Acquire Free Smith County Arrest Records (Texas Resource)

Search free Smith County arrest records to find out if anyone you know is detained here.

Arrest records are kept by official channels such as the clerk’s court, county custodian, or the sheriff’s office. Whoever the custodian may be, the procedure for searching arrest information is mostly the same for each institution.

Citizens must note that an arrest record doesn’t always mean a subject was charged with a criminal offense or guilty of wrongdoing.

Through this informative article, individuals can learn how to search for recent and older arrest records without spending a penny through different methods — along with determining how to post bail for themselves or someone they know in Smith County, Texas.

Find Smith County Arrest Records & Recent Mugshots at No Cost

According to Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, the government entitles the public the right to access public records – such as arrest information – without having to justify why they want them.

This includes all publicly available records except for information that is kept confidential and cannot be disclosed, such as juvenile cases and health information of persons.

For conducting a successful search through any of the tools, individuals will be required to enter basic details such as the first and last name of the subject along with other information, such as date of birth and location, to improve the accuracy of the search even more. The search result shows a list of relevant records with a ton of information, including arrest details about subjects, the charges filed against them, and any outstanding fines under their names.

The best way to find information on recent mugshots and arrestations is through the Jail Records Search Tool provided by the Smith County Court, where individuals can find records in the said ways:¹

• Search by Defendant
• Search by Booking Number

Searching by the defendant option requires individuals to enter at least the first and last name of the offender – which are marked as mandatory fields.

To search by booking number, inquirers are required to enter the corresponding booking number of the subject. For accurate information about a person, requesters can enter the said information to refine their search even more:

• Middle Name
• Date of Birth
• Date Booked (Before and After)
• Date Released (Before and After)

Once the necessary details are entered, clicking the search button will show a list of records with the following information about each one:

• Booking Number
• Defendant Name
• Date of Birth
• Booked
• Released
• Arresting Agency
• Charge(s)

To find more information on a particular record, searchers can click on the hyperlinked booking number to view information such as subject image, fines, warrant number, and other personal details.

Smith County Court – For more information regarding accessing public records, interested parties can read useful information from the public information page of the Smith County website. Individuals can also request records online through the public information request form provided on the county website.²

For more information, citizens can reach out to the Smith County Court through the said means:

Smith County Court
200 E Ferguson Street
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-590-4605
Email: [email protected]

Another way to find arrest records is to request them through the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, which maintains information about individuals summoned to custody by the court.

Smith County Sheriff’s Office – Responsible citizens are requested to submit tips on anyone they feel is a probable offender through City Protect’s anonymous tip form rather than taking action themselves.³

For records information or any other query, individuals can reach out to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office through the following means:

Smith County Sheriff’s Office
227 N Spring Ave.
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-590-2661

Lastly, requesters who are interested in finding out about recent mugshots and arrests in Tyler, the most populated city of Smith County, can do so through the said means.

City of Tyler Police Department – Individuals can request the City of Tyler Police Department for information about recent arrest records by reaching out to the department through the following means:⁴

City of Tyler – Police Department
711 W Ferguson Street
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-531-1090
Email: [email protected]

Third-party sources such as VINELink can also help individuals find arrest records in Smith County, Texas. Note that non-governmental sources are only preferred when endorsed by the government since they are not the most accurate data sources and are also not free most of the time.

Inquirers who are interested in finding out prior crimes and arrests made in Smith County can do so to see if they or someone they know had a recorded offense before. A detailed guide on how to do it is given in the following section.

Look Up Prior Crimes & Arrests Made in Smith County Texas

Requesters can use the Smith County Court’s online search tool to find prior crimes and arrests from 1970 to the present.

To find old arrest records through the county court tool, searchers must follow the same method discussed in the above section.

Smith County Court – For more information regarding old records or any other query, interested individuals can contact the Smith County Court through the following means:⁵

Smith County Court
200 E Ferguson Street
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-590-4605
Email: [email protected]

Another effective way of getting hold of historical arrest records is by reaching out to the Smith County Sheriff’s Office, which provides individuals with detailed information on people who served in custody previously.

Smith County Sheriff’s Office – Individuals can feel free to contact the Smith County Sheriff’s Office through the given means to request information on prior arrestations and crimes made:⁶

Smith County Sheriff’s Office
227 N Spring Ave.
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-590-2661

Interested residents can also search for prior crime information and arrest records in Tyler, the most populated city of Smith County, through the city police department.

City of Tyler – Police Department – The City of Tyler Police Department provides individuals information on old arrestations upon request through the following means:

City of Tyler – Police Department
711 W Ferguson Street
Tyler, Texas (75702)

Phone: (903)-0531-1090
Email: [email protected]

City of Tyler Municipal Court – The City of Tyler Municipal Court holds driver’s license hearings for the Texas Department of Public Safety.

University Police Department (UPD) of Texas State University – The University Police Department (UPD) of Texas State University provides individuals with prior arrest records and crime information through requests across the entire state.

University Police Department, Texas State University – Interested individuals can browse more information through the official UPD records page or reach out to the records division of the department through the following information:⁷

University Police Department (UPD)
Texas State University
Pecan Building 1321 Academy Street
San Marcos, Texas (78666)

Phone: (512)-245-2805
Email: [email protected]

Lastly, you can find criminal history record information through the Texas Department of Public Safety’s search tool.

Texas Department of Public Safety
5805 North Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78752-4431

Inquirers may have questions on how to pay bail after an arrest happens in Smith County and get themselves or anyone they know out of jail; this is discussed deeply in the following section.

How To Pay Bail After an Arrest in Smith County

Smith County, Texas, gives the right to defendants to pay bail for themselves or someone they know by either paying the amount in full or signing up for a bail bond. The judge decides the bail amount once the subject is arrested and brought in front of the court, depending on the degree of seriousness of the offense.

For minor misdemeanors, bail amounts are based on set amounts, while for serious crimes and felonies, the bail amount differs on a case basis. Generally, the Texas County bail amount ranges from $500 to $50,000 or more if the crime is serious.

Once the judge sets the bail amount, it must be paid either in full through cash or by employing a bail bond. Individuals with the financial cushion to pay the full amount in cash opt for the bailout that allows them to be released immediately awaiting trial. However, individuals who cannot pay the heavy bail amount can reach out to a bail bondsman who provides them with a bail bond.

The bail bond requires the subject to abide by all court laws and makes it a condition that the person will not violate the terms of the bail and flee out of the state or country. However, If the defendant violates the terms, the entire bail amount will become due, and an arrest warrant will be issued against the subject.

The entire detailed procedure of bond release can be read on the official bond release page of Smith County.⁸ Note that the defendant is liable to pay $20 or 3% of the bond fee to the county office – while independent bail bondsmen charge as high as 10% of the bail amount when providing the said service.

To finalize the agreement or for any information related to it, the subject in jail or a family member or friend can contact the Smith County Court at (903)-590-2620.⁹ The procedure for paying bail or hiring a bail bond agent in Tyler, the most populated city of Smith County, is the same as discussed above.

Smith County Courthouse Annex
200 E. Ferguson, Rm. 213
Tyler, TX 75702

Information on how to search Smith County arrest records has been provided in great depth through this article; residents can find details about records and get any help regarding them through the official contact sources mentioned throughout this resource.