The level of the charge tells you the courtroom:

• Felonies belong to the nine criminal district courts, numbered 147th, 167th, 299th, 331st, 390th, 403rd, 427th, 450th and 460th. The District Clerk stores their case files.
• Class A and B misdemeanors, a first DWI being a common example, are tried in County Courts at Law No. 3 through 9, with files at the County Clerk.
• Class C offenses carry a fine and no jail. Justice of the peace courts and city municipal courts take those.

First appearances happen in a magistrate court in the same downtown building. Appeals of criminal verdicts statewide finish at the Court of Criminal Appeals. Not sure which court has a case? Criminal Court Administration can tell you at 512-854-9244.

• Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center, 509 W. 11th St., Austin, TX 78701, holds the nine district courts, the seven County Courts at Law and the magistrate court. Criminal Court Administration: 512-854-9244.
• District Clerk, Criminal Division, 501 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (Room 2.300), 512-854-9420, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Staff there handle felony files, expunctions, nondisclosure orders and record checks. E-filing questions go to 512-854-9457.
• County Clerk, Misdemeanor Records, 5501 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751, 512-854-9188, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Its mailing address is P.O. Box 149325, Austin, TX 78714. The same office issues misdemeanor warrants and summonses.
• Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701, where Justice of the Peace Pct. 5 sits, 512-854-9049.

County court buildings downtown screen every visitor at the door. Courthouse Security, 512-854-4968, advises showing up 45 minutes before your hearing.

The county has five justice of the peace precincts. They take fine-only charges, for instance most traffic tickets and public intoxication:

• Pct. 1, Richard Scott Building, 4717 Heflin Lane, Suite 107, Austin, TX 78721, 512-854-7700
• Pct. 2, 10409 Burnet Road, Suite 180, Austin, TX 78758, criminal desk 512-854-4545
• Pct. 3, 8656-B West Highway 71, Suite 200, Austin, TX 78735, 512-854-6763
• Pct. 4, 4011 McKinney Falls Parkway, Suite 1200, Austin, TX 78744, 512-854-9479
• Pct. 5, 1000 Guadalupe Street, Suite 112, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9049

Citations from the capital city's own officers are heard at its Municipal Court, 6800 Burleson Road, Suite 175, Austin, TX 78744 (Building 310), 512-974-4800. Doors open at 8 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Its North Customer Service Center, 2121 West Parmer Lane, Suite 116, Austin, TX 78727, is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Downtown Austin Community Court sits at 505 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX 78704 (first floor), 512-974-4879.

When a smaller city's officers write a ticket, the citation itself names the court to contact. Lost it? Call the police department that issued it.

Locally, the magistrate step is known as CAFA, for Counsel at First Appearance. It takes place in person at the Blackwell-Thurman center, where a Criminal Associate Judge:

• names the charge and explains the person's rights, such as staying silent and asking for a lawyer (CCP art. 15.17);
• accepts any request for a court-appointed lawyer;
• listens to the defense and prosecution, then sets bond and conditions.

On charges that can bring jail, a defense lawyer is present at CAFA. State law calls for this hearing within 48 hours after arrest. Since September 2025, a magistrate who sees no probable cause must explain that in writing within one day, under CCP art. 15.17(h).

Under CCP art. 16.01, a felony defendant may also request an examining trial, where a magistrate checks if the state's evidence holds up. Once a grand jury returns an indictment, that right is gone.

For most Class A and B cases, the County Attorney's first move is to file a written accusation called an information. A County Court at Law then takes over:

1. Arraignment comes first, where the defendant enters a plea under CCP art. 26.01.
2. Pretrial dates follow, used for motions and plea bargaining.
3. The case ends with a plea or a trial. When a judge refuses to follow a plea deal, the defendant gets to withdraw the guilty plea, under CCP art. 26.13.

What the law allows as punishment:

• A Class C conviction means a fine of no more than five hundred dollars and never jail time (Penal Code 12.23).
• A Class B conviction risks up to 180 days locked up, a fine as large as $2,000, or both (Penal Code 12.22).
• A Class A conviction risks twelve months locked up, a fine as large as $4,000, or both (Penal Code 12.21).

