Cameron County Criminal Records Search | History and CasesCameron County Criminal Records Search

Cameron County, Texas · Current cases, historical criminal indexes and statewide history

Follow a Cameron County Criminal Case From Today’s Docket Back to 1953

If you are checking one Cameron County case, start with the court that actually owns it—not a generic background-search site. Felony district-court records, county misdemeanor cases, jail bookings and statewide Texas criminal history are separate searches.

Older records need another route too. Cameron County’s District Clerk maintains a searchable historical criminal-case index covering 1953 through 1987. This page shows where to search a current case, how to read the result, what to do when nothing appears, and how to obtain the court document that proves how the case ended.

Open the official county case-search hub Search 1953–1987 criminal indexes Check a recent jail booking

Full filed name Approximate filing year Cause number if known Felony or misdemeanor Court if known

CAMERON COUNTY CASE ARCHIVE HISTORY → CURRENT

1953–1987

FINAL ACTION CHECKED

CASE INDEX

OLD INDEX → CURRENT CASE

A criminal court record, an arrest record and a criminal-history report are not the same thing. A court file shows what happened in a particular prosecution. A jail roster shows custody information. A Texas DPS history searches statewide criminal-history data. None of them should be treated as proof of guilt merely because an arrest or charge appears.

Felony cases

Start with the District Clerk and district-court records.

County misdemeanors

Use the County Clerk criminal case-search route.

Historical index

District Clerk QuickLink covers criminal indexes from 1953–1987.

Recent custody

The Sheriff roster states that it updates every two hours.

Source review

Official procedures reviewed August 16, 2026.

Start with the right database

Which Cameron County record are you actually trying to find?

FELONY CASE District-court criminal file

Use the District Clerk when you need a felony cause, indictment, district-court docket, judgment or older district criminal record.

See the court-routing guide

CLASS A / B MISDEMEANOR County criminal case

Use the County Clerk’s criminal case-search link for County Courts at Law and verify the final document with the clerk.

Search current cases

OLDER CRIMINAL CASE 1953–1987 index books

Search the District Clerk’s separate historical index when a decades-old criminal cause does not appear in the modern route.

Search historical records

ARRESTED RECENTLY Jail booking first

Use the Sheriff roster when you need the booking date, booking number, SO number or listed charges before a court case is easy to find.

Check current custody

TEXAS-WIDE HISTORY DPS criminal-history search

Use Texas DPS when the question is broader than Cameron County or you need criminal-history data submitted from across Texas.

Compare local and statewide searches

CLASS C / FINE-ONLY Justice or municipal court

A fine-only or city case may never appear in the county criminal portal. Identify the justice precinct or municipal court instead.

Fix a missing case

Shortest reliable sequence: identify the court level → search the cause → open the docket → find the final action for every charge → obtain a certified judgment, dismissal or order only when official proof is needed.

Go directly to the record problem

This page is arranged around the questions people usually have after seeing a case, arrest or background result.

Current criminal cases

Search the Cameron County court system without mixing databases

Cameron County’s County Clerk currently places a “Civil / Probate & Criminal Case Search” link on its official page. That is the safest official starting page because the county can change the underlying case-search platform without changing this public entry point.

Open the official County Clerk page Find the tile labelled Civil / Probate & Criminal Case Search. Open Cameron County Clerk

Use the cause or case number first A cause number is much safer than a name-only search and avoids many same-name results.

If you only have a name, copy the spelling from another official record Use the spelling shown on the jail roster, bond paperwork, citation or previous court document. Add a middle name or suffix only when it actually belongs to that person.

Use the filing year to narrow the result A person can have cases many years apart. Do not assume the first matching name is the case you want.

Confirm the court level A felony should route to a district-court record. A county misdemeanor should route through a County Court at Law. A fine-only case may be elsewhere.

Open the docket rather than stopping at the search result Record the cause number, filing date, court, charge description, attorneys, settings and newest events.

Look for a document that explains the result Useful proof can include a dismissal, judgment, plea paperwork, order, sentence or another final filing.

Read each count independently Several counts in the same prosecution can end differently.

Use the court calendar only for scheduling The County Clerk links an iDocket calendar for County Courts at Law. Treat it as a calendar tool, not as a replacement for the clerk’s official case record.

Open official criminal case-search entry Check County Court calendar

Do not confuse the County Clerk’s “Official Public Records Search” with the criminal case search. The public-records portal on the same page is primarily for recorded instruments. For criminal court cases, use the separate Civil / Probate & Criminal Case Search link.

The office matters

Felony, misdemeanor or fine-only: who keeps the case?

