Access Austin Police Records
Austin police records are managed by the Austin Police Department Records Unit at 715 E. 8th Street. The city is the capital of Texas with more than 950,000 residents, all in Travis County. Whether you need to get a copy of an incident report, find an accident report, or look up case info from APD, you have a few ways to do it. The department processes around 200,000 reports a year. Austin police records are public under the Texas Public Information Act, with some exceptions for active cases. You can request records online, by mail, by email, or in person at APD headquarters.
Austin Overview
Austin Police Records Unit
The APD Records Unit is where Austin police records are stored and processed. It is at APD Headquarters, 715 E. 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Call (512) 974-5499 to check on a report or ask about what you need.
Around 30 staff members work in the Records Unit. APD uses the Versaterm CAD/RMS system for its records. That system stores reports electronically, though older files may be on paper or in off-site archives. You must show a valid government photo ID to pick up records. Spanish language services are on hand at the office. Reports generally take 5 to 7 business days to become available after an incident.
| Office | APD Records Unit |
|---|---|
| Address | 715 E. 8th Street Austin, TX 78701 |
| Phone | (512) 974-5499 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| Website | austintexas.gov/police |
Rush processing is available for an extra fee if you need a report fast. Victims of crime get one free copy when they show up with a valid ID. APD keeps records on file based on schedules set by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
How to Request Austin Police Records
You can get Austin police records in a few ways. The fastest starting point is the online portal. The City of Austin runs an open records portal at austintexas.gov/department/open-records. Submit your request there with the details of what you need. APD has 10 business days to respond under Texas Government Code Chapter 552.
You can also email your request to police.records@austintexas.gov. Put as much detail as you can in the message. Include the date of the incident, the location, and the names of people involved. If you have the report number, add that too. Written requests by mail go to APD Records Unit, 715 E. 8th Street, Austin, TX 78701. You can fax requests to (512) 974-5498.
APD does not need to know why you want the records. That is your right under Texas law. If they plan to deny your request, they must seek an Attorney General opinion within 10 business days. The Texas Attorney General's Open Government Division oversees these disputes and publishes rulings.
Note: Records from active investigations may be withheld under Texas Government Code Section 552.108 until the case is closed.
The Austin Police Department website provides information on records requests, crime data, and department services.
You can find links to the open records system, area command contacts, and crime prevention resources on this page.
Austin Police Records Fees
APD charges fees set by state law for copies of police records. The costs are the same whether you ask online, by mail, or in person. Standard reports cost $6.00 each. Certified copies run $8.00.
Paper copies of other documents are $0.10 per page for standard size and $0.15 for legal size. A CD or DVD costs $1.00 each. If your request takes a lot of staff time, APD may charge $15.00 per hour for labor after the first two hours, plus a 20% overhead fee. When the total goes past $40.00, you get an itemized estimate before they start working on it. The first 50 pages are free if everything is stored in one place. Checks go to the City of Austin.
- Incident or offense report: $6.00 per copy
- Certified report: $8.00 per copy
- Accident report: $6.00 (standard) or $8.00 (certified)
- Paper copies: $0.10 per page
- Electronic media: $1.00 per disc
Payment methods at the office include cash, check, money order, and credit card. By mail, you can pay with a check or money order only.
Austin Accident Reports
Accident reports from Austin go into the statewide CRIS database managed by TxDOT. APD officers file crash reports within 10 days of the incident under Texas Transportation Code Section 550.065. After a 60-day confidentiality window, the reports become public and you can buy copies.
Go to the TxDOT CRIS system to search and buy accident reports. You can search by name, driver license number, or VIN. Standard copies are $6.00 and certified ones are $8.00. You can also request a crash report straight from the APD Records Unit by providing the accident date, time, and location.
For crashes on state highways within Austin, you may need to reach out to Texas DPS instead of APD. The APD Vehicular Homicide Unit takes over investigations when a crash involves a fatality.
What Austin Police Reports Show
An Austin police report covers the basics of an incident. It shows the date, time, and exact address. The complainant or victim section has their name, date of birth, phone number, and a written statement. If there is a suspect, the report includes a name (when known), a physical description, and clothing details.
The officer narrative is the main part. It walks through what happened, what the officer observed, and what action was taken at the scene. Property sections list anything stolen, damaged, or recovered. Vehicle information covers year, make, model, color, license plate, and VIN. Each incident gets classified under the Texas Penal Code and APD internal codes. Disposition codes tell you if the case was cleared, stayed open, or was unfounded. The officer's name, badge number, and assignment are all on file too.
Supplemental reports are added as a case progresses. They may show new witness info, lab results, or arrest details. Use the same report number to request them.
Austin Police Area Commands
APD divides the city into five area commands. Each one has its own station and covers a section of Austin. You can visit any of these locations for help with police matters, though the main Records Unit stays at headquarters on 8th Street.
The five area commands are Central at 501 N. IH-35, East at 812 Springdale Road, North at 1335 N. Great Hills Trail, South at 3550 S. IH-35, and West at 700 Currie Road. APD has more than 1,700 sworn officers across the city. The department runs specialized units for homicide, robbery, sex crimes, narcotics, gang activity, and financial crimes. There is also a SWAT team, bomb squad, K-9 unit, mounted patrol, lake patrol, and air support.
All Austin police records feed into the same central system no matter which area command took the report. The Versaterm system keeps everything in one place for records requests.
Austin Police Records Online Resources
APD crime data is available through the city's open data portal. You can look at crime stats and maps to see what is happening in different parts of Austin. The Texas DPS Crime Records Division handles statewide criminal history searches. A name-based search costs $3.00 per credit.
The VINE system gives victims a way to track custody changes for someone they reported. The TDCJ Offender Search covers state prison inmates. Austin's municipal court deals with traffic citations and city ordinance cases. Crime Stoppers takes anonymous tips at (512) 472-TIPS.
Body camera footage requests go through APD Legal Services at (512) 974-5500. Requests for 911 call recordings are handled by the Austin/Travis County Emergency Communications center, not the police records office.
Travis County Police Records
Austin is the county seat of Travis County. The Travis County Sheriff's Office covers unincorporated areas and manages the county jail. For county-level records and court filings, visit the Travis County police records page.
Nearby Cities
These cities near Austin have their own police departments with separate records systems:
Round Rock • Georgetown • Leander • San Antonio • Killeen • Temple