Kaufman County TX Court Records Search: Use Odyssey Portal, District Clerk, County Clerk, JP Courts, Appeals & PACER Correctly
Kaufman County court records are searched mainly through the official Tyler Odyssey Portal Smart Search, but the correct custodian depends on whether the case belongs to District Court, County Court at Law, probate/guardianship, Justice of the Peace, municipal court, the Texas Business Court, the Fifth Court of Appeals, TxDPS criminal-history systems or federal PACER.
Public-Court-Records.us is independent. This website is not Kaufman County, the Kaufman County District Clerk, Kaufman County Clerk, Kaufman County Court at Law, any Kaufman County Justice Court, any municipal court, the Texas Judicial Branch, TxDPS, PACER, a courthouse, a law firm, a government agency or a Consumer Reporting Agency. This page provides general record-access information only.
Responsible-use warning: a matching name does not prove identity. A complaint, petition, charge, citation, warrant, arrest, indictment, information, docket entry or court calendar event does not prove guilt, liability or final outcome. Court records may be incomplete, delayed, sealed, confidential, expunged, restricted, corrected later or available only through the official custodian.
Kaufman County court records start with the court type and clerk custodian
The Kaufman County Courts & Public Safety page links the public court-search feature, the 86th, 422nd and 489th District Courts, County Court at Law, County Court at Law 2 and Justice of the Peace precincts. The County Clerk and District Clerk do not maintain exactly the same case files, so route the search before relying on a name match.
Kaufman County lists the 86th, 422nd and 489th Judicial District Courts.
The County Clerk serves County Court at Law and County Court at Law 2 record routes.
Kaufman JP pages describe civil cases with up to $20,000 in controversy.
County Clerk court-record plain copies are listed at $1 per page.
Kaufman County court-record route finder
Select the record type you are trying to locate. This tool runs in your browser, does not send information anywhere and does not ask for a name, date of birth, record number, citation number or address.
Use Smart Search for public online case-record lookup. Search by record number when available. If searching by name, use Last, First Middle Suffix format and verify court type, case type, party role, filing date, judicial officer, judgment and disposition before relying on a match.
Choose the correct Kaufman County court-record route before searching by name
Kaufman County search results can cross court types, but official custody is still divided. A felony, divorce, county misdemeanor, guardianship, eviction, city ticket, deed-index record, appeal and federal bankruptcy case do not all belong to the same office.
| Need | Correct court or system | Best starting route |
|---|---|---|
| Felony, divorce, family case, larger civil case or district-court matter | 86th, 422nd or 489th Judicial District Court / District Clerk | Use Tyler Odyssey Smart Search, then contact the District Clerk for official copies, filing history, sealed-record questions or records not clear online. |
| Class A or B misdemeanor, County Court at Law civil case, bond forfeiture or County Court at Law record | County Court at Law / County Court at Law 2 / County Clerk Court Division | Use Smart Search, Docket Calls and County Clerk Court’s Department. The County Clerk says it will provide general office information but not specific record information over the phone. |
| Probate, estate, guardianship or mental-health commitment matter | County Clerk Probate Division / County Court at Law 2 / County Judge route | Use the Probate and Guardianship page, Smart Search where available, and the County Clerk Probate contact. Mental-health matters can be confidential or non-public. |
| Juvenile, child-protection or confidential child-related matter | County Court at Law / court of record / County Clerk where authorized | Do not expect ordinary public name access. The County Clerk lists juvenile records as confidential/non-public, so use the official authorized-party process. |
| Small claims, debt claim, repair and remedy claim, eviction or landlord-tenant dispute | Justice of the Peace precinct with jurisdiction | Use the correct JP precinct. Kaufman JP pages describe JP civil cases up to $20,000 and landlord-tenant disputes; eviction filings must be in the precinct where the property is located. |
| County-issued fine-only Class C, DPS citation, sheriff/constable citation or inquest/magistration-related JP record | Justice of the Peace precinct | Use the JP precinct listed on the citation or case. Do not pay the wrong precinct; some Kaufman JP pages warn that wrong-court payment can delay credit or create warrant problems. |
| City traffic ticket, city ordinance case or municipal Class C misdemeanor | Forney, Terrell, Crandall or other municipal court | Use the city municipal court listed on the ticket. Municipal payments may create a judgment/conviction and may be unavailable for juvenile, family-violence, deferral or driver-safety options. |
| Deed-index book, real property, official instrument, land, vital-record-adjacent or recorded document | Kaufman County Clerk real property / QuickLink / Tyler self-service records | Use QuickLink or County Clerk real-property records. These are not ordinary court case dockets, even when a court judgment later appears in recorded records. |
| State appeal | Texas Fifth Court of Appeals / Texas appellate case search | Use the Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas for Kaufman County state appeals. Save both the trial-court cause number and appellate case number. |
| Federal civil, criminal or bankruptcy case | Northern District of Texas Dallas Division / PACER | Use PACER, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division, or the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division. |
How to use the Kaufman County Tyler Odyssey Portal Smart Search
The official portal is a Tyler Odyssey public access system. It requires JavaScript and cookies, and the portal’s Smart Search screen provides specific search-format guidance. Use the exact court-search portal rather than a commercial “people search” page.
