Run a free Tarrant County mugshot search now to see if someone you know is currently in jail.
According to the Texas Public Information Act (PIA), all records about incarcerations are supposed to be freely available for public access, often at little to no cost.
This streamlined resource covers the databases and resources that enable citizens to quickly search for mugshots in Tarrant County, Texas, through official custodians or legitimate sources.
Where To Find Free Mugshots
Mugshots in Tarrant County are available at the sheriff’s office, but recent arrests may be obtained through a local city or town police department.1
Sometimes, inmates housed in state prisons have a listing on the state prison website. Such websites generally make available records and mugshots free of charge. Lastly, federal offender records are maintained by the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), though they do not offer mugshots online.
How To Search Tarrant County Mugshots for Free
Mugshots – also called booking photographs – are typically created at the time of arrest and are a part of the public record. The Texas Public Information Act (PIA) allows these records — booking photographs included — to be accessible to the public through the use of listed official access routes.
Below are ways you might search for free Tarrant County mugshots or booking photos through the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office or county jail database.
Online Search via the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office Website: The sheriff’s office has an online inmate search where you can search for individuals in their custody.2
You will be required to have information such as first and last name and other optional information to narrow the search, such as CID, race, and sex. Once the correct information is input, you are going to have access to mugshots as well as the following details about the arrest such as first, middle, and last name, race, sex, CID, Tarrant County active bookings and other agency active bookings.
In-Person Search: You can also contact the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office or the jail for the mugshots and arrest records. Have identifying information ready, including the full name of the individual and the date of arrest. The office hours are Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Please note that Monday visits are by appointment only.
For more information, you can contact them at:
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
7th Floor, 200 Taylor Street
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Phone: 817.884.3099
Hours: Monday – Friday; 8 AM – 5 PM
Tarrant County Jail
100 North Lamar St
Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas
Phone: 817.884.3000
Hours: Monday – Sunday; Open 24 hours
By Telephone or Mail: If you cannot come to an office location or use the online search option, you may call the sheriff’s office above or send your written request for the documents. Be sure to include all necessary details to locate the record, such as the inmate’s full name, the date of arrest, and the location of the arrest.
Public records, including arrest or inmate information and mugshots, can also be accessed by submitting a public record request to the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. Written requests may be mailed to the address noted above.
Third-Party Services: Third-party services like VINELink allow you to track updated inmate records, such as custody status and release dates.3 However, VINELink does not display mugshots as part of the search results. For mugshot access, you will need to use official sources or other services that specifically provide this information.
Follow the steps above if you want to access the Tarrant County mugshots free of cost. Moreover, the arrest records tutorial for Tarrant County provides a step-by-step process on how to find in-depth arrest details of anyone detained in the county. You’ll get comprehensive information on how to view or acquire the records, along with a listing of resources that you would use in such a search.
To conduct a free public record search for warrants, vital records, criminal histories, and much more, please see this Tarrant County free public records lookup overview.
Services for Inmates: Bail, Contact Methods & Commissary
For anybody currently incarcerated in Tarrant County, a friend, relative, or acquaintance may utilize the following services to post bail, contact, send money, or visit the person.
Additionally, the jail roster is another useful tool to track an inmate’s current status. The following are some of the available services that are important in keeping connected with an inmate in Tarrant County.
Bail/Bond: Bond may be posted 24/7 at the Bond Desk located at the Tarrant County Corrections Center.4
Tarrant County Corrections Center
100 North Lamar
Fort Worth, Texas 76196
Phone: 817-884-3204
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Monday-Friday; 8:30 AM-8:30 PM
To obtain bond information, call the Inmate Information Line at (817) 884-3000. The bond amount and charges can be searched using the Tarrant County Inmate Search tool and selecting the profile of the individual you’re seeking details of.
You may find more about bond amounts and procedures for posting bonds at the Tarrant County bond information webpage.
Contacting Inmates by Phone or Mail: The inmates can make free local calls while booking, and can place collect calls for non-local calls. See the Tarrant County inmate phone service webpage or call Securus Correctional Billing at 1-800-844-6591 for more insight.
Mail should be addressed to the inmate, and letters cannot be over 12 by 16 inches in size. You may also send up to 10 unframed photos no larger than 4 by 6 inches.
C/O Tarrant County Jail
100 North Lamar
Fort Worth, Texas 76196
For more information, check out the Tarrant County inmate correspondence page.
Commissary/Sending Money: Money deposits for those behind bars may be made through Access Corrections, either online or using the kiosk available at the facility. For more information, visit the Tarrant County inmate money deposits page.
Money Order Mailing Address:
Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office
Detention Bureau
100 N. Lamar
Fort Worth, Texas 76196
Visitation: Visitation times are scheduled based on the inmate’s last name.
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- Inmates A-L: Saturdays and Mondays 9 AM-9 PM, Fridays 9 AM-3 PM
- Inmates M to Z: Sunday, Tuesday 9 AM-9 PM; Friday 3 PM-9 PM
Note: All visitors need to present themselves 30 minutes prior to visiting hours and adhere to the dress code stipulated by the facility; these guidelines and far more details are available on the Tarrant County inmate visitation page.5
How To Find Prison Mugshots (Texas State & Federal Inmates)
If an individual has been sentenced to a state prison, their mugshot can be found through state-level resources but cannot be accessed through county-level searches, even if the criminal resided locally.
For insight into state inmates, interested parties can search through the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Offender Search for inmate information, though mugshots may not be always available to the public.6
To search, you must enter the inmate’s last name and at least the first initial of the first name. Other search options include TDCJ Number, State Identification (State ID) Number, gender, and race in addition to the first and last names.
The search results will display the inmate’s SID number, TDCJ number, name, race, gender, age, maximum sentence date, current facility, projected release date, parole eligibility date, inmate visitation eligibility, special information for scheduled release and offense history.
For federal inmates, searches can be conducted by name or BOP number, but mugshots are not provided on the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator website.7
Look up individuals using an inmate’s assigned BOP register number, DCDC number, FBI number, or INS number. First and last name can also be used as alternative search options. The information that may also be included in narrowing a search is race, age, and sex.
The following information will be given upon searching for the inmate:
- Name
- Register Number
- Age
- Race
- Sex
- Released Date
This information is publicly available under the mandates of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Texas Public Information Act.
However, the results accessed through any Tarrant County mugshot search should never be used for stalking, harassing, or intimidating a person and neither for use in professional capacities according to guidelines provided by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and regulated by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).8
Furthermore, this information must not be used for breaching any local, state, or federal laws. Always ensure that public records are being accessed and used legally, and within good faith.
In summary, if you are searching for mugshots or some other inmate records, make sure that you obtain information from official sources or known services in order to access only legal and correct information. It is important to remember the laws concerning the provision of public records and use this information responsibly.
References
1Tarrant County, Texas. (2023, August 4). About Tarrant County. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/county/about-tarrant.html>
2Tarrant County, Texas. (n.d.). Inmate Search. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://inmatesearch.tarrantcounty.com/>
3VINE. (n.d.). Search. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://vinelink.vineapps.com/search/TX/Person>
4Tarrant County, Texas. (2023, December 14). Corrections Center. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/facilities-management/building-services/downtown-buildings/corrections-center.html>
5Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office. (2022, February 25). Visitation Rules and Regulations. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://www.tarrantcountytx.gov/en/sheriff/detention-bureau/visitation.html>
6Texas Department of Criminal Justice. (n.d.). Inmate Information Search. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start>
7Federal Bureau of Prisons. (n.d.). Find an inmate. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/>
8U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Overview. Retrieved September 19, 2024, from <https://www.eeoc.gov/overview>