Tarrant County

Finding Mugshots in Tarrant County

Tarrant County mugshots are public information in line with the Texas Public Information Act unless the arrest record was expunged. Being public information means citizens can request these mugshots without specifying the intention of need. These mugshots and arrest records are created by various jails in the county. The main jails in the county include Tarrant County Jail (five facilities) under the supervision of the Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), the Mansfield Jail supervised by the Mansfield Police Department and the Arlington Police Department Jail.

To obtain a Tarrant County mugshot, contact the jail where the defendant was incarcerated. Mugshots for arrests made by the Sheriff’s Office are made available online on the Sheriff’s Office section of the county’s website. Select 'Inmate Search' to use the search engine to locate available arrest records. A quick search can be made by either the last name or a criminal identification number. To view the mugshot of a defendant, select the 'details' tab on the search result. The resulting page presents the mugshot of the defendant along with basic demographical details, current jail facility where the defendant is being held, and active bookings of the defendant with other police departments in the county.

Mugshots of defendants held at the Mansfield Jail are available on request from the Mansfield Police Department. A citizen can make a request to the police department in person by visiting the Mansfield Public Safety Building at 1305 East Broad Street. A valid photo ID is required for the collection of any public document in the department. Prior to making a mugshot request to the department, the requestor can confirm the availability by searching inmates in custody via the Mansfield Police website or calling Inmate information desk at (817) 473-8676. Alternatively, the requestor can reach the Bond Desk at (817) 804-5731, (817) 473-9680, or (817) 473-1086. Some inmates’ arrest record on the website come with mugshots. Note that the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD) contracts its jail operations to the Mansfield Jail Center, hence the arrestees by the FWPD are held at this jail.

Mugshots of arrestees held at the Arlington Jail are also available on request from the Arlington Police Department (ADP). Contact the ADP main station at 620 West Division Street, Arlington or call (817) 459-5700 to obtain a copy of a mugshot. The ADP publishes a list of inmates currently in custody on its website, a requestor may check this list prior to requesting the mugshot. To request mugshots of suspects held outside the above jails in the county, contact the local city jail where the arrest was made.

Tarrant Mugshots and Arrest Data

Over 60,000 crimes are reported annually by the 38 law enforcement agencies in Tarrant County. With more than 1.8 million residents, the county’s crime rate ranks lowest among Texas' top five most populated counties. The average crime rate in recent years is at 3,000 incidents for every 100,000 residents. While the arrest rate in the county, which has dipped in recent years, stands at an average of 600 incidents per 100,000 people. The Tarrant County Jail books some 35,000 inmates yearly and publishes online a daily report of arrest booked.

After an arrest in Tarrant County, the suspect is taken to either the Tarrant County Correction Center at 100 North Lamar (if arrested by the TCSO), or the Mansfield Jail (if arrested by FWPD or in Mansfield, Kennedale, and Burleson cities). Those arrested by other local police departments are taken to the city jail. At the jail, the booking officers will take photos (mugshots), fingerprints, and records of other information about the suspect. Consequently, suspects who are taken for bailable offenses are allowed to bond out of jail until court trial. Otherwise, the suspect is made to appear before a magistrate within 48 hours of the arrest. At this appearance, the magistrate informs the suspect of the charges and determine the need to appoint an attorney for the person. There are stringent guidelines for having a court-appoint attorney in Tarrant County.

Obtaining Certified Arrest Records

Pursuant to section 552.301(c), Government Code, certified arrest records are made available to the public by the relevant law enforcement agency. To obtain arrest records in Tarrant County, contact the law enforcement department that made the arrest in question. For arrests made by the Tarrant County Sherriff’s Office (TCSO), contact the office’s Records Division. Contact may be in person or by mail, phone, fax or electronic mail to the following address:

Tarrant County Sheriff ’s Office
Records Division
200 Taylor Street, 6th floor
Fort Worth, TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-2942
Fax: (817) 884-2939
Email: TCSO_Records@tarrantcounty.com

A requestor is required to include name, address, and telephone number in the request for easy contact during the processing of such a request. Ensure to include adequate information to assist the division in locating the record quickly. Such as date of occurrence, address where the incident occurred, parties involved, report number (if known) etc.

Where the arrest is made by the Fort Worth Police Department (FWPD), the requestor may contact the department’s Identification Unit with a copy of a government-issued photo ID at the headquarters in:

Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex
Fort Worth Police Department
505 W. Felix
Fort Worth, TX 76115

Copies of arrest records are provided at the cost of $5. There is an additional $5 charge for a certified copy. For more information on requesting an arrest record, contact the Records and Reports Unit at (817) 392-4160. Where the arrest record in question is not available with the TCSO and the FWPD, contact the police department in the city where the arrest occurred.

Tarrant citizens may also request copies of arrest records from the District Clerk as the custodian of all District Court records. To make a request, the requestor is required to provide the case number. Where the case number is not available, the requestor will be charged a $5 records research fee. Copies of arrest reports cost 50 cents per page and it is $1 per page of a certified arrest record. A request can be made in person or by mail to:

(felony case)
Attn: Criminal Section
District Clerk’s Office
Tim Curry Criminal Justice Center
401 West Belknap Street,
Fort Worth, TX 76196
(817) 884-1574

or

(misdemeanor case)
Attn:Records
District Clerk’s Office
Family Law Center
200 East Weatherford
ort Worth, Texas 76196
(817) 884-1265

For mail-in requests, include a self-addressed stamped envelope for returning the certified copies. Operation hours at the offices are from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. The public can also view available arrest records from the public terminal at the Tarrant County District Clerk’s Office. There is a $5 fee for being assisted by the Clerk to perform a search on this terminal.

Sealing and Expunging Mugshot and Arrest Records

There are provisions for the expungement of Tarrant arrest records as contained in Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Expungement is the removal of a person’s arrest record from law enforcement agency records. Citizens may study the details of this statute to find the requirements and procedures to properly expunge such records. As there are limited arrest situations that can be expunged off one’s records. Consult with a licensed attorney to determine if an arrest record is eligible for expunction. If a requestor is pursuing the expunction process personally, it is advised to call the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney Office if it will oppose one’s expunction petition.

Citizens who have successfully determine their eligibility may proceed to request a copy of their arrest history record maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety. It costs $25 to get a copy of this arrest record and requires fingerprinting. Submit this record along with the petition for expunction to the District Clerk’s Office. There is a base fee in addition to other fees required for this submission. Consult the Tarrant County District Clerk at the address above for the filing fees associated with filing the petition.

Generally, citizens with arrest records are encouraged to seek the advice of a licensed attorney in the completion of the expunction process. However, for persons who cannot afford to retain the services of an attorney, may solicit for free/low-cost legal assistance or consult L. Clifford Davis Legal Association for the next event date for its Expunction Clinic.

As an extension of the arrest record expungement policy, Tarrant County has continued its Deferred Prosecution Program (DPP) for young citizens with arrest records. Created in 1960 as the Court of No Record program, DPP was restructured in 2015 to simplify the application process and widen the participation base. This is a limited supervision program to rehabilitate ex-offenders without the stigma of a criminal conviction. Eligibility requirements include being aged 17 to 24 at the time of the offense, been previously convicted or supervised for a Class B offense or above, and the willingness to undertake the program. Interest participants may apply on the DPP website or contact:

Deferred Prosecution Program
Office of the Criminal District Attorney
401 W. Belknap
Basement
Fort Worth, TX 76196
Phone: (817) 884-1633
Fax: (817) 850-2340