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Searching For Texas Criminal Records

By Claire Dowell


The process of hiring the best people for the right job or position is an integral part of an organization's growth. One important cog in the employment process is to scrutinize the applicant's past deeds. In doing so, the aid of documents such as criminal or public arrest records is typically implored. Such procedures revolve around one premise - to assess the applicant's trustworthiness in order to mitigate or avert any future mishaps.

A person's criminal records are excellent tools for this trade because they include all arrests, convictions, sentences and dispositions, including civil offenses, on record for that individual in a certain jurisdiction. The primary goal of this listing is to provide a comprehensive criminal history of that particular person. Background checks for immigration, identification, security clearance, issuance of professional licenses and adoption also make use of criminal records.

The task of maintaining, distributing, and apprising arrest records in the State of Texas falls upon the Department of Public Safety, Crime Records Services. All criminal records of people arrested in the state are stored in this central repository. State laws allow arrestees in the state to obtain a copy of their own arrest records, or appoint someone on their behalf in procuring such. Aside from the person put under arrest, certain law enforcement entities, the Federal Government, and any authorized agencies are allowed access to a person's criminal history records.

The Department of Public Safety has provided several options in the procurement of Texas criminal records. The first approach is to perform a name-based search. This is done by first creating an account in the Crime Records Service Public Site, found in the website of the Department of Public Records. Simply enter the relevant arrest information in the fields provided, be it your own or of another person's. For every name or record searched, the said department will charge $3.00 on your credit card.

The latter approach provides faster and more accurate results. You must first make an appointment online to have your fingerprints scanned and submitted to the DPS. The said department has contracted with a company to provide state-wide electronic fingerprinting services. You must also prepare a written request asking the DPS to obtain your personal arrest record. Next is to have your fingerprint scanned via DPS-authorized Fingerprint Applicant Services of Texas (FAST). You can also alternatively acquire a fingerprint card approved by the DPS from the county Sheriff's Office. If using the FAST service, you are charged $9.95 for the electronic fingerprinting step, and the stipend $15.00 fee to the Department of Public Safety. Alternately, mail the accomplished fingerprint card along with the $15.00 payment to the DPS via check or money order payable. Requests are typically processed within ten working days.

An important value implanted in our nature as humans is to persistently seek out ways and means to improve life. A good portion of this need has been satiated in the 21st century by current advancements in technology, spearheaded by the Internet. Such needs have been partially subdued because the Internet has continuously provided man with information and almost all services. This has inspired government repositories, like the ones discussed above, and several private entities to put up online databases for public records. The goal for such actions is to allow requesting parties to obtain the records that they are seeking at the shortest amount of time possible, just after entering a few bits of information. In recent years, such endeavors have become the most popular search activity done over the Internet.




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