How to Expunge Your Record for Free in Travis County, Texas (2026 Guide)

If your arrest, dismissal, acquittal, or no-bill happened in Travis County — anywhere from downtown Austin to Pflugerville to Lakeway to West Lake Hills to Bee Cave to Manor to Del Valle — your expunction petition goes to a Travis County district court, filed through the Travis County District Clerk at the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe Street. Civil expunction matters are routed through the Civil and Family Courts Facility at 1700 Guadalupe; criminal records originate from the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center at 509 W. 11th. Venue follows the arrest, not your current address.

Travis County has 9 civil district courts plus 8 criminal district courts and 8 county courts at law. Expunction petitions go to a civil district court — not a criminal court. Travis is one of the few large Texas counties where the prosecutor's title is "District Attorney" rather than "Criminal District Attorney"; the Travis County DA's civil division reviews expunction petitions on a structured docket and typically responds within 30–45 days.

Travis is generally a fast county for clean expunctions: DA response runs 30–45 days, and the District Clerk's signed-order distribution to DPS averages 35–50 days post-grant. The local quirk that catches DIY filers is the city's de-criminalization landscape. Austin voters passed Proposition A in May 2022 deprioritizing low-level marijuana enforcement, but historical APD arrests from before May 2022 still need petitions to clear and they don't auto-expunge. The same is true for Class C arrests on the UT-Austin campus and for Capitol-area arrests by the DPS Capitol Police.

This guide walks through the Travis County expunction process as it stands in 2026 — court, fees, addresses, respondent agencies, and the local quirks that catch DIY filers. For the statewide framework, our Texas expunction pillar guide covers Chapter 55A in detail.

What Makes Travis County Different

In short: Travis County's district clerk and courts apply the statewide rules through their own filing conventions, e-filing quirks, and agency lists. Knowing these local specifics before you file is what separates a clean grant from a bounced petition.

Six Travis-specific factors that don't appear in generic Texas expunction templates.

• Two courthouses, two functions. Travis County's civil filings (expunctions, nondisclosures, civil petitions) route through the Civil and Family Courts Facility at 1700 Guadalupe. The Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center at 509 W. 11th holds the criminal docket. Walk-in pro-se filers occasionally go to the wrong building first; only the Civil and Family Courts Facility (or e-filing routed there) handles civil expunction petitions.
• Pre-2022 APD marijuana arrests do not auto-expunge. Austin Prop A (May 2022) deprioritized future low-level marijuana enforcement and ended most subsequent arrests for those offenses. It did not expunge any historical record. APD arrests from 2010, 2015, 2019 — those still sit on records and require a CCP Chapter 55A petition to clear. There is no automatic-clear mechanism under state law for those historical cases.
• APD respondent layering. Austin Police Department is one respondent. The APD Records Division at 715 E. 8th is a separate processing unit; service to APD's main address can stall while it routes internally. APD also has a body-cam unit (separate records system since 2017) that's been an issue for clean record clearing — granted expunctions sometimes don't reach the body-cam archive without separate notification.
• UTPD and Capitol Police. UT-Austin Police Department maintains its own arrest records independent of APD; Class C and felony arrests on the UT campus by UTPD list UTPD as the arresting agency. The DPS Capitol Police covers the Texas Capitol complex (and arrests there are usually by Capitol Police, not APD). Both must be named as separate respondents when relevant.
• Travis-Williamson straddle. The Travis-Williamson county line runs through several north Austin neighborhoods. Parts of Pflugerville, Cedar Park, and Round Rock are in Travis County; parts are in Williamson. The petition files in the county of arrest, not the county where the suburb's city hall sits. Pull the arresting agency's incident report to verify county before drafting.
• Travis County Sheriff's jail records. Travis County Sheriff's Office maintains the jail booking records (Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle) independently of any city PD. The Sheriff is a required respondent for any Travis County arrest that resulted in booking, even if the arresting agency was APD or a suburban department.

Filing in Travis County — the Quick Reference

In short: This is the at-a-glance version of filing an expunction in Travis County: where it goes, who must be served, and the typical fee and timeline. Each item is expanded in the sections below.

Where to File — Travis County District Clerk & Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility

In short: An expunction petition is filed with the Travis County District Clerk and heard in a Travis County district court, not a municipal or justice court. Filing in the wrong court, or in the wrong county, is one of the most common DIY mistakes.

Every civil expunction petition in Travis County is filed with the Travis County District Clerk. The clerk's main office is on the second floor of the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility at 1700 Guadalupe St., Austin, TX 78701. That is the building you have probably driven past a hundred times on I-35 just south of downtown Austin.

The civil expunction petition is routed to one of Travis County's district courts — typically one of the Criminal District Courts (1–7) if the underlying case was criminal, or one of the numbered district courts (the 14th, 44th, 68th, 95th, 101st, 116th, 134th, 160th, 162nd, 191st, 192nd, 193rd, 194th, 298th, and others) for civil expunction venue assignments. You do not choose the court — it is assigned by the clerk based on the county's random assignment system.

In-person filings at the cashier window are still accepted but rare. Most pro-se filers use eFileTexas from home. The cashier window is useful for one thing: certified copies. You will need them after the judge signs, and picking them up in person saves 1–2 weeks of mail turnaround.

Travis County Filing Fees

In short: Expect a Travis County district-court filing fee of about $450, plus smaller costs for certified copies and service. There is no general fee waiver for expunctions, though a narrow indigency waiver can apply.

Travis County sets its own civil filing fees within the limits of Texas state statute. The fee schedule changes annually. Rather than list a specific number that will be wrong by the time you read this, pull the current amount directly from the source:

Other Travis County costs to budget for:

Indigency waivers under Texas Rule of Civil Procedure 145 are accepted by Travis County but reviewed carefully. The clerk's office requires a completed Statement of Inability to Afford Payment and may request follow-up documentation. Most pro-se filers do not qualify.

