Smith County Court Records Search | Criminal and Civil Cases

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Smith County, Texas · Judicial Search, criminal cases, civil dockets, divorce and probate records

Find the Right Smith County Case Before Requesting the Record

For most Smith County court-record searches, start with the county’s official Judicial Search. The same public portal combines records from several local courts, which is useful—but it also means a name search can return felony, misdemeanor, civil, family or probate matters together.

Once you find the case, save the cause number, assigned court, case type and filing date. Those four details tell you whether to contact the District Clerk, County Clerk, Justice Court or another office for the document you actually need.

Open Smith County Judicial Search Find the correct clerk Case not showing?
Case or cause number Full party name Approximate filing year Criminal or civil Assigned court if known
SMITH COUNTY DOCKET SORTER ROUTING CASE
PUBLIC JUDICIAL SEARCH
CORRECT COURT FILE
CASE + CLERK VERIFIED
CRIMINAL
CIVIL
CAUSE NUMBER FOUND
Quick answer: Smith County currently says its online judicial search includes civil cases from 1997 to current, criminal cases from 1995 to current, and probate cases from 1992 to current. An older case may still exist even when it does not appear online.
Main portal

Smith County Public Search / Judicial Search.

Felony records

Start with the District Clerk.

Class A/B cases

County Clerk Criminal Division.

Older records

Records Services holds inactive historical files.

Review date

Official details checked August 20, 2026.

Start here

Which Smith County office has your case?

Smith County is slightly more complicated than counties where one clerk handles nearly everything. District courts, three County Courts at Law, Justice Courts and the constitutional county court can all appear in local searches.

FELONY District Clerk

Use for felony case records, indictments, criminal district-court dockets, judgments and related district-court documents.

Felony search steps
CLASS A / B MISDEMEANOR County Clerk Criminal Division

Use for most Class A and Class B misdemeanor records filed through Smith County Courts at Law.

Misdemeanor records
DISTRICT CIVIL / DIVORCE District Clerk

Use for district civil litigation, divorce, child support, custody, tax cases and other family matters maintained by the District Clerk.

Civil and family search
COUNTY-COURT CIVIL County Clerk Civil Division

Use for civil cases filed in the Smith County Courts at Law, including debt, contract and other county-court civil matters.

Find county civil files
PROBATE / GUARDIANSHIP County Clerk Probate Division

Use for estates, wills filed in probate, guardianships and other probate proceedings.

Search probate records
TRAFFIC / SMALL CLAIMS Justice of the Peace

Use the correct JP precinct for many traffic, fine-only Class C, small-claims, debt and eviction matters.

Justice Court records
Best shortcut: Search the Judicial Portal first. Once the result gives you the cause number and assigned court, route the document request to the correct clerk instead of guessing from the case title.

Go directly to the record you need

Avoid the wrong website

Judicial Search, eFileTexas and Public Records are not the same thing

Use the portal that matches the task
Portal or office
Use it for
Do not use it for
Smith County Judicial Search
Finding local court cases, case numbers, parties, court assignments and available docket information.
Assuming every online result is a certified court document.
District Clerk
Felony, district civil, divorce, custody, child support and other district/family records.
Requesting Class A/B misdemeanor copies from the wrong clerk.
County Clerk
Class A/B misdemeanors, county-court civil matters, probate and guardianship.
Using the property-record search for a criminal case.
Official Public Records Search
Deeds, liens and other real-property/public-record instruments.
Treating it as the normal criminal/civil court-case search.
eFileTexas
Electronically filing court documents when applicable.
Using it as the primary public case lookup.
PACER
Federal district, bankruptcy and appellate cases.
Searching it for an ordinary Smith County state case.
One especially common mistake: A Texas Public Information Act request is usually not the normal route for a judicial case file. Smith County explains that judicial records are governed by court rules and other applicable law; District Clerk and County Clerk records should be requested directly from those offices.
Criminal court records

Separate felony records from misdemeanor records

Felony case

The District Clerk is Smith County’s primary record keeper for felony proceedings.

  • Search the Judicial Portal first.
  • Save the cause number and District Court.
  • Review charges, settings and available docket events.
  • Contact the District Clerk for copies or certification.

District Clerk: 903-590-1660

Open District Clerk information

Class A or B misdemeanor

The County Clerk Criminal Division keeps Class A and Class B misdemeanor records arising from Smith County offenses.

  • The division says its misdemeanor records date back to 1976.
  • Staff can provide case number, court assignment, court date, attorney and bondsman information.
  • Copies can be requested by email or telephone.

Criminal Division: 903-590-4680
crimcopies@smith-county.com

Open County Clerk information
Why the court name can be confusing: Smith County Courts at Law have expanded jurisdiction and may hear more than ordinary misdemeanors. For record requests involving a felony, the County Clerk’s current misdemeanor guidance directs users to the District Clerk. Search the case first instead of routing by the judge’s title alone.

