How to Search Bexar County Court Records
The main tool is the Bexar County Justice Information Portal. It is free, and the public does not need to register. The county built it on Tyler Technologies software. It pulled three older tools into one place. Court Records Search, Fugitive Search, and Bail Bond Search all moved into the new portal. Smart Search is the part you use to find a case by name or case number.
Before you start, gather a full name or a case number. Names work best in Last, First Middle order. The portal is not case sensitive. You can use an asterisk as a wildcard. The county notes the portal is a free convenience and not a replacement for official records held by county offices.
- Open the Justice Portal at portal-txbexar.tylertech.cloud and choose Smart Search.
- Enter a case number, or type a name as Last, First Middle.
- Open Advanced Filtering Options to narrow by case type, status, or file date.
- Review the results list, then click a case number to open the case summary.
- Order a certified copy from the District Clerk or County Clerk if you need one for court.
The county's official notice page explains how these searches were consolidated. A look at the portal landing screen shows the four main options side by side.
The screenshot below comes from the county's New Justice Information Portal notice.
That page is the county's plain-language summary of the switch. It tells residents which old links retired and where each search now lives.
Which Bexar County Clerk Holds Which Record
Bexar County splits its clerk duties between two elected offices. This trips up a lot of searchers. The Bexar County District Clerk is the custodian for civil district court records and for felony criminal records. The Bexar County Clerk keeps misdemeanor court records, probate filings, marriage licenses, and land records.
So the office you call depends on the case. A felony or a divorce points to the District Clerk. A misdemeanor, a will, or a marriage license points to the County Clerk. Both offices feed cases into the same Justice Portal, but each holds its own certified files.
Note: Divorce decrees and felony files go through the District Clerk; marriage, probate, and misdemeanor records go through the County Clerk.
The Bexar County Judicial System
Texas does not use one trial court. It uses several. Bexar County has district courts, county courts at law, statutory probate courts, justice of the peace courts, and municipal courts. District courts are the trial courts of general jurisdiction. In Bexar County they split into civil, criminal, juvenile, and family dockets. County courts at law handle misdemeanors and many civil matters.
Most appeals from Bexar County go to the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio. Above that sit the Supreme Court of Texas for civil cases and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals for criminal cases. The case flow below shows the usual path.
Case flow: Justice Court › County Court at Law › District Court › Fourth Court of Appeals › Supreme Court of Texas / Court of Criminal Appeals
| Court | Jurisdiction | Case Types |
|---|---|---|
| District Courts | General trial court | Felonies, civil, family, juvenile |
| County Courts at Law | County-level court | Misdemeanors, civil, appeals from lower courts |
| Probate Courts 1-3 | Statutory probate | Wills, estates, guardianship, mental health |
| Justice of the Peace | Precinct court | Small claims, evictions, Class C citations |
| Municipal Courts | City court | City ordinance and traffic matters |
For a closer look at the trial courts, see the Bexar County District Court page and the County Courts at Law page.
Bexar County Courthouses
The court campus in downtown San Antonio is spread across several buildings. The historic Bexar County Courthouse sits at 100 Dolorosa. District Clerk civil and felony filing run from the Paul Elizondo Tower at 101 W. Nueva Street. The County Clerk Marriage Office is also in the Elizondo Tower. The Adult Detention Center and Central Magistration sit at 200 N. Comal Street. Many visitors must walk between buildings, so confirm your counter before you park.
Bexar County's own homepage lists the main courthouse contact block and county services.
The image below is from the official Bexar County homepage.
From that homepage you can reach department pages for the clerks, the courts, and the sheriff.
Types of Court Records Available in Bexar County
Court records in Bexar County come in many forms. The court and the clerk decide where each one lives. District courts produce felony and civil district files. County courts at law produce misdemeanor and county civil files. Probate courts handle estates and guardianships. The list below sums up the main types.
- Criminal felony records - held by the District Clerk; indictments, pleas, judgments, and sentencing.
- Civil district records - petitions, motions, orders, and judgments in district court.
- Family and divorce records - divorce, custody, support, and paternity in district court.
- Misdemeanor records - Class A and B cases through the County Clerk and county courts.
- Probate records - wills, estates, and guardianships in the three probate courts.
- Traffic records - citations in justice, municipal, or county court depending on the charge.
For a deeper breakdown by record type, the Bexar County court records page walks through each one.
What Bexar County Court Records Show
A case record holds a set of standard fields. The Justice Portal shows them in the case summary. The table below lists the fields you will see most often and what each one means.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The unique ID for the case; needs at least four characters for a wildcard search. |
| Filing Date | The date the case was filed; can be used as a filter range. |
| Parties | Defendant, plaintiff, petitioner, respondent, or company names. |
| Charges / Cause | The criminal charge or the civil cause of action. |
| Disposition | How the case ended, such as dismissed, convicted, or released on bond. |
| Judicial Officer | The judge or magistrate assigned to the case. |
Hearings and events show in reverse order, newest first. The portal shows up to 200 search results and lets you pick which columns to display.
Public Access Laws for Bexar County Court Records
Texas treats government records and court records under different rules. The Public Information Act covers county administrative records. Court case files follow judicial rules instead. That is why a request to county administration is not the same as a request to the District Clerk or County Clerk. The statutes below set the frame for access in Bexar County.
Key Statutes:
Texas Government Code § 552.001 - states the policy that people are entitled to full information about government affairs unless the law says otherwise.
Texas Government Code § 552.021 - gives the basic right to inspect or copy public information held by a governmental body.