Use the court level to avoid searching the wrong Cameron County office
Type of matter	Normal record holder	What you can look for	Do not confuse it with
Felony criminal case	Cameron County District Clerk / District Courts	Indictment, district cause, docket, bond orders, plea, judgment, dismissal and sentence.	The County Clerk’s recorded-instrument search.
Class A or B misdemeanor	Cameron County Clerk / County Courts at Law	Complaint or information, settings, plea, dismissal, judgment and sentence.	The Sheriff inmate roster.
Fine-only Class C matter	Justice of the Peace or municipal court	Citation, plea, fine, warrant and disposition.	A felony district-court search.
Current or recent custody	Cameron County Sheriff	Booking date, defendant, booking number, SO number and listed charges.	A final court disposition.
Texas-wide criminal history	Texas Department of Public Safety	Public criminal-history information submitted to the statewide repository.	One local Cameron County case file.
Federal criminal case	Federal court system	Federal indictment, docket and judgment.	Cameron County clerk databases.

The Texas Judicial Branch explains that felony criminal cases fall within district-court jurisdiction and that trial-court records are obtained from the clerk of the court where the case was filed. Texas does not provide one single statewide trial-court case-search portal.

Read the case, not just the name

What Cameron County criminal case fields tell you

The final legal meaning usually comes from the docket and court documents
Field or entry	What it usually means	What it does not prove	What to check next
Cause / case number	The unique court file identifier.	That two similarly named defendants are the same person.	Use this number for copies and clerk questions.
Filing date	When the prosecution was entered with the court.	The exact arrest or offense date.	Compare the booking and incident dates.
Charge / offense	The offense currently associated with the court case or count.	A conviction.	Read the final disposition for that count.
Pending / active	The matter has not yet reached a final resolution shown by the court.	The person remains in jail.	Check the newest hearing and bond entries.
Disposed	The court has recorded an action resolving or ending the matter or count.	Conviction.	Locate the judgment, dismissal, acquittal or other final order.
Dismissed	That charge or prosecution was dismissed as reflected by the court.	That every other charge from the event was dismissed.	Check all related causes and counts.
Deferred adjudication	A Texas disposition with special legal consequences that differs from a normal final conviction.	The record automatically disappears from public history.	Read the order and assess nondisclosure eligibility separately.
Acquittal / not guilty	The defendant was not convicted on that count after the adjudicative process shown by the record.	That another separate case ended the same way.	Save a certified judgment when proof is needed.
Bond	A release condition connected to the pending case.	The final outcome.	Check the newest bond order and current jail status.
Attorney	Counsel shown for the defendant or state at that point in the case.	That representation has not changed.	Read the newest appointment, substitution or withdrawal entry.

Read the case as a timeline

Filing

The charge reaches the correct county or district court and receives a cause number.

Bond and first settings

Release conditions, counsel and early court dates may appear.

Charging changes

Counts can be amended, rejected, dismissed or superseded as the case develops.

Plea, motion or trial

The docket may show plea paperwork, motions, trial activity or another resolution path.

Disposition

Look for dismissal, judgment, acquittal, deferred adjudication or another final action.

Certified document

When the outcome matters, obtain the actual signed or certified record instead of relying on a search-result label.

A Cameron County-specific archive

Search criminal case index books from 1953 through 1987

District Clerk QuickLink is not just another modern case portal.

Cameron County District Clerk Laura Perez-Reyes provides a separate remote archive for historical index books. The page specifically lists an Index to Criminal Case Index Books from 1953 to 1987.

1953–1987

Open the District Clerk QuickLink Open Cameron County District Clerk historical records

Choose the criminal index record series Do not select the civil, citizenship or naturalization collections when you are researching a criminal case.

Select the approximate year Narrowing the year is particularly useful when the defendant has a common surname.

Search the party name Try the legal surname first and compare any first-name information available in the index.

Write down the index reference Save the book, page, case reference or other identifier that allows clerk staff to locate the underlying record.

Contact the District Clerk for the actual criminal documents The District Clerk states that users should contact the office to purchase documents from the criminal index series.

District Clerk QuickLink provides 24-hour remote access to the available index system and also offers a walkthrough, live chat during normal business hours and email support for using the archive.

Case older than 1953 or falling into an apparent gap? Do not assume the record never existed. The online historical search describes a specific 1953–1987 criminal index series; call the District Clerk at 956-544-0838 and give the defendant name and approximate year.

When a screenshot is not enough

Get the Cameron County document that proves the outcome

A search result is useful for finding the case. It is not always the document an employer, licensing agency, lawyer, immigration professional or record-correction process will want.

Dismissed case

Ask whether a certified dismissal order or other disposition document is available.