Smith County misdemeanor background search

The County Clerk currently lists a $5 criminal background search for Smith County Class A and B misdemeanor records, plus $1 per page if printed. This is a local Smith County search—not a complete Texas or nationwide criminal-history check.
Civil, divorce and family records

Why Smith County civil records can involve either clerk

Civil jurisdiction overlaps in Smith County. The safest method is to find the cause number and assigned court online first, then contact the clerk responsible for that file.

District Clerk civil and family records

The District Clerk is the record office for District Court proceedings and maintains records involving major civil litigation, divorces, child support, custody, tax collection and other district matters.

Address:
100 N. Broadway, Room 204
Tyler, TX 75702

Phone: 903-590-1660

County Clerk civil records

The County Clerk Civil Department records civil cases filed in Smith County Courts at Law, including matters such as debt, breach of contract, garnishment, injunctions, personal injury and eminent domain.

Address:
200 E. Ferguson Street, Suite 300
Tyler, TX 75702

Civil Department: 903-590-4673

Smith County currently has five District Courts. The 321st District Court is designated for family-law cases; the other four District Courts hear civil and criminal matters, and the 475th District Court also hears juvenile cases.
Divorce search: Start with Judicial Search, but requests for Smith County divorce records and district-family documents should generally go to the District Clerk.
Probate and guardianship

Search the probate index online, then request the document

Search the Judicial Portal Smith County says probate case indexes are available online.
Use the decedent, estate or party name Add a filing year or case number when known.
Save the probate case number You will need it when asking for a particular will, order, application, inventory or guardianship document.
Contact the County Clerk Probate Division for images or copies Smith County currently states that probate indexes are online, but document images are available only through the County Clerk’s office.
County Clerk Probate Division
200 E. Ferguson Street, Suite 300
Tyler, TX 75702
Phone: 903-590-4678
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
A will held for safekeeping is different from a probated will. Smith County allows wills to be deposited for safekeeping, and the county specifically states that safekeeping does not make the will a public record.
Justice Court cases

Traffic, small claims and evictions may belong to a JP court

Fine-only criminal matters

Justice Courts have original jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanors punishable by fine only, including many traffic cases.

Small claims and debt

Smith County Justice Courts handle civil matters within their statutory jurisdiction, currently including cases involving not more than $20,000.

Evictions

Eviction and certain landlord-tenant matters begin in the Justice Court serving the appropriate precinct.

Find the Smith County JP courts Review JP fees and payment routes
If a traffic citation is from the City of Tyler or another municipality, it may belong to a municipal court rather than a Smith County JP court. Read the court name printed on the citation before paying or requesting records.
Copies and certification

Know whether you need information, a regular copy or a certified copy

Current Smith County copy information
Record request
Current published information
Best route
District Clerk regular copy emailed, 0–15 pages
$1 per page
District Clerk
District Clerk regular copy emailed, 16+ pages
$15 per document
District Clerk
District Clerk paper or certified copy
$1 per page as currently published by the office
District Clerk
County Clerk misdemeanor case copy
Request by crimcopies@smith-county.com or 903-590-4680; confirm the current quote before payment
County Clerk Criminal Division
Smith County Class A/B misdemeanor background search
$5 search; $1 per printed page
County Clerk Criminal Division
Law Library photocopy
$0.25 per page
Useful for research copies; not a substitute for a clerk-certified record
Certified means more than printed. Printing a public-search screen does not turn it into a certified record. Ask the appropriate clerk specifically for certification when an agency, court, employer or lawyer requires official proof.
Save money by bringing the cause number. A precise cause number helps the clerk locate the exact file and reduces the risk of purchasing documents from the wrong same-name case.
Court dates and current settings

Do not rely on an old docket screenshot

Smith County directs litigants to Judicial Search for current civil and criminal settings. Individual judges control their own dockets, so a saved court date can become outdated after a reset or new order.

