Search Dallas Court Records
  1. Dallas County Court
  2. Dallas Criminal Records

Dallas Municipality, Texas Criminal Records

For residents in the City and Municipality of Dallas, criminal records are government files that reveal an offender’s criminal history, including arrests, bookings, incarceration, and case information.

In addition, the records are a compilation of documents created by local, state, and federal entities. Local contributors to criminal records include local police departments and judicial clerks. The former provides arrest and booking information, while the latter provides court-related outcomes of arrests conducted in the city. The Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation may contribute relevant data to criminal records.

What are Dallas Public Criminal Records?

In the City of Dallas, public criminal records are official files that reveal a person’s interactions with the criminal justice system. Such records are mostly accessible to the public, unless they contain information that is exempt under state laws. The Texas Public Information Act generally allows access to specific information in criminal records. Publicly accessible criminal records may include these details:

  • Offender’s personal information.
  • Arrest reports.
  • Booking and custody information.
  • Case records.
  • Registered sex offender information.

However, some criminal record information is not open to the public. The state laws generally restrict access to records whose disclosure may violate the privacy or safety of concerned parties. Non-public criminal records include the following:

  • Criminal records that are sealed or expunged by court order.
  • Juvenile criminal records.
  • Information that may interfere with an active investigation or prosecution.
  • Personal identifying details of crime victims, undercover officers, and informants.
  • Personal documents, such as bank statements, medical and mental health reports, and Social Security numbers.

Dallas Crime Statistics

The Dallas Police Department maintains an annual database of crimes documented within the city. Per the agency’s report, the City of Dallas documented 92,818 crimes in 2025.

Based on crime category, crimes against persons and crimes against properties were 24,298 and 54,972, respectively. Crimes against society were 13,548 in the same year. The most reported crimes were assaults, larcenies, motor vehicle thefts, extortion, and burglary. For example, the city documented 24,235 larceny thefts in 2025.

In comparison with the crime total in 2024, the number of crimes fell by 7.94% percent. The city documented 100,828 crimes in 2024.

Are Dallas Criminal Records Public?

Most information in criminal records is open to the public. Under Texas laws, interested parties are generally able to view most arrest records and court documents generated by the city’s government entities. To obtain arrest records, record seekers may contact the Dallas Police Department and the county sheriff’s office. On the other hand, the court clerks may allow access to court documents in their custody. Record seekers may provide relevant data to access most criminal information in the City of Dallas.

The Texas Department of Public Safety acts as the state-level custodian of criminal history records. As the record custodian, the agency allows online searches and offline requests for criminal history records. The public may view conviction history and felony deferred adjudication in criminal records. However, the agency restricts public access to confidential details, such as dismissed arrests and cases or sealed records. Only the record subject, their legal representatives, and eligible government officials may view such records.

How to Obtain Dallas Police Reports and Arrest Records

Interested parties may obtain police reports and arrest records in Dallas County by using options provided by local entities. The Dallas Police Department allows online requests for police reports and vehicle crash reports. Record seekers must visit the department’s online request website and fill in relevant information. Upon receiving the request, the agency will process the request and forward estimated fees or further instructions. Record seekers must fulfill these instructions to obtain arrest reports.

Alternatively, they may request arrest reports in person by visiting the agency at this address:

Dallas Police Department

Open Records Unit

1400 Botham Jean Boulevard

Dallas, TX 75215

Phone: (214) 671-3148

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Department is another local custodian for police reports and arrest records. Record seekers may use the sheriff’s Jail Lookup platform to access arrest information, such as arrest charges, mugshots, booking information, and bail amounts. The sheriff’s Public Records Center allows online requests for arrest and police reports. Concerned parties may submit relevant data and check for updates of their request on the portal.

How to Find Sex Offender Information in Dallas

The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office’s Sex Offender Registration and Compliance Unit maintains an online search database of registered sex offenders living in the city of Dallas. To search for sex offenders on the platform, users must enter the offender’s name or address in the required search field.

The Texas Department of Public Safety, via the Public Sex Offender Registry, maintains online access to sex offenders residing in the state. Record seekers may search sex offenders by entering the offender’s name, address, ZIP code, county, or school district.

What Happens if My Request for Criminal Records is Denied in Dallas?

The first step is to determine the reasons for the denied requests, as most agencies may deny requests on these bases:

  • The record is not available in the available format.
  • The record contains sealed or expunged information.
  • The record includes confidential victim information or juvenile records.

Texas law requires agencies to notify the requester and the Attorney General’s Open Record Divisions within ten business days if they’re unable to fulfill the request. Requesters may file a complaint with the Open Records Division under these conditions:

  • The agency failed to notify them within 10 business days of receiving the request.
  • The reasons are not valid under state laws.

Requesters may mail their complaint and a copy of the request to this address:

Office of the Attorney General

Open Records Division

P.O. Box 12548

Austin, TX 78711-2548

How to Expunge or Seal Dallas Criminal Records

Dallas City residents may seal or expunge criminal records by submitting an expungement petition to the district court. To file for expungement, residents must have fulfilled the following conditions:

  • They were not convicted or served probation for a crime, except for a class C deferred disposition.
  • They were victims of identity theft.
  • They were not arrested for contempt of court or missing child support payments.
  • They have waited for the specific timeframe post-conviction. Petitioners must wait one year and three years post-arrest for Class A and B misdemeanors and felonies, respectively.

Eligible petitioners must follow these steps: