San Antonio City, Texas Criminal Records
San Antonio Criminal records are documents from the archives of law enforcement agencies that contain information about arrests, convictions, incarcerations, and offenders. The statewide criminal history to which San Antonio contributes is managed by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Criminal records are documents like arrest logs, search/arrest warrants, court dockets, jail records, and police or incident reports. These records are maintained by the San Antonio Municipal Court for case records and the San Antonio Police Department for arrest and jail records.
According to Section 30.080 of the Texas Government Code and Article 4.14 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, the municipal court in San Antonio City has jurisdiction over Class C misdemeanors, which are offenses punished by fines only up to $500. The misdemeanors must have occurred under city ordinances or state law, which include the Penal Code, Alcoholic Beverage Code, and Health and Safety Code. The Bexar County Courts at Law handle higher-level misdemeanors, while the county District Courts handle felony cases. Criminal records represent the comprehensive history of crimes, which contains details that are useful as proof of guilt where there are convictions.
What are San Antonio Public Records?
San Antonio City public records are official documents created through the activities of government agencies. These are records maintained by governmental bodies that are open to the public for inspection and making copies, except when a specific exception applies according to the Texas Public Information Act, Chapter 552 of the Government Code.
Public records include documents like budgets, court dockets, charge sheets, meeting minutes, agendas, arrest reports, and jail records. San Antonio public records may be accessed by anyone regardless of residency, and the requester is not mandated to give a reason. There are also restricted records that the public cannot access. Unlike public records, sealed or restricted records contain private information about the incident or an individual that is too sensitive to disclose publicly.
Some of the restricted records are juvenile records, victim identifying information, details from active investigations that could jeopardize them, and documents from deliberative processes. All records sealed or expunged under Chapter 55A of the Code of Criminal Procedure typically remain inaccessible to the public.
San Antonio Crime Statistics
San Antonio City is the seventh-largest city in the US, with a population of about 1.5 million residents. This city is also the county seat for Bexar County and the largest of its 26 cities.
The San Antonio Police Department reports its numbers to the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, and its open data library posts incident-level data behind the totals through the National Incident-Based Reporting System. According to 2025 data, SAPD logged 124,314 offenses between January and November, which is over 13% lower than the 143,529 from 2024. Crimes against persons, which include offenses like homicide and assault, reduced by 9% to 28,361 in 2025, while property crime fell by about 18% to 82,232 reports. Homicides dropped by up to 17%, from 119 in 2024 to 99 in 2025, and continued to decline in 2026. Here is a table showing these figures:
| Offense | 2024 Count | 2025 Count | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidnappings | 84 | 42 | -50% |
| Homicides | 119 | 99 | -17% |
| Crimes against persons (violent crime) | 31,179 | 28,361 | -9% |
| Property crime | 100,457 | 82,232 | -18% |
| Total offenses | 143,529 | 124,314 | -13% |
Are San Antonio Criminal Records Public?
Yes, San Antonio City criminal records are considered public records according to the Public Information Act. Members of the public may access these records without being a resident of the city or having a relationship to the case. San Antonio’s criminal records are primarily obtained from the police department and the municipal court, both government agencies. They have records custodians who handle records and process public requests.
Requesters may submit records requests in person, by mail, or online to the agency’s records custodian. Each request must include information about the case, which is typically used to retrieve criminal records. The police department also allows simple inquiries for free, in person or by phone at 210-207-7273. Requesters may access records like basic arrest details, police incident reports, body camera & dash-camera video, court dockets, complaints, judgments, and the Department of Public Safety’s conviction & deferred adjudication records. There are also closed or restricted criminal records in San Antonio that contain sensitive and private details. Some of them include juvenile criminal records, sealed or expunged records, arrests that did not lead to a conviction, confidential law enforcement investigatory records from an open case, and protected personal identifiers like social security numbers.
How to Obtain San Antonio Police Reports and Arrest Records
The San Antonio Police Department is the main agency responsible for arrests and enforcing the law in the city. This agency maintains records of arrests and police incidents that are open to the public and may be obtained in person, via mail, or online.
Members of the public may go to the police department with a records request that contains some information about the case or incident in the archive. Basic information, such as confirming a booking or obtaining basic booking details, may be done for free in person or over the phone. Most single reports under 50 pages are typically delivered for free electronically, while paper and larger requests follow the standard fee of $6 for accident reports, $0.50 per page for the first 50 pages of an incident & offense report, and requests needing significant staff time add $18.75 per hour plus a 20% overhead charge.
The San Antonio Police Department sends a written estimate first and pauses work until it is answered if the cost exceeds $40. Not getting a response within 10 business days means the request will typically be considered as withdrawn. The public may also access San Antonio police reports through the Police Open Records Requests website. This platform provides access to police reports, incident reports, towing records, body and dash cam footage, as well as crash/vehicle accident reports. The police department also maintains a SAPD Arrests, which is a searchable arrest data table. Case records containing arrest details may be accessed through the San Antonio Municipal Court for Class C misdemeanors and traffic cases or Bexar County District Courts for Class A & B misdemeanors, as well as felony cases.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in San Antonio
Sex offenders are required to register under the state’s Department of Safety after they are convicted. Texas registers sex offenders through the statewide registry, which makes it the only tool for finding sex offenders in San Antonio. SAPD maintains a Sex Offenders Search platform that provides a link to the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry Search. Requesters may search by name. Birth date, institute of higher education, and address details. The public may also use the U.S. Department of Justice's National Sex Offender Public Website as a great alternative for finding a sex offender in San Antonio.
What Happens if My Request for Criminal Records is Denied in San Antonio?
Texas law requires a government agency to release public records promptly or ask the Texas Attorney General for a ruling and state the specific exceptions that apply within 10 business days.
Most reasons for denying access to records are that they are sealed, part of an active investigation, or confidential records. The first step after denial is to confirm the exceptions that apply, and if an agency misses its deadline, a written complaint may go to the Texas Attorney General's Open Records Division, which also has an Open Government Hotline at 512-478-6736 or 877-673-6839. Complaints may be filed online through the Open Records Complaint website maintained by the Attorney General’s office.
How to Expunge or Seal San Antonio Criminal Records
Texas law allows the expunction of criminal records under the Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A and an order of nondisclosure under the Government Code Chapter 411. An expungement typically destroys the record entirely, while an order of non-disclosure typically seals it from public and most private background checks while leaving it visible to law enforcement, courts, and certain licensing bodies.
Expunctions are reserved for arrests that did not lead to a conviction, while non-disclosure orders are for cases resolved through deferred adjudication that the individual has successfully completed. Petitions for expunction or non-disclosure orders may be filed in the court that handled the case, such as the San Antonio Municipal Court for Class C misdemeanors or the appropriate Bexar County District Court for higher-level misdemeanors and felonies. Individuals who want to qualify must have satisfied the waiting period, and the offense must qualify to be sealed.