Tarrant County Criminal Court Records
Tarrant County criminal court records cover one of the largest and most active court systems in Texas. The county seat is Fort Worth, and the county encompasses Arlington, Mansfield, and dozens of other cities and communities. With more than 2 million residents, Tarrant County processes a substantial volume of felony and misdemeanor cases each year. The District Clerk handles felony cases while the County Clerk manages Class A and B misdemeanors. Both offices maintain public records that can be accessed online, in person, or by mail.
Tarrant County Overview
Tarrant County District Clerk
The Tarrant County District Clerk maintains all felony criminal court records filed in the county. This office is one of the busier district clerk operations in Texas given the size of the county. Felony charges filed anywhere in Tarrant County come through the district courts, and the clerk assigns cause numbers, tracks dockets, and stores all documents connected to each case.
Tarrant County has multiple district courts, including courts that focus specifically on criminal cases. The district clerk's office is located at 100 N. Calhoun Street in downtown Fort Worth. Walk-in access is available during regular business hours. Staff can help you search for a case by name or cause number and provide copies of documents from the file.
For online access, Tarrant County operates the DCSA subscriber portal at dcsa.tarrantcounty.com. This system requires a paid subscription to access case documents online. Subscription setup costs $50 and the monthly fee is $35. If you only need occasional access, using the public terminals in the courthouse is a better option. Those terminals are free to use during courthouse hours and give you the same search access as the subscriber portal without the monthly cost.
The District Clerk's office also receives expunction petitions and non-disclosure orders. If a Tarrant County felony record needs to be sealed or destroyed by court order, the petition is filed here. More information is available directly through the clerk's office or through the county's official district clerk page at tarrantcountytx.gov.
The Tarrant County District Clerk's office website provides access to case search tools and records request information for the county's district courts.
The District Clerk is the starting point for any Tarrant County felony record request, whether you need a basic case summary or a full certified copy of the file.
| Office | Tarrant County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Address | 100 N. Calhoun Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196 |
| Phone | (817) 212-7208 |
| Online Portal | dcsa.tarrantcounty.com (subscription required) |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
How to Search Tarrant County Criminal Court Cases
There are several ways to search Tarrant County criminal records. The DCSA portal at dcsa.tarrantcounty.com is the county's own system. It requires a subscription for full document access, but it is the most direct route to Tarrant County court records. Subscribers can search by name, cause number, or attorney and view case documents without visiting the courthouse.
The statewide re:SearchTX portal provides another option. This system is operated by the Texas Office of Court Administration and covers courts across the state, including Tarrant County. Basic case data is free. You can search by name or cause number and get charge information, hearing dates, and dispositions without paying anything upfront.
The re:SearchTX portal at research.txcourts.gov is the statewide entry point for Texas court records, covering both Tarrant County felony and misdemeanor cases.
For Tarrant County cases not yet in the statewide system, the DCSA subscriber portal or a direct visit to the courthouse are the best fallback options.
Public terminals inside the courthouse at 100 N. Calhoun Street let you access the DCSA search system for free. You do not need a subscription to use those terminals. If you need to print or get copies, you pay per page at the clerk's office window. This is a practical option if you only need to look something up once or twice.
For mail requests, send a written request to the District Clerk at 100 N. Calhoun Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196. Include the full name, cause number if known, what type of copies you need, and payment. The clerk's office can confirm current fees at (817) 212-7208.
Misdemeanor Records in Tarrant County
Class A and B misdemeanor cases in Tarrant County go through the County Criminal Courts. The Tarrant County Clerk maintains these records. Misdemeanor offenses include DWI first offense, assault causing bodily injury, theft under certain thresholds, and some drug possession charges. These are serious cases even though they fall below the felony level.
Tarrant County has multiple county criminal courts that handle high volumes of misdemeanor cases given the size of the population. The County Clerk's office provides access to misdemeanor case records in a similar way to how the District Clerk handles felony files.
The Tarrant County Clerk's office manages misdemeanor court records and provides public access to case files from the county criminal courts.
Contacting the County Clerk directly is the fastest way to locate a specific misdemeanor case and request copies or certified records.