Open the case again shortly before the hearing
Read the newest docket entry
Confirm the assigned court and courtroom
Check whether the hearing is in person
Call the specific court if two settings conflict
Do not assume a payment notice is the newest setting
Smith County states that questions about a specific judicial proceeding should be directed to the court where the case is pending.
District Court directory County Courts at Law
No-result troubleshooting

Why a Smith County case may not appear online

The record is older than the online index Civil records before 1997, criminal cases before 1995 and probate cases before 1992 may require clerk or Records Services help.
You are searching the wrong court level A traffic citation, JP civil claim or municipal case may not be where you expect a district or county case.
The name is indexed differently Try a former surname, business legal name, middle initial, suffix or alternate party.
The case was filed very recently Clerk processing and public-index updates may not be immediate.
The case is restricted Adoption, juvenile, sealed and other protected records may not be publicly searchable.
The matter is federal Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases use federal systems such as PACER.
You have an incorrect cause number Recheck punctuation, year digits and court paperwork before assuming the file is missing.
The public portal is temporarily unavailable Contact the appropriate clerk rather than relying on an unofficial background-check site.
Smith County’s public search experienced a significant outage in 2024 and was rebuilt. The county continues to link the current portal at portal.smith-county.com/Public/. When a third-party page imitates “Smith County Judicial Records,” return to the county domain and follow its official link.
Historical and inactive files

Use Records Services when the online search is too new

What Records Services handles
  • Inactive District and County Court civil records
  • Inactive criminal records
  • Case files
  • Minute books
  • Ledgers and indexes
  • Other archived county documentation
How far back?

Smith County says Records Services holdings date back to the county’s founding in 1846.

That does not mean every historical document is digitized or immediately available. Call with as much case information as possible.

Smith County Records Services
Cotton Belt Building, Basement
1517 West Front Street, Room 150
Tyler, TX 75702
Phone: 903-590-2960
Fax: 903-590-2965
Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
Before calling: Write down the party names, approximate year, case type, possible judge or court and any old case number. Historical searches are much easier when you can narrow the decade and court.
Sealed and restricted records

A missing case does not always mean the record was deleted

Adoption records

Smith County states that adoption records are maintained by the District Clerk, but access requires a case number and court permission.

Juvenile records

Juvenile matters can be subject to access restrictions that do not apply to ordinary public civil or adult criminal cases.

Sealed or protected filings

A public case index may omit protected documents or the entire matter when access is restricted by law or court order.

Do not try to bypass a court restriction. If you are a party, lawyer or other person who may have a legal right to access a protected file, ask the clerk what court order, identification or motion is required.
Court fines and fees

Find the court before sending a payment

Smith County specifically recommends searching Judicial Records by party name when you have a court payment but do not know which court should receive it.

County Clerk payment

Use for criminal misdemeanor fines and court costs handled by the County Clerk.

You need the case number.

Do not use this payment route for probation fees, JP cases, felony cases or family-law matters.

District Clerk payment

Separate online options are published for civil/family fees and criminal felony fines and court fees.

District Clerk telephone payment service: 866-549-1010.

Justice Court payment

JP fines and traffic matters use precinct-specific payment routes.

Read the court name on the citation before submitting payment.

Smith County payment router Find the assigned court first
Research help in Tyler

Use the Law Library when you need forms or legal research

Smith County Law Library

The library is open to attorneys, judges and the general public at no admission cost.

  • Texas statutes and case law
  • LexisNexis and online legal research
  • Litigation, criminal, civil, family and probate guides
  • Some fillable self-help forms
  • Public computers
100 N. Broadway Avenue
Courthouse Basement
Tyler, TX 75702

Phone: 903-590-1750

Current library hours and services

  • Monday–Thursday: 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
  • Friday: 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
  • Closed daily 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
  • Copies: $0.25 per page
  • Notary service: $5 per signature

Law librarians can point you toward resources but cannot provide legal advice or choose forms for you.

Open Law Library information
Federal court records

A federal case will not be in Smith County Judicial Search

Federal criminal prosecutions, federal civil lawsuits and bankruptcy cases use federal court systems. Search PACER when the paperwork names a United States District Court, Bankruptcy Court or Court of Appeals.

Use PACER when
  • The case number has a federal format
  • The United States is a party
  • The case is federal bankruptcy
  • The filing is in a U.S. District Court
Do not use PACER when
  • The case is a Smith County felony prosecution
  • It is a County Court misdemeanor
  • It is a Smith County civil or divorce case
  • It is a JP traffic or small-claims matter
Search federal court cases through PACER
PACER charges for some electronic access. Check the current federal fee schedule before opening large docket reports or document sets.
Addresses, phones and parking

Smith County court-record offices in Tyler

Smith County District Clerk
100 N. Broadway, Room 204
Tyler, TX 75702

Phone: 903-590-1660

Fax: 903-590-1661

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Payments stop at 4:30 p.m.

Smith County County Clerk
200 E. Ferguson Street, Suite 300
Tyler, TX 75702

Phone: 903-590-4670

Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

County Clerk Criminal Division

903-590-4680

crimcopies@smith-county.com

Class A/B misdemeanor records and copies.

County Clerk Civil Division

903-590-4673

County Courts at Law civil records.

County Clerk Probate Division

903-590-4678

Probate, estate and guardianship files.