Texas Rule of Judicial Administration 12 - governs access to judicial records kept by or for a court.
More on requests and timelines lives on the Bexar County public records page.
Records That Are Restricted or Confidential
Not every file is open. Texas law shields several categories. Juvenile cases are confidential. Adoption files are highly restricted. Mental health commitment records are sealed because they hold medical data. Sealed civil records follow Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 76a, which needs a motion, notice, and a hearing.
Expunged records are removed from public access under Chapter 55 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Nondisclosure orders under Government Code Chapter 411 limit public release but still leave access for law enforcement. To view a sealed file, a person usually must file a motion in the court that sealed it and show legal grounds.
Specialty Courts in Bexar County
Bexar County runs several problem-solving courts. The county courts portal lists Family Drug Court, Felony Drug Court, Felony Veterans Treatment Court, Prostitution Court, and Mental Health Court. These calendars aim to treat root causes instead of only punishing.
The criminal Mental Health Court serves Bexar County residents who are at least 18, have an active misdemeanor case, and carry a qualifying diagnosis such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorder. A separate civil Mental Health Court runs under Probate Court No. 1. It holds probable cause and commitment hearings at the San Antonio State Hospital. The Bexar County Specialty Courts page is the official landing point.
Bexar County Sheriff and Jail
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office sits at 200 North Comal Street in San Antonio. Javier Salazar is the current sheriff. He was sworn in on January 1, 2017, as the 34th Sheriff of Bexar County. The office runs the Adult Detention Center and posts jail activity reports as a free courtesy. Those reports stay online for seven days.
For the full custody roster, see Bexar County inmate records. For active warrant questions, see warrant records. To check on someone after release, see released inmates.
Marriage, Divorce, and Probate Records
The County Clerk records marriage licenses and keeps copies back to 1837. Divorce decrees route through the District Clerk because divorce is a district court matter. The three probate courts handle wills, estates, and guardianships. See the marriage and divorce records page and the probate records page for the full steps. A few common probate terms appear below.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out a will.
- Guardianship
- A court arrangement giving a guardian authority over an incapacitated adult or minor.
Bexar County Court Records Fees
Copy fees are set by each clerk. The District Clerk publishes a fee schedule for filings, copies, and certified copies. The amounts below come from that official schedule. Certified copies cost more because the clerk stamps them as true and correct.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plain copy per page | $1.00 |
| Certified copy per document | $5.00 after copy fee |
| Search fee | $5.00 |
| Divorce, no children | $350.00 |
| Divorce, with children | $401.00 |
The District Clerk does not take personal checks. Cash, money orders, cashier's checks, and major cards are accepted. The full list lives on the District Clerk fee schedule.
How to Interpret Bexar County Court Records
Court files use shorthand. An arrest is not a conviction. A charge only means the state accused someone. A disposition shows how the case ended. Common codes include dismissed, convicted, or released on bond. A capias is a writ that orders arrest, often after a missed court date.
Read the docket from the bottom up to follow a case in order. Watch the disposition line. It carries the result that matters most. If a field looks wrong, call the clerk who holds the file before you rely on it.
Accuracy and Record Limitations
Online records can lag. The Sheriff's Office warns that jail data may not reflect a booking right away. The County Clerk's official records search is certified only through a set date. The portal is a convenience, not a certified record.
Note: Always confirm a court date, charge, or disposition with the clerk or court before you act on what an online record shows.
History of Bexar County Courts
The current Bexar County Courthouse opened in the 1890s. The county calls it the largest and oldest continuously used historic courthouse in Texas. Architect James Riely Gordon designed it in Romanesque Revival style with native granite and red sandstone. It is the county's fifth seat of government, after buildings under Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, and the United States.
Crews removed later 1963 and 1972 additions and restored the building to its 1927 look. The courthouse was rededicated on July 14, 2015. The County Clerk's Spanish Archives records reach back to the mission era, which makes Bexar's records unusually deep for genealogy.
The screenshot below comes from the county's Courthouse History page.
That page covers the design, the additions, and the long restoration project.
Bexar County District Courts Online
The county posts a full list of numbered district courts. Each row shows the court number, the judge, and a phone number. Bexar County has civil, criminal, and juvenile district courts numbered from the 37th through the 438th. The list is a quick way to match a case to the right court and judge.
The image below is from the county's District Courts list.
Use it to confirm a judge or a court phone before you call. The court dockets page explains how to search hearings by court.
Bexar County Justice Portal Tools
The Justice Portal home shows four options. Smart Search finds court records. Search Hearings finds hearing dates. Jail Search finds custody records. Make Payments handles criminal and traffic payments. Each tool opens its own search screen with its own fields.
The screenshot below is the Justice Portal home.
Pick the tool that fits your search. The wrong tool returns the wrong kind of record.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I search Bexar County court records online?
Use the Bexar County Justice Portal. Choose Smart Search for court records, Search Hearings for hearing dates, Jail Search for custody, or Make Payments for criminal and traffic cases. The portal is free and replaced the older search.bexar.org tools.
Do I need to register for the Justice Portal?
No, not for public data. The county states registration is reserved for authorized law enforcement and justice partners. Anyone can run a public case search without an account.
Can the public search warrants?
Public warrant access is limited. Only authorized agencies and justice partners have clearance to search warrants. The public can search the related case or contact the issuing court. See the warrant records page for the steps.
Where do I get a certified copy?
Order felony and divorce copies from the District Clerk. Order marriage, probate, and misdemeanor copies from the County Clerk. Certified copies carry the clerk's seal and are accepted in court.
More answers live on the Bexar County court records FAQ page.