Find Background Check Records in Hockley County

Hockley County background check records are kept at the County Clerk and District Clerk offices in Levelland, Texas. The county seat is Levelland, and the courthouse handles criminal, civil, and court records for the county. With a population of about 21,537, Hockley County is a mid-sized county in the Texas South Plains region west of Lubbock. You can request background check records in person, by mail, or by searching available online tools that cover Hockley County court filings.

Hockley County Clerk Background Check Records

The Hockley County Clerk in Levelland holds records for misdemeanor criminal cases, county civil matters, and probate filings. This office is inside the Hockley County Courthouse on the main square in Levelland. It is open Monday through Friday during regular business hours. The County Clerk maintains the court docket for the county court, which hears Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases and civil matters under $250,000.

To get a background check from the County Clerk, visit in person or send a written mail request. You need the full name of the subject, ideally with a date of birth or approximate date range. Copy fees are $1.00 per page for standard copies and $5.00 for certification on top of that for certified documents. Credit cards may not be accepted for mail requests. The Hockley County Clerk handles property records, vital records, and assumed name certificates as well. These can be helpful when doing a thorough background check or locating someone's address history.

Hockley County District Clerk Criminal Records

The Hockley County District Clerk is the custodian for all felony criminal filings, district civil cases, and family law records in the county. The 286th District Court serves Hockley County along with nearby counties on a shared basis. Felony cases are the main category that most people look for in a criminal background check, and those records are kept by the District Clerk permanently.

Name-based background check searches through the District Clerk's office cover all case types in the 286th District Court. The fee is typically $5.00 per name per year searched. You can request results in person or by mail. Certified copies of specific records cost $5.00 plus $1.00 per page. The office is in the Hockley County Courthouse in Levelland. The statewide re:SearchTX portal also covers Hockley County court records and is a good first step for a no-fee public search.

Hockley County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Hockley County Sheriff's Office handles arrests, the county jail, and law enforcement records. The Sheriff's Office is the first point of contact for arrest records in the unincorporated county and for many of the smaller municipalities. To request arrest records or incident reports, submit a written request under the Texas Public Information Act. The office has 10 business days to respond. Copy fees are $1.00 per page and incident reports may carry an additional fee.

The Hockley County Jail roster is available by contacting the jail directly or visiting in person. Bail bond and release information is also available through the jail. For statewide criminal history, use the Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search, which covers convictions across all Texas counties for $3.00. Registered sex offenders in Hockley County are listed on the Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry.

Hockley County Court System

Hockley County is served by the 286th District Court, which handles felony criminal cases and civil matters. The county also has a county court that hears misdemeanor criminal cases and civil filings under $250,000. Justice of the Peace courts cover traffic matters, Class C misdemeanors, small claims, and evictions at the local precinct level.

Court records from all levels are public and can be searched through the County Clerk for county court matters and the District Clerk for district court cases. The re:SearchTX system is the easiest way to do a public online search for Hockley County court cases. E-filing for civil and family court cases is done through eFileTexas.gov.

Note: Juvenile records and sealed records are not part of a standard background check search in Hockley County courts.

Online Search Tools for Hockley County Background Checks

Online tools give you a way to search Hockley County background check records without a trip to Levelland. Each covers a different slice of public records.

The re:SearchTX portal gives access to Hockley County court records for free. You can search by name or cause number and view case type, parties, and docket information. For a statewide criminal history search, use the Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search at $3.00 per name. This is a broad search that covers criminal convictions across all Texas counties, not just Hockley.

For sex offender data, check the Texas Sex Offender Registry. State prison inmate data is at tdcj.texas.gov. If you need driver records, the Texas DPS driver records request system at txapps.texas.gov processes those requests. The Texas AG Open Government page has guidance for making formal public records requests from Hockley County offices.

The Texas DPS Criminal History Records page explains how to request a statewide name-based or fingerprint-based criminal history search covering all Texas counties including Hockley.

Name searches cost $3.00 and cover conviction records statewide. Fingerprint-based searches are more thorough and cost more.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Hockley County in the South Plains region of Texas. Each has its own courthouse and records for background check searches.