Start from Kaufman County’s Courts & Public Safety page or the Tyler Odyssey Portal address. Confirm the site is portal-txkaufman.tylertech.cloud.
The Smart Search page says users can type a record number or name in Last, First Middle Suffix format.
For a case-number wildcard search, the portal says to enter at least four characters.
For a name wildcard search, the portal says to type at least three characters plus an asterisk for the last name and at least one character plus an asterisk for the first name.
For a business-name search, expand Advanced Filtering Options, go to General Options and select Business Name from the search-type drop-down. If the business name contains a comma, the portal says to use an asterisk in place of the comma and not add anything after the asterisk.
Refine by location, search type, cases, judgments, party name, nickname, business name, sounds-like search, date of birth, case type, case status, file date, judicial officer, judgment type and judgment date.
Compare the cause number, court, case type, party role, file date, judicial officer, docket entries, judgment, disposition and later activity.
Use the District Clerk, County Clerk, JP court, municipal court, appellate clerk or federal clerk that maintains the original record.
Kaufman County court records search by name: avoid false matches
Name search can help locate a docket, but a name match is not identity proof. Kaufman County has district courts, county courts at law, JP courts, municipal courts, probate/guardianship records, confidential juvenile and mental-health categories, and recorded-property systems that can all produce different results.
- Finding a cause number when you do not know the record number.
- Locating a civil, criminal, probate, guardianship, misdemeanor, JP or judgment record where public access exists.
- Narrowing a result by court location, case type, file date or judicial officer.
- Finding the exact case before requesting a certified copy or certificate of facts.
- Common names, aliases, nicknames, initials, suffixes, maiden names or spelling variants.
- Business names with punctuation, commas or older assumed-name variations.
- Juvenile, mental-health, sealed, expunged, restricted or confidential matters.
- Using a court docket as a criminal-history report or screening product.
Official Kaufman County court-record links and what to do after opening each one
Each official link below includes next steps so this page works as a practical guide, not just a list of links.
Use this as the official county starting page for district courts, County Courts at Law, Justice of the Peace precincts and the court-search link.
- Confirm you are on kaufmancounty.net.
- Open Court Search for Tyler Odyssey access.
- Choose the district, county court at law or JP page if you know the court.
- Use official clerk contacts for copies and record questions.
Use this for Kaufman County online court case search where public access is available.
- Enable JavaScript and cookies.
- Open Smart Search.
- Search by record number or name format.
- Use Advanced Filtering Options to narrow broad results.
Use this for name, record-number, business-name, party, case and judgment search filters.
- Enter a record number when available.
- For person search, use Last, First Middle Suffix format.
- Use wildcard minimums exactly as listed on the page.
- Open the case detail and verify court, case type and disposition.
Use this for district-court records, filing-fee links, standing orders, District Clerk contact information and e-filing context.
- Use the office phone number 469-376-4640 for general office contact.
