Search Texas Criminal Records for Free

It is a well-known fact that the State of Texas has an inordinately higher rate of crimes committed as compared to the other states of the country. Statistics reveal that there were almost a million crimes reported in 2006 in the State of Texas alone with more than 1100 murders being committed that year. Being the second highly populated state tends to complicate matters further. However, the law enforcement authorities as well as the judicial system of Texas are ever alert. Consequently, they share the official state resources and help to make the general public more aware of the impending dangers by providing access to Texas criminal records free of charge.

Free Background Information in Texas

Logging in to the state enforcement resources certainly helps to trace the background of any individual who arouses your suspicion. Absence of a criminal record of a prospective employee or business partner will help you to rest easy. Background checks on firearm purchases as well as learning the details of household help or a live-in nanny may help to strengthen your sense of security as well. Researching a prospective tenant is just as important as you would certainly not like to harbor an offender within your home.

Searching for homeland security as well as conducting your own personal investigations is also possible by checking the Texas criminal records over the Internet. However, you must remember that the information provided by the state sites will only reveal the offender if the crime had been reported to the department. You can also check the Incident Tracking Number and the subsequent Incident Tracking Number Suffix if you are not sure about the details.

Department of Public Safety and Crime Records Service

Managing the repository containing all criminal record histories is the responsibility of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). All judicial agencies dealing with crime submit information to the Texas Criminal Justice Information System. You can also be privy to the records pertaining to the correctional measures by accessing http://www.cca.courts.state.tx.us/. 

The sheriff as well as the other law enforcing authorities need to report all arrests made by them to the DPS as well. The official website of the Crime Records Service (CRS) however is not open to the general public. You need to be a member of any governmental or criminal judicial entity in order to access the site. Being a member of several private agencies like well-known educational institutions, housing boards or health care organizations will also make you eligible for logging in to the official website of the Crime Records Service.

Obtaining Information in Criminal Records

It is quite easy to get the complete picture once you log in to these official state sites. As a member of the general public you do not have to sign any release for obtaining detailed information regarding a criminal and the criminal activities associated with him or her.

Free public records also reflect the history of arrests made within the boundaries of the State of Texas. The nature of the offense may range from the pettiest of crimes like a traffic rule violation to one of utmost seriousness like murder or manslaughter. The best part of accessing the details of an arrest record is that you get to view the details in any case whatever be their subsequent outcome.

Another fact that you may not be aware of is that the Texas criminal records remain on file indefinitely unless restricted by the government itself. Certain authorities do have the right to access even non-public records with the consent of the individual in question. This is especially true of people who have succeeded in expunging their criminal records from the public access systems. Access to juvenile records is not permissible under the law of the state.

Conducting Your Criminal Record Search

It is best to get a little organized before embarking on a Texas criminal record search. You can be fairly certain of obtaining a satisfactory result even if you do not have much information. Knowing the name will be enough. Entering a range of age will help you to bring down the result to a manageable figure. Records for all kinds of arrests, felonies and Class A as well as Class B misdemeanors are returned as are the records on felonies whose decisions had been deferred. 

The data that can be obtained by such searches normally includes the physical description of the offender including the color of his eyes and hair. However, such details may not always serve your purpose, especially if you are looking to identify a known criminal. Physical features of the body alter considerably with age and the color of the hair and eyes can be disguised effectively within no time at all.

The number of known aliases depicted dominantly within your search results may help you to be aware of a potential criminal lurking in your neighborhood. This is particularly helpful when you are looking to protect your children from sex offenders. Other statistics that can be obtained from searching through the criminal records of Texas include the case number as well as the date of court dispositions. The State of Texas parole system database will also help you uncover information of the offenders released on parole.

You can get the most recent records pertaining to a specific crime if you search through the database of the relevant county. These records tend to be the latest as they are retrieved directly from the source of action itself. However, you must remember to limit your search for an offender by the county of his residence or work only. http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/ contains links to all the counties of the state. You can also visit the Texas Department of Public Safety in Austin, TX 78765-4143 or call the crime information bureau at (512) 424-5745 for additional information.

Other Sources for Your Search

Apart from the many public official record search facilities provided by the enforcement authorities of the State of Texas, you can access a number of private commercial sites for relevant information as well. Most of the commercial sites provide links to the official sites consequently enabling you to verify your search results with ease. If you are still not sure about the accuracy of the records that are returned by your search, you can try contacting the courthouses of the state.

Every court within the state of Texas has access to computerized data and you can request the clerk of the respective courthouses provide relevant information or copies of the required documents. In case you want to check out your criminal record history, you will simply have to request the DPS for reviewing the Personal Criminal History by forwarding them an authorized fingerprint card together with the requisite fee.