Conviction or sentence

Ask for the signed judgment or judgment of conviction rather than a search-result screenshot.

Acquittal

Ask which certified judgment or final document records the not-guilty outcome.

Deferred adjudication

Request the relevant plea, order and discharge or dismissal documents needed to understand the complete result.

Background-record dispute

A certified court document is much stronger than a web screenshot when correcting an inaccurate report.

Old indexed case

Give the District Clerk the historical index reference so staff can identify the underlying record.

Copy-ready court record request

I am requesting the available court record showing the final disposition in State of Texas v. [full defendant name], Cameron County cause number [cause number], filed approximately [year], in [court if known]. I specifically need [judgment / dismissal order / deferred-adjudication order / other document]. Please tell me the current copy and certification cost and whether the record can be delivered electronically or must be picked up or mailed.

No copy fee is quoted here intentionally. Court-copy and certification charges can change, and different document types may be handled differently. Confirm the current charge with the clerk that owns the case before sending payment.

No case found

Before concluding that Cameron County has no record, check these possibilities

You searched the wrong clerk Felony and county misdemeanor records do not necessarily live in the same office.

The arrest is too recent A person can appear in jail before a prosecutor filing is visible in the court system.

The case is historical A 1953–1987 district criminal matter may be easier to locate through QuickLink’s index books.

The name is slightly different Look for a middle name, suffix, married name, alternate spelling or name used when the case was filed.

It is a Class C or municipal case Fine-only city and justice-court matters can require a different court search.

It is federal A federal prosecution is not a Cameron County district or county court case.

The charge was never filed An arrest can occur without a later prosecution appearing under the expected charge.

The public record is restricted Juvenile, expunged, sealed, nondisclosed or otherwise confidential information may not be publicly searchable.

Useful clerk call script

I am trying to locate a criminal case for [full name], approximately [year]. I do not have the cause number. The matter may have been a [felony / misdemeanor / unknown]. Can you tell me whether your office would maintain this type of case and what identifying information you need to locate it?

Recent arrest or custody

If the case search is about someone arrested recently, check the jail first

Cameron County’s official inmate list states that it is updated every two hours. It displays the booking date, defendant, booking number, SO number and listed charges.

Open the official Sheriff inmate list Check Cameron County inmate roster

Understand what the roster covers The county says it includes people currently and within the previous seven days housed in Cameron County jails under the conditions described on the roster page.

Do not treat it as a complete inmate census The Sheriff explicitly states that the roster is not comprehensive.

Federal detainees are not included A person held under federal authority may therefore be absent from this public county list.

Save the booking number and SO number These identifiers are more useful than a name alone when calling the jail or matching a later court case.

Use the listed charge only as an early clue A booking allegation does not establish the charge ultimately filed in court.

The Sheriff warns users to independently verify roster information and not rely on it for legal action. Custody and charge information is subject to frequent revision.

Cameron County Jail

954 E. Harrison Street
Brownsville, TX

956-544-0865

Carrizales Detention Center

7300 Old Alice Road
Olmito, TX 78575

956-554-6701

Address check that matters: the county’s current Jail Division page lists Carrizales at 7300 Old Alice Road. An older county visitation document still circulating online uses a different Old Alice Road number. Use the current Jail Division page or call 956-554-6701 before driving or mailing anything.

If the person is still incarcerated

Practical Cameron County jail help after you find the record

These details are secondary to a criminal-history search, but they become important when the person you are researching is currently housed in Cameron County.

What identification is needed for visitation?

The current Jail Division page says adult visitors must present valid photo identification. Examples listed by the county include a Texas driver license, Texas DPS ID, passport, military ID, U.S. immigration visa or border-crossing card, and Matricula Consular.

Because the county’s linked visitation materials include older documents, confirm the current visit day, time and housing-location rules with the jail before travelling.

How can family add money to an inmate trust account?

Cameron County states that only money orders or certified checks are accepted through the mail for the inmate trust fund. Cash is not accepted.

CAMERON COUNTY JAIL DIVISION
C/O Inmate Trust Fund
Inmate Name / Inmate ID #
P.O. Box 1539
Olmito, TX 78575

Make the money order or certified check payable to the inmate and verify the inmate ID before mailing.

How do inmate calls, video visits and messages work?

Cameron County currently uses NCIC Inmate Communications. The jail says inmates receive telephone access after booking is completed. Ordinary incoming calls are not accepted except voicemail messages to approved inmates, and three-way calls are prohibited.

The current county page lists video visits at $0.30 per minute, messages at $0.25 per message, and picture or video messages at $0.35 each.

