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  1. Webb County Court
  2. Webb County Arrest Records

Webb County, Texas Arrest Records

In Webb County, arrest records are generated by county law enforcement agencies, such as the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, and municipal police departments, including the Laredo Police Department. Arrest records primarily indicate that a person was detained during an investigation; they do not prove guilt or the outcome of a criminal case.

Texas distinguishes between basic arrest records and detailed criminal histories or Criminal Offender Record Information. The way the Texas Department of Public Safety handles the creation, access, and dissemination of Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) is controlled by Texas law under  Texas Government Code Chapter 411. These laws detail how this information is created and guide how it is stored, used in detailed background checks and criminal history reports, and accessed by the public.

Are Arrest Records Public Information in Webb, Texas?

Arrest records are considered public information under the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA), codified in the Texas Government Code Chapter 552. The chapter provides a strong presumption that records generated by government agencies, including arrest records from law enforcement, are open to public access. The core principles of the Public Information Act allow the general public to access and copy government records unless access is restricted or exempted by a specific statute or a court order.

The TPIA provides certain conditions or requirements to access public records. Usually, no formal ID is required to access basic information. The TPIA also applies to “any person,” meaning there is no citizenship or residency requirement when requesting a Webb County arrest record. Some agencies may require ID when requesting certain information and contact details to process and deliver requests.

What Do Public County Arrest Records Contain?

Under the Public Information Act and other laws governing the disclosure of law enforcement records, the general public is typically entitled to the basic information about an arrest, typically referred to as front-page or public-facing elements of an arrest record. This ensures some transparency while allowing agencies to protect confidential investigative information.

A typical arrest record in Webb County will contain the following information.

  • Full name of the arrestee
  • City 
  • Date of birth
  • Physical description (height, weight, sex, race, hair/eye colour)
  • Arrest date and time
  • Booking details
  • Arresting/holding agency
  • Case number
  • Offense and degree
  • Bond details
  • Disposition 

Although arrest records are broadly public information, the law allows law enforcement to withhold or remove certain information to preserve the integrity of an investigation and protect privacy interests. Information that is commonly restricted or redacted includes the following.

  • Details of active investigations
  • Personal identifying information, such as Social Security Numbers
  • Information that would identify witnesses or victims of a crime
  • Juvenile arrest records
  • Medical or mental health records
  • Information sealed or removed by court orders, such as expunged/sealed records

Webb County, Texas Arrest Search

The following state and federal law enforcement resources are valid options to search for Webb County arrest information.

Record seekers may use the search options provided on the Crime Records Division website maintained by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). To use the available search tools to perform name-based searches for criminal histories, users must create an account on the public website and purchase credits to access information from the DPS Computerized Criminal History System (CCH). Interested parties can also request a more comprehensive Fingerprint-based Records Search from the crime records division.

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice allows requests for inmate records for those serving time in state-run prisons. Requests can be made using the online search tool or by emailing and using the phone numbers on the department's Inmate Information page.

Federal sources for arrest records and inmate information include the Inmate Locator on the Federal Bureau of Prisons webpage. Arrest details may also be available in federal criminal case files maintained on the  Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database. The search tool on the PACER database allows users to look up federal criminal cases, which may provide related arrest information.

Webb County Inmate Locator

Online inmate databases are some of the most practical and convenient tools when searching for arrest and inmate information. In Webb County, this database is maintained by the Webb County Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office provides an online Webb County Jail Inmate and Bond Search page, where users can look up inmate information online using criteria such as names, date of birth, booking date, and booking number. The sheriff’s office also maintains an online Jail Booking Search showing individuals who have been arrested and booked within the last 48 hours. 

Record seekers may also contact the sheriff’s office directly using the following contact information.

Webb County Sheriff’s Office

902 Victoria Street

Laredo, TX 78040

Phone:(956) 523-4500

Active Warrant Search in Webb County

An arrest warrant in Webb County court is a written order signed by a judge authorizing law enforcement to take a specifically named person into custody for a suspected crime. 

Standard arrest warrants in Texas may contain the following information.

  • The name and description of the suspect to be arrested
  • The offense and statute it violates
  • The statement showing probable cause
  • The date and court of issuance
  • Instructions to law enforcement
  • Bond or bail conditions
  • The signature of the judge or magistrate

The Webb County Sheriff’s Office and municipal police departments typically manage arrest warrants in the county, but do not offer an online warrant database. To inquire about active warrants in Webb County, interested parties may call the Warrants Division at (956) 523-4525.

