Brazoria County Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Bexar County, Texas • Criminal records and court dockets
Bexar Criminal Records Search: Find Court Cases, Felony & Misdemeanor Records
Searching for a criminal case in San Antonio or elsewhere in Bexar County? Use the county’s official Justice Information Portal to look up publicly available criminal cases, hearings and related case information.
The County Clerk handles misdemeanor records, while the District Clerk maintains felony court records. Both use the county’s consolidated public portal for case lookup.
The county consolidated its former Court Records Search, Fugitive Search and Bail Bond Search into the Justice Information Portal. Older bookmarks such as search.bexar.org may no longer be the correct starting point. Use the updated official portal, linked directly from the Bexar County website.
Official online case search
How to Search Bexar County Criminal Records Online
The Bexar County Justice Information Portal, also called the Odyssey Portal, allows public searching of available County Clerk and District Clerk case information. The county’s own 22-page user guide explains the following procedure.
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Open the Justice Portal without registering
Public data is available without creating an account. Registration is intended for authorized justice partners seeking elevated access.
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Select Smart Search
On the portal home page, click Smart Search — Search for court records. This opens the primary case and participant search.
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Enter a case number or person’s name
The search field accepts a case number or a name in Last, First Middle format. For example, a person named John Smith would be entered as Smith, John.
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Use Advanced Filtering Options
Expand Advanced Filtering Options to display General Options, Party Search, Case Search and Judgment Search criteria. Under Filter by Location, choose County Clerk or District Clerk if you know the correct record custodian.
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Refine by case type, status or filing date
The Case Search panel provides filters such as case type, case status, filing-date range and judicial officer. These can help narrow results for common names.
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Click Submit and inspect the matching records
The portal can show up to 200 matching search results at a time. If the search returns too many cases, narrow your criteria instead of assuming the visible list is complete.
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Open the Case Number
Click the case number from the results list. The Case Summary provides available court, filing and party details. Scroll down for additional case information.
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Review Hearings and Events
The portal displays hearing and event entries with the most recent first. It initially shows up to 50 entries in that area; use Show More or Show All to inspect additional available information.
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Save the case number before requesting documents
Use the case number, filing court, and relevant event details when contacting the County Clerk or District Clerk. The online summary is not a certified court document.
The county’s guide explains that an asterisk can broaden a name search. For example, Smith, J* may help locate someone when you are unsure of the first-name spelling. Wildcard searches require at least three letters in the last name, one letter in the first name, or four characters for a case number.
Bexar County’s portal FAQ says document images are not currently available through the public portal. You can research case information online, but actual court documents and certified copies must be requested from the proper clerk.
Choose the right office
Which Bexar Criminal Records Source Should You Use?
| Your goal | Official source | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Misdemeanor criminal court record | Bexar County Clerk | County Courts at Law case records and copies |
| Felony criminal court record | Bexar District Clerk | Criminal District Court case records and felony copy requests |
| Upcoming hearing or court date | Justice Portal Search Hearings | Available hearing schedules and courtrooms |
| Recent arrest within about 24 hours | Bexar Central Magistrate | Recent qualifying arrests processed by the Magistrate Office |
| Recent jail booking or release | Bexar Sheriff’s Office | Jail activity reports maintained online for up to seven days |
| San Antonio traffic or Class C case | San Antonio Municipal Court | Municipal citation or criminal case information |
| Texas statewide criminal history | Texas DPS Crime Records | Qualifying statewide public criminal-history information |
| Federal criminal case | PACER | Federal district court docket and case information |
Find the correct official website
This helper works locally in your browser. It does not search actual criminal records or collect personal information.
County Clerk Criminal Division
Bexar County Misdemeanor Criminal Records
The Bexar County Clerk is the official record custodian for misdemeanor cases handled by the County Courts at Law. The Criminal Central Filing Department maintains and processes these court records.
How to search a misdemeanor case
- Open the Justice Portal
Choose Smart Search from the main menu.
- Enter the defendant’s name or case number
Use Last, First format, or the exact case number when known.
- Select County Clerk in advanced filters
Use Filter by Location to narrow the search to the County Clerk’s case records.
