Nueces County Court Records Search | Criminal and Civil Cases

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Nueces County, Texas · Criminal, civil, family, probate and historical case records

Find a Nueces County Case by Name, Number or Booking Identifier

If you only need to know whether a case exists, start with the Nueces County District Clerk’s case search. Enter the party as Last Name, First Name or use the exact case number. The same public portal can return both criminal and civil/family case activity.

If you need the actual document instead of the docket, the route changes. Civil and family filings are available through re:SearchTX, older cases may require QuickLinks, criminal certified copies go through the District Clerk Criminal Division, and Corpus Christi municipal citations use a separate city court search.

Open official Nueces case search Find civil documents on re:SearchTX Search older cases
Last Name, First Name Case number Date of birth Approximate filing date SO or booking number
NUECES CASE BEACON ROUTING
SMART SEARCH PARTY / CASE
CRIMINAL FILE
CIVIL / FAMILY FILE
RIGHT CASE → RIGHT RECORD SYSTEM
A search result is not always the complete court file. The public portal is excellent for finding a case and reviewing its register of actions. Some actual pleadings, judgments, orders, sealed material or older documents require re:SearchTX, QuickLinks or a direct copy request from the District Clerk.
Main case custodian

Nueces County District Clerk.

Name format

Enter Last Name, First Name with the comma.

Civil documents

re:SearchTX lists available filings at 10¢ per page.

Historical indexes

QuickLinks includes collections dating to 1850.

District Clerk

361-888-0450 · 901 Leopard Street.

Start with the record you actually need

Four Nueces County searches that people often mix up

CASE ACTIVITY District Clerk Case Records Search

Use this to locate criminal, civil and family cases and review the register of actions.

Use Smart Search correctly
ACTUAL DOCUMENTS re:SearchTX

Best for electronically filed civil and family pleadings, motions, orders and other available documents.

Get civil or family documents
OLD COURT BOOKS District Clerk QuickLinks

Use digitized docket, minute and judgment books when the regular portal does not reach far enough back.

See historical coverage
DEEDS / OFFICIAL RECORDS County Clerk Official Records

This is a different database for recorded documents such as deeds and liens—not the normal criminal/civil case search.

Avoid the wrong portal
Fastest workflow: Find the case in Smart Search → save the exact case number → decide whether you need the docket or an actual filed document → use re:SearchTX, a copy-order form or QuickLinks only when needed.

Jump to your court-record task

Advanced Smart Search

Use filters only after a broad search becomes unmanageable

Party filters
  • Party name
  • Business name
  • Nickname
  • Date-of-birth range
  • Ethnicity
Criminal identifiers
  • FBI number
  • SO number
  • Booking number
  • Case number
Case filters
  • Case type
  • Case status
  • File-date range
  • Judicial officer

Search directly by SO number

Nueces County’s own Smart Search help gives a useful trick: enter an asterisk * in the main search field, then place the SO number in the dedicated SO Number filter. This can isolate the exact party record more efficiently than a name search.
Example
Main Smart Search box: *
Filter by SO Number: 8675309
Reset old filters before searching a new person. A forgotten case-type, date, status or judicial-officer filter can make a real case appear to be missing.
Felony and misdemeanor records

Follow a Nueces County criminal case from search result to judgment

The District Clerk Criminal Division handles criminal filings including indictments, judgments and warrants. The Criminal Division is on the 2nd floor of the Nueces County Courthouse.
Locate the defendant Search Last Name, First Name or use the known criminal case number.
Confirm the right identity Compare DOB, SO number, booking number and filing date when those fields are available.
Open every criminal case number One arrest or defendant can be connected to more than one cause.
Read the charge and court Determine whether the record is a felony district-court matter or misdemeanor county-court-at-law matter.
Review docket events Look for indictment or information, arraignment, bond activity, motions, settings, plea documents and court orders.
Locate the final disposition Find the judgment, dismissal or other final action rather than relying on a generic case-status label.
Order the controlling document when needed A certified judgment or dismissal is stronger proof than a screenshot of the portal.

