Duval County Public Records

In chapter 552 of the Government Code, the Public Information Act is located. This Act allows the citizens of Texas to request any public documents they need through the state’s governmental body. This conveys that all documents regarding vital events and court proceedings in the Lone Star State can be reviewed and copied by any Texas citizen who wishes to. The Act also provides for instances in which these public entities wish to, or are required by law, to withhold any government registers from the general public.

In Duval County, public registers that are subject to the Texas Government Code, Public Information Act comprise of vital events, arrests and criminal conviction information, and driver records. These records can be obtained from designated agencies which are part of the state’s governmental body. Some private agencies in Texas are also part of this body when they are supported by public funds. This means that all documents and records generated by such private entities are also subject to the Public Information Act.

Should you wish to suss out any public registers in Duval County, Texas, knowing the right agency to go to is necessary. For vital registers, the Texas Department of State Health Services can be visited. Entreaties for vital records must be addressed to the Vital Records Unit in the said department. The fees necessary are as follows: for a birth certificate, $22; death certificate, $20; marriage certificate, $20; and divorce decree, $20.

Nevertheless, it is noteworthy to mention that Duval County marriage and divorce decrees are only accessible through the County Clerk’s Office. Hence, entreaties for such registers should be addressed to the Office of the County Clerk. For arrests and criminal convictions, the Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Criminal Justice are the agencies responsible for keeping track of them. A copy of a criminal record information, when appealed for, requires a fee of $15 to be processed.

To keep up with the increased demands for public records in Texas, free and fee-based databases have been created and established by both the government and private agencies. With these repositories, public registers requested are procured in no time. You no longer need to go to several offices, fall in line, and endure the hassle of the manual methodology of retrieving public information. In fact, the modern method of records procurement is fast and easy thus it has become the new trend nowadays.

Public Records Duval County

In appealing for any public documents in Duval County, the following instructions can be followed:

• – Download the request or application form specific for the record you wish to procure. Complete the form in its entirety with all the details asked.
• – For marriage and divorce decrees, indicating the complete names of the couple is necessary. You also have to specify the date and county where the event transpired.
• – For death certificates, provide the complete name of the decedent, date and county of birth, spouse’s name, parents’ name, and the social security number if known.
• – For arrest and criminal records, the complete legal name of the person whose background is investigated must be provided as. Any known aliases must also be indicated. You also have to identify the last known address as well as the social security number if available.