Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
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Austin, Texas · Travis County custody guide · Information reviewed October 2026
Find an Austin Inmate and Check the Current Travis County Booking
If someone was arrested in Austin, the main local inmate search is operated by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO). Travis County handles adult jail booking for Austin and other law-enforcement agencies operating in the county.
Fastest route: search the official Travis County inmate database by name, confirm the correct person, save the booking or Jail ID number, and then use that record for bond, visitation, mail, phone or commissary questions.
How to Search for an Austin Jail Inmate
- Open the official Travis County search. Go to the county’s inmate search. This is the correct starting point for people currently held in Travis County custody.
- Search using the person’s legal name. Use the booked spelling whenever possible. A nickname or incorrect surname can prevent a useful match.
- Compare the returned record carefully. Do not rely only on a common first and last name. Use any available date of birth, booking information or other identifiers to make sure you have the correct person.
- Save the Jail ID or booking number. TCSO uses these identifiers for services such as inmate mail, trust-fund deposits and communication with jail staff.
- Check each charge and bond entry. A person can have more than one charge, and each charge may have its own bond information or restriction.
If your question is time-sensitive, such as whether the person is still in custody or whether a bond can be posted now, verify the live record again immediately before acting.
What the Austin Jail Search Can Help You Find
| Information needed | Best source | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Current Travis County custody | Official inmate search | Search by the person’s name and verify the matching booking. |
| Booking/Jail ID | Inmate record | Write it down because it is useful for mail, deposits and jail services. |
| Charges | Inmate record | Review every listed charge rather than only the first entry. |
| Bond | Inmate search + TCSO bond page | Check the bond line under each charge and confirm current eligibility before payment. |
| Court date or criminal case | Travis County courts | Use the court system after identifying the correct defendant. |
| Older Sheriff record or booking photo | TCSO records process | Use an official records request rather than relying on a current-custody search. |
A jail entry shows an arrest, booking or custody event. It does not establish that the person was convicted. Charges can be changed, dismissed or resolved differently in court.
What Happens After Someone Is Arrested in Austin?
Travis County’s published arrest-and-booking process explains that people arrested in the county are brought to the Central Booking Facility inside the Travis County Jail at 500 W. 10th Street in Austin.
The county’s booking flow generally works like this:
- Medical screening: the arrested person completes an intake questionnaire covering medical, mental and physical health history.
- Medical evaluation when needed: jail medical staff determine whether treatment, housing restrictions, diet restrictions or other accommodations are required. A person needing immediate medical care may be taken to a hospital.
- Holding and identification: the published process includes a free phone call, booking photograph and fingerprints.
- Magistration: a judge reads the formal charge or charges and advises whether bail applies.
- Property and booking number: personal property is collected and the person receives an inmate booking number.
- Housing: the person may then await transport to the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle.
You can view the county’s official arrest and booking flowchart PDF.
Two Travis County jail locations you may see
| Facility | Address | Main purpose for most users |
|---|---|---|
| Travis County Jail / Central Booking Facility | 500 W. 10th St., Austin, TX 78701 | Initial intake and Central Booking in downtown Austin. |
| Travis County Correctional Complex (TCCC) | 3614 Bill Price Rd., Del Valle, TX 78617 | Main correctional complex and public onsite visitation location. |
If a Recently Arrested Person Does Not Appear
A failed search does not always mean the person was not arrested. Work through these possibilities before using an unrelated paid search site:
- Booking may still be underway. A newly arrested person must move through intake, medical screening, fingerprinting, magistration and other processing.
- The name may be different. Retry the legal surname, full first name, middle name or an alternate spelling.
- The person may already be released. Current-custody information can change after bond, court action or release.
- The arrest may be outside Travis County. Austin-area travel crosses county boundaries, so confirm where the person was actually booked.
- The person may have been transferred. County, state and federal custody systems use separate inmate databases.
Need current confirmation? TCSO lists 512-854-9889 for general jail information. Other TCSO inmate pages also direct users to 512-854-4180 for jail or facility-related information. Have the person’s full name and, if available, date of birth and booking number ready.
How to Check Bond, Release and Court Information
Bond information
TCSO states that bond information appears under each charge in the inmate search. Read every charge separately because one charge may have a bond while another has a hold or no bond currently set.
| Bond wording | What TCSO says it means |
|---|---|
| ANY type of bond | Cash, surety or personal bond may be allowed. |
| Cash or surety | A personal bond is not accepted for that charge. |
| No bond information available | No bond has been set for that charge yet; one may be set later. |
For a cash bond, TCSO says the full amount must be posted using exact cash, a cashier’s check or a money order. Before traveling or obtaining a payment instrument, call 512-854-4180 to confirm where the defendant is housed and where the bond should be posted.
Find the related court case
Do not treat a jail record as the final court record. Travis County provides separate criminal-court resources for court settings and case information.
- Find the inmate first and save the name, booking information and any case information displayed.
- Open the Travis County Criminal Courts page.
- Use the court-date search when you need an upcoming setting.
- For felony case records, Travis County directs users to the District Clerk and its public Odyssey case portal.
- For misdemeanor records, use the Travis County Clerk’s criminal-record resources.
Travis County Jail Visitation
Public onsite visitation for people held at both Travis County jail locations is administered at the Travis County Correctional Complex, 3614 Bill Price Rd., Del Valle.
| Rule | Current published information |
|---|---|
| Onsite visiting days | Wednesday through Sunday, excluding county holidays |
| Published hours | 8:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. for face-to-face and onsite video visits |
| Visits allowed | Two per week, either face-to-face or onsite video |
| Advance scheduling | Face-to-face visits must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance |
| Arrival | Arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled visit; check-in closes 15 minutes before the visit |
| ID | Visitors age 17 and older need government-issued photo identification |
| Minors | Visitors under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian |
Face-to-face family and friend visits are non-contact. Scheduling is handled through the ViaPath system linked from the official TCSO visitation page. ViaPath visitation support is listed as 1-855-208-7349.