- Confirm the case belongs to District Court.
- Use TexasLawHelp for self-help forms if needed.
- Ask the office for copy, certification or sealed-record instructions.
Use this for County Clerk court, probate, real-property, vital-record and general records contacts.
- Use Court Division phone 469-376-4736 for court-record routing.
- Email court requests to cccourts@kaufmancounty.net.
- Email probate requests to ccprobate@kaufmancounty.net.
- Use real property and vital records contact only for those record types.
Use this to understand which court files the County Clerk maintains.
- Check whether the matter is County Court at Law, misdemeanor, probate, guardianship or bond forfeiture.
- Note that mental-health and juvenile files are listed as confidential/non-public.
- Do not ask for specific record details by phone if the page says they will not be disseminated.
- Use official request/copy procedures.
Use this for County Clerk court-record copy and search request instructions.
- Review plain-copy, certified-copy and certification-of-facts fees.
- Prepare required information by record type.
- Mail requests to Court Department, Kaufman County Clerk, 1902 US Hwy 175, Kaufman, TX 75142.
- Include fees and return address as instructed.
Use this for estates, guardianships, mental-health commitment routing and probate forms.
- Confirm whether the matter is probate, estate, guardianship or mental-health related.
- Use the County Clerk Probate contact.
- Remember the page says the Clerk can help locate records but cannot answer legal questions.
- Note the attorney requirement warning, with the small-estate affidavit exception stated on the page.
Use this for selected County Court at Law and County Court at Law 2 dockets.
- Use docket calls as courtesy information only.
- Remember not all dockets are provided.
- Selected dockets are updated two weeks before court day.
- Use official records for legal reliance.
Use this when the case is small claims, debt claim, repair/remedy, eviction, fine-only Class C, JP traffic, inquest, magistrate or precinct-specific.
- Identify the correct precinct before payment or filing.
- For eviction, use the precinct where the property is located.
- For citations, verify the exact court and case number suffix if the JP page warns about it.
- Contact the JP court for copy or appearance questions.
Use this for historical deed index books and related document records, not ordinary court dockets.
- Search index books or use book type, volume and page numbers.
- Note the site describes deed index books ranging from 1902 through 1968.
- Use County Clerk real-property contacts for official recorded-record questions.
- Do not confuse recorded instruments with court case files.
Use this for Kaufman County state appellate matters.
- Open Case Search, Document Search, Event Reports or Released Orders & Opinions.
- Save the appellate case number and trial-court cause number.
- Use the court’s official contact route for copy and filing questions.
- Do not use appellate docket information as a substitute for the complete trial-court file.
Kaufman County court-record copies, certified copies and search requests
Copy fees depend on which clerk or court maintains the record. The County Clerk publishes specific search and copy guidance for County Clerk-maintained court records. District Clerk, JP, municipal, appellate and federal requests can follow different schedules.
| Need | Published amount or instruction | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| County Clerk court-record inspection | No charge for public inspection, except mental-health and juvenile records are excluded from that public-inspection statement | Inspection does not mean every record is public, downloadable or available by phone. |
| County Clerk plain copies | $1 per page | Use this for County Clerk-maintained court records, not necessarily every District Clerk, JP, municipal or federal document. |
| County Clerk certified copies | $5 for certification plus $1 per page | Ask the receiving agency whether the copy must be certified, exemplified, authenticated or otherwise sealed. |
| County Clerk Certification of Facts | $5 for results of search without copies | Useful when a certificate of search/fact is needed instead of document copies. |
| Misdemeanor criminal search request | Name of person charged, date of offense or conviction within a 10-year period, and type of offense if known | The County Clerk page says searches are conducted only on the name provided by the requesting party. |
| Probate search request | Name of deceased and approximate date of death | Use the probate email or Probate Division phone when the record is probate-specific. |
| Guardianship search request | Name of person for whom guardianship would have been established and approximate date of filing within a 10-year period | Guardianship records can contain sensitive information; public access may be limited. |
| Mail request | Applicable fees and return address must accompany the request | Send County Clerk court requests to Court Department, Kaufman County Clerk, 1902 US Hwy 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. |
County Clerk copy-cost estimator
This browser-only estimator is for planning. The Clerk’s official quote, receipt or fee schedule controls the actual charge.