Nueces County criminal case-number format

The Criminal Division gives examples such as CR160022224 and 17fc1234B. When searching, do not add commas, and the county states that hyphens can be omitted.
A criminal filing is not proof of guilt. Read the disposition for the actual result. Charges can be amended, dismissed, reduced or resolved differently from the original arrest allegation.
Criminal Division assistance: 361-888-0468
Case-search/e-filing help published by the clerk: 361-888-0495
Civil and family documents

Use re:SearchTX when the docket title is not enough

Smart Search tells you that a civil or family filing exists. re:SearchTX is more useful when you actually need to read an electronically available complaint, petition, motion, order, judgment or other filed document.

Find the case number in Nueces County Smart Search Save the exact style and case number before moving to another system.
Open re:SearchTX Open Texas re:SearchTX
Sign in Existing eFileTX users can use the same login credentials.
Search the Nueces County case Use the case number whenever possible to avoid pulling cases from another county.
Open the filing list Match the document title and filing date to the entry you saw in the Nueces portal.
Purchase only the document you need The District Clerk currently states that available civil and family documents cost 10¢ per page through re:SearchTX.
Why re:SearchTX can be faster: The District Clerk states that newly filed civil and family documents can appear in re:SearchTX within a few minutes after entering the county’s case-management system.
Do not assume every family filing is publicly viewable. Family cases can contain protected personal information, sealed exhibits or other documents that public users cannot access.
Search re:SearchTX Open District Clerk forms
Copies and certification

Order the document—not the entire case file

Criminal copy request

Have these details ready:

  • Cause or case number
  • Case style / defendant name
  • Exact document title
  • Number of copies
  • Certified or non-certified
  • Mail or pickup preference
  • Telephone number

Fax the Criminal Copy Order Form to 361-888-0759.

Published price: $1 per page plus $1 to certify.

Read Criminal Division instructions
Civil / family copy request

First check whether the filing can be purchased through re:SearchTX for 10¢ per page.

If the document is unavailable electronically, use the District Clerk’s Customer Order Form for Civil Copies.

  • Provide the case number
  • Identify the parties
  • Name the requested document
  • Specify certified or non-certified
  • Provide current contact information
Open Civil Copy forms
Do not pay for pages you do not need. Search the docket first, identify the exact judgment, order, indictment, petition, decree or dismissal, then request that document by title.
Copy-request wording

I am requesting a [certified / non-certified] copy of the document titled “[document title]” filed on or about [date] in Nueces County case [case number], styled [case name]. Please advise the total copy and certification cost before processing.
Historical cases

Use QuickLinks when Smart Search does not go back far enough

The District Clerk has digitized older docket, minute and judgment books. This is especially useful for genealogy, title work, older criminal dispositions, historical civil litigation and cases that predate modern electronic filing.

District Court Minutes 1850–1929
County Court at Law Minutes 1880–1990
Clerk’s File Dockets & Minutes 1935–1984
Civil Dockets 1938–1993
Judgments 1938–1991
Criminal Dockets 1941–1986
Criminal Minutes 1952–1990
Assignment of Accounts 1954–1965
Search District Clerk QuickLinks
Historical-search tip: Start with the approximate year and surname. Once you locate the docket or minute-book reference, save the book type, year, page and party names before asking the clerk for a copy.
Court routing

Do not search the wrong Nueces County court system

Where different Nueces County cases usually appear
Case type
Typical court level
Main record route
Important exception
Felony criminal
District Court
District Clerk Smart Search
Arrest and jail records are held separately by law enforcement.
Class A / B misdemeanor
County Court at Law
District Clerk Smart Search
Fine-only city citations may be municipal court matters.
General civil lawsuit
District Court or County Court at Law
Smart Search + re:SearchTX
Smaller civil claims and evictions can originate in JP court.
Divorce / family
District Court
Smart Search + re:SearchTX
Some documents may be confidential or restricted.
Probate / guardianship
County Court at Law
District Clerk
Court at Law No. 5 has a specialized guardianship docket.
Eviction / small claim / fine-only matter
Justice of the Peace
Specific JP court
City ordinance and city traffic cases may belong to municipal court.
Corpus Christi municipal citation
Corpus Christi Municipal Court
City Citation & Docket Search
Do not rely on the county case portal for a city citation.
Eight district courts

Nueces County district-court directory

Nueces County’s eight district courts handle felony criminal matters and significant civil/family litigation. Their courtrooms are in the Nueces County Courthouse at 901 Leopard Street.

