Houston County DWI and DUI Records

Houston County DUI and DWI records are maintained by the District Clerk and County Clerk in Crockett, the county seat of this East Texas county. Houston County is a rural county in the Piney Woods region, and all DWI case filings go through the courthouse in Crockett. You can request records in person or by mail, and state-level tools provide additional ways to look up arrest history and driving data tied to DWI charges in Houston County.

Houston County District Clerk

The Houston County District Clerk holds all felony DWI records for the county. The 3rd District Court serves Houston County and processes felony criminal charges including third or subsequent DWI, intoxication assault, and intoxication manslaughter under Texas Penal Code Chapter 49. The courthouse is in Crockett. Online record access is very limited for Houston County, so in-person and mail requests are the standard way to get case documents.

Copies from the District Clerk cost $1.00 per page. Certified copies add $5.00 per document. Bring the defendant's full legal name and date of birth, or a specific case number. Felony criminal records are retained permanently under Texas retention rules. Attorneys file through the state e-filing portal at txcourts.gov. Contact the courthouse directly to confirm current hours and any specific procedures before making a trip.

Houston County Clerk - Misdemeanor DWI Records

Misdemeanor DWI records in Houston County are held by the County Clerk. Under Penal Code Section 49.04, a first DWI offense with a BAC below 0.15 is a Class B misdemeanor. A first offense at 0.15 or above, or any second DWI, is a Class A misdemeanor under Section 49.09 with a 30-day mandatory minimum jail term. Both levels are handled through the county court. All misdemeanor DWI filings are maintained by the Houston County Clerk in Crockett.

The records include the initial charge, pleas entered, court dates, and final disposition. Bond conditions and any probation terms are also part of the case file when applicable. Services are provided in person. The same $1.00 per page and $5.00 certification fee rates apply as at the district court.

The image below shows Houston County's municipal courts portal, which was the source image captured for this county.

The Texas DPS Crime Records Service maintains statewide conviction data that can supplement local Houston County court records when searching for complete DWI history.

Texas DWI Law in Houston County

Houston County applies the same state DWI laws as every other Texas county. Under Penal Code Chapter 49, driving while intoxicated means operating a vehicle on a public road while your blood or breath alcohol concentration is 0.08 or above, or while lacking the normal use of mental or physical faculties due to alcohol or any substance. US 287 and Texas Highway 21 run through the county and are common DWI enforcement corridors.

Charge levels in Houston County DWI cases range from Class B misdemeanor at the low end to second-degree felony for intoxication manslaughter at the high end. A third DWI is a third-degree felony. DWI with a child passenger under 15 is a state jail felony under Section 49.045. These distinctions control which court handles the case and which clerk's office holds the record in Houston County. Enhanced DWI penalties under Section 49.09 also account for prior convictions from other states if those convictions would have qualified as DWI under Texas law.

For any DWI-related crash in Houston County, the peace officer's CR-3 crash report is available from Texas Department of Transportation through the CRIS Request system. Standard copies are $6, certified copies are $8. TxDOT keeps these reports for 10 years.

Note: Houston County, Texas is a separate and distinct jurisdiction from the city of Houston in Harris County. All Houston County DWI records are handled exclusively through the courthouse in Crockett, not through any Harris County or city of Houston office.

License Suspension After DWI Arrest in Houston County

A DWI arrest in Houston County triggers the Texas Administrative License Revocation process run by Texas DPS. The arresting officer takes the physical license at the time of arrest and issues a 40-day temporary permit. The driver has 15 days to request an ALR hearing or the suspension becomes automatic when the permit expires. The ALR hearing is a civil process, completely separate from the criminal DWI case.

Under Transportation Code Chapter 524, a first-offense test failure leads to a 90-day suspension. A first-offense refusal results in 180 days. Both periods double when a prior ALR suspension was issued within the past 10 years. Winning or losing the criminal DWI case does not automatically affect the ALR suspension outcome. After the suspension ends, a $125 reinstatement fee is paid to DPS before a new license is issued. Driver records can be ordered from dps.texas.gov for $4 to $22 depending on the record type.

State Resources for Houston County DWI Cases

Texas DPS handles public information requests for DPS-held records through its public information portal. These requests are useful when the records you need are held at the state level rather than locally. The TxDOT impaired driving page tracks DWI crash statistics by county and region. For cases involving minors and alcohol, the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission handles enforcement under Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 106, and those violations may appear alongside DWI records in Houston County court files.

Nearby Counties

Houston County is in the East Texas Piney Woods. DWI cases in neighboring counties are handled through their own courts.