How to Find Arrest Records for Free in Webb County

The Webb County Sheriff’s Office offers several options for finding county arrest information for free. The Jail Records Search website and Jail Booking Search page provide free online access to arrest information for inmates detained in the county jail. Users may perform name-based or booking number searches online or view a list of inmates booked in the jail within a specific time frame. These sources are free and do not require any identification to view these records. However, it should be noted that confidential or redacted information is not available online and may only be accessed by visiting the Sheriff’s Office or police department during office hours. For any inquiries, record seekers may call the Sheriff’s Office at (956) 523-4500

Webb County Arrest Report

Arrest records and reports are separate types of documentation created by law enforcement agents/officers after an arrest. Although they sound similar, these documents usually differ from each other in how the public accesses them, what they contain, and their general purpose.

Arrest records are an administrative summary of an arrest/detention and are usually maintained in a booking database system. It collects all the facts of the arrest and contains details such as the suspect’s name and description, the charges against them, the time and location of the arrest, and the arresting agents. They also sometimes include biometrics like photographs and fingerprints. The main purpose of this record is to officially document the individual’s entry into the criminal justice system.

Arrest reports are a more detailed and comprehensive document. They are narrative-based reports usually prepared by arresting officers to explain how and why the arrest occurred. The report will contain evidence, witness statements, action reports, probable cause details, and a chronology of events up to the arrest. The document aims to serve as legal justification for the arrest and an aid for prosecutors when filing charges.

Arrest records are typically public information, easily accessible through public record requests to the appropriate custodians. On the other hand, arrest reports are more likely to be restricted to have parts redacted as they may contain sensitive information such as investigative techniques and witness information restricted from public access under the law.

How to Get an Arrest Record Expunged in Webb County

Expunction, or expungement, is a legal process to remove an individual’s arrest records from law enforcement databases. This process is governed by Chapter 55 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Unlike some states, expunction in Texas is not automatic and requires a successful petition to the courts and a court order authorizing it.

In Texas, expunction is the strongest form of relief from a criminal record, as it destroys the record. The criteria to qualify for expunction in Texas include the following.

  • The arrest did not lead to formal charges
  • Charges from the arrest were dismissed 
  • The arrestee was acquitted after a trial
  • It was proven that the arrestee was wrongfully arrested because of identity theft or mistaken identity.
  • The defendant was granted a full pardon.

Not all arrests or crimes qualify for an expunction in Texas; convictions, driver’s license revocations, offenders with pending cases, and certain violent crimes against family members cannot be expunged.

Texas also has statutory waiting periods before applying for expunction, depending on the severity of the offense. Class C misdemeanors can be expunged after 180 days, Class A and B misdemeanors can be expunged after 1 year, and felonies can only be expunged after at least 3  years.

The following steps may be taken in Webb County, Texas, to apply for an expunction.

  • Obtain all the documentation for the case to be expunged, including arrest reports, arrest records, case files, final disposition records, and a list of all involved agencies.
  • Obtain the forms for the application/petition from the District Court at Webb County (where the arrest occurred), fill them out, file them with the district court clerk, and pay the required filing fees.
  • Notify all the law enforcement agencies involved about the petition. These agencies have 45 days to examine the petition and respond.
  • If law enforcement opposes the petition and contests it, the court may schedule a hearing to hear both sides.
  • If the judge approves the petition, they will sign an expunction order directing all agencies involved to destroy the arrest records.

In cases where the individual received a deferred adjudication program or probation, the record cannot be expunged; it can be sealed via a petition for nondisclosure. This means that after a waiting period (2 years for misdemeanors and 5 years for felonies), they can apply to seal the record. This means the arrest will be sealed from the public and background checks, but remains accessible to law enforcement and government agencies.

How Do You Remove Webb County Arrest Records From the Internet?

Removing arrest records from the internet is not a simple single-step process. This is typically because such online records originate from information sources from legally obtained public information. The ability to remove the records will usually depend on first obtaining legal relief, such as expungement, that changes the record's status.

The following are valid steps that can be taken to remove arrest records from the internet in Texas.

  • Obtain an expungement (expunction) or order of nondisclosure. This process is governed by Texas law and allows for the sealing or destruction of arrest records that meet the required criteria. Valid proof of one of these court orders is one of the ways to show that the record is no longer public or legally publishable.
  • Government agencies such as law enforcement and the courts will typically update their records and remove any public records to comply with the order, as it changes the records' legal status. This new legal status will form the basis of any removal requests for third-party publishers.
  • The next step would be to identify the sources of the online records. These may include third-party record sites, online news sources, press releases, and blogs. Removal from many of these sources will involve different processes and contacting them one at a time, as they usually operate independently.
  • For third-party record aggregator websites, contact them or visit their privacy page and provide the details of the expungement. Then request that the record be removed from the site. New articles and press releases about the arrest record may not be removed because they were true at the time of reporting. The best option in these cases is to request an update to the article, citing the expunction.