Use Smart Search to identify the record number, court, case type, party names and filing date before ordering copies.
District Clerk, County Clerk, JP court, municipal court, appellate court and federal court records do not all use the same copy process.
Request the docket sheet, judgment, order, indictment, information, disposition, probate letter, guardianship order, transcript or other document by title if possible.
Mental-health, juvenile, sealed, expunged, family, protected-address or restricted records may not be available to the general public.
Kaufman County court types, clerk offices and courthouse locations
Most Kaufman County court and clerk resources now point users to the Kaufman County Justice Center at 1902 East US Highway 175 in Kaufman. The right office still depends on whether the case is District Court, County Court at Law, probate, guardianship, JP, municipal, appellate or federal.
| Court or office | Typical matters | Record-search note |
|---|---|---|
| 86th, 422nd and 489th District Courts | District-level civil, family, felony and other district-court matters depending on assignment and jurisdiction. | Use Smart Search and District Clerk. Do not contact a judge directly about a pending or potential case. |
| County Court at Law | County-level civil, criminal, juvenile/CPS-related, JP appeals and specialty court matters according to county court pages. | Use Smart Search, Docket Calls and County Clerk Court Division for record and copy routing. |
| County Court at Law 2 | County Court at Law matters and probate/guardianship coordination shown on county pages. | Use County Clerk, probate contacts and official case search; mental-health and juvenile categories may be confidential or non-public. |
| County Clerk Court Division | Class A/B misdemeanor files, probate, guardianship, bond forfeiture, civil County Court at Law files and other listed county-level records. | Court Division phone 469-376-4736; court requests email cccourts@kaufmancounty.net. |
| County Clerk Probate Division | Estates, guardianships, letters testamentary, letters of guardianship, citations and mental-health commitment-related clerk functions. | Probate phone 469-376-4738; probate email ccprobate@kaufmancounty.net. |
| Justice of the Peace precincts | Civil cases up to $20,000, landlord-tenant, small claims, Class C/fine-only, inquests, magistrate duties and precinct-specific citations. | Use the correct precinct; wrong online payments can delay credit and may affect warrant processing. |
| Municipal courts | City traffic tickets, city code violations and fine-only municipal Class C misdemeanors. | Use the city court listed on the citation, such as Forney, Terrell or Crandall when applicable. |
| Fifth Court of Appeals | State appeals from Kaufman County and other listed Fifth District counties. | Use Texas appellate case information, document search, orders/opinions and CaseMail routes. |
1902 East US Highway 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. County page lists main phone 469-376-4100 and Monday–Friday public hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
1902 East US Highway 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. Phone: 469-376-4640. Use this office for district-court records and District Clerk copy questions.
P.O. Box 729 / 1902 US Highway 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. Hours listed: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court Division: 469-376-4736.
1906 East US Highway 175, Kaufman, TX 75142. Phone: 469-376-4182. The page says case numbers must end with “*1” before online payment.
200 East Main Street, Forney, TX 75126. Phone: 469-376-4600. The page lists civil, criminal, traffic trials, warrants, magistration, occupational driver’s license, marriages and truancy.
408 East College, Terrell Sub Courthouse, Terrell, TX 75160. Phone: 469-376-4587. The page says case numbers must end with “3” before online payment.
1906 East US Highway 175, 2nd Floor, Kaufman, TX 75142. Phone: 469-376-4620. The page says case numbers must end with “4” before online payment.
Forney Justice Center, 331 South FM 548, Forney, TX 75126. Use for fine-only offenses inside Forney city limits.
1100 North State Highway 34, Terrell, TX 75160. Use for Terrell city traffic tickets, criminal complaints, ordinance violations, summons and warrants.
