Arlington Criminal Records

Arlington criminal records are filed through the Tarrant County court system, which handles all felony and misdemeanor cases for the city's approximately 400,000 residents. Arlington sits between Dallas and Fort Worth in the heart of the DFW Metroplex. The Tarrant County District Clerk manages felony case files, and the County Clerk handles misdemeanor records. Both offices are located in Fort Worth, which is the Tarrant County seat. You can search cases online or in person at the Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center on West Belknap Street.

How to Search Arlington Criminal Records

Arlington is in Tarrant County, so felony criminal records for the city are filed at the Tarrant County District Clerk's office in Fort Worth. You can search online at tarrantcountytx.gov. Search by defendant name or cause number to pull up felony case records. The system shows charges, hearing history, and case dispositions. Basic searches are free online. Certified copies cost a per-page fee and certification charge payable to the clerk.

The statewide re:SearchTX system also covers Tarrant County courts. It pulls e-filed case records from courts across Texas. Documents cost 10 cents per page with a $6 cap per document. This is a good tool for checking multiple courts or for finding older e-filed records that may not appear in the county portal.

For misdemeanor records from Arlington cases, the Tarrant County Clerk is the right office. Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases are filed in Tarrant County courts at law, separate from the felony courts. Call the County Clerk at (817) 884-1195 for misdemeanor record questions. Call the District Clerk at (817) 884-1400 for felony questions. Search the correct office based on the charge type.

Arlington Police Department Records

The Arlington Police Department provides law enforcement for the city and maintains arrest records, incident reports, and booking records for offenses within city limits. APD is headquartered at 620 W. Division Street in Arlington. You can find department information and submit public records requests through arlingtontx.gov/police.

The Arlington Police Department site covers public information requests, department contacts, and community resources for the city.

Arlington Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanor offenses, including traffic violations and city ordinance matters. These cases are separate from the Tarrant County criminal courts. Class C offenses carry a fine but no jail time. Municipal Court records are not the same as county criminal court records. Arlington's Municipal Court information is available through the city's website at arlingtontx.gov.

Arrest records from Arlington Police reflect what was alleged at the time of booking. That is not a conviction. The charges may later be dismissed, reduced, or result in not-guilty outcomes. The official court record at the Tarrant County District or County Clerk reflects the final legal outcome of the case.

Tarrant County Court Records

All felony criminal cases from Arlington are filed in Tarrant County district courts. The Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center at 401 W. Belknap Street in Fort Worth is the hub for criminal proceedings in the county. The District Clerk holds indictments, plea documents, trial records, and sentencing orders for all felony cases. The District Clerk's number is (817) 884-1400.

Misdemeanor cases from Arlington go to the Tarrant County courts at law, with records held by the County Clerk. Class A misdemeanors can carry up to a year in county jail. Class B misdemeanors carry up to 180 days. Common charges include DWI, petty theft, and simple assault. Note that Arlington residents travel to Fort Worth for in-person court visits since that is where all Tarrant County courts sit.

Texas DPS Criminal History

Tarrant County courts report convictions and deferred adjudications to the Texas DPS Computerized Criminal History database, including all cases from Arlington. You can run a public name-based search at publicsite.dps.texas.gov for $3 per search. Results show convictions and deferred adjudications across all 254 Texas counties.

Arrests that did not result in conviction do not appear in public DPS results. For employment screening, licensing, or more complete background checks, the fingerprint-based FAST search through IdentoGO returns a fuller record. You can schedule a FAST appointment online or by calling 1-888-467-2080. The cost is higher than the name-based DPS search but the results are more complete.

For case-level detail on Arlington criminal records, the Tarrant County District Clerk portal gives you more specific case information than the DPS summary. Both tools serve different purposes and work well together for a thorough search.

Expunction and Nondisclosure in Arlington

Texas law lets eligible people have certain criminal records expunged or sealed. Expunction under Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55 can destroy arrest records, court files, and related documents. For arrests that occurred in Arlington, you file the expunction petition in a Tarrant County district court. The District Clerk at 401 W. Belknap in Fort Worth handles those filings.

Cases that qualify include acquittals, pardons, identity theft, and certain dismissals. Not all dismissed cases meet the standard. If expunction is not available, a nondisclosure order under Texas Government Code Section 411 may seal the record from public view. This applies to people who completed deferred adjudication probation on qualifying offenses. Serious felonies and all sex offenses are excluded from nondisclosure.

Waiting periods depend on the offense. Some misdemeanor nondisclosures can be filed right after probation ends. Most felony nondisclosures require a five-year wait after discharge. Tarrant County Legal Aid at (817) 336-3943 provides free assistance to qualifying residents. The Tarrant County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service is another way to find a local attorney for expunction help.

Tarrant County Criminal Records

All felony and misdemeanor criminal cases for Arlington are filed in Tarrant County. Visit the county page for full clerk contact information and additional resources.

Nearby Cities

These cities are in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and share similar court resources.