The County Attorney runs a DWI Pre-Trial Diversion program, supervised in County Court at Law No. 3, that lasts a year. People must apply within six months of the arrest. The only fee is $55 for a driving risk test. A second DWI, more than one open DWI case, a test result above .20 or a serious crash makes someone ineligible. Those who finish get a dismissal and an agreed early expunction. Lawyers apply on the County Attorney diversion portal.

1. Grand jury. The District Attorney's Office brings the evidence in secret, and an indictment needs nine or more yes votes, under CCP art. 20A.301.
2. Arraignment. The formal charge is read in district court and the accused pleads.
3. Pretrial settings. Motions are argued, and the sides discuss a possible deal.
4. Resolution. The case ends in a plea, or a judge or jury hears the trial and decides guilt and punishment.

Punishment ranges, from least to most severe:

• State jail felony: six months up to two years, served in one of the state jails (Penal Code 12.35).
• Third-degree felony: two to ten years of prison time (Penal Code 12.34).
• Second-degree felony: two to twenty years of prison time (Penal Code 12.33).
• First-degree felony: five to ninety-nine years, or life (Penal Code 12.32).
• Capital felony: death, or life with no chance of parole (Penal Code 12.31).

Every one of these levels allows a fine of as much as $10,000. Earlier felony convictions can bump a sentence up a level (Penal Code 12.42). A judge may instead order deferred adjudication for as long as ten years. If the person completes it, the charge is dismissed (CCP art. 42A.103). Adult Probation supervises those cases from 411 W. 13th St., Room 722, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-4600.

The steps match other felonies. What changes is release and punishment.

• Bail can be denied. Proposition 3, passed in November 2025, reaches the worst charges: murder of any kind, human trafficking, child indecency, and aggravated kidnapping, robbery, sexual assault and some aggravated assaults. Once prosecutors convince the judge, at a hearing, that the accused may run or is a danger, bail has to be refused (Tex. Const. art. I, §11d).
• Signature bonds barred. A signature-only release is off limits for many violent charges under CCP art. 17.03.
• Prosecutor review. Since 2025, S.B. 9 lets the state ask a district judge to recheck a felony bail. In some violent cases they can take it to an appeals court while the accused stays in custody (CCP arts. 17.029, 44.01).
• Fewer options. Deferred adjudication is off limits for most murder charges and some sex and trafficking crimes (CCP art. 42A.102).
• Youth limit. Someone younger than 18 at the time of a capital crime can get life in prison but not death (Penal Code 12.31).

The District Attorney prosecutes these cases from the Ronald Earle Building, 416 West 11th St., Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9400.

The county offers specialty programs that swap some jail time for treatment, testing and frequent court reviews. Statewide, most run 12 to 24 months.

• Felony programs: Drug Court, Felony Pretrial Diversion, SAFPF Re-Entry Court, SMART Re-Entry Court, the Special Needs and Prevention Program (SNAPP), Specialty Dockets and Veterans Treatment Court.
• Misdemeanor programs: DWI Court, Misdemeanor Mental Health Court, Phoenix Court, the Special Reduction Docket and Transformative Youth Justice.

Reach the Drug Diversion Court office in the Executive Office Building, 411 W. 13th St., Room 401, Austin, TX 78701, at 512-854-4646. Texas also lists every program on its specialty court registry.

• District Attorney (felonies), Ronald Earle Building, 416 West 11th St., Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9400. Open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• County Attorney (misdemeanors), 314 West 11th Street, Room 300, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9415. It also seeks protective orders for victims.
• Public Defender's Office, 1010 Lavaca St., Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-5100. The old juvenile and mental health defender offices are now part of it.
• Capital Area Private Defender Service, 507 West 11th St., Austin, TX 78701, 512-774-4208. It oversees the private lawyers who get court appointments for adults.

To ask for a free lawyer, say so at CAFA or contact Pretrial Services at 512-854-9381. Officers there collect income details so the judge can decide. The Court Appointment unit, 512-854-5507, answers questions about who was appointed. The county's Fair Defense Plan spells out the rules.

• The county's criminal docket search lists coming settings in district and county court.
• The County Clerk has a records search and a misdemeanor docket search.
• The District Clerk offers a criminal history check for felony records.
• re:SearchTX holds court filings from around Texas. Signing up is free. It shows charges and judgments, but not hearing dates.

Type the full name or the case number. Stuck on a result? For a felony record, phone the District Clerk at 512-854-9420, and send misdemeanor questions to the County Clerk at 512-854-9188. Release papers handed to the person at the jail also show the next date.