Justice of the Peace and municipal records: do not pay the wrong court
Kaufman County JP and municipal court records can involve traffic, Class C misdemeanors, landlord-tenant cases, small claims, debt claims, repair/remedy claims, occupational driver’s license petitions, inquests and magistrate duties. These are not always District Clerk or County Clerk records.
| Route | Official clue | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| JP Precinct 1 | Hears traffic and other Class C misdemeanor fine-only cases, civil cases up to $20,000 and landlord-tenant disputes. | The page warns that the case number must end with “*1” before online payment. |
| JP Precinct 2 | Presides over civil, criminal and traffic trials and oversees listed citations from Constable PCT2, Sheriff, Parks and Wildlife, DPS and Forney ISD. | The page warns that certain defendants and offenses are not eligible for online payment and must appear in court. |
| JP Precinct 3 | Lists civil cases up to $20,000, mental-health warrants, occupational driver’s license, inquests and traffic citations from listed agencies. | The page warns that the case number must end with “3” before online payment. |
| JP Precinct 4 | Oversees traffic citations from Pct. 4 Constable, DPS, Environmental, Sheriff, Parks and Wildlife and Crandall PD. | The page warns that the case number must end with “4” before online payment. |
| JP civil filing | Kaufman JP civil fee page lists eviction filing, small-claims/debt/repair-remedy filing, writ and abstract examples. | Forcible detainer/eviction suits must be filed in the precinct where the property is located. |
| Forney Municipal Court | Has jurisdiction over fine-only offenses committed inside Forney city limits, including Class C misdemeanors, traffic offenses and city code violations. | The online search may ask for citation, driver’s license, vehicle, name, date of birth or business-name details; use only the official site. |
| Terrell Municipal Court | Handles traffic tickets issued in the city, criminal complaints and ordinance violations. | The site warns that paying through its service results in a judgment and conviction, and moving violations may go on a driving record. |
| Crandall Municipal Court | Processes and enforces Class C misdemeanor criminal offenses and ordinance violations inside city limits. | Defensive-driving, deferred-disposition and juvenile payment situations may require court contact rather than online payment. |
Court records are not the same as property records, criminal-history checks, discovery, jail records or federal records
Several Kaufman County and Texas systems may appear in search results. Use the right custodian before assuming a court record is missing.
| Need | Use this route | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Court docket, cause number, filing, hearing, judgment or disposition | Tyler Odyssey Portal / District Clerk / County Clerk / JP / municipal court | Court records are maintained by the court or clerk that holds the original case file. |
| Deed index, real-property instrument, official recorded document, old deed book or land/vital record contact | County Clerk real property / QuickLink / Tyler self-service property records | Recorded instruments are index/document records, not ordinary court case dockets. |
| Texas criminal-history search | TxDPS Crime Records Division | DPS criminal-history information is separate from county dockets and has separate account, credit, name-search and fingerprint procedures. |
| Evidence, prosecutor discovery or law-enforcement evidence | Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney discovery route or law-enforcement custodian | Discovery is not the same as the public court file and can be restricted to defense counsel or authorized parties. |
| Jail custody, booking, arrest report or sheriff record | Sheriff, jail or law-enforcement records custodian | Arrest and jail records are not the same as final court dispositions. |
| Federal district, bankruptcy or federal appellate record | PACER / Northern District of Texas | Federal cases are not stored in Kaufman County’s Tyler Odyssey Portal. |
Kaufman County court records are not the same as Texas DPS criminal-history records
A Kaufman County docket can show case activity, but it is not a statewide Texas criminal-history report. The Texas DPS Crime Records Division operates separate criminal-history search routes with account, credit, name-search and fingerprint-related procedures.
- Local case numbers and docket entries.
- District Court, County Court at Law, JP and municipal case lookup.
- Public filings, judgments and dispositions where available.
- County Clerk or District Clerk certified-copy requests.
- Appeal tracking from the trial-court record.
- Texas criminal-history searches.
- Secure-site eligibility and authorized entity access.
- Public website access when secure-site eligibility does not apply.
- Personal review or fingerprint-based identity verification.
- Disputing a name-based result that may not belong to the person searched.
