| District Clerk | Dallas County District Clerk — Records and Case Search |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Dallas County Clerk — Court Records |
| Clerk address | District Clerk (civil and family): 600 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202. District Clerk (felony): 133 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207. County Clerk: 600 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202 |
| Phone | Listed on the clerk website |
| Hours | Confirm current hours with the clerk before visiting |
| Earliest records noted | Varies by court — older files may be on paper or microfilm |
| Plain copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy fee | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Dallas County runs its district and county courts on a single Odyssey case-management system, so most court records are reachable from one public portal. The Dallas County District Clerk keeps district court files: felonies, family cases, and civil suits above the county-court limit. The Dallas County Clerk keeps county civil, probate, and misdemeanor records. Both offices point to the same online case search, which is convenient but means you must pay attention to the court name on each result to know which clerk to contact for copies.
Civil and family district courts sit in the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building downtown. Felony courts sit in the Frank Crowley Courts Building near the jail. If you plan to visit in person, check which building your case is in before you go; they are a short drive apart but not walkable.
Search Dallas County court records online
District Clerk
Dallas County District Clerk — Records and Case Search
- Cost
- Free index search; fees for copies
- Coverage
- District-court felony, civil, and family cases; the public case search is linked from the district clerk's page
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
The county's Odyssey public portal blocks some automated tools, so open it in a normal browser. Document images may require a paid or registered account depending on case type.
County Clerk
Dallas County Clerk — Court Records
- Cost
- Free index search; fees for copies
- Coverage
- County civil courts at law, probate courts, and misdemeanor criminal courts
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Probate
Probate and misdemeanor records share the same public portal as district cases; filter by court type.
What is available online
The public portal covers active and disposed cases in the district and county courts. Case summaries and docket entries are visible without an account. Whether you can open the underlying documents depends on the case type and how the court has marked them; family and criminal documents are more restricted than civil ones. Cases from before the county moved to Odyssey are indexed but may have no images, in which case order copies from the clerk.
Which clerk has your record
In Texas, the clerk who keeps a file depends on which court heard the case. Check the court name on the case notice, citation, or order, then use the office and coverage details above to identify the record holder. Court names and responsibilities differ by state; a county clerk may not keep court case files. For federal cases, see the PACER guide. The full court structure is on the Texas page.
| Court | Typical cases | Records kept by |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts | Felony criminal cases; Divorce, custody, and other family cases; Civil suits with larger amounts in dispute | District Clerk of the county |
| County Courts (constitutional and statutory) | Class A and B misdemeanors; Civil cases with smaller amounts in dispute; Probate and guardianship | County Clerk of the county |
| Justice Courts (justice of the peace) | Class C misdemeanors; Small claims and civil cases up to the justice-court limit; Evictions | Clerk of the individual justice court precinct |
| Municipal Courts | Class C misdemeanors within city limits; City ordinance violations; Traffic tickets issued by city police | Municipal court clerk for that city |
Request records in person or by mail
Dallas County clerk offices
District Clerk (civil and family): 600 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202. District Clerk (felony): 133 N Riverfront Blvd, Dallas, TX 75207. County Clerk: 600 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
District-court records. Request in person at the district clerk's records office in the George L. Allen Sr. Courts Building (civil and family) or the Frank Crowley Courts Building (felony). Mail requests go to the Dallas County District Clerk at 600 Commerce St, Dallas, TX 75202; include the case number, the specific documents, plain or certified, and payment. The district clerk's website lists current copy fees and any forms it prefers.
County-court, probate, and misdemeanor records. Request from the Dallas County Clerk's court division in the same building, or by mail to the address on the county clerk's website.
Justice courts. Dallas County has justice courts in each precinct with their own clerks; contact the precinct that heard the case for evictions, small claims, and Class C tickets.
Fees
| Item | Typical cost in Texas |
|---|---|
| Plain copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
| Certified copy | Set by the clerk — ask when you request |
Copy fees are set by state statute (Government Code Chapter 51 for district clerks; Local Government Code Chapter 118 for county clerks) and are charged per page, with an added certification fee for certified copies. Amounts change when the Legislature amends the fee schedules, so confirm the current figure with the clerk before sending payment.
Need a copy an agency will accept? See how to get certified copies of court records.
Sealed and restricted records
Texas court records are presumed open, but several categories will not appear in any public search:
The Texas guide lists every category of sealed and restricted record, and our guide to expunging or sealing a criminal record explains how to remove one from public view.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one search for all Dallas County court records?
Almost. District and county courts share one public portal, so felonies, civil suits, family cases, probate, and misdemeanors can be searched together. Justice-court and municipal-court cases are not included.
Where do I get a copy of a Dallas County divorce decree?
From the Dallas County District Clerk. Divorces are district-court cases. Ask for a certified copy of the final decree if you need it for official purposes.
How do I check a felony case in Dallas County?
Search the public portal by name or case number and look for cases in the criminal district courts. Felony files are kept by the district clerk at the Frank Crowley Courts Building.
Are Dallas municipal tickets in the county system?
No. Tickets from Dallas police and other city police departments are handled by each city's municipal court. Only tickets written by county officers are in the county's justice courts.
Sources
- Dallas County District Clerk — https://www.dallascounty.org/government/district-clerk/
- Dallas County Clerk — https://www.dallascounty.org/government/county-clerk/
- Dallas County official website — https://www.dallascounty.org/
- Texas Judicial Branch — About Texas Courts — https://www.txcourts.gov/about-texas-courts/
- re:SearchTX (Office of Court Administration) — https://research.txcourts.gov/CourtRecordsSearch/
- Texas DPS Crime Records Division — https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/crime-records
- Code of Criminal Procedure, Chapter 55A — Expunction of Criminal Records — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/CR/htm/CR.55A.htm
- Government Code, Chapter 411 — Orders of Nondisclosure (Subchapter E-1) — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.411.htm
- Government Code, Chapter 51 — District Clerk Fees — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.51.htm
- Local Government Code, Chapter 118 — County Clerk Fees — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.118.htm
- Government Code, Chapter 552 — Public Information Act — https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.552.htm
- PACER — Federal court records — https://pacer.uscourts.gov/
See also: all Texas counties.