Texas doesn’t have a single database where you can search all court records for the state.Each court is responsible for keeping their own records. Some courts make their records available online, but you may have to contact the court clerk to get access and pay a service fee.
re:SearchTX
Re:SearchTX offers a free subscription plan that lets you search records from multiple counties and courts. It includes civil cases from district, county, and probate courts, but it may not have all records from all counties in Texas.
You can find case information and preview certain documents. Access to full documents and other features may beavailable for a fee.
TAMES Search
Cases from the TexasSupreme Court, Court of Criminal Appeals, and courts of appeals are searchable through theTexas Appeals Management and eFiling System (TAMES) Case Search. Files that are available online can be viewed for free.
To access records that are not online, contact the specific court. The library also provides aDocument Delivery Service and anInmate Copy Servicefor records from the 3rd Court of Appeals (criminal only), the Court of Criminal Appeals, and the Texas Supreme Court.
District Clerk's Office
Some counties make their district court records searchable through the district clerk's website.Largercounties with online databases includeBexar,Collin,Dallas,Denton,Harris,Tarrant, andTraviscounties.The district clerk keeps case filesfrom district courts, including:
- civil cases
- criminal cases
- family and child custody cases
- divorce cases
- legal name changes
For records not available online, you'll need to contact the district clerk's office.
County Clerk's Office
Some counties make their court records searchable on the county clerk's website. Largercounties with online databases include Bexar,Collin,Dallas, Denton,Harris, Tarrant, andTraviscounties. The county clerk keepscase records from the county courts, county courts at law, and probate courts, including:
- civil cases
- criminal cases
- probate cases
- appeals from justice of the peace courts
- appeals from municipal courts
A separate database may let you search property records and other documents recorded with the clerk, such as:
- real estate records
- marriage certificates
- assumed name certificates (DBAs)
- miscellaneous filings
Larger counties that havecounty recordings databases include Bexar, Collin,Dallas, Denton,Harris, Tarrant, andTraviscounties.To access records that aren't online, please contact the county clerk's office.
Justice of the Peace Courts
You'll usually have to contact the specific court to access justice of the peace (JP) court records. Some counties, like Denton andTarrant County, allow searching JP records online. Cases appealed from JP courts may be transferred to a county court as part of a new trial.
Municipal Courts
Municipal casesare sometimes searchable on the municipal court's website. This can include cases like traffic tickets and city code violations. You may have to contact the court to access case files that are not online. Cases appealed from municipal courts may be transferred to a county court as part of a new trial.
Legal Databases
You can access various court records through legaldatabases like Lexis, Westlaw, and Fastcase. State Law Library patrons can use Fastcase remotely to findfinal opinions for select Texas and federal appellate cases. Lexis and Westlaw are available at the library in person.
Other records such aspetitions, briefs, and opinions from lower courts are only available through the add-on services. The library doesn'tsubscribe to the add-ons, butother law librariesmight have access.