Texas Business Court records involving Kaufman County
The Texas Business Court is a statewide specialized trial court for certain complex business disputes. Texas Judicial Branch materials list Kaufman County in the First Business Court Division, and the Texas Business Court has its own records and hearings search route. Do not assume a qualifying business dispute will appear only as an ordinary Kaufman County district-court case.
- Confirm the dispute qualifies for Business Court jurisdiction.
- Check the operational division and judge assignment.
- Review court procedures and fee schedule if filing.
- Use the Business Court Clerk route for official case questions.
- Use this for Business Court dockets, records and hearings.
- Search separate from Kaufman County’s local Tyler portal when appropriate.
- Save the business-court case number and any originating trial-court cause number.
- Contact the Business Court Clerk for official record access.
Kaufman County appeals: Texas Fifth Court of Appeals
Kaufman County state appeals generally route to the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. The Texas Judicial Branch page lists Kaufman among the counties served by the Fifth Court of Appeals. Keep the trial-court cause number and appellate case number together.
- Appellate case number and party information.
- Briefs, motions, orders and opinions where public.
- Appellate event reports and case submissions.
- Released orders and opinions.
- CaseMail or appellate notification routes when available.
- Original pleadings and evidence references.
- Trial-court judgment and sentencing documents.
- Clerk’s record or reporter’s record questions.
- Post-judgment activity not fully reflected in appellate summaries.
- Certified trial-court copies.
Kaufman County federal court records use PACER, not the county portal
Federal civil, federal criminal and bankruptcy records are separate from Kaufman County state and local court records. Federal venue locator results and federal bankruptcy court information route Kaufman County to the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division for many federal purposes. Use PACER for online federal dockets and documents.
- Confirm the case is federal, not Kaufman County state court.
- Use the court locator if venue or division is unclear.
- Use PACER or CM/ECF for federal docket and document access.
- Contact the federal clerk for official federal copy questions.
- Use this for Chapter 7, 11, 12, 13 and adversary bankruptcy matters.
- Use the Dallas Division when the debtor’s county assignment is Kaufman County unless court rules say otherwise.
- Use PACER for bankruptcy dockets and documents.
- Contact the bankruptcy clerk for discharge, archive, claims-register and copy questions.
- Search the national index if the federal court is unknown.
- Use a specific federal court for the most current docket access.
- Save the court, case number and party names.
- Review PACER charges before opening documents.
PACER lists access at $0.10 per page, a $3.00 maximum for many documents, no maximum for name search results, non-case-specific reports or transcripts, and quarterly billing only when charges exceed $30.00. A temporary increase to $0.12 per page and a $40 quarterly waiver threshold is scheduled for January 1, 2027.
PACER cost estimator
This browser-only estimator is for planning. PACER’s official receipt controls the actual charge.
What to do if your Kaufman County court-record search returns no result
- Wrong portal: county case search, QuickLink property records, TxDPS, appellate search or PACER.
- Wrong custodian: District Clerk, County Clerk, JP court, municipal court or appellate clerk.
- Wrong name order; Smart Search expects Last, First Middle Suffix format for name entry.
- Wildcard too short for case number, business name, nickname or person name.
- Advanced filters too narrow or wrong location/case type/date range selected.
- Mental-health or juvenile record marked confidential/non-public.
- Sealed, expunged, nondisclosed, restricted or protected-address information.
- Record held by a city municipal court, not a county court.
- Real-property document held in County Clerk property records, not case search.
- Federal case held in PACER, not the county portal.
Use Kaufman County court records responsibly
- A filing is not proof that an allegation is true.
- A charge, citation, warrant or arrest is not a conviction.
- A judgment may not show whether it was paid, satisfied, appealed or vacated.
- An online docket may not show the newest filing or the complete official file.
- Do not harass, threaten, shame or retaliate against anyone named in records.
- Do not publish unnecessary addresses, children’s names, financial numbers or sensitive family details.
- Do not bypass sealing, expungement, nondisclosure, juvenile or mental-health restrictions.
- Contact the official custodian for corrections, copy requests, nondisclosure, sealing, expunction or access questions.
