Look Up Free Galveston County Arrest Records: Resource

Search free Galveston County arrest records right away using the convenient lookup options covered in this resource. Having the ability to search these records allows citizens to check whether someone they know has been arrested and if they’re currently incarcerated.

Arrest information is considered a public government record under Texas’ Public Information Act. As a result, individuals are given the right to inspect and make copies of arrest records.

Depending on the record custodian, some information may be obtained online, while other details may require an in-person search or formal request. This streamlined resource clearly explains the types of arrest details you can obtain and how to effectively in Galveston County, Texas.

This resource was written by Attorney Robert Bailey Jr, who holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law.

How To Search Up-to-Date Galveston County Arrest Records & Mugshots (Free)

If you want to look up arrest records in Galveston County, you can do so with the Sheriff’s Office Inmate Inquiry Tool.¹

You can search their inmate list using a variety of filters and information. This search tool allows you to search by as many different search criteria as you want and include a person’s name, race, sex, age, primary charge, arrest date and booking agency.

The search results will provide you with the inmate’s full name, race, sex and age. You can also view the inmate’s arrest date, booking agency and the primary charge for which they were incarcerated.

You can then click on the person’s name to view their complete arrest record. Here, you can see additional information on the charges brought against them. Specifically, you can see the formal charge, current status, docket number and bond amount.

You can also view the offender’s release and next court date, if applicable. The inmate details also provide a mugshot of the individual.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office also has a list of recent arrests.² Here, you can view a snapshot of individuals who were recently arrested by the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office. You can see their name, mugshot, description (e.g., race, sex, age, height, weight) and the reason for their arrest.

If you are looking for a police report, you can also conduct an event search with the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.³ To use this tool, you can choose to select either accidents, arrests, or incidents. You can provide a case number or the person’s name along with either a specific date or range that you want to search. Lastly, you can include an address for where the accident, arrest or incident occurred.

The results will provide you with the date and type of event, the individual involved, location, and other related information (e.g., for arrest reports, you will also have the charge).

You can also submit a public records request to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office.⁴ You can submit a request in writing and send it via email to [email protected]. You can also mail or bring the public records request in person to the address below:

Galveston County Sheriff’s Office
601 54th Street
Galveston, Texas 77551

For additional information or questions, you can either go in person to the address above or call the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office by phone at 409-766-2320. Alternatively, you can also contact the Galveston County Jail by phone at 409-766-2315 or by going in person to the address below:

Galveston County Jail
5700 Ave. H
Galveston, Texas 77591

In addition to county government agencies, you can also access arrest information at the city level. If the city police department was the arresting agency, you may be able to access information quicker there than at the county level.

As an example, you can obtain arrest records from the Texas City Police Department, which is the law enforcement agency for the most populous city in Galveston County.⁵

You can request arrest records from the Texas City Police Department by providing them with the full name and date of birth of the person who was arrested.⁶ You must also provide the police department with the specific date of their arrest.

Requests can be sent via mail or in person to the address below:

Texas City Police Department
1004 Ninth Ave. N
Texas City, Texas 77590

An arrest report costs $4.00. For additional questions about requesting arrest records, you can contact the Texas City Police Department by phone at 409-948-3111.

All of this information is made available to citizens every day thanks to the Texas Public Information Act.⁷

There may be other third-party services, such as VINELink, that can also provide helpful arrest information. However, arrest information is only part of a person’s story. In the next section, you will learn how to access criminal records and understand the additional information you may be able to obtain that is not found with arrest information.

How To Gain Insight on Criminal Charges & Former Arrests Made in Galveston County Texas

If you want to get more information on past arrests and charges against a person, you can view their criminal record information through the Galveston County Case Records Search Tool.⁸ You can use this tool to search for criminal records by case number, citation, attorney, date, or the defendant’s name.

Unless you have very specific information, you will likely be performing a name-based search. If you are unsure of how to correctly spell a person’s name, you can select the “Soundex” option, which will search for names phonetically. You can also include a defendant’s date of birth if you know that.

There are two additional options for narrowing down your search. First, you can select a particular case status (open or closed).

Next, you can set a date range for when the criminal case was filed. Once you enter your information, it will take you to the results page.

On the results page, you will find all criminal cases that match the search criteria you entered. For all matching results, you can view the defendant’s name (and date of birth), case number, filing date, court that handled the matter, and judicial officer. You can also see the type of criminal case (misdemeanor or felony) and its current status.

