Harris County Criminal Records
Do I Have a Criminal Record in Harris County?
You can check if you have a criminal record by contacting the Harris County District Clerk's website and using their online criminal records search tool. You can also visit the courthouse in person to request this information. Another option is to use a public records site to uncover your criminal past. This type of resource will show you a complete breakdown of your criminal history in all of Texas as well as other states.
Are Harris County Criminal Records Public?
Yes, most criminal records are public, which means that anyone can view them online. However, some records may be sealed or expunged, making them inaccessible to the general public. You can find out for certain what is publicly available by using a public records site and running a background check on yourself.
How Do I Search for Harris County Texas Criminal Records?
To search for criminal records you have a couple of options. First, you can visit the Harris County District Clerk's website. You can use their online search tool by entering the person's name and date of birth. Another option is to use a third-party resource, sometimes referred to as public records websites. These resources allow you to run multiple searches for a fee, and will often give you much more detailed information about a person's past.
How do I Expunge My Criminal Record in Harris County?
Expunging a criminal record involves filing a petition for expunction with the court. It is recommended to hire an attorney for the expungement process, as this can potentially be a complicated process. This legal process removes arrests, charges, and convictions from your record, making them unavailable to the public. This will also clean up your record from potential employee background checks.
What information is included in a Criminal Background Check?
A criminal background check will include both personally identifiable information as well as arrests, court case records, convictions, sentencings, any active warrants, incarcerations, prison records, mugshots, probation or parole orders. Depending on the type of background check, some information may drop off after a certain amount of time but a level 2 background check is more detailed and will list offenses that can potentially go back indefinitely.
How a Criminal Conviction Can Adversely Affect Your Life
A criminal past can impact various aspects of your life, including employment opportunities, housing applications, professional licensing, and travel opportunities. Depending on the nature of the convictions you may have on your record, these can sometimes be detrimental to future opportunities. A felony, for example, can potentially limit your constitutional rights. You may not be able to vote, or own a firearm. A misdemeanor can potentially limit your travel options outside of the country. Canada, for example, will not let anyone enter the country with a misdemeanor or felony. If you receive a DUI, while not a violent crime, is still considered a misdemeanor and can have long lasting consequences.
Expunging your record can help mitigate these effects. While some convictions have a statute of limitations of 7 years, you may still need to have those records sealed or expunged so that they do not show up on a background check. Other crimes such as felonies, may not drop off at all, depending on the nature of those offenses. If you have any questions about how to clean up your record, there are many online services that offer reputation repair services. You may also consider consulting with an attorney to find out what your options are. You only get one name, so try and protect it and make it shine.
How Do I Check Someone's Harris County Criminal History?
You can lookup someone's entire criminal history using a public records website. While there are a lot of online options to access criminal records, public records websites allow users to search anonymously to find out what is lurking in someone's past. These are convenient resources to lookup a person's criminal convictions, court records, arrests, DUIs, traffic citations, and run a background check.