Sheriff's deputies, all five county constables and city officers carry out warrants here. Call the Sheriff's Central Warrants unit at 512-854-9751, or try the joint Sheriff and constables warrant search. For the state's worst fugitives, look at the DPS Texas 10 Most Wanted page. To clear one, appear with a lawyer at the court whose judge issued it, or call its clerk to get the warrant set for a hearing. Misdemeanor warrants come from the County Clerk, 5501 Airport Boulevard, Austin, TX 78751, 512-854-9188. For felonies, contact the District Clerk, 501 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9420.

The Western District of Texas hears federal charges from this area. Its courthouse is at 501 West Fifth Street, Suite 1100, Austin, TX 78701. The clerk answers at 512-916-5896.

• Lawyers argue over pretrial freedom at a detention hearing, as 18 U.S.C. 3142 requires.
• Federal deputies hold the person before trial at the U.S. Marshals Service, 501 West 5th Street, Suite 3300, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5393.
• Federal prosecutors keep a local branch at 512-916-5858, under the main office at 601 NW Loop 410, Suite 600, San Antonio, TX 78216.
• Defendants who can't pay a lawyer go to the Federal Public Defender, 504 Lavaca Street, Suite 960, Austin, TX 78701, 512-916-5025.

For anyone sentenced to federal prison, check the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator.

An immigration detainer leaves the state charge in place. It only affects the moment of release.

1. Federal immigration officers lodge Form I-247A for that prisoner.
2. Staff may then hold them up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released (8 CFR 287.7(d)).
3. Texas jails have to honor the form, and only proof of legal status lifts it (CCP art. 2A.060). A 2017 law adds that local leaders may not water down immigration enforcement (Gov't Code 752.053).
4. A 2025 law, S.B. 8, says each sheriff with a jail must request a 287(g) agreement no later than December 1, 2026. To learn the local status, call the Sheriff's Office, 5555 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751, 512-854-9770.
5. If ICE takes custody, search the ICE Online Detainee Locator.

Under CCP art. 26.13, judges must warn non-citizens that a guilty plea could get them deported. Ask the defense lawyer how any deal would affect immigration status.

TDCJ, the state's prison agency, runs both state jails and prisons. After the sentence, the person stays in county custody until TDCJ transfers them. Intake workers test and classify each new prisoner before a unit is chosen.

• The TDCJ inmate search needs an exact last name and at least the first letter of the first name. State ID numbers work too. Results refresh on business days.
• Unit details are on our Texas state prisons page.

People sentenced to probation report to Adult Probation instead. New cases check in at 509 W. 11th St., Austin, TX 78701 (Room 1.100), and the main number is 512-854-4600.

Juvenile court is for kids whose alleged act happened between ages 10 and 16. At 17, Texas treats a person as an adult in criminal court (Family Code 51.02). The Gardner-Betts Juvenile Justice Center, 2515 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704, holds both the detention center and every juvenile courtroom. Juvenile Probation's main number is 512-854-7000.

• Officers have to notify a parent promptly after a child is taken in (Family Code 52.02).
• The detention review must come by the second working day, moving up a day for Friday or Saturday pickups. The child gets a lawyer ahead of that first hearing, as Family Code 54.01 directs.
• After a full hearing, a judge may move a case to adult court. That can happen at 14 for the gravest felonies, or at 15 for other felonies, under Family Code 54.02.

The Public Defender's Office handles juvenile defense, 512-854-5100.

Under CCP art. 56A.051, a victim may ask to be told about court dates. Their safety must count when bail is set. They may also give an impact statement before the sentence.

• District Attorney Victim Services, Ronald Earle Building, 416 West 11th St., Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9499.
• Sheriff's Office Victim Services, 5555 Airport Blvd., Austin, TX 78751, 512-854-9709.
• Adult Probation Victim Services, 411 W. 13th St., Suite 722, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-4962.
• Protective orders: the County Attorney, 314 West 11th Street, Room 300, Austin, TX 78701, 512-854-9415.
• Texas IVSS-Counties sends free alerts when someone is booked, released or moved, at 866-268-8959.
• Eligible victims may receive up to $50,000 from the Attorney General through Crime Victims' Compensation, 800-983-9933.