NCIC account setup: account.ncic.com
Support: 800-943-2189

When can family pick up inmate clothing or property?

Cameron County currently lists clothing pickup for family members on Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The page also states that family members of inmates who have left for TDCJ generally have 30 days from release to collect remaining property, with separate weekday pickup instructions.

Can family bring prescribed medication?

The Jail Division says prescribed medication may be brought for an inmate but must be approved by the medical department. The jail does not provide inmate medical information to family members and does not transfer family telephone calls to the medical department.

Case-talk warning: normal jail calls, messages and social video visits are not attorney-client communications. Avoid discussing evidence, witnesses, passwords, defenses or legal strategy over ordinary jail communication systems.

Review current Jail Division rules

Local case vs statewide history

Use Texas DPS when Cameron County alone is not the question

Cameron County court search

Best when you know or suspect the case was filed locally and want the docket, charge, court activity or final disposition.

Local court records
Cause numbers
Docket events
Judgments and dismissals
Historical Cameron County indexes

Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search

Best when you need a broader public Texas criminal-history search rather than one local court file.

Requires an account and search credits
Current public search credits are listed at $1 each
First and last name are required
Date of birth helps narrow results
Name results can be possible matches

Create or sign into the DPS public account Open Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search

Use the complete first and last name DPS instructions caution against nicknames, initials and partial names.

Add the complete date of birth when known This helps distinguish people with similar names.

Read the identifiers before accepting a match A name-based result can still belong to another person.

Use fingerprints when positive identification matters DPS states that fingerprint comparison is the reliable way to positively associate a person with a criminal-history record.

A “no hit” in one Cameron County portal is not a statewide background check. Texas has no single public trial-court portal covering every county, justice court and municipal court.

After a person enters Texas state-prison custody

Use TDCJ rather than the Cameron County inmate roster when the person has moved into Texas prison custody. TDCJ’s inmate search can provide state location, offense and projected-release information.

Open TDCJ Inmate Information

Wrong record or old record

Correction, expunction and nondisclosure solve different problems

Correction

Use this when a name, charge, disposition or other record is factually wrong.

Start with the agency or clerk that owns the incorrect entry.

Expunction

Use this only when an accurate arrest or case may qualify for the stronger Texas remedy that can require covered records to be removed or destroyed.

Nondisclosure

This restricts public disclosure of an eligible record but does not erase the record from every governmental or authorised use.

Start a correction with evidence

Save the exact incorrect search result

Write down the cause number and court

Obtain the certified final disposition

Identify which agency owns the error

Request the correction in writing

Recheck DPS and private reports afterward

Texas DPS maintains an Error Resolution process for criminal-history disputes. DPS asks users to provide certified documentation when a submitted criminal-history event or disposition needs correction.
Error Resolution email: error.resolution@dps.texas.gov

Texas nondisclosure forms Texas expunction guidance

Get the complete Cameron County disposition first. Record-clearing eligibility can turn on the exact charge, plea, dismissal language, waiting period, prior history, deferred adjudication and other cases arising from the same event.

If the case is still pending

How appointed criminal counsel works in Cameron County

Cameron County’s indigent-defense plan identifies Pre-Trial Services as the appointing authority for filed and unfiled cases covered by the county plan. A person who cannot afford a lawyer should request appointed counsel rather than assuming a specific Public Defender office will automatically contact the family.

When to ask

A person can request appointed counsel during the initial court process and can raise the request later if eligible counsel has not been appointed.

What family should save

Write down the full name, booking number or SO number, cause number, court and next setting. Those details make it much easier to identify the pending case.

Never pay someone who claims an appointed lawyer must be paid before representation begins. Verify counsel through the court record or the official county appointment process.

Contacts worth saving

Cameron County criminal record and jail contacts

Cameron County District Clerk

Cameron County Courthouse
974 E. Harrison Street
Brownsville, TX 78520

956-544-0838

Start here for felony district-court records and the historical criminal index.

County Clerk — Courthouse Office

974 E. Harrison Street, 2nd Floor
Brownsville, TX 78520

956-544-0867

Call before travelling to confirm which criminal service is handled at this counter.

County Clerk — Main Office

835 East Levee Street, 3rd Floor
Brownsville, TX 78520

956-544-0815

Published hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

County Clerk — San Benito

1390 W. Expressway 83
San Benito, TX 78586

956-247-3509

County Clerk — Harlingen

3302 W. Wilson Road
Harlingen, TX 78552

956-406-6081

Cameron County Jail

954 E. Harrison Street
Brownsville, TX

956-544-0865

Carrizales Detention Center

7300 Old Alice Road
Olmito, TX 78575

956-554-6701

NCIC Inmate Communications

800-943-2189

Prepaid calls, remote video visits and messages for Cameron County jail users.

