Search Tarrant County Felony Records
Tarrant County felony records are filed at the District Clerk's office in Fort Worth. The District Clerk maintains all criminal case files for felony charges in Tarrant County's multiple criminal District Courts, and those records are accessible online, in person, or by mail.
Tarrant County Overview
Tarrant County District Clerk
The Tarrant County District Clerk is the official keeper of all felony court records in the county. The office maintains case files for all criminal District Courts in Tarrant County, which handle thousands of felony cases each year. Thomas A. Wilder serves as the District Clerk. The main office is at 100 N. Calhoun St. in Fort Worth, and several locations serve the public across the county.
Tarrant County is the second largest county in the DFW Metroplex and one of the most populous in Texas. Fort Worth serves as the county seat. With over 2 million residents, Tarrant County has one of the busiest court systems in Texas. The county has multiple criminal District Courts handling 60,000 or more cases filed each year across civil, family, and criminal dockets.
| Office | Tarrant County District Clerk |
|---|---|
| Main Address | 100 N. Calhoun St. (Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building) Fort Worth, TX 76196 |
| Phone | (817) 884-1574 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | tarrantcountytx.gov/district-clerk |
Tarrant County has multiple courthouse locations. The Tim Curry Justice Center at 401 W. Belknap St. in Fort Worth, phone (817) 884-1342, handles criminal cases. The Family Law Center at 200 E. Weatherford St., phone (817) 884-1114, handles family matters. For felony records specifically, the Tim Curry Justice Center is the primary location.
The Tarrant County District Clerk's website offers online document lookup, subscriber access for remote searches, and criminal docket access for the county's criminal courts.
The Tarrant County District Clerk site at tarrantcountytx.gov provides online case searches, document lookup services, and information on how to access felony records in Fort Worth.
How to Search Tarrant County Felony Records
Tarrant County offers several ways to search felony records. Online, in person, and through a paid subscriber service for attorneys and others who need regular access.
The Tarrant County Court Document Lookup service is available at no cost for self-service searches done on-site at any of the courthouse locations. A basic records search performed by clerk staff costs $5. Remote online subscriber access is available through the Tarrant County Web Based Access Service at a cost of $50 non-refundable setup fee plus $35 per month for up to five users. This subscriber service provides access to District Court civil, family, felony, and misdemeanor records from any location.
The statewide re:SearchTX portal also covers Tarrant County felony cases and is free for basic case information. You can search by party name, cause number, or attorney. The Odyssey portal for Tarrant County is another option linked through the county website.
Copy fees at Tarrant County:
- Non-certified paper copies: $1 per page
- Non-certified electronic copies: $1 for 1-10 pages, then $0.10 per page over 10
- Certified copies: $1 per page
- Basic records search: $5
- Self-service document lookup: free (on-site only)
For criminal docket information on pending felony cases, the Tarrant County Criminal Courts Docket lists scheduled hearings and settings. This lets you verify court dates and case progress without visiting the courthouse.
TDCJ and State Prison Records
Tarrant County generates a large number of felony convictions each year. Those that result in state prison sentences appear in the TDCJ Offender Search. This free database lets you find current and former Texas state prison inmates by name or TDCJ number. Results show offense type, sentence, current facility, and projected release date.
Many Tarrant County felony defendants receive probation, deferred adjudication, or county jail time rather than state prison. Those individuals will not appear in the TDCJ database even if they have significant felony records in the Tarrant County courthouse. For a full picture, you need to check both the TDCJ system and the District Clerk's court records.
The Tarrant County Jail holds pretrial felony defendants and some short-term sentenced offenders. Contact the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office for current jail inmate information. The sheriff's office website also has an inmate search tool.
Note: Tarrant County has both a District Clerk (felony records) and a County Clerk (misdemeanor records). Make sure you check the right office based on the type of charge. The County Clerk is at (817) 884-1195 and handles misdemeanor and lower court records.
Felony Law in Tarrant County
All Tarrant County felony cases follow Texas Penal Code. The criminal District Courts handle the full range of serious offenses, from state jail felonies up through capital murder cases. With dozens of District Courts and a large caseload, Tarrant County has significant judicial infrastructure dedicated to criminal cases.
Most adult felony records in Tarrant County are public under the Texas Public Information Act. The general rule is open access. Juvenile records, expunged records, and records under nondisclosure orders are not publicly available. Tarrant County's online tools make it relatively easy to search public records without making a records request.
Deferred adjudication is common in Texas courts. If a defendant completes deferred adjudication successfully in a Tarrant County felony case, the charge is dismissed. Some defendants can then pursue a nondisclosure order to seal the record. Not all deferred adjudication cases qualify. A Fort Worth attorney can advise on eligibility.
The Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney handles all felony prosecutions. The DA's office is at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center, 401 W. Belknap, 9th Floor, Fort Worth, TX 76196. Civil Division open records questions go to (817) 884-1240.
More Tarrant County Criminal Record Resources
The Texas Sex Offender Registry lets you search for registered sex offenders in Tarrant County. With over 2 million residents, there are numerous registrants in the county. Search by name, address, zip code, or proximity to a specific location.
The Texas DPS crime records system provides statewide criminal history checks covering all 254 counties. For Tarrant County specifically, this is useful for verifying whether a person's record extends beyond the county.
The Texas Attorney General's open government section explains your rights under the Public Information Act. Call the Open Government Hotline at (877) OPEN-TEX with questions.
Legal aid in Tarrant County is available through Lone Star Legal Aid at (800) 733-8394 for qualifying individuals. The Tarrant County Bar Association at (817) 338-4092 has a referral service for finding a criminal defense attorney in Fort Worth. Free self-help resources are at texaslawhelp.org. The State Bar of Texas referral line is (800) 252-9690.
Cities in Tarrant County
Tarrant County includes Fort Worth and many large suburbs. Felony cases from all of these cities go through the Tarrant County District Courts in Fort Worth.