Smith County Records Services
1517 West Front Street, Room 150
Cotton Belt Building, Basement
Tyler, TX 75702

903-590-2960

Smith County Law Library
100 N. Broadway Avenue
Courthouse Basement
Tyler, TX 75702

903-590-1750

Smith County Parking Garage
210 East Ferguson Street
Tyler, TX 75702

Five-story, 543-space garage.

Smith County lists it as free and first-come, first-served for county employees, jurors and the public.

Local courthouse tip: The county parking garage at 210 E. Ferguson Street is beside the Annex Building and a short walk from the Courthouse. Smith County also lists disabled parking around the Courthouse at 100 N. Broadway.

Smith County Courthouse and District Clerk map

County Clerk and public parking area

Records Services for older files

Before driving to Tyler: Call the clerk if you need an older file, certified document, restricted record or large copy order. Confirm the case number, office location, total cost and whether the document is already available electronically.
Practical Smith County shortcuts

Seven things worth doing before you request a record

Save the exact cause number
Confirm criminal versus civil
Write down the assigned court
Check the filing year against online coverage
Ask whether a regular copy is enough
Use Records Services for older inactive files
Recheck the docket before a court appearance
Use official county links instead of look-alike record sites
10 Smith County questions

Smith County court-record questions answered

Where can I search Smith County court records online?

Start with the official Smith County Public Search Site at portal.smith-county.com/Public/. Smith County links this Tyler Technologies Odyssey public-access system from its District Clerk, County Clerk, Courts and Records Services pages. Use the case number when known, or search by party name and then verify the court, case type, filing date and parties before relying on a match.

How far back do Smith County court records go online?

Smith County Records Services currently states that civil cases are online from 1997 to current, criminal cases from 1995 to current, and probate cases from 1992 to current. Older or inactive records may still exist even when they do not appear online, so contact the appropriate clerk or Smith County Records Services.

Where do I find Smith County felony court records?

The Smith County District Clerk maintains felony case records. Begin with the Smith County Judicial Search, save the cause number and assigned court, and contact the District Clerk at 903-590-1660 when you need a document, certified copy or help locating the file.

Where do I find Smith County misdemeanor court records?

The Smith County County Clerk Criminal Division maintains Class A and Class B misdemeanor records. Its records date back to 1976. For case information or misdemeanor copies, call 903-590-4680 or email crimcopies@smith-county.com. The County Clerk currently lists a $5 Smith County misdemeanor background search plus $1 per printed page.

How do I find Smith County civil, divorce or family court records?

District-level civil cases, divorce, child support and custody records are maintained through the Smith County District Clerk. The County Clerk also records civil cases filed in Smith County Courts at Law. Start with Judicial Search to identify the case number and assigned court before requesting copies from the clerk responsible for that file.

Can I search Smith County court records by name?

Yes. Smith County directs people who do not know the court handling their payment to search Judicial Records by party name. A case or cause number is safer when available because people and businesses can share similar names. Always verify the court, case type, filing date and other parties.

How much do Smith County District Clerk court copies cost?

The District Clerk currently states that regular copies emailed to a requester cost $1 per page for documents up to 15 pages and $15 per document for documents of 16 pages or more. The office states that paper copies and certified copies are $1 per page. Confirm the current total before ordering.

Are Smith County probate records available online?

Smith County says probate indexes are available online, with probate cases online from 1992 to current, but probate document images are available only through the County Clerk’s office. Contact the Probate Division when you need document copies.

Where do I find old Smith County court records that are not online?

Contact Smith County Records Services at 1517 West Front Street, Room 150, in the Cotton Belt Building basement in Tyler. Records Services handles inactive civil and criminal records and says its historical holdings date back to Smith County’s founding in 1846. Call 903-590-2960 before visiting.

Where do I search Smith County traffic, small claims or federal court cases?

Smith County Justice of the Peace courts handle many traffic and fine-only Class C misdemeanor cases plus civil matters such as small claims and evictions within their jurisdiction. Federal civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases are not Smith County court records; use PACER or the appropriate federal court instead.

Official sources reviewed

Primary Smith County resources used for this guide

Case search and courts
Clerks and archived records
Practical court resources
Accuracy and legal-use notice

Texas-arrest.org is an independent informational resource. It is not Smith County, the Smith County District Clerk, County Clerk, any Smith County court, PACER or a law firm.

Court status, filing availability, hearing dates, office procedures, copy charges and online access can change. Recheck the official case and contact the appropriate clerk before relying on a record for court, employment, licensing, housing, financial or legal purposes.

A criminal charge or pending case is not proof of guilt. A civil filing is an allegation or dispute unless and until the court record establishes an outcome.

Official-source review completed August 20, 2026. The page intentionally distinguishes public case lookup from certified copies, Public Information Act requests, property records, e-filing and federal PACER searches.

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