County Clerk branch-office caution: the county publishes several Clerk locations, but not every service is necessarily available at every counter. For a criminal copy or case question, call before driving from Harlingen, San Benito or La Feria.

Map to the Cameron County Courthouse criminal-records area

Map to Carrizales Detention Center

Before you rely on the result

Five checks that prevent the most common criminal-record mistakes

Match the exact cause number whenever possible

Confirm whether the case is felony, misdemeanor, Class C or federal

Read every count rather than one overall case status

Separate the booking allegation from the filed court charge

Obtain the final court document when the outcome actually matters

Use fingerprints rather than a name-only DPS match when positive identity is required

10 Cameron County questions

Cameron County criminal records questions answered

Where can I search Cameron County criminal records online?

Start with the Cameron County court case search linked by the County Clerk for current county-court criminal cases. For felony district-court cases, use the Cameron County judicial case system or contact the District Clerk. If the case is old, the District Clerk’s QuickLink provides a separate searchable index to criminal case index books from 1953 through 1987.

How far back do Cameron County historical criminal records go online?

The Cameron County District Clerk’s QuickLink specifically provides search capability for criminal case index books from 1953 through 1987. The index helps locate older case references, but the District Clerk states that users should contact the office to purchase documents from that criminal record series.

Who keeps felony criminal cases in Cameron County Texas?

Felony cases are filed in Texas district courts, and Cameron County district-court records are maintained by the Cameron County District Clerk. The District Clerk’s main number currently published with its historical records system is 956-544-0838.

Who keeps misdemeanor criminal cases in Cameron County?

Class A and Class B misdemeanor cases are generally handled through county-level criminal courts. Cameron County’s County Clerk provides the county criminal case-search link and court calendar for County Courts at Law. Fine-only Class C or municipal cases may instead be held by a justice or municipal court.

Does a disposed Cameron County criminal case mean the person was convicted?

No. Disposed generally means the court has taken an action that ended or otherwise resolved the case or count. The actual result may be a conviction, dismissal, acquittal, deferred adjudication or another disposition. Read the judgment, dismissal order or final docket entries rather than relying only on the case-status label.

Why can I not find a Cameron County criminal case by name?

Possible reasons include a spelling difference, the case being filed in a different court level, a very recent arrest that has not yet produced a court filing, an older case stored in the historical index, a fine-only municipal or justice-court case, a federal prosecution, or a record that is legally restricted. Search the case number when known and identify the court before assuming no record exists.

How do I get a certified Cameron County criminal court record?

First identify whether the case belongs to the District Clerk or County Clerk. Have the cause number, defendant name, court and document needed ready, then ask the correct clerk for a certified copy of the judgment, dismissal, order or other case document. Confirm the current copy and certification fee directly with the clerk before submitting payment.

How do I check whether someone is currently in Cameron County Jail?

Use the official Cameron County Sheriff’s inmate list. The county states that the roster is updated every two hours and includes people currently or within the previous seven days housed in Cameron County jails under the conditions described on the roster page. The roster is not comprehensive and does not include federal prisoners or detainees.

Is a Cameron County court search the same as a Texas criminal history search?

No. Cameron County court systems show cases maintained by local courts and clerks. The Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal History Name Search is a separate statewide source. DPS warns that name-based searches can produce possible matches and that fingerprint comparison is the reliable way to positively associate a person with a criminal-history record.

Can a Cameron County criminal record be corrected, expunged or sealed?

An inaccurate record should first be corrected with the agency or clerk that owns the incorrect information. Eligible Texas cases may separately qualify for expunction or an order of nondisclosure. Those remedies are not the same as correcting an error, and eligibility depends on the exact charge, disposition, waiting period and criminal history.

Official resources checked

Primary sources used to build this Cameron County guide

Cameron County courts

Sheriff and jail

Texas records and legal tools

Accuracy, identity and legal-use notice

Texas-arrest.org is an independent informational resource. It is not the Cameron County District Clerk, Cameron County Clerk, Cameron County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Department of Criminal Justice or a law firm.

Court cases, charges, warrants, custody, office hours, inmate communication rates, addresses and public-access rules can change. Use the current official record and verify identity with more than a name before making an employment, housing, financial, legal, safety or publication decision.

An arrest or filed charge does not establish guilt. Every criminal count should be read through its actual disposition, judgment or other final court action.

Last official-source review: August 16, 2026. Historical-index coverage, current County Clerk locations, Sheriff roster limitations, jail contacts, NCIC rates and Texas court-record routing were checked against the official sources linked above.