Click on a person’s case number to view their complete online criminal record. Here, you can view criminal information broken down into a few specific sections. Below is a brief summary of what you can find in each section:

Party Information: Here, you can view the defendant’s address, identifying information and their physical description. This description includes their sex, race, date of birth, height and weight. You can also view any attorneys associated with the case.

Charge Information: This section will provide a list and description of all charges brought against the defendant. You can also view the date of the charge, specific statute and the level of the offense.

Events & Orders of the Court: In this section, you can see a list of every event or filing that has occurred in a particular criminal case. This can include everything from the initial warrant that was issued all the way through to the sentencing of the defendant.

You can also access this information directly with the courts that handled the criminal case. In Galveston County, there are two types of courts. The Galveston County Court of Law handles all misdemeanor cases. These are less serious criminal offenses (e.g., petty theft, harassment, etc.).

The District Court handles felony cases that are more serious criminal offenses (e.g., armed robbery, murder, manslaughter, etc.).

For misdemeanor criminal cases, you can reach out to the Galveston County Court at Law to ask them for other ways to access their records.⁹ You can call them at 409-766-2233, 409-766-2405, and 409-621-7920. You can also go in person to the address below:

Galveston County Court at Law
600 59th St.
Galveston, Texas 77550

They are available for inquiries any time from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

You can go in person or call the Galveston County District Court to ask them how you can access criminal cases.¹⁰ You can call the District Courts Administration Office at 409-770-5230 or go in person to the address below:

Galveston County District Court
600 59th St., Ste. 4209
Galveston, Texas 77551

If you want to look up information at the city level, you can sometimes find criminal record information with their municipal court. As an example, you can access certain criminal charge information from the Texas City Municipal Court.¹¹ The Texas Municipal Court handles certain minor criminal offenses.

If you want to request criminal or arrest record information from the Texas Municipal Court, you can contact the Court Administrator by phone at 409-643-5800. They are available Monday through Thursday from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM and Friday from 7:30 AM to 4:30 PM. If you want to talk to someone in person, you can go to the below address:

Texas Municipal Court
1004 Ninth Ave. N
Texas City, Texas 77590

There is also a statewide option for access to criminal and arrest information through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Inmate Search Tool.¹²

You can search for information by a person’s name or identification number (state or Department of Criminal Justice). You can also include an offender’s race or gender to further refine your results.

The results page will provide you with the person’s name, inmate number, race, gender, unit of assignment and projected release date (if applicable). You can click on their name to get even more detailed information. Here, you can see information on parole eligibility and other identifying information.

You can also view their offense history. For each crime, you can see a description of the offense, the date it occurred, the county, and the sentencing date. You can also see how much time they were sentenced for each offense.

The next section will contain some more practical information if you need to assist someone who was arrested. You will learn how to assist a person who has been arrested in Galveston County with posting bail.

How To Find a Bail Bondsman or Post Bail for Someone Arrested in Galveston County

If you need to post bail for a person who is currently arrested, you have two basic options. The first option is to post their bail on your own.

To post bail on your own, you have a couple of options. Depending on the amount of bail required, you can go to the county court or jail and pay the full amount by either cash or check.

If you do not have enough money but still want to handle the bail on your own, another option is to sign over the ownership rights of a particular piece of property that has enough equity to cover the bail. As long as the person does not flee and skip their hearing you will eventually get that money or collateral back.

The second option is to use the assistance of a bail bondsman. A bail bondsman takes the role of the individual by providing the court with a pledge of either money or assets for the person’s release from jail. If you use a bail bondsman, they will typically require you to pay them about 10% of what the bond is worth.

While the bond company is responsible to the court, the person who signs the agreement with the bail bondsman is responsible for the 10% and any additional fees if the person being bailed out of jail does not show up for their scheduled hearing date.

In some cases, a person may be released from jail under their own recognizance. This is usually reserved for individuals who do not have a previous criminal history or for certain minor offenses.

In Galveston County, a defendant can receive what is referred to as a personal bond.¹³ This is issued to a defendant when they explicitly agree to both return for their next court date and comply with any other conditions put in place.

You now should have a solid understanding of how to assist a person who is seeking to post bail and how to find Galveston County arrest records using various tools. Use this article to assist you whenever dealing with access to arrest or criminal information in Galveston County.