Arlington Texas Court Records

Arlington court records are handled by the Tarrant County District Clerk and the Tarrant County Clerk. Arlington is the largest city in Tarrant County that is not a county seat, and all district-level and county-level court filings for the city run through the Fort Worth courthouse complex. Municipal court cases filed by the City of Arlington are handled separately through the Arlington Municipal Court. Tarrant handles district court cases for Arlington Texas, including felony charges, civil lawsuits, and family law matters. Search the Tarrant portal at arlington.tx.publicsearch.us or use re:SearchTX for a statewide search. Municipal court records for Arlington Texas are kept separately by the city.

Which County Handles Arlington Court Filings

Arlington is in Tarrant County. All felony criminal cases, civil suits, and family law matters for Arlington residents go through the Tarrant County court system in Fort Worth. The Tarrant County District Clerk manages district court filings including felony criminal cases, civil suits over $200,000, and all family law cases. The Tarrant County Clerk handles misdemeanor criminal matters, probate, and official public records. Thomas Wilder serves as the Tarrant County District Clerk. The office is at 100 N Calhoun St in Fort Worth, just under 20 miles from central Arlington. You can search Tarrant County case records online through the county's public case search portal. Many civil and criminal case documents are available free of charge.

For full details on the Tarrant County court system, see the Tarrant County Court Records page.

Arlington Municipal Court

The Arlington Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanor cases filed within city limits. These include traffic tickets, city ordinance violations, and other minor criminal matters. The municipal court is separate from the Tarrant County system and is run by the City of Arlington. You can look up cases, pay fines, and check court dates through the city's online portal. The Arlington Municipal Court is at 101 W Abram St in downtown Arlington. Call (817) 459-6888 for case information. You can also search municipal cases online at arlington-tx.gov/courts. The city offers online payment options for many types of fines and fees.

Arlington Court Records Online Resources

The re:SearchTX Statewide Portal, shown below, is one of the main statewide tools for searching Texas court records. Arlington court cases filed through the Tarrant court system are accessible through this portal. Search by party name or cause number to find case type, filing date, and docket entries. The portal is free to use and covers cases from all 254 Texas counties. For document images or certified copies, contact the Tarrant District Clerk in the courthouse directly. Use the resource shown above to search for court records connected to Arlington. The re:SearchTX system covers all e-filed cases across Texas, including those filed in Tarrant. For cases not found online or records filed before the e-filing system launched, contact the Tarrant District Clerk in the courthouse by phone or mail. The clerk can confirm whether a case is on file and what documents are available to the public.

Types of Court Records in Arlington

Court records for Arlington cases span several different courts depending on the type and size of the matter. District court files cover felony criminal charges, civil suits above $200,000, and all family law cases including divorce, custody, and child support. County court at law records cover misdemeanor criminal cases, civil disputes up to $200,000, and probate. Municipal court records cover Class C misdemeanors and city code cases. Justice of the Peace courts handle small claims and eviction cases. Civil records include petitions, motions, judgments, and orders filed in Tarrant County courts. Criminal records include indictments, pleas, and sentencing documents for felony cases. Family court files hold divorce petitions and final decrees, custody orders, and support modification records. These are public under Texas Supreme Court Rule 12. Sealed cases, juvenile files, and expunged records are restricted from public access.

For certified copies of any Tarrant County court record, visit the district clerk or county clerk in Fort Worth. Plain copies cost $1 per page in most Texas district courts. Certified copies carry an added fee. Call ahead to confirm current rates before visiting.

How to Search Arlington Court Records

Tarrant County court records can be searched online through the county's public case access system. You can search by party name or cause number to find civil, criminal, and family cases. For a statewide search, use re:SearchTX at research.txcourts.gov. This free tool covers all 254 Texas counties and is run by the Texas Judicial Branch. Municipal court cases for Arlington can be searched at arlington-tx.gov/courts. For electronic filing in Tarrant County courts, use eFileTexas at efiletexas.gov. The Texas State Law Library at sll.texas.gov offers free legal research resources online.

Legal Help in Arlington

Lone Star Legal Aid provides free civil legal help for low-income residents in the Arlington area. Call (800) 733-8394 or visit lonestarlegal.org. They handle family law, housing, and other civil matters. Tarrant County also has a law library in the courthouse where you can do legal research at no charge. The State Bar of Texas lawyer referral service is available at (800) 252-9690. You can search for attorneys at texasbar.com. TexasLawHelp at texaslawhelp.org provides self-help forms and guides in plain language. The Texas State Law Library at sll.texas.gov is a free resource for legal research.

The Texas Judicial Branch at txcourts.gov provides statewide court information, rules, and links to each county's case search tools. The Texas Judicial Branch site links to court resources for all Texas counties including Tarrant County, which serves Arlington.

Nearby Cities

These qualifying cities are near Arlington in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.