28th District Court (A)

361-888-0506

94th District Court (C)

361-888-0320

105th District Court (D)

361-888-0510

117th District Court (B)

361-888-0436

148th District Court (E)

361-888-0333

214th District Court (F)

361-888-0463

319th District Court (G)

361-888-0533

347th District Court (H)

361-888-0593

Call the court only after finding the case. Have the case number, party name and scheduled date ready. The judge’s staff generally cannot perform broad historical record research for callers.
County Courts at Law

Misdemeanor, probate and civil dockets are not all in one courtroom

County Court at Law 1
901 Leopard Street
7th Floor, Room 701
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0555

County Court at Law 2
901 Leopard Street
7th Floor, Room 702
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0596

County Court at Law 3
901 Leopard Street
7th Floor, Room 703
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0466

County Court at Law 4
901 Leopard Street
7th Floor, Room 704
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0237

County Court at Law 5
2310 Golihar Road
Corpus Christi, TX 78415

361-561-6056

Court 5 is different

Its specialized docket includes juvenile delinquency, CPS/APS matters, guardianships and Justice Court appeals.

County Courts at Law 1–4 list normal office hours of 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday, with offices closed daily from noon–1:00 p.m. Court 5 lists the same general hours at its Golihar location.
Cases outside the main county search

A missing result may belong to a JP or municipal court

Nueces County Justice Courts

Justice of the Peace courts handle matters such as evictions, small civil cases, traffic offenses, truancy and fine-only misdemeanors.

Nueces County has nine Justice of the Peace positions across its precincts.

Find the correct Nueces County JP
Corpus Christi Municipal Court
120 N. Chaparral Street
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

Phone: 361-826-2500

Public counter: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; extended Thursday hours to 6:00 p.m.

Search city citations and dockets
Do not pay a citation just to “close” the search. Corpus Christi Municipal Court warns that payment can result in a judgment and conviction that may be reported to Texas DPS when applicable. Read your available options first.
Common portal mistake

The County Clerk Official Records Search is not the main court-case database

Use District Clerk for court cases
  • Civil / Family District Courts
  • Civil / Probate matters
  • Criminal / Felony District Courts
  • Criminal misdemeanor courts
  • Condemnation cases
Use County Clerk Official Records for recorded documents
  • Deeds
  • Liens and official public records
  • Assumed names / DBA
  • Bonds
  • Commissioners Court records
  • Marriage and other clerk records
Nueces County Clerk
901 Leopard Street, 2nd Floor, Room 201
Corpus Christi, TX 78401
Phone: 361-888-0580
Public hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Open County Clerk Official Records Open actual court case search
Filing documents

Searching a case and filing into a case are separate jobs

Criminal e-filing

Nueces County participates in Texas electronic filing for criminal cases.

  • Use your email as the e-file username.
  • Existing Texas e-file credentials can be reused.
  • Non-attorney filers register as Independent Users.
  • The county states that Nueces County itself does not charge a criminal e-filing fee.
  • Your electronic filing service provider may charge a service fee.
Important criminal filing rules
  • Each lead document must show the correct case number.
  • A document cannot contain multiple criminal case numbers.
  • Multiple defendants require separate cases.
  • Proposed orders are submitted as separate lead documents.
  • An accepted filing cannot simply have a missing exhibit added later; an amended document may be required.
Do not e-file a document that is intended to be submitted under seal. The District Clerk’s Criminal Division instructs filers to use the county’s sealed-document procedure instead.
Open Texas eFile Read Nueces criminal e-file rules
Restricted information

