Travis County Criminal Court Records Search: Cases & Dockets

The direct answer

Where to Search Travis County Criminal Court Records

Travis County provides multiple official record systems. Do not confuse a court case search with a criminal docket search: the first helps establish what has been filed and decided, while the second helps establish when and where a hearing is scheduled.

Primary case records

How to Search Travis County Criminal Cases in Odyssey

The Travis County District Clerk and County Clerk provide online access through Odyssey. The county’s official user guide explains the Smart Search workflow for names and case numbers.

1. Open the appropriate clerk’s portal

   Choose the District Clerk for felonies or County Clerk for misdemeanors. Follow its link to the online court records search.

2. Choose Smart Search

   On the Odyssey home screen, select Smart Search, rather than Search Hearings if your main purpose is to inspect case records.

3. Enter a cause number or party name

   The official search field accepts a record number or name. Enter a name in Last, First Middle order, using the format shown by the portal.

4. Choose the location filter

   Use All Locations or narrow the search to District Clerk or County Clerk where that option is available. This can reduce irrelevant cases.

5. Use Advanced Filtering Options if necessary

   Apply the available filters to narrow cases by location or other permitted criteria.

6. Open a matching case

   Check the cause number, court, defendant and other visible details. Do not assume that a shared name proves identity.

7. Review the Register of Actions

   Read the filed events, orders, hearings, disposition and sentencing information shown publicly. Some documents have access restrictions.

8. Request certification if necessary

   For an official copy or certified search letter, follow the relevant clerk’s records-request instructions.

Open the official Travis County Odyssey Portal User Guide (PDF).

Future hearings and appearances

Travis County Criminal Docket Search: Find Your Court Date

The county’s Criminal Docket Search is specifically designed for upcoming felony and misdemeanor court settings. It can display the defendant, attorney, cause number, date and time, court, floor, type of setting and whether courthouse appearance is indicated.

Step-by-step docket lookup

1. Open the Criminal Docket Search

   Use the official county docket application.

2. Search the known identifier

   Use the defendant’s name, attorney’s name or state bar number, judge or court number, or case number as supported by the application.

3. Inspect the matching setting

   Review date, start time, court number, floor, case type, matter and the courthouse-appearance field.

4. Verify the setting close to the hearing

   The county instructs users to check the site the day before coming to court to confirm both the date and whether an appearance is required.

5. Follow case-specific court or attorney directions

   If your attorney or court has given you different instructions, follow those instructions instead of treating the website alone as authoritative.

Travis County also provides PDF docket reports sorted by defendant or attorney and publishes 2026 jury/nonjury schedules through its Criminal Courts information page.

Criminal Courts Administration: 512-854-9244.

District Clerk jurisdiction

Travis County Felony Criminal Court Records

The Travis County District Clerk is responsible for district-court felony case records. The official District Attorney guidance identifies cause numbers beginning with D-1-DC as felony cases handled by the District Attorney’s Office.

Older felony cases and archived files

The District Clerk’s criminal-history guidance notes that felony records before 2004 may have been archived and may not appear in the Odyssey summary system. The District Clerk’s separate online court-records service currently describes public online criminal case document coverage beginning in 2008.

Therefore, the absence of an older felony from a public portal does not establish that no case existed. Contact the District Clerk’s criminal records division for an archival search.

County Clerk jurisdiction

Travis County Misdemeanor Court Records Search

Travis County Class A and Class B misdemeanor records are generally handled through the County Clerk. The County Clerk’s centralized misdemeanor history search can also include Class C misdemeanor cases appealed from a municipal or Justice of the Peace Court.

The County Clerk also publishes a misdemeanor-specific table showing indexed records beginning in January 1981, with some documents available online. The two date descriptions refer to different datasets or access services; do not treat the date coverage as identical for every record type.

How to search misdemeanors

1. Open the County Clerk’s Misdemeanor Search page

   Choose the official Search Case Data and Documents option.

2. Enter the cause number or defendant details

   Use the exact cause number if available. Misdemeanor cause numbers frequently begin with the letter C.

3. Check the court events

   Review charge, docket, hearing, judgment and disposition entries where publicly available.

4. Check whether a document image is available

   Some documents can be viewed or printed online as unofficial copies. Personal identifiers may be redacted.

5. Request certified documents when needed

   Follow the County Clerk’s listed certified-copy procedures by phone, email or in person.

County Clerk copy costs

Travis County Misdemeanor Record Search and Certified Copy Fees

The County Clerk publishes specific charges for copying and searching misdemeanor records. These are County Clerk misdemeanor-related fees, not universal fees for all felony or Texas DPS searches.

Credit-card transaction fees may also apply. Verify the total with the County Clerk before payment, especially if requesting multiple certified documents.

Interactive records directory

Find Your Travis County Criminal Court Records Route

Choose the record you need. This on-page helper does not collect defendant names, dates of birth or cause numbers.

Case history and archives

Older Travis County Criminal Cases: What if Odyssey Has No Result?

A missing online result may be a data-coverage problem rather than proof that a case does not exist. The District Clerk’s public felony archive and the County Clerk’s misdemeanor datasets have different date ranges.

Statewide Texas records

Texas DPS Criminal History Checks Are Different From Travis County Court Cases

For statewide publicly releasable Texas criminal-history information, use the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Criminal History Name Search rather than treating Travis County’s court records as a statewide background check.

1. Create a secure account

   Use the official Texas DPS criminal-history website and complete the account requirements.

2. Purchase search credits

   DPS currently lists $1 per search credit, with additional processing fees for credit-card purchases.

3. Enter permitted search details

   Provide first and last name and useful identifying information when available and lawful.

4. Review potential matches carefully

   Distinguish full, partial and phonetic matches. Name-only searches cannot confirm identity as reliably as fingerprints.

5. Use the appropriate official process for personal review

   If disputing identity or checking your own fingerprint-linked records, follow DPS personal-review instructions.

Custody information

Travis County Jail and Inmate Records

A Travis County criminal case does not necessarily mean the person is currently detained. For current custody, use the Travis County Sheriff’s Office inmate information service linked from the official county Criminal Courts page.

Do not treat a jail booking as proof of conviction. If a criminal charge was filed, use Odyssey to review the corresponding case and court disposition.

Local courthouses and court levels

Which Travis County Court Handles the Criminal Case?

Travis County has separate trial courts and offices for felonies, county misdemeanors, Justice of the Peace matters and municipal violations. A search may fail when the wrong court level is selected.

The Travis County District Attorney’s office identifies felony Criminal District Courts including the 147th, 167th, 299th, 331st, 390th, 403rd, 427th, 450th and 460th District Courts. Court assignments can change, so confirm the assigned court on the current docket.

County Criminal Courts Administration: 512-854-9244.

For physical court visits, check the Travis County Criminal Courts directory for the assigned courthouse and courtroom before traveling. Some criminal court functions and payment services are at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

Resolve search problems

What to Do if a Travis County Criminal Case Is Missing

Federal cases

Federal Criminal Cases in Travis County

Federal criminal cases involving Austin may be filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas. These cases are not searched through the Travis County District Clerk or County Clerk.

Use PACER for federal criminal docket information. If the court is unknown, start with the PACER Case Locator to identify the case.

Record accuracy and responsible use

How to Interpret Travis County Criminal Court Records

A public criminal docket may include arrests, allegations, hearings, motions, pleas, dismissals, deferred adjudication, convictions or sentencing information. These events have different legal meanings.