- Open the matching case
Review the court, charge, hearing dates and case events. Check the recorded disposition rather than relying on the initial charge.
- Request copies if required
The Criminal Central Filing Department handles misdemeanor copy and background-search requests.
Bexar County Clerk — Criminal Central Filing
Office: Bexar County Courthouse, Basement
100 Dolorosa
San Antonio, TX 78205
Phone: 210-335-2238
Mailing address: Bexar County Clerk, ATTN: Criminal Central Filing, 100 Dolorosa, Suite 104, San Antonio, TX 78205.
Verify County Clerk address and contactsThe County Clerk’s FAQ describes a $5 misdemeanor background search covering the first ten years, with $1 per additional year. The request can be made at Criminal Central Filing or by following the county’s mailed-request procedure. Confirm the current fee and secure requirements for identifying information before submitting a request.
District Clerk Criminal Operations
How to Search Bexar County Felony Records and Criminal District Court Cases
The District Clerk is the official custodian of criminal felony records in Bexar County. Its Criminal Operations department processes felony indictments, subpoenas, first court settings, appeals and post-conviction filings.
Felony search procedure
- Open Bexar’s Justice Information Portal
Select Smart Search to begin with a name or felony case number.
- Filter by District Clerk
Expand Advanced Filtering Options and choose District Clerk under Filter by Location.
- Check the case number, court and filing date
Confirm you are looking at a criminal felony case rather than an unrelated civil, family or other matter.
- Review case activity and events
Inspect available indictment, plea, dismissal, judgment, sentencing and other relevant entries. Event labels do not always explain every legal effect.
- Request an official copy when necessary
Contact Criminal Operations for documents or a clerk-assisted felony background search.
Bexar County District Clerk — Criminal Filing
Office: Paul Elizondo Tower
101 W. Nueva Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Criminal Main Line: 210-335-2591
Records source: District Clerk Criminal Operations
Official felony criminal records instructionsThe District Clerk publishes a $5 fee for a clerk-assisted Bexar County felony background check. Requests can be made in person or by mail with payment. The office also provides public kiosks for self-service record searching.
Upcoming court hearings
Find Bexar County Criminal Court Dates and Dockets
The Justice Information Portal includes a separate Search Hearings function. This is especially useful if you need a scheduled appearance rather than a full case history.
- Open the Justice Portal
Choose Search Hearings from the portal home page instead of Smart Search.
- Select Criminal
In Search Location, choose Criminal to focus on criminal proceedings.
- Choose a hearing type
Select the appropriate hearing category where available.
- Filter by courtroom or date range
To find a specific court’s docket, use Select Search Type and choose Courtroom, then select the courtroom and the applicable dates.
- Review the results
The portal offers sorting and calendar-style viewing. Confirm urgent settings directly with the court or attorney because hearings may change.
Bexar County’s own guide shows how to search hearings for County Court at Law No. 6 by choosing Courtroom, selecting County Court 6 at Law and entering a date range. The same general approach can be applied to supported courts.
Official court documents
How to Request Certified Bexar County Criminal Court Records
Public case information is not the same as a certified judgment, disposition, indictment, court order or sentencing document. If you need a legally usable copy, request it from the clerk responsible for the case.
County Clerk: Misdemeanor Copies
The County Clerk accepts copy requests through eFiling, mail or in person, subject to its rules.
- Provide the defendant or party name.
- Include the case number if available.
- Identify the exact document needed.
- Specify plain or certified copy.
- Include the applicable payment and return details.
Published fees: $1 per page for a noncertified copy; certified copies add a $5 certification fee.
County Clerk copy instructions →District Clerk: Felony Copies
Felony document requests are handled by the District Clerk’s Criminal Operations section.
- Record the felony case number.
- Identify the document and filing date if known.
- Contact Criminal Operations for copy requirements.
- Ask whether certification is required.
- Pay before document production.
Published fees: $1 per copy page and a separate $5 document-certification fee under the 2026 miscellaneous fee schedule.
District Clerk felony copies →The county states that secured case types are excluded from public portal access. Sealed, expunged, juvenile and otherwise restricted records may require legal authorization. The public portal is not a way to bypass those restrictions.
