Search San Antonio Criminal History Records
San Antonio criminal history records are held by the San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County courts, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Searching criminal records in San Antonio means working across all three systems depending on what type of information you need. The Texas DPS Crime Records Service maintains the most complete statewide criminal history database, drawing from SAPD arrests, Bexar County court dispositions, and records from all Texas law enforcement agencies. This page explains where each type of San Antonio criminal record is kept and how to get it.
San Antonio Overview
San Antonio Criminal Records System
San Antonio is the second-largest city in Texas and the county seat of Bexar County. Criminal records in San Antonio are spread across city and county agencies. The San Antonio Police Department holds arrest and incident records. Bexar County courts hold case files once charges are formally filed. The Texas DPS aggregates all of this into the statewide criminal history database.
Felony charges and Class A and B misdemeanors go to the Bexar County courts. The Bexar County District Clerk holds felony case records. The Bexar County Clerk holds misdemeanor records from the county courts at law. Both offices maintain public records and provide search access during business hours. Online search tools are available for many records.
Class C misdemeanors stay in the San Antonio Municipal Courts. These are the lowest-level offenses and include traffic violations and city ordinance matters. The San Antonio Municipal Court website has an online case lookup tool for checking citation status, warrant information, and payment history.
SAPD Arrest Records and Reports
The San Antonio Police Department is one of the largest municipal police agencies in Texas. It generates and maintains arrest records, offense reports, and investigative files for incidents within city limits. The Records Division handles public information requests under the Texas Public Information Act.
Police reports from SAPD can be requested online through the city's open records portal at sanantonio.gov or by visiting the department in person. The Public Information Office reviews each request and releases records that do not fall under a statutory exemption. Records involving open investigations, juveniles, or certain protected information may be withheld or redacted.
SAPD reports all arrests to the Texas DPS Crime Records Service. This feeds the Texas Computerized Criminal History system that aggregates statewide arrest and conviction data. San Antonio arrest records become searchable through the DPS database within a short window after booking. The department also publishes crime statistics at sanantonio.gov/SAPD/About/Statistics for public review and transparency.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office handles law enforcement in unincorporated parts of Bexar County and operates the county jail. Jail booking records for current inmates are searchable through the Sheriff's Office online system. The Sheriff's Office also processes warrant information for the county.
The City of San Antonio's official website connects residents to police records requests, municipal court case lookups, and open data resources related to criminal history in the city.
San Antonio's open records system allows public access to city-generated criminal records under the Texas Public Information Act, with requests processed through the city's dedicated open records division.
Bexar County Court Records
When SAPD arrests lead to felony charges or Class A and B misdemeanors, those cases move into the Bexar County court system. The Bexar County District Clerk's office maintains felony records and provides an online case search portal. You can search by name or case number to find charges, court dates, and case status.
The District Clerk's office is located at the Bexar County Justice Center in downtown San Antonio. In-person visits are accepted Monday through Friday during business hours. Certified copies of court documents are available for a fee. Plain copies cost less. Contact the office in advance to confirm current fee schedules before making the trip.
Misdemeanor records from the county courts at law are held by the Bexar County Clerk. These include Class A and B offenses like DWI, assault, and theft cases that exceed the Class C threshold. The County Clerk provides access to these records during business hours and has online search capabilities for many case types.
The statewide case search system at re.search.txcourts.gov covers many Bexar County cases and is a good starting point for a name-based criminal search in San Antonio. Results show case existence and basic status but may not include every document in the file.
Note: Searching the statewide re:SearchTX portal does not substitute for a full DPS criminal history check. It covers courts but may miss cases from jurisdictions not yet integrated into the system.
The San Antonio Police Department maintains comprehensive law enforcement records and reports all arrests to the Texas DPS for inclusion in the statewide criminal history database.
SAPD's Records Division processes public information requests for offense reports, arrest records, and other law enforcement documents under state law.
Online Tools for San Antonio Criminal Searches
You have several options for searching San Antonio criminal history online. Each serves a different purpose. For arrest-level records and background checks, the Texas DPS portal is the most reliable because it draws from all agencies across the state.
The Bexar County District Clerk's online portal at bexar.org lets you search felony case records by name or case number at no charge. This is the right tool if you know a specific case was filed in Bexar County and want to check status or find a case number before requesting copies.
For citation and Class C misdemeanor lookups, the San Antonio Municipal Court website provides a public search tool. You can check if someone has outstanding warrants for unpaid citations or missed court dates. That system is separate from the county court system and only covers matters handled by the municipal court.
San Antonio also maintains an open data portal at data.sanantonio.gov with crime statistics and public safety datasets. This is useful for researchers or anyone looking at crime trends by area, but it does not provide individual criminal records.
Texas Law Governing San Antonio Records
The Texas Public Information Act gives the public the right to request records from San Antonio city agencies and Bexar County offices. This includes police reports, court records, and other documents generated by public bodies. Agencies must respond within ten business days and may charge copying fees.
The Texas Government Code Chapter 411 governs the DPS criminal history database. Under this statute, private individuals can request their own criminal history records directly from DPS and receive a more complete record than what the general public can access. Third-party requesters get a limited public record.
Criminal case reporting obligations are set by Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 66. Courts and law enforcement must report dispositions to DPS within required time frames. This keeps the statewide criminal history database current and accurate.
Some San Antonio records may be subject to non-disclosure or expunction orders. Texas allows expunction of certain arrests that did not result in conviction and non-disclosure of some deferred adjudication outcomes. The Texas Attorney General publishes guidance on open records rights that applies to San Antonio requests.
TDCJ and Federal Records for San Antonio Cases
Felony convictions from Bexar County that resulted in prison time will appear in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice offender database. You can search TDCJ records at tdcj.texas.gov by the person's name or TDCJ number. Results show sentence length, facility location, and projected release dates for current and former inmates.
Federal criminal cases for San Antonio residents go through the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division. Federal court records are separate from state records and can be searched through the PACER system at pacer.uscourts.gov. These records are not part of the Texas DPS criminal history database.
Bexar County Criminal Records
San Antonio cases go through the Bexar County court system for felonies and higher misdemeanors. The Bexar County page has full details on the District Clerk, County Clerk, Sheriff's Office, and record access procedures.