Travis County Background Check Records

Travis County background check records are maintained by the County Clerk, the District Clerk, and the Sheriff's Office in Austin. Travis County is home to the state capital and has over 1.2 million residents, making it one of the largest and most active court systems in Texas. You can search criminal history, civil case filings, arrest records, and inmate information through the county's online portals and statewide databases.

Travis County Clerk Background Check Records

The Travis County Clerk is led by County Clerk Dyana L. Limon. The office is at 5501 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751. The mailing address is PO Box 149325, Austin, TX 78714. Phone is (512) 854-9188. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The email for the office is countyclerk@traviscountytx.gov. The website at countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov provides online access to many public records.

The County Clerk maintains misdemeanor criminal records from the county courts at law in Travis County. There are nine county courts at law, with courts 1 through 8 handling criminal misdemeanor cases and Court 9 handling civil and probate matters. Class A and Class B misdemeanor records from all these courts are indexed by the County Clerk. Real property records including deeds, mortgages, lien filings, and plat records are also kept here and date back many decades. Vital records including birth certificates from 1926 forward, death certificates from 1903 forward, and marriage licenses from 1940 forward are on file here as well.

Copy fees at the County Clerk are $1.00 per page. Certified copies require a $5.00 certification fee. Recording fees for new documents are $26 for the first page and $4 for each additional page. Birth certificates cost $23 each. Death certificates are $21 for the first copy and $3 for each additional copy. Marriage licenses cost $82. The office accepts in-person and mail requests. Bring a valid photo ID for in-person records requests.

The County Clerk also handles vital records and assumed name filings. Military discharge records are on file here as well. For research purposes, the Granger Building at 314 W 11th St in Austin holds historical records and microfilm for older documents.

The Travis County Clerk website provides access to misdemeanor criminal records, real property filings, vital records, and other public documents through its online portal.

From the County Clerk portal you can search multiple record types including misdemeanor criminal cases and property records without a visit to the courthouse.

Travis County District Clerk Criminal Records

The Travis County District Clerk is led by District Clerk Velva L. Price. The main address is 1000 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701. The mailing address is PO Box 1748, Austin, TX 78767. Phone is (512) 854-9457. Criminal records are on the 3rd floor of the courthouse. Civil records are on the 1st floor. The website for the District Clerk is at traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk.

Travis County has 13 criminal district courts. Each handles felony criminal cases, and together they process a very high volume of cases given the county's size. Felony criminal records from all 13 courts are indexed by the District Clerk. This includes state jail felonies, third degree felonies, second degree felonies, and first degree felonies. Records show charges, case status, disposition, and sentencing. Searching by name or cause number is standard. The Travis County Odyssey Portal also allows online case searches by party name, case number, attorney, or date range at no charge. The portal covers criminal, civil, and family cases.

Family law cases in Travis County include divorce filings, child custody matters, child support orders, and family violence protective orders. These are generally public record. Travis County also has dedicated family courts that handle juvenile cases, though juvenile records have restricted access. The District Clerk processes expunctions and nondisclosure orders as well. When a court grants an expunction, the District Clerk notifies all relevant agencies and removes the case from public access. This affects what appears in a Travis County background check for that individual.

The Travis County District Clerk website offers access to felony criminal records, civil district court filings, and family law case information for all courts in the county.

The District Clerk portal includes links to the Odyssey online case search system, which covers all Travis County district court criminal, civil, and family dockets in one place.

Travis County Sheriff Arrest Records

The Travis County Sheriff's Office is led by Sheriff Sally Hernandez. The main office is at 5555 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751. The main phone number is (512) 854-9721. The Sheriff's Office handles arrest records, incident reports, and inmate information for the county jail. Emergency calls go to 911. Non-emergency calls use the same main phone number. The website is at traviscountytx.gov/sheriff.

Arrest records and incident reports from the Travis County Sheriff can be requested under the Texas Public Information Act. Submit a written request to the Sheriff's Office. The office has 10 business days to respond. Fees may apply for copies and staff time. For inmate information, the Sheriff's website has a jail roster and inmate search tool at traviscountytx.gov/sheriff/inmate-search. This shows current bookings, charges, and bond status for people in custody in Travis County.

Sex offender registration in Travis County is coordinated with the Texas Department of Public Safety. All registered sex offenders in Texas are listed in the Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry and can be searched free online by name, address, or zip code. The TDCJ also maintains a statewide offender database for state prison inmates at tdcj.texas.gov.

Travis County Court System

Travis County has one of the most extensive court systems in Texas. It has 13 criminal district courts, multiple civil district courts, family law courts, county courts at law, probate courts, and Justice of the Peace courts. The volume of cases handled here is among the highest in the state. Criminal district courts in Travis County include the 53rd, 98th, 126th, 147th, 167th, 200th, 250th, 331st, 390th, 403rd, 427th, 450th, and 459th courts.

County courts at law in Travis County include courts 1 through 8 for criminal misdemeanor cases and Court 9 for civil and probate matters. Justice of the Peace courts operate in five precincts across the county. JP courts handle small claims, Class C misdemeanors, evictions, and civil cases under $20,000. For background check purposes, JP court records from Travis County are held by the individual JP courts and are not always searchable through the central court portals.

E-filing is required for civil, family, and probate cases in Travis County. Electronic submissions go through eFileTexas.gov. The Travis County criminal justice courts are covered at traviscountytx.gov/criminal-justice/courts. The statewide re:SearchTX portal also gives access to Travis County district court dockets for free.

The Travis County property records portal covers deed records, mortgage filings, liens, and plat records going back many decades in Travis County.

Property records can show judgments and liens tied to an individual and are a useful supplement to criminal court records in a full background check search.

Online Background Check Search Tools for Travis County

Travis County has better online access than most Texas counties. Several portals let you search records without visiting Austin. Each covers a different slice of the background check record universe.

The Travis County Odyssey Portal is the main online case search for Travis County courts. It covers criminal, civil, and family cases in the district courts and is free to use. The Travis County Clerk portal covers misdemeanor records, property filings, and vital records. Together these two tools cover most court-level background check records in Travis County.

For statewide criminal history, the Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search covers all Texas counties for $3.00 per name. The FACT Clearinghouse provides certified fingerprint-based results for legal and official use. The Texas Sex Offender Registry is free. The TDCJ offender search covers state prison inmates. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government page has guidance on how to submit public information requests if you need records that are not available online.

Note: Even with Travis County's strong online access, some record types still require in-person or mail requests. Certified copies always require a formal request and fee payment to the appropriate clerk's office.

Nearby Counties

Travis County borders several other central Texas counties. Each has its own court clerks and background check record systems.