Class C misdemeanors, which are minor violations handled at the justice of the peace or municipal court level, are separate from the District Clerk and County Clerk records. Fort Worth Municipal Court and Arlington Municipal Court each maintain their own records for Class C cases filed within city limits. Those courts are independent of the county clerk system.
If you are looking for misdemeanor records for Tarrant County, check both the DCSA portal and re:SearchTX. The county clerk's office can be reached directly for cases not found through those systems. Forms for expunction and non-disclosure petitions are available at txcourts.gov.
Arrest Records and Criminal History in Tarrant County
Arrest records in Tarrant County are maintained by the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office and by individual city police departments. The sheriff handles arrests in unincorporated parts of the county and operates the main county jail. Fort Worth Police, Arlington Police, and other city agencies each have their own arrest records for people taken into custody within city limits.
The Tarrant County Sheriff's Office provides information about its services and jail operations through the county's official website.
For arrest records tied to county jail bookings, the Sheriff's Office is the right starting point before checking court records for any subsequent case filings.
An arrest by itself does not equal a court record. If no charges were filed, there may not be a case in the court system at all. If charges were filed, the court record will be separate from the arrest record but tied to the same underlying event. Searching both the arrest records and the court records gives you a more complete picture.
For statewide conviction history, use the DPS Criminal History portal. Name-based searches are free. For a certified fingerprint-based background check, the FAST program provides official results for employment or licensing purposes. The TDCJ offender search covers current and former state prison inmates. The Texas Sex Offender Registry is searchable by name, ZIP code, or county, and includes registrants in Tarrant County.
Expunction petitions for Tarrant County felony cases are filed with the District Clerk. For misdemeanor cases, they go through the County Clerk. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 governs expunctions. Non-disclosure orders may also be available for certain completed deferred adjudication cases.
What Tarrant County Criminal Records Contain
A criminal court file in Tarrant County contains the full paper trail from the moment charges were filed to the final resolution of the case. Typical contents include:
- The indictment or information filed by the district attorney's office
- The defendant's name, date of birth, and address as listed at filing
- All criminal charges with Texas Penal Code citations
- Court settings, docket entries, and hearing outcomes
- Plea information including date and type of plea
- Judgment and sentence if a conviction was entered
- Bond conditions and any forfeitures or modifications
- Attorney of record for prosecution and defense
- Probation or community supervision conditions if applicable
- Motions, orders, and any related documents filed during the case
- Jury selection records and trial transcripts if the case went to trial
Sealed files, juvenile records, and records under protective orders are not public. Some documents within otherwise public files may be redacted. The clerk can advise on what is available for a specific case. Texas Government Code Chapter 552 governs public access to government records in Texas, including court files.
Fees and Access for Tarrant County Court Records
Copy fees at the Tarrant County District Clerk's office are $1 per page for regular copies. Certified copies include a certification fee in addition to the per-page charge. The DCSA online portal requires a $50 setup fee and $35 per month for subscriber access. Public terminals at the courthouse are free to use but you pay per page for any copies made there.
Online searches through re:SearchTX are free for basic case data. Downloading copies through that system may carry a fee depending on what the county has enabled. DPS criminal history name searches are free. FAST fingerprint checks have a fee set by DPS and are paid at submission.
For mail requests to the District Clerk, send to 100 N. Calhoun Street, Fort Worth, TX 76196. Include the defendant's full name, cause number if known, what you need, a return envelope, and payment. Call (817) 212-7208 to confirm current fees before sending. For misdemeanor records, contact the County Clerk's office for that office's current request procedures.
Free legal resources for Tarrant County residents include Texas Law Help and Lone Star Legal Aid. To find a private attorney, use the State Bar of Texas lawyer referral service. Additional court forms are available at txcourts.gov.
Cities in Tarrant County
Tarrant County includes several large cities with dedicated pages on this site. Fort Worth is the county seat and the largest city in the county. Arlington is one of the most populous cities in Texas and sits within Tarrant County. Mansfield is a growing city in southern Tarrant County. Other cities in the county such as Haltom City, Euless, Bedford, and North Richland Hills do not have separate city pages but use the same court system based in Fort Worth.
Nearby Counties
Counties that border Tarrant County include Dallas County, Denton County, Ellis County, Hood County, Johnson County, Parker County, and Wise County. Each county page has clerk contact details and local search options.