Arrest Records In Texas Free Copy Online

By Claire Dowell


The Department of Public Safety of Texas is responsible for the accumulation of public records such as arrests in Texas, prosecutions and records with Class B violations in the State. The records are available from the Department's Computerized Criminal History System, which is a repository for conviction records and is updated regularly by the local enforcement agencies, counties and municipalities.

To start conducting a research on any public records, the State requires the researcher to create an account in the State's official website. Once one is able to create their account, they are required to purchase credits, which they can use to pay for the search being done. Each credit is good for one search and each search query is a flat rate of $3 although additional fees may be charged depending on the method of payment that one is enrolled in or has availed of.

For those who will be paying via mailed checks, the office charges an additional $1.25 for convenience fee, bringing the total fee to $4.25. The credits are available once the checks are validated by the office. For those who would be paying via credit card, the office charges a convenience fee of 2.25% including a $.50 for transaction fee. Credits bought with credits cards are immediately available for use.

It is imperative that researchers fill in the entire requested fields to ensure that the search would be successful. It is recommended to include the first name, middle name, surname and the person's birth date. Do keep in mind that credits are non-refundable and as such, a credit is debited from the account's credit even if the return result is a no-match. Having a no-result does not automatically mean that the record is not available. In some instances, the records might be restricted from public access such as in juvenile records or those records that are already sealed and expunged.

There would be times when matches might result in several entries. To avoid having credits debited from the account, researchers can click on the preview button to see a small sample of the record to verify that the record is what they need. Do remember that once the record is opened, a credit is debited from the account. Accuracy concerning the matches is not guaranteed as in most cases, the person in the record can only be authenticated if the report includes a fingerprint specimen card. To ensure the accuracy of the report, one might want to check out the arresting agency that filed the report.

There are some instances when records are not complete. If the person is checking out their personal records and wish to change something or add something, they can do so by contacting the office. Those who want to do some arrest search can also check other online sites that offer public record searches free or for a minimal fee. This is the most expedient and resourceful method to find information without having to open up an account and maybe effective for those who want to do some research one time.




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