that someone was taken into custody, but it does not show what happened in court or whether charges were ever filed.
For people who went through the Texas state prison system, the TDCJ offender search is free and available online. The Texas sex offender registry lists registered offenders statewide and can be searched by name or by county. Both tools are public and cost nothing to use. For local jail inquiries, contact the Cooke County Sheriff's Office directly.
What Cooke County Criminal Records Contain
A criminal case file in Cooke County contains documents generated at each stage of the case. The file begins with the charging document and grows as the case moves through the court system. A complete case file might have dozens of pages by the time it closes.
Typical documents in a Cooke County criminal case file:
- Indictment or information setting out the charges
- Arraignment and plea documents
- Bond orders and any conditions of release
- Pre-trial motions filed by prosecution and defense
- Court orders and rulings on those motions
- Plea agreement if the case resolved without trial
- Verdict or judgment after a trial
- Sentence and any probation or supervision terms
- Appeals, if filed
Most records are public under Texas Government Code Chapter 552. Sealed records, juvenile cases, and expunged records are withheld. The clerk's office can tell you if a specific file is restricted before you make a formal copy request.
Fees and Access in Cooke County
The Cooke County District Clerk charges $1 per page for plain copies and an additional $5 for certified copies. If you need a certified copy for legal use, you pay both fees. Mail requests should include a money order or check payable to the clerk. Call (940) 665-2060 to confirm the exact amount before mailing payment.
Online access through re:SearchTX is free and does not require an account or login. Basic case data is available to anyone with internet access. The DPS name-based search costs $3 per search. Standard Texas court forms are available at no cost through txcourts.gov. If you need legal help and cannot afford an attorney, Lone Star Legal Aid and TexasLawHelp.org are free resources that cover North Texas.
The State Bar of Texas Find-A-Lawyer directory is the best place to find a licensed criminal defense attorney in the Gainesville area. You can search by county and practice area.
Cities in Cooke County
Gainesville is the county seat and the largest city in Cooke County. All felony and most misdemeanor criminal cases in the county are filed at the Gainesville courthouse. Other communities in the county include Lindsay, Muenster, Valley View, and Callisburg. None of these smaller towns meet the population threshold for their own records pages. All criminal court filings in Cooke County, regardless of where the offense occurred, go through the courts in Gainesville.
Nearby Counties
Cooke County is in North Texas near the Oklahoma state line. Bordering counties with their own court record systems include Grayson County to the east, Fannin County to the southeast, Montague County to the west, Wise County to the southwest, and Denton County to the south. If you need records from a case filed in a neighboring county, contact that county's clerk directly.