An arrest record can follow someone for years affecting employment housing professional licensing and personal relationships. Understanding what is in a record, how to find it, and what can be done about it is essential knowledge for anyone navigating the criminal justice system. This section covers how to search for arrest records using public databases and background check tools, what information arrest records typically contain, the difference between an arrest record and a conviction, and how records from multiple jurisdictions can be accessed in one search. Families use arrest record searches to locate a loved one who has been taken into custody, verify which facility they are being held at, and understand the charges they are facing. Individuals use them to understand what employers and landlords can see when they run a background check. The questions answered here address both audiences with practical guidance on finding accurate current information quickly. See also our sections on Inmate Search and Pending Criminal Charges.
Subject: Arrest record search
Not knowing where a friend ended up after an arrest and not having family connections to ask is a genuinely difficult situation, but the information is out there and accessible through several public channels.
The first step is figuring out which county the arrest happened in, even approximately. Once you know that, the county sheriff or jail website will typically have a searchable inmate roster that is updated regularly with current bookings. Searching by name should confirm whether your friend is...
Read moreSubject: Arrest record search
This is a situation worth taking seriously before showing up at the facility.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs background checks on visitors as part of the visitation approval process. If a warrant shows up during that screening it can result in denial of visitation privileges. More importantly, showing up at a correctional facility with an active warrant is a real risk to you personally. Correctional facilities are law enforcement environments and staff have access to the same databases that...
Read moreSubject: Arrest record search
We have a link on all of the InmateAid prison facility pages, the Inmate Search page and in the header bar for Arrest Records. Please click the link and follow the prompts. This is the MOST recent and accurate information available to the public. There are no better methods.
Subject: Arrest record search
The jail holds the inmate but does not control the court schedule. Those are two separate systems, and court dates for bench warrants are set and managed entirely by the judicial side of the process through the Clerk of the Court.
The Union County Clerk of the Court is the right starting point. When you call, ask specifically about the docket for bench warrant hearings and whether there is a scheduled appearance for your person by name. Clerks maintain the official...
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If your fiance is not currently incarcerated and has an outstanding warrant in another county, he can turn himself in directly to that county. Contacting the issuing county's sheriff's office or courthouse in advance to arrange a voluntary surrender is always the better approach than waiting to be picked up. Self-surrender is consistently viewed more favorably by courts than an arrest in the field.
If your fiance is already incarcerated somewhere and the warrant is from a different county, the situation...
Read moreSubject: Arrest record search
Finding someone when you only know their first name and a general location is challenging through a traditional inmate database search. Our inmate search requires at minimum a last name to return accurate results.
However that does not mean your search has to end here.
A people search tool can work with partial information in ways that an inmate database cannot. If you have any additional details beyond a first name, even approximate age, physical description, the city or parish they were...
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