Travis County

Finding Mugshots in Travis County

Eighty percent of Travis County mugshots are created by the county Sheriff’s Office and the Austin Police Department. These mugshots are considered public document in the State of Texas, hence are made available to citizens on request. The public is welcome to contact the relevant local law enforcement agency without a statement of purpose to make such a request.

In facilitating the public access to available mugshots, the Austin Police Department the principal law enforcement agency serving the county seat, publishing Travis County mugshots on its website. This booking photo database carries mugshots from all police agencies using the Travis County Central Booking System. Users are availed a search engine on the site to locate relevant mugshots by options including last or first name, date of birth, booking number, booking date, and charges. The search result provides the mugshots of the defendants along with basic arrest details. Select the mugshot to view the picture in a larger dimension. Note mugshots are only published 13 days after the arrest date. To find a mugshot for a recent arrest contact the arresting law enforcement agency.

Most arrests in the county are booked with the Travis County Jail which is managed by the Sheriff’s Office. Hence, the jail serves as a primary repository of Travis County mugshots and arrest records. As a matter of convenience to the general public, the Sheriff’s Office publishes all inmates' records on its website. To determine the availability of a mugshot, perform a quick search by the last or first name of a subject on the website. The search result lists all inmates with the same last/first name. Select the relevant name to view the arrest details of the subject including arresting agency and the jail facility where the defendant is held. To obtain the mugshot for inmates in incarceration, contact the Travis County Jail at 500 West 10th Street or by calling (512) 854-4180.

Travis County mugshots are also published by the Statesman, Austin City major daily newspaper. The local media aggregates these mugshots on a dedicated website with a simple search tool to locate a specific subject. The search tool allows a query of the database by the booking date. Select the mugshot of any subject from the search result to view a brief of the arrest charges. The publisher collects these mugshots from the Austin Police Department and leaves them on the website for a maximum of 90 days.

Travis County Mugshots and Arrest Data

Travis County has more than 1.2 million residents making it Texas' fifth-most populous county. Violent Crime rate around the county stands at 17.6 incidents in every 100,000 residents and its property crime rate averages 37.8 incidents in the same population sample. Compared to Austin, the county’s seat and largest city, these rates are significantly lesser. The violent crime rate in America’s 11th most populous city is 25 incidents for every 100,000 people. While the city’s property crime rate is 55 incidents in the same number of people. The trend for the last decade shows, the county jail books more than of 43,500 arrests yearly from over 30 local law enforcement agencies.

As obtained in most jurisdictions in Texas, the criminal justice process in Travis County begins with an arrest. After the arrest, the defendant is taken to the Central Booking facility of the Travis County Jail. At this booking process, the defendant’s fingerprints are taken, along with a photograph (mugshot) and an arrest record is created. These documents become public records upon creation, available to anyone upon request. Some suspects are allowed to bond out of jail after booking depending on the charges. Those who are unable to bond out are incarcerated until the first appearance before a magistrate.

The appearance before a judge may take up to 24 hours for a misdemeanor and up to 48 hours for a felony. At this hearing, the magistrate determines if there is a probable cause for taking the case to trial and set the appropriate bond for a release until the conclusion of the trial. Defendants not granted a bail bond remain in jail. The Travis County Jail has an average daily inmate of 2,300 with the majority of them awaiting trial.

Obtaining Certified Arrest Records

Travis County arrest records are made available on request to the subject of the record or a third-party on the provision of a notarized letter signed by the subject. All such requests must be accompanied by a copy of the subject’s ID and directed to the arresting law enforcement agency. To obtain a copy of arrest record from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, visit the office at:

5555 Airport Blvd.
Austin, TX 78751

The office opens to public requests Monday to Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Each copy of an arrest record costs $15 payable in exact cash or by check/money order. The Travis County Sheriff’s Office has arrest records available from May 1988 to the present. When requesting an arrest record on another individual, ensure to come along with a duly signed and notarized letter. For more information, contact the Sheriff’s Office at (512) 854-9770.

Travis County citizens can obtain fingerprint-based arrest records from the Austin Police Department. To request this arrest history check, the subject is required to submit a complete set of fingerprints along with the filled request form. Include a postage-paid self-addressed envelope along with a check/money order for the service fee of $25 in the request. For further inquiry, contact the APD by calling (512) 974-5212 or (512) 974-5499

Travis County arrest records are also provided by the District Clerk’s Office (felony cases) and the Clerk’s Office (misdemeanor cases). The public is permitted to use the 'Online Case Information' search tool on the District Clerk’s website to search for available felony arrest records. Select details in the search result to view the complete disposition of the arrest record. To request a copy of the record, use the online records request form on the website. A certified copy costs $1 per page while an emailed electronic copy is 75 cents per page. There is an additional $3 fee for delivery by US mail. Payments by credit card attract a 3% convenience fee with a minimum of $3.

The public can also find online arrest information for Travis County misdemeanor cases on the county’s website. While an uncertified copy of an arrest record can be printed from the search result free of charge, the requestor may visit the Clerk’s Office for certified copies. At the Clerk’s Office, each copy is printed for $1 per page and cost $5 per document for certification. Request can also be made by calling the Clerk’s Office at (512) 854-9188 or via email to misdemeanor@traviscountytx.gov.

Sealing and Expunging Mugshot and Arrest Records

Certain Travis County arrest records can be completely erased from all public information systems. This is a privilege granted to eligible ex-offenders under the Texas expungement statutes; Chapter 55, code of criminal procedure. This eligibility is extended to arrest records involving acquittals, pardoned convictions, juvenile offense, and arrest without conviction. Persons and ex-offenders who have successfully determine their eligibility for this privilege may proceed to submit the petition for expunction. Note that filing an expunction petition can only be done after the expiration of the statute of limitations on the arrest record.

Being a complicated process, successful expunction may require the assistance of a legal professional. While only a few may be able to retain the services of an experienced expunction lawyer, other citizens can contact legal aid associations for help. In Travis County, the University of Texas Expunction Project has served to help expunged arrest records of such persons. This pro bono legal clinic is a yearly event run by students and supervised by experienced attorneys. Visit the UT Expunction Project webpage to determine the next event date and enlist your interest.

The county’s District Clerk also organizes a yearly Expunction Expo to help Travis County residents clear old arrest records. The expo is done in partnership with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, Travis County Attorney’s Office, Travis County District Clerk’s Office, Capital Area Private Defender Service (CAPDS), Austin Young Lawyers Association (AYLA), and Volunteer Legal Services (VLS). Ex-offenders are welcomed to visit the website to determine their qualification. Contact the District Clerk’s office to find out about the next event date of the expo.

The Austin Justice Coalition also hosts the local edition of the National Expungement Week. This week-long event offers expungements and other forms of legal relief to citizens. The Inaugural local edition took place in September 2019, contact the organization for this year’s event program.