Frequently asked questions about Kaufman County court records
How do I search Kaufman County court records by name?
Start with the official Kaufman County Tyler Odyssey Portal and open Smart Search. The search page says users can type a record number or a name in Last, First Middle Suffix format. Use Advanced Filtering Options to narrow by location, search type, party criteria, case type, case status, file date, judicial officer or judgment criteria.
Is there one statewide Texas trial court records search?
No. The Texas Judicial Branch FAQ says its website does not have a single portal for trial-court case searches and that users generally need to contact the district clerk, county clerk, justice court or municipal court for case information. Kaufman County provides its own official Tyler Odyssey Portal for local court search.
Which Kaufman County office keeps district court records?
The Kaufman County District Clerk is the key custodian route for district court records. The District Clerk page lists Rhonda Hughey as District Clerk, phone 469-376-4640, and the office at 1902 East US Highway 175, Kaufman, Texas 75142. Kaufman County district courts include the 86th, 422nd and 489th Judicial District Courts.
Which records are maintained by the Kaufman County Clerk?
The Kaufman County Clerk serves as clerk for County Commissioners Court, County Court at Law and County Court at Law 2. The Clerk’s Court’s Department page says the office maintains Class A and B misdemeanor criminal case files, probate and guardianship case files, bond forfeiture case files, mental health records marked confidential or non-public, juvenile records marked confidential or non-public, and civil cases filed in the County Courts at Law.
How do wildcard searches work in Kaufman County Smart Search?
The Smart Search page says a case-number wildcard search requires at least four characters. For a business name or nickname, use a minimum of four characters followed by an asterisk. For a name wildcard search, type a minimum of three characters followed by an asterisk for the last name and a minimum of one character followed by an asterisk for the first name.
How much do Kaufman County Clerk court-record copies cost?
The Kaufman County Searches and Copies page says County Clerk court records, except mental health and juvenile records, are available for public inspection at no charge. Published copy examples are plain copies at $1 per page, certified copies at $5 for certification plus $1 per page, and Certification of Facts at $5 when search results are provided without copies.
Where do I search Kaufman County JP, traffic, small-claims or eviction records?
Use the Justice of the Peace precinct that has jurisdiction or the municipal court listed on the citation. Kaufman County JP pages describe Justice Courts as handling civil, criminal and traffic trials, with JP civil cases up to $20,000 and landlord-tenant disputes. Forney, Terrell and Crandall municipal courts handle many city traffic, ordinance and Class C misdemeanor matters inside city limits.
Are Kaufman County court records the same as Texas DPS criminal-history records?
No. Kaufman County court records are local case records and docket information. Texas DPS Crime Records Division is the state criminal-history repository and has separate name-based and fingerprint-related procedures. DPS says name-based searches are not always accurate and that fingerprint identification is the only way to positively link someone to a criminal record.
Where do I search Kaufman County appeals and federal cases?
State appeals from Kaufman County generally route to the Texas Fifth Court of Appeals in Dallas. Federal district and bankruptcy cases are separate from Kaufman County court systems and are searched through PACER, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Texas Dallas Division.
Can I use this page for employment, tenant, credit or insurance screening?
No. Public-Court-Records.us is not a Consumer Reporting Agency, and this article is not an FCRA-regulated background-check product. Do not use this page to make employment, tenant, housing, credit, insurance or eligibility decisions.
Publication review checklist
This guide was reviewed for official-source accuracy, Kaufman County Tyler Odyssey Portal routing, Smart Search name and wildcard rules, District Clerk and County Clerk separation, County Court at Law file custody, probate/guardianship routing, mental-health and juvenile confidentiality warnings, Docket Calls limitations, JP precinct payment warnings, municipal court separation, QuickLink real-property distinction, Texas Business Court route, Fifth Court of Appeals routing, TxDPS criminal-history distinction, Northern District of Texas federal routing, PACER pricing, responsible-use warnings, mobile layout, accessibility, Yoast-safe schema and low-value-content risk. Verification date: September 2, 2026.