Bexar County published costs
Criminal Records Search Fees and Copy Charges
| Service | Published charge | Responsible office |
|---|---|---|
| Public criminal case lookup | Free | Justice Portal |
| Misdemeanor background search, first ten years | $5 | County Clerk |
| Additional misdemeanor search years | $1 per additional year, per Clerk FAQ | County Clerk |
| Felony background search | $5 | District Clerk |
| Plain copies | $1 per page | County or District Clerk |
| Certified copies | $1 per page plus $5 document certification | County or District Clerk |
| Texas DPS public criminal history name search | $1 per search credit, plus applicable processing charges | Texas DPS |
Bexar County’s Criminal & Bond Forfeiture Fee Schedule is effective January 1, 2026. Clerk-specific procedures and older FAQ fee descriptions may differ in scope. Verify the amount for your exact request before paying.
Arrest and custody information
Bexar County Recent Arrests, Central Magistrate and Jail Records
Not every arrest immediately becomes a court case. If you are looking for someone recently arrested in San Antonio or Bexar County, search the Magistrate or Sheriff’s Office resources before assuming the case has already been filed with a clerk.
Central Magistrate Recent Arrest Search
Bexar County describes its Magistrate search as covering persons arrested for Class B or higher offenses who were processed by the Central Magistrate Office within the past 24 hours.
Open the county’s official search links, choose Magistrate Recent Arrest Search and compare the person’s details and listed charges.
Central Magistrate: 210-335-6111.
Open recent arrest search links →Bexar County Sheriff’s Jail Activity Reports
The Sheriff’s Office publishes booking and release activity reports for a maximum seven-day period. Reports may be temporarily unavailable during maintenance or while booking details are being processed.
The Sheriff’s Office also warns about scammers demanding payments by phone or gift cards to avoid arrest.
Open jail booking and release reports →A booking, arrest or magistrate record does not establish guilt. To determine the outcome of a prosecution, locate the associated court case and review its disposition or request an official court document.
San Antonio municipal records
San Antonio Class C and Traffic Cases May Use a Different Court Search
Not every criminal or traffic-related matter from Bexar County is maintained by the County Clerk or District Clerk. Many City of San Antonio traffic citations and Class C misdemeanor matters are handled through San Antonio Municipal Court.
For these cases, use the City’s Municipal Court website and find its Traffic/Criminal Case Search. This is a separate route from the Bexar County Justice Portal.
San Antonio Municipal Court
401 S. Frio Street
San Antonio, TX 78207
Phone: 210-207-8970
Regular hours: Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m., excluding city holidays.
Open official San Antonio Municipal Court →If the paperwork names San Antonio Municipal Court, a justice court or another city court, search that court first. A no-result search in the County Clerk or District Clerk system does not mean the citation never existed.
Statewide background records
Texas DPS Criminal History Checks vs Bexar County Case Searches
A Bexar County judicial case search covers local court records. For a statewide Texas criminal history name search, use the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Crime Records Division.
- Open the DPS criminal history website
Choose the public criminal history name-search option.
- Create an account if required
Review the access policy and register through the DPS website.
- Buy the appropriate search credit
DPS describes a $1 search-credit charge, with possible electronic processing fees.
- Enter the person’s identifying information
Use the most accurate full name and date-of-birth details available.
- Review matches carefully
The name search can return records involving different people with similar names. DPS says fingerprint identification is required to positively associate an individual with a criminal history.
DPS public searches are limited by Texas law, repository reporting, and identity-matching rules. Federal cases, out-of-state records and restricted information may require different authorized sources.
