Dallas County Felony Records
Dallas County felony records are maintained by the District Clerk's office at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas. The office handles approximately 200,000 new case filings annually across 27 district courts, making it one of the busiest court systems in Texas. This page explains how to search, request, and access these public records.
Dallas County Overview
Dallas County District Clerk
The Dallas County District Clerk is the official record keeper for all Dallas County District Courts. The office is at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N Riverfront Blvd, Suite 108, Dallas, TX 75207. Main phone: (214) 653-7423. Fax: (214) 653-7424. Office hours run Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. The office stops accepting filings at 4:15 PM each day.
Dallas County operates a dedicated Criminal District Court system for handling felony cases. All Criminal District Courts are at the Frank Crowley Courts Building. The county has 27 District Courts handling felony criminal cases, civil cases, family law matters, and juvenile cases. Cases are assigned randomly using the automated case management system. Each Criminal District Court has dedicated staff including court clerks, coordinators, and reporters.
The District Clerk maintains records for these courts, processes approximately 200,000 new filings each year, and reports all felony dispositions to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Services include filing and docketing of all court documents, collection of court fees and fines, administration of jury duty, and processing of court orders.
The Dallas County District Clerk portal at dallascounty.org provides case search access, e-filing portal links, forms, fee schedules, and court calendar information.
The portal links to the criminal background search tool, which lets you search Dallas County District Court criminal records by name and date of birth.
Dallas County Felony Case Search Online
Dallas County provides a dedicated criminal background search at dallascounty.org/criminalBackgroundSearch. Search by full name and date of birth. The system covers Dallas County District Court criminal records only. The fee is $50 per name searched. Results include case numbers, charges, dispositions, and sentencing information. This is a county-level search, not a statewide criminal history check.
For free case-level lookups, use the re:SearchTX statewide portal. This covers all 254 Texas counties and lets you search by party name, case number, or attorney. Basic case information is available without a subscription. Dallas County also uses the Odyssey Case Management System for real-time case tracking, which integrates with the re:SearchTX system.
You can search Dallas County case records by several fields: party name (first, middle, last), case number (felony cases use format F-xx-xxxxx), attorney name, date range, court number, file date, offense type, and disposition type. Advanced search options include partial name matching and soundex search for similar-sounding names.
For inmate information, use the Dallas County Inmate Lookup at dallascounty.org. This shows people currently held at the Lew Sterrett Justice Center and includes booking date, charges, bond amount, and court dates.
In-Person Records Requests
To get copies of Dallas County felony records in person, visit the District Clerk's office at the Frank Crowley Courts Building, 133 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207. Bring valid photo ID. Dallas County accepts cash, credit and debit cards (MasterCard, Visa, Discover, American Express), money orders, and cashier's checks. No personal checks are accepted.
Copy fees: $1.00 per page for standard copies; $5.00 per document for certification; $50.00 for a name-based criminal history search; $1.00 per page for microfiche copies; $5.00 research fee if a cause number is not provided. For certified copies, allow extra time beyond routine requests.
By mail: Send a written request with the case number, specific documents needed, a self-addressed stamped envelope, and payment to: Dallas County District Clerk, 133 N Riverfront Blvd, Suite 108, Dallas, TX 75207. Processing time is 5 to 10 business days for mail requests.
Dallas County District Courts
Dallas County has 27 District Courts. Criminal District Courts are numbered and dedicated to felony matters. These courts hear all felony criminal cases in the county, from arraignment through trial and sentencing. Civil District Courts handle cases over $200,000. Family District Courts handle divorce, custody, and related matters.
The Criminal District Courts at the Frank Crowley Courts Building process thousands of felony cases each year. Texas felony levels range from state jail felonies (180 days to 2 years) through third-degree (2 to 10 years), second-degree (2 to 20 years), first-degree (5 to 99 years or life), and capital felonies. Dallas County sees a full range of felony types including violent crimes, drug offenses, property crimes, and white-collar matters.
Dallas County follows specific record retention rules. Criminal case files are retained permanently. Family case files are kept permanently. Civil case files are retained for 10 years after final disposition. Closed case files are moved off-site after 2 years of inactivity but remain accessible through the District Clerk.
E-Filing in Dallas County
Dallas County uses the statewide eFileTexas system at efiletexas.gov. E-filing is mandatory for attorneys in civil cases. E-filing is also available for criminal cases. Technical support is at 1-866-569-5235. The system accepts filings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Documents filed after 11:59 PM are treated as filed the next business day. All documents must be in searchable PDF format.
Dallas County also provides these additional services: Public Defender's Office at (214) 320-4400, District Attorney's Office at (214) 653-3600, Sheriff's Department at (214) 653-3500, and Juvenile Department at (214) 698-2200.
Statewide Criminal History and Other Resources
For a statewide criminal history check that goes beyond Dallas County records, use the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. The Dallas County criminal background search at dallascounty.org covers Dallas County District Courts only. The DPS search covers all Texas counties at $3 per name for a name-based check.
The TDCJ Offender Search is free and shows current Texas state prison inmates. Dallas County cases account for a significant share of the statewide prison population. The Texas Sex Offender Registry is searchable by county, zip code, or address and shows all registered offenders in Dallas County.
Under Texas Government Code Chapter 411, conviction and deferred adjudication records are public information. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government page explains your rights to access government records in Texas.
Nearby Counties
Dallas County is in north central Texas. Neighboring counties each have their own district clerk offices and felony records systems.