Brooks County Background Check Records

Brooks County background check records are kept by three offices in Falfurrias: the County Clerk, District Clerk, and Sheriff's Office. You can request criminal history, court filings, and arrest records from each office. Brooks County is served by the 79th District Court and has a small but active court system for its rural area.

Brooks County Clerk Background Check Records

The Brooks County Clerk is the main custodian of misdemeanor criminal records, civil court filings, probate records, and real property documents. County Clerk Eva T. De Los Santos manages the office at 100 E. Miller St. in Falfurrias. Phone is (361) 325-5604. The fax number is (361) 325-5606. You can reach the office by email at brookscoclerk@hotmail.com. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The County Clerk has real property records going back to 1911 when Brooks County was formed. These documents can be useful when building a full picture of someone's legal history in the county. The office also keeps marriage licenses, birth and death certificates, and assumed name filings. All of these are public records and can be requested in person or by mail.

Copy fees are $1.00 per page. Certified copies carry a $5.00 certification fee on top of that. Bring a valid photo ID for any in-person request. Mail requests need a written letter, payment, and a self-addressed stamped envelope. The office does not do phone searches.

The County Clerk handles Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases from the county courts. For felony criminal records, you need to contact the District Clerk. Probate matters like estates and guardianships also flow through the County Clerk's office. These records go back over a century and can show liens, judgments, or property disputes tied to a person's name.

The re:SearchTX statewide court portal gives free online access to dockets and case information from district courts across Texas, including Brooks County.

This statewide tool lets you search by party name and covers filings from the 79th District Court that serves Brooks County.

Brooks County District Clerk Criminal Records

The Brooks County District Clerk manages felony criminal records, civil district court filings, and family law cases for the 79th District Court. District Clerk Janie Gonzalez runs the office at 100 E. Miller St. in Falfurrias. Phone is (361) 325-5604 ext. 235. Fax is (361) 325-5606. The mailing address is PO Box 534, Falfurrias, TX 78355.

Felony criminal records from Brooks County run through the District Clerk. This includes charges for offenses like aggravated assault, drug trafficking, theft over $2,500, and other state jail felonies or higher. Civil district cases and family law matters like custody and child support are also filed here. To search for case records, you can contact the office directly or use the statewide re:SearchTX portal, which indexes district court dockets from counties across the state.

In-person requests require a photo ID. Mail requests need a written request, fee payment, and a return envelope. Copy fees are $1.00 per page. Certified copies cost $5.00 for the certification plus copy fees. The office does not accept phone requests for record copies.

Note: The District Clerk also processes expunctions and orders of nondisclosure. When a court grants an expunction, that case is removed from public access. Nondisclosures limit public access but do not fully remove a record from law enforcement databases.

Brooks County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Brooks County Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, incident reports, and jail booking information for the county. Sheriff Urbino Martinez leads the department. The main office is at 904 W. Travis St. in Falfurrias. Phone is (361) 325-3438. Fax is (361) 325-2687. The mailing address is PO Box 609, Falfurrias, TX 78355.

Arrest records from the Sheriff's Office are public records under the Texas Public Information Act. To get them, you submit a written request. The office has 10 business days to respond. Fees apply for copies and staff time spent on the request. The Sheriff's Office also manages sex offender registration in the county. All registered sex offenders in Texas appear in the Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry, which is free to search online.

For arrest history that spans more than just Brooks County, the Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search covers records from all Texas counties for $3.00 per search. This is a name-based search and is not a certified result. For certified results, use the FACT fingerprint-based system at the Texas DPS FACT Clearinghouse.

Brooks County Court System

Brooks County is served by the 79th District Court. This court handles felony criminal cases, civil matters, and family law filings for the county. The District Clerk's office manages all case records from this court. For misdemeanor criminal cases and county civil matters, records go to the County Clerk.

The statewide re:SearchTX portal provides free online access to case dockets from the 79th District Court. You can search by party name or cause number. This is a good starting point if you want to check for active or past cases without visiting the courthouse. Keep in mind that the docket search shows case status, not full record images. For copies of actual documents, you still need to contact the District Clerk directly.

Justice of the Peace courts in Brooks County handle Class C misdemeanor cases, small claims, and civil matters under $20,000. These lower-level records are not always included in major online databases. Contact the county directly to find the right JP court for a specific case.

Online Search Tools for Brooks County Records

Several free and low-cost tools can help you search Brooks County background check records without traveling to Falfurrias. Start with the tools that cover the broadest range of records, then narrow down from there.

The re:SearchTX portal covers district court dockets from counties across Texas, including Brooks County's 79th District Court. It is free and searchable by name or cause number. For a statewide criminal history search, use the Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search at $3.00 per name. This covers records from all Texas counties in the DPS database. For sex offender information, the Texas Sex Offender Registry is free.

Vital records like birth and death certificates can be ordered through the Texas DSHS Vital Statistics Unit if you know the county and year. The Brooks County Clerk can also issue these locally. Driver record history is available through the Texas DPS driver records system.

The Texas Attorney General's Open Government page explains your rights under the Texas Public Information Act. This is the law that governs how you can request records from Texas government agencies, including the Brooks County Clerk, District Clerk, and Sheriff.

Note: Name-based searches are not definitive. For a certified criminal history that can be used for legal purposes, use the Texas DPS fingerprint-based FACT system at the FACT Clearinghouse.

The Texas AG Open Government portal is a good reference if you run into access issues or need to file a complaint about a denied records request.

The Texas Attorney General's office enforces public information laws statewide, including in Brooks County.

Nearby Counties

These counties are near Brooks County. Each has its own court system and clerk offices for background check records.