Fix common search problems
Why You Cannot Find a Bexar County Criminal Record Online
| Problem | Likely explanation | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Old search website no longer works | Bexar County consolidated older searches into the Justice Portal | Use the new Justice Information Portal |
| Too many people with the same name | Portal returns up to 200 matching search results | Use advanced location, case status, date or case-number filters |
| Misdemeanor or felony not found | Wrong clerk selected or case not yet indexed | Switch County Clerk / District Clerk and verify with the office |
| No PDF document images | The public portal does not currently offer document images | Request plain or certified copies from the proper clerk |
| Court date seems missing | Case search and hearing search are separate portal tools | Use Search Hearings and check with the court |
| Recent booking but no filed case | Magistrate and jail records are not the same as filed criminal cases | Check Central Magistrate, Sheriff’s Office and court clerk |
| San Antonio traffic citation missing | The matter may be in Municipal Court | Use San Antonio Traffic/Criminal Case Search |
| Record sealed or expunged | Texas confidentiality rules may restrict public access | Ask the custodian or qualified attorney about lawful access |
Legal access and accurate reporting
Expunction, Nondisclosure, FCRA and Responsible Use
Texas law provides different procedures for expunction and orders of nondisclosure. Expunction can remove qualifying criminal records, while nondisclosure generally limits public access without making all agencies unable to view the information.
Juvenile records, protected information, sealed proceedings and some other case types may be unavailable to the general public. Bexar County’s portal FAQ explicitly confirms that certain secured case types are excluded from public searches.
Do not treat an arrest as a conviction, do not assume a name match proves identity, and do not use a public case-search result as an automatically FCRA-compliant employment or tenant screening report. Consumer-reporting, notice and dispute requirements may apply.
Bexar County questions
Bexar Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. How do I search Bexar County criminal records for free?
Open the official Bexar County Justice Information Portal and select Smart Search. Enter the case number or person’s name in Last, First format. Basic public access does not require registration.
2. Where can I find Bexar County felony criminal records?
The Bexar County District Clerk is the official record custodian for felony criminal cases. Use the Justice Portal and filter by District Clerk, or contact Criminal Operations at 210-335-2591.
3. How do I search Bexar County misdemeanor criminal cases?
Use the Justice Portal and filter by County Clerk under Advanced Filtering Options. The County Clerk’s Criminal Central Filing Department handles misdemeanor records and can be reached at 210-335-2238.
4. Do I need to register for the Bexar Justice Portal?
No. Bexar County says registration is not required for public data. Registration for elevated access is reserved for authorized justice partners.
5. How do I find my Bexar County criminal court date?
Use Search Hearings in the Justice Portal, choose Criminal as the search location and apply the appropriate court or date filters. Verify important appearance dates with the court or your attorney.
6. Can I download criminal court documents from the portal?
Bexar County’s portal FAQ states that document images are not currently available in the public portal. Request copies from the County Clerk for misdemeanors or the District Clerk for felonies.
7. How much does a Bexar County criminal background search cost?
The District Clerk publishes a $5 fee for a felony background search. The County Clerk’s misdemeanor background-search FAQ lists $5 for the first ten years and $1 per additional year. Fees can differ by request type.
8. How do I search recent arrests and jail bookings in Bexar County?
Use the Central Magistrate search for qualifying arrests processed during the past 24 hours or the Sheriff’s Office Jail Activity Reports for bookings and releases from the available seven-day window.
9. Why is my Bexar County criminal record not showing online?
Possible reasons include the wrong clerk filter, a spelling difference, recently filed or archived information, a separate municipal court, or records restricted by law. Try advanced filters, then ask the official record custodian.
10. Can I use Bexar County court records for employment background checks?
Public court searches can assist with research, but they are not automatically consumer reports or complete criminal-history checks. Employers should follow applicable FCRA, Texas law and any other screening requirements, with proper identity verification.
Original government resources
Official Bexar County Criminal Records Sources
- Bexar County — New Justice Information Portal
- Official Bexar County Justice Portal — Smart Search and Hearings
- Odyssey Justice Portal User Guide — 22 Pages
- Bexar County — Portal Registration and Record Access FAQ
- County Clerk — Misdemeanor Criminal Division
- County Clerk — Address and Department Contact Directory
- District Clerk — Felony Criminal Operations
- Bexar County District Clerk Records
- 2026 Criminal and Bond Forfeiture Fee Schedule
- Bexar County Clerk — Criminal and Copy Request FAQs
- Justice System Searches — Magistrate, County and District Courts
- Bexar County Sheriff’s Office — Jail Activity Reports
- City of San Antonio Municipal Court
- Texas DPS — Criminal History Name Search
- PACER — Federal Criminal Court Records