Why a real case can exist without a public document

Sealed by court order The case or individual documents may be blocked from public access.
Juvenile matter Juvenile cases have stronger confidentiality restrictions than ordinary adult records.
Protected family information Sensitive child, financial, medical and identifying information may be restricted.
Document is not digitized The docket may be searchable even though the image must be requested from the clerk.
Historical file Older material may exist only in QuickLinks, paper records or archived books.
Wrong court system A JP or municipal case may not appear where you searched the District Clerk system.
Do not assume “not online” means “no case.” Search the correct clerk, use the case number when possible and ask whether the requested document is restricted or simply unavailable electronically.
Criminal record clearing

An expunction search involves more than removing a portal result

Nueces County now publishes a local agency list for expunction filings under changes effective September 1, 2025. A petitioner may need to identify multiple agencies that possess records connected to the arrest.

County court agencies

District Clerk, District Attorney, County Attorney, County Clerk and applicable JP or municipal courts may need to be considered.

Law enforcement

The Sheriff, Corpus Christi Police Department and another arresting police or constable agency may hold separate records.

Texas agencies

DPS, TDCJ and the Texas Office of Court Administration are among the statewide agencies listed by the Nueces District Clerk.

Open Nueces expunction agency list
Expunction is not a database correction. If a court record contains a factual error, first determine which clerk or agency owns that field. Expunction is a separate legal remedy with eligibility requirements.
Help without guessing the procedure

Use local self-help resources before filing something incorrectly

Nueces County Law Library
Nueces County Courthouse
901 Leopard Street
6th Floor, Room 601

361-888-0343

Volunteer Lawyers Project

Phone: 361-880-5425

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid

Regional assistance: 888-988-9996

The county Law Library also links to eFile Texas Self Help, TexasLawHelp forms, court-help videos and other legal research tools. Use these resources when you understand the case but are unsure how to file the next document.
Open District Clerk self-help resources
Contacts and courthouse

Nueces County court-record offices to save before you call

District Clerk
901 Leopard Street
3rd Floor, Room 313
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0450

nueces.districtclerk@nuecescountytx.gov

District Clerk Public Counter

Monday–Thursday

8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Friday: closed to the public

Criminal Division
Nueces County Courthouse
2nd Floor

Supervisor: 361-888-0468

Search/e-file help: 361-888-0495

Criminal Copy Fax

361-888-0759

Send the completed Criminal Copies order form with case and document details.

Nueces County Clerk
901 Leopard Street
2nd Floor, Room 201
Corpus Christi, TX 78401

361-888-0580

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Court Administrator
901 Leopard Street
4th Floor, Room 402

361-888-0789

County Law Library
901 Leopard Street
6th Floor, Room 601

361-888-0343

County Switchboard

361-888-0111

Useful when you know the case type but not the department.

Friday warning: Individual courtrooms may operate Friday even though the District Clerk’s main public counter currently lists Friday as closed to the public. Do not confuse courtroom hours with clerk-counter hours.

Map to Nueces County Courthouse

Most District Clerk services, District Courts, County Courts at Law 1–4 and the Law Library are inside the 901 Leopard Street courthouse. County Court at Law 5 is the notable exception at 2310 Golihar Road.
Before you leave the search page

Save these details so you do not have to start over

Exact case or cause number
Full case style
Correct party spelling
Case type
Filing date
Current case status
Assigned judicial officer
Next setting or hearing shown
Exact document title you need
Document filing date
Final disposition or judgment entry
Which clerk or court owns the record
Troubleshooting

A case exists, but you still cannot find what you need

You found the party but not the case Remove advanced filters and search again with only Last Name, First Name.
You have the number but get no result Remove hyphens or dashes and verify that no digits were transposed.
You found the docket but not the document Check re:SearchTX or submit a copy request.
The case is very old Move to QuickLinks and search the historical index books.
The record is a city citation Search Corpus Christi Municipal Court rather than the District Clerk portal.
The record involves eviction or a JP matter Identify the Justice of the Peace precinct that handled the case.
You searched County Clerk records Return to the District Clerk when you actually need a court case rather than a deed or recorded instrument.
The document is restricted Ask the clerk whether access is limited by law or court order rather than repeatedly searching.
10 practical questions

Nueces County court-record questions answered

How do I search Nueces County court records online?

