| District Clerk | Travis County District Clerk — Case Information and Records |
|---|---|
| County Clerk | Travis County Clerk — Court Data and Records |
| Clerk address | District Clerk (civil and family): Civil and Family Courts Facility, 1700 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701. District Clerk (criminal): Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W 11th St, Austin, TX 78701 |
| 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 |
Travis County (Austin) keeps district-court records with the Travis County District Clerk and county-court, probate, and misdemeanor records with the Travis County Clerk. The district clerk publishes a register of actions (the list of everything filed in a case) for public cases at no cost through an Odyssey portal, and explains on its site which documents can be viewed online and which must be requested.
Civil and family district courts moved into the county's Civil and Family Courts Facility on Guadalupe Street; felony courts remain at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center. The county clerk's court divisions are in separate offices downtown. Austin Municipal Court handles city tickets and is not part of either county system.
Search Travis County court records online
District Clerk
Travis County District Clerk — Case Information and Records
- Cost
- Free register-of-actions search; registration required to view documents; fees for copies
- Coverage
- District-court civil, family, and felony cases; register of actions for all public cases, documents for registered users where available
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Family
This page links to the Odyssey portal and explains the public, attorney, and law-enforcement access levels. Some document access is limited to attorneys and peace officers.
County Clerk
Travis County Clerk — Court Data and Records
- Cost
- Free search; fees for copies
- Coverage
- County courts at law (misdemeanors and county civil) and probate courts
- Records
- Civil, Criminal, Probate
The county clerk's civil division page explains how to search and order copies of county civil and probate records.
What is available online
The register of actions is online for every public district-court case, which tells you what was filed and when. Viewing the documents themselves requires registration, and some categories are restricted to attorneys of record and law enforcement. County-court and probate case data is searchable through the county clerk. Older cases are indexed but their documents are typically paper and must be ordered.
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
Travis County clerk offices
District Clerk (civil and family): Civil and Family Courts Facility, 1700 Guadalupe St, Austin, TX 78701. District Clerk (criminal): Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W 11th St, Austin, TX 78701
Contact details were taken from the office's website and are re-checked on a schedule; confirm hours before visiting.
District-court records. The district clerk accepts records requests online through its records request page, in person at the civil or criminal courthouse, or by mail. Provide the cause number or party names, the documents you need (for example a certificate of divorce, final judgment, or original petition), whether they should be certified, and payment. Certified and authenticated copies are only available from the clerk, not from the portal.
County-court, probate, and misdemeanor records. Request from the Travis County Clerk's civil or probate division as described on the county clerk's website.
Justice courts. Travis County's five justice courts have their own public-access search and their own clerks for evictions, small claims, and county-issued citations.
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
Can I see Travis County court documents online?
You can see the register of actions for any public district-court case for free. Viewing documents requires registering on the portal, and some document types are available only to attorneys and law enforcement.
How do I get a Travis County divorce certificate?
Request a certificate of divorce or a certified copy of the decree from the Travis County District Clerk through its records request process. Divorces are district-court cases.
Where are Travis County misdemeanor records?
With the Travis County Clerk, which keeps the county courts at law files. Felony records are with the district clerk.
Are Austin traffic tickets in the county system?
No. Austin police tickets are handled by Austin Municipal Court. Tickets from the sheriff or constables go to the county's justice courts.
Sources
- Travis County District Clerk — Case Information and Records — https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk/case-information-records
- Travis County District Clerk — Records Request — https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk/records-request
- Travis County Clerk — Court Data — https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/court-data/
- Travis County Clerk — Civil Search and Copies of Records — https://countyclerk.traviscountytx.gov/departments/civil/civil-search-copies-of-records/
- 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.