Mail, Phone Calls and Money for an Austin Inmate
Sending mail
TCSO requires personal correspondence to be sent directly to the facility where the inmate is housed. Before mailing anything, use the inmate search to obtain the required identifiers.
- Include the inmate’s full name.
- Include the inmate’s date of birth.
- Include the Jail ID number or booking number.
- Include the sender’s return address.
- Confirm whether the inmate is housed at the downtown jail or TCCC before addressing the envelope.
TCSO states that paperback books, magazines and newspapers must come directly from a publisher or distributing warehouse and are subject to facility quantity limits. Review the current inmate contact and mail rules before sending anything beyond a basic letter.
Inmate phone account
Travis County uses ViaPath Technologies for prepaid inmate calling accounts. TCSO currently lists:
- Advanced Pay automated phone: 1-800-483-8314
- PIN Debit: 1-855-706-2445
- ViaPath phone-account support: 1-877-650-4249
Depositing money
For an inmate trust-fund deposit, first obtain the inmate’s full name, date of birth and Jail ID or booking number.
| Method | Important Travis County detail |
|---|---|
| In person | TCCC Finance Building #230, 3614 Bill Price Rd., Del Valle. Published hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m., excluding county holidays. |
| Money order or cashier’s check payable to “Inmate Trust Fund,” sent with the required inmate information to P.O. Box 1368, Del Valle, TX 78617. | |
| Western Union | TCSO lists online, phone and retail options. The inmate account uses the 7-digit booking number followed by the last name. |
| SecurePak | Approved commissary packages may be ordered using the inmate’s full name and jail/booking ID. |
TCSO’s current instructions state that mailed money orders over $100 are not accepted for an inmate trust account. Provider fees and procedures can change, so check the official money and commissary page before sending funds.
Booking Photos, Mugshots and Older Records
A live inmate search and a public-record request serve different purposes. If you only need to know whether the person is currently in jail, use the inmate search first.
If you need a booking photograph or another Sheriff’s Office record, TCSO directs members of the public to its records process rather than treating the live inmate page as a permanent mugshot archive.
- Identify the person and booking as precisely as possible.
- Open the TCSO Open Records Request page.
- Describe the requested record clearly and include identifying details you already know.
- Use the court system separately if what you really need is a criminal case disposition rather than a jail record.
Do not use a jail booking or mugshot as proof that someone was convicted.
County Jail, Texas Prison or Federal Custody?
| Situation | Where to search |
|---|---|
| Recent arrest in Austin or current Travis County custody | Travis County Sheriff’s Office inmate search |
| Criminal court case or hearing | Travis County criminal court resources |
| Transferred to Texas state prison | Texas Department of Criminal Justice offender search |
| Transferred to federal prison | Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator |
| Arrest actually occurred in another Texas county | Search the county where the person was booked |
If the arrest did not happen in Travis County, use the correct local jail system rather than repeatedly searching Austin. Other verified Texas guides on this site include the Bexar County Jail inmate search, Denton County Jail inmate search, Kaufman County Jail inmate search, and Hunt County Jail inmate search.
Austin Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. What is the official Austin jail inmate search?
For Austin and Travis County adult jail custody, use the Travis County Sheriff’s Office inmate search. It is the official starting point for checking whether someone is currently in Travis County custody and for obtaining booking identifiers.
2. Is there a separate Austin city jail roster?
For people arrested in Travis County, the main public jail lookup is the Travis County Sheriff’s Office system. Travis County states that arrested individuals are brought to its Central Booking Facility at the Travis County Jail in downtown Austin.
3. Why can’t I find someone who was just arrested in Austin?
The person may still be going through intake and booking, the name may be entered differently, the person may already have been released, or the arrest may belong to another jurisdiction. Retry the official search and call TCSO when current custody confirmation is urgent.
4. Where is the Travis County Central Booking Facility?
Travis County Jail and the Central Booking Facility are at 500 W. 10th St., Austin, TX 78701. People may later be housed at the Travis County Correctional Complex at 3614 Bill Price Rd. in Del Valle.
5. How do I check an Austin inmate’s charges and bond?
Open the correct inmate record and review each listed charge. TCSO states that bond information appears under each charge. Confirm the current bond status before attempting payment because eligibility and custody conditions can change.
6. How do I find an Austin inmate’s court date?
After identifying the inmate, use the Travis County Criminal Courts resources for court settings and case information. Jail custody information and the criminal court record are separate systems.
7. How do I visit someone in Travis County Jail?
Public onsite visits are administered at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle. TCSO currently lists Wednesday through Sunday visitation, requires advance scheduling for face-to-face visits, and asks visitors to arrive early with required identification.
8. How do I send money to a Travis County inmate?
First obtain the inmate’s full name, date of birth and Jail ID or booking number. TCSO provides in-person, mail and Western Union deposit options, with separate SecurePak instructions for approved commissary packages.
9. What information do I need to mail or call an Austin inmate?
For mail, TCSO requires the inmate’s full name, date of birth and Jail ID or booking number, plus the sender’s return address. Prepaid inmate phone accounts are handled through ViaPath Technologies.
10. Does an Austin jail booking mean the person was convicted?
No. An arrest, jail booking, charge or booking photograph does not establish guilt or conviction. Use the Travis County court record when you need information about filed cases, hearings or final case outcomes.