Search Travis County Sex Offenders

Travis County is the home of Austin, the state capital, and one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas. The Texas DPS registry at sor.dps.texas.gov is the public search tool for registered sex offenders in Travis County, covering registrations handled by the Travis County Sheriff's Office and the Austin Police Department.

Who Handles Registration in Travis County

Registration in Travis County depends on where the person lives. The Travis County Sheriff's Office handles registration for anyone living in the unincorporated parts of the county, outside the city limits of any incorporated city. For residents living in Austin, the Austin Police Department is the registering authority.

Austin covers a large portion of Travis County and accounts for the majority of the county's total population. The Austin PD handles a high volume of sex offender registrations as part of its broader criminal investigations work. Other cities within Travis County, such as Pflugerville and Manor, have their own police departments that may handle registrations for their residents.

All registrations from the sheriff's office and every city police department in Travis County feed into the Texas DPS statewide database. So regardless of which local agency processed a given registration, the DPS public search covers everyone in the county.

Note: Travis County is also home to several state government offices related to criminal justice. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has regional supervision offices that work with local agencies on compliance monitoring for parolees and probationers with sex offense convictions.

Travis County in the DPS Registry

The Texas DPS public sex offender registry at sor.dps.texas.gov lets you search Travis County by address or zip code. Because Austin is a large city with a sizable registered population, searches near downtown or dense residential areas may return many results. Narrowing by zip code or reducing the search radius helps focus the results.

Each result in the registry shows the registrant's current address, photo, offense type, and assigned risk level. Texas uses three levels. Level 1 is low risk. Level 2 is moderate. Level 3 is high risk, which triggers active community notification requirements. In Travis County, the Austin PD or the Travis County Sheriff's Office handles those notifications depending on where the Level 3 offender lives.

The DPS database is updated regularly. Local agencies submit new registrations and any changes as they happen, so the registry reflects fairly current information. It does not show people who have completed their registration duty or had it ended by a court order.

Chapter 62 Requirements in Travis County

All sex offender registration in Texas is governed by Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The law applies to everyone convicted of a qualifying offense who lives, works, or attends school in Texas. It covers convictions from other states and federal courts as well, not just Texas convictions.

New registrants in Travis County must appear in person at the correct agency within seven days of establishing residence or being released from custody. They provide a photo, confirm their home address, identify their employer, and disclose any vehicles. Annual verification is the standard requirement. Higher-risk individuals verify every 90 days.

Changes to address, employment, or vehicle must be reported within seven days of the change. Not complying with registration is a state jail felony. Depending on the original offense and the nature of the violation, it can become a third-degree felony. Travis County law enforcement conducts regular compliance checks in cooperation with TDCJ supervision staff.

Travis County Court Records

Travis County has a large court system given Austin's size and role as the state capital. The Travis County District Clerk maintains records for felony sex offense cases prosecuted in the county. Multiple district courts operate in Austin and handle cases involving sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault, indecency with a child, and other qualifying offenses. Public access to case filings, judgments, and docket records is available through the clerk's office.

The Travis County courts handle both local cases and some cases involving state employees and officials due to the concentration of state government in Austin. Misdemeanor sex offense cases with registration implications are handled by the county courts at law also based in Austin. Checking with the District Clerk's office is the starting point for any court record request tied to a sex offense case in Travis County.

The Texas DPS public sex offender registry is the authoritative source for finding registered sex offenders in Travis County and Austin. It pulls from all local agency registrations across the county into one searchable database.

Travis County Resources

• Texas DPS Sex Offender Registry - search Travis County and Austin by name or address
• Austin Police Department - registration for Austin city residents
• Chapter 62, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure - state registration law
• Texas DPS Registration Program - statewide program overview
• National Sex Offender Public Website - multi-state search tool
• State Bar of Texas - attorney referrals for registration legal questions

For legal advice about sex offender registration in Travis County, including questions about removing a name from the registry, speak with a licensed Texas attorney. The State Bar of Texas can help locate attorneys with experience in this area.