Start with the Nueces County District Clerk Case Search page and open the Public Case Search portal. Use Smart Search to search by case number or party name. Names must be entered in Last Name, First Name format. The portal includes civil, family and criminal case activity and can be narrowed with advanced filters.

What name format should I use in the Nueces County Smart Search?

Nueces County instructs users to enter party names as Last Name, First Name, including the comma. If the search is too broad, use advanced filters such as date of birth, case type, case status, file-date range or judicial officer.

Can I search Nueces County criminal and civil cases in the same portal?

Yes. The District Clerk states that the Nueces County Case Records Search can be used to view the register of actions for Civil and Family cases as well as Criminal cases. Civil and family users can also use re:SearchTX to obtain electronically filed documents.

How can I find an old Nueces County court case?

Use the District Clerk’s QuickLinks historical index when a case is too old for the regular portal. The digitized collections include District Court Minutes dating to 1850, County Court at Law Minutes dating to 1880, Civil Dockets from 1938 through 1993 and Criminal Dockets from 1941 through 1986.

How much do Nueces County criminal court copies cost?

The Nueces County District Clerk Criminal Division currently states that criminal copies cost $1 per page plus $1 to certify. A Customer Order Form for Criminal Copies can be submitted with the cause number, case style, requested document titles, delivery preference and contact information.

How do I get Nueces County civil or family court documents online?

Use re:SearchTX for electronically filed civil and family documents. The District Clerk states that documents filed into its case management system can appear on re:SearchTX within minutes and are available for purchase at 10 cents per page. Existing eFileTX credentials can also be used for re:SearchTX.

Why can I not find a Corpus Christi Municipal Court case in the Nueces County case search?

Municipal court cases are maintained separately from the county District Clerk’s main case-record system. For Corpus Christi citations and municipal cases, use the City of Corpus Christi Municipal Court Citation and Docket Search instead.

Is the Nueces County Clerk Official Records Search the same as the court case search?

No. The County Clerk Official Records Search is primarily for recorded public documents such as deeds, liens, assumed names and other official records. For criminal, civil, family and many probate court case records, start with the Nueces County District Clerk.

What should I do if the Nueces County court-record portal gives an error?

Nueces County warns that high traffic can occasionally produce portal errors. Wait briefly and retry. If a case still cannot be found, confirm the Last Name, First Name format, remove hyphens from a known criminal case number, broaden advanced filters and contact the District Clerk at 361-888-0450 when necessary.

Are all Nueces County court records available to the public?

No. Many court records can be viewed publicly, but sealed records, juvenile information, protected personal information and other records made confidential by law or court order may be restricted or unavailable through the public portal.

Official resources

Primary Nueces County court-record tools

District Clerk tools
Document and historical tools
Other courts and help
Accuracy and court-record use notice

Texas-arrest.org is an independent informational resource. It is not the Nueces County District Clerk, County Clerk, any Nueces County court, the City of Corpus Christi, the Texas Judicial Branch or a law firm.

Online case data, court assignments, office hours, copy prices, document availability and public-access rules can change. Verify the case number, identity, filing date and final judgment with the official clerk before relying on a record for legal, employment, housing, financial or publication purposes.

A criminal charge or pending case is not a conviction. Civil allegations are also claims until resolved by the court. Read the actual disposition, judgment or final order before describing the outcome.

Official-source review completed August 17, 2026. Current research included the Nueces County District Clerk, Records Division, Smart Search instructions, Criminal Division, District Courts, County Courts at Law, Justices of the Peace, County Clerk, self-help resources, QuickLinks, re:SearchTX and Corpus Christi Municipal Court.

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