Travis County was established in 1840. Its county seat is in the City of Austin. The county covers a total area of 1,023 square miles in central Texas. According to the US Census in 2020, Travis County is home to more than 1.2 million people, making it the fifth-most-populous county in Texas.

Courts in Travis County

District Courts in Travis County have original jurisdiction over all criminal and civil cases. The county has 12 District Courts that hear civil cases such as land disputes, defamation, slander, election disputes, and family cases. On the other hand, there are 9 Criminal District Courts tasked with resolving felony and certain misdemeanor offenses.

Travis County also has 2 Civil County Courts at Law and 7 Criminal County Courts at Law. Criminal County Courts in Travis exercise exclusive jurisdiction over misdemeanors that do not involve jail or prison sentences. They may also handle some felony cases and health/safety ordinance violations. Conversely, the Civil County Courts typically pronounce judgments on financial disputes involving between $500 and $100,000. Other civil cases brought before Travis County Civil County Courts include mental health proceedings, child custody, guardianships, divorce, and juvenile matters.

There are 5 Justice of Peace Courts in Travis County. Each of these courts has civil and criminal divisions. The criminal divisions typically hear traffic misdemeanors, issuance of bad checks, and pretrial hearings. Lenders often take foreclosure cases to the civil division of Justice Courts in Travis County.

In Travis County, Municipal Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over city ordinance violations. They may also preside over felony-related preliminary hearings. County residents often resolve dangerous dog ownership matters at municipal courts.

Where to Find Public Court Records in Travis County

Generally, each court in Travis County has a court clerk responsible for maintaining and disseminating public court records. Created under the Texas Constitution, Travis County’s District Clerk serves as the custodian of court records created at any local District Court. The District Clerk provides the Online Case Record Search portal for persons interested in viewing court records over the Internet. Requesters may also request copies of public court records by mailing or visiting the District Clerk’s office in person.

The Travis County Clerk maintains and stores public court records created at Travis County Courts at Law. Accessing these records is possible online or via phone/email requests. To obtain public court records, individuals must provide necessary identifying information such as the case numbers or names of involved parties/entities. Note that court records created at other lesser courts in Travis County are only accessible by visiting the courts in person.

Types of Public Court Records in Travis County

Travis County court records are accessible to the public to ensure transparency. Examples of these records include:

• Civil records
• Criminal records
• Property liens
• Divorce decrees
• Family records
• Probate records
• Traffic court records

Confidential Court Records

The Texas Public Information Act prohibits dissemination of the following confidential records:

• Driver’s license numbers
• Living persons’ birth dates
• License plate numbers
• Juvenile records
• Credit card numbers
• Mental health records
• Insurance policy numbers
• Medical records
• Child abuse investigations

Juvenile Delinquency in Travis, TX

Unfortunately, in many areas of the Travis County, juvenile delinquency issues are on the rise. There are many reasons for the rise in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Texas often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of crimes, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 1053 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of Travis County. Of that total, 93% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 976 court cases. Another 0% were dependency cases that accounted for 0 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, Travis County, are focusing on family therapy and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future Travis County juvenile delinquency numbers will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of Travis County, TX

https://texas.gov/

County Seat:	Austin
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1840
Total Square Miles:	1,023
2019 Population:	1,226,698
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00

Travis County, TX Courts