Austin Residents Directory
The Austin residents directory gives you access to public records across Travis County and city offices. Austin is the state capital of Texas, with a population over 950,000. You can search court records, vital records, police reports, and property data through local and state systems. The Texas Public Information Act makes most government records open to the public. Many of these records are now online, so you can look them up from home without a trip to the courthouse.
Austin Overview
Search Austin Public Records
Austin public records cover a broad range of document types. The city keeps its own records through the City Clerk's office, while Travis County manages court files, property deeds, and vital records at the county level. State agencies also hold records tied to Austin residents. The Texas Department of Public Safety maintains driver records and criminal history files for people across the state.
The City of Austin website is the main place to start a search. It links to all city departments and their records. You can file public information requests through the city's open records portal. The city has 10 business days to respond under state law. If the records can't be released in that time, they must send you a written notice explaining the delay.
For court records at the county level, Travis County runs a search portal that covers civil, criminal, and family cases. You can look up cases by name or case number at no cost. The system shows docket entries, party names, and case status for most filings. This is one of the most used tools in the Austin residents directory.
Austin also has an Open Data Portal where you can find data sets and reports from many city departments. Body cam footage and 311 service requests are part of the public record too.
Austin Police Department Records
The Austin Police Department keeps records at its main headquarters, 715 E 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701. The Report Sales Unit phone number is 512-974-5499. You can search public police reports on the APD incident report database. The database updates each day and goes back 18 months from the current date.
There are several ways to get crash reports. The fastest is through LexisNexis BuyCrash, which costs around $9. You need at least two pieces of info to search: last name, date of the crash, or the street where it happened. In-person copies cost $0.10 per page at headquarters. You can also mail a request to Austin Police Department Report Sales, P.O. Box 689001, Austin, Texas 78768. Call 512-974-5499 first to check the process and make sure the report is ready.
The screenshot below shows the APD search page where you can look up incident reports by location, date, or case number.
View the Austin Police Department records search page.
Reports are free to view on the site. Some info may be redacted for privacy or ongoing cases.
The TxDOT Crash Records Information System is another way to get crash reports. This is the central state database for all crash reports in Texas. Reports show up 7 to 10 days after the crash. A standard copy costs $6, and a certified copy is $8. The system is open around the clock, seven days a week.
Open records requests for police data go through the city's public information process. Email public.information@austintexas.gov or mail your request to P.O. Box 689001, Austin, Texas 78768. You can also hand-deliver a request at City Hall, 4th Floor, or at APD Headquarters.
Austin Municipal Court Records
The Austin Municipal Court handles Class C misdemeanors, traffic tickets, and city ordinance violations. The main courthouse sits at 6800 Burleson Road, Building 310, Suite 175, Austin, TX 78744. Call 512-974-4800 for help. You can also email court@austintexas.gov or fax 512-974-4882.
The court offers an online case search tool. Visit the case search page to look up your case by name or citation number. Online payments work for most citations. The court provides deferred disposition options and driver safety courses for people who qualify. A financial affidavit is on hand for those who can't pay fines right away.
View the Austin Municipal Court online services page.
The municipal court is a court of record. Appeals are based on what happened in the original case, not a new trial. The court does not handle felony or higher-level misdemeanor cases. Those go through Travis County courts.
Austin City Clerk and Residents Directory
The Austin City Clerk is the official custodian of city records. The phone number is 512-974-2210, and you can email city.clerk@austintexas.gov. The office handles council voting records, election management, campaign finance data, and boards and commissions info. You need an appointment for services that require a signature.
Public information requests can be sent online, by mail, by email, or in person at City Hall. The city uses an Open Records portal to track all requests. Under the Texas Public Information Act, the city must respond in 10 business days. If they need more time, a written notice goes out. The city's Open Data Portal has data sets and reports from many departments available for free.
View the official City of Austin website portal.
The Austin city portal links to all department contacts, online services, and public records tools.
Travis County Resources for Austin
Travis County runs the district courts, county courts, and justice of the peace courts that serve Austin. The county clerk handles vital records, property records, and other county filings. The district clerk manages case filings for all district courts. You can search court records through the county's online portal at no charge.
The Travis County Sheriff's Office may handle crashes that happen outside Austin city limits but still in the county. You can request those reports in person, by mail, or through TxDOT. It can take up to 10 days for a report to be ready. The sheriff's central records office can help with questions about report status.
For state-level records, the Texas Judicial Branch runs the re:SearchTX system that covers court records across all Texas counties. The Texas Department of State Health Services handles vital records at the state level. Since Austin is the state capital, many state agencies are located right here. The University of Texas at Austin Police Department also keeps its own records for campus incidents.
Travis County Residents Directory
Austin sits in Travis County, and the county government manages most of the court records, property records, and vital records for city residents. The county clerk, district clerk, and tax office all serve the Austin area. For a full look at what Travis County offers, visit the county page.
Nearby Cities
Several other cities near Austin also have residents directory pages. These cities share some of the same county resources and state systems.