Who Qualifies Under CCP Chapter 55A

In short: Eligibility is statewide, not county-specific: you generally qualify for a Texas expunction if your case ended in acquittal, a grand-jury no-bill, or a dismissal after the waiting period, or you completed a qualifying pretrial diversion. Convictions and most deferred-adjudication outcomes are not eligible for expunction.

The eligibility rules for a Travis County expunction are the same statewide Texas rules under Chapter 55A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. You qualify if any of the following apply to your Travis County case:

• Acquittal at trial — 55A.002. File immediately.
• No-bill by a Travis County grand jury — 55A.052. File after waiting period.
• Dismissal by the Travis County DA after waiting period — 55A.053.
• Arrested by a Travis County agency, never charged, statute of limitations passed — 55A.052.
• Class C misdemeanor deferred adjudication completed — 180 days after completion.
• Identity theft — someone used your name when arrested in Travis County — 55A.006, no waiting period.
• Pardon for innocence — 55A.003.

Waiting periods run from the arrest date: 180 days for Class C, 1 year for Class A/B misdemeanor, 3 years for felony. For a full breakdown of the 15+ eligibility scenarios under Chapter 55A, read our Texas expunction pillar guide.

Every Travis County Respondent You Must Serve

In short: A Travis County expunction petition must name and serve every agency that touched the record: the DA, the sheriff, the arresting agency, DPS, and any database that received the arrest data. Missing even one respondent is a leading cause of incomplete or rejected Travis County expunctions.

A Texas expunction only binds the agencies you list in the petition and serve under CCP Chapter 55A. Miss one and that agency keeps the record on file forever. Here is the baseline respondent list for a Travis County expunction — the minimum, before you add vendor-specific respondents:

For a typical Travis County case, expect 10–15 respondents total. DWI cases and deferred adjudications sometimes run 14–18. Every one has to be listed in both the petition and the proposed order, and every one has to be served by certified mail with return receipt requested.

The 12-Step Travis County DIY Walkthrough

In short: Filing an expunction yourself in Travis County runs from pulling your records and drafting the petition through serving every agency and attending any hearing the court sets. Each step carries a formatting or deadline trap, which is why many Travis County pro-se petitions stall.

Step 1 — Pull Travis County case records

Go to the Travis County District Clerk cashier window at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility (second floor), or request by mail. You need certified copies of: the charging document (information or indictment), the disposition (dismissal order, judgment of acquittal, or grand jury no-bill), and any deferred adjudication paperwork. Travis County charges a per-page copy fee plus a certification fee.

Step 2 — Verify your waiting period has run

Arrest date plus waiting period (180 days / 1 year / 3 years). Travis County judges do not hold petitions for ripeness.

Step 3 — Identify the correct CCP Chapter 55A subsection

Acquittal = 55A.002. No-bill = 55A.052. Dismissed after waiting period = 55A.053. Arrest never charged = 55A.052. Travis County clerks accept the petition regardless of subsection, but the DA's review team catches the error.

Step 4 — Build the respondent list (10–15 agencies)

Start with the baseline list above, then add every private background-check vendor that may have touched the record. Vendor service addresses change — verify each one before mailing.

Step 5 — Draft the Petition for Expunction

Include: your legal name, aliases, DOB, sex, race, DL number, SSN, address at time of arrest, Travis County case number, offense, statute, arresting agency, date of arrest, date of disposition, statutory subsection, and the complete respondent list.

Step 6 — Draft the Proposed Order of Expunction

The order must mirror the petition. Any respondent listed in the petition but not in the order is not bound.

Step 7 — Register for eFileTexas

efile.txcourts.gov. Register as a pro-se filer. Add payment. Allow 30–60 minutes — the verification flow is notoriously clunky.

Step 8 — E-file the petition

Select Travis County. Select a district court (the clerk assigns; you are selecting the filing queue). Upload the petition, proposed order, and Civil Case Information Sheet. Pay the filing fee. You will receive an envelope number.

Step 9 — Serve every respondent by certified mail

Once the petition is file-stamped, print a copy for each respondent along with the proposed order and a cover letter. Mail each by certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep every green card.

Step 10 — The Travis County DA review window (30 days)

The Travis County DA's expunction review team has 30 days to respond. Most clean petitions are not opposed. If the DA objects — usually on a technical ground — a hearing is set.

Step 11 — Attend the hearing at Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility (if set)

Most uncontested Travis County expunction petitions are granted without a hearing. If one is set, it is at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility. Bring certified copies of everything.

Step 12 — Collect the signed order and distribute certified copies

Pick up certified copies at the Travis County District Clerk cashier window — one per respondent. Mail a certified copy to every respondent. Follow up with DPS 60 days later to confirm the state record has been updated.

The eFileTexas Nightmare — Watch This Before You Start

In short: Travis County takes expunction filings through the eFileTexas portal, which rejects petitions for issues like combined exhibits, unreadable scans, or the wrong case type. These technical rejections are a common and avoidable reason Travis County filings get bounced.

Travis County civil filings go through eFileTexas just like every other Texas county. This is the portal walkthrough. Spend 10 minutes before your first filing — it will save you a weekend.

Travis County-specific e-filing traps:

• Court selection. Travis County has a large number of district courts. Selecting the wrong court queue does not get you denied, but it slows the review by days to weeks. The clerk reassigns, but the clock on the DA's response window does not reset cleanly.
• Travis County filing code. Look for the eFileTexas filing-type option matching "Petition for Expunction" or "Civil — Expunction." Avoid generic "Petition" or "Motion to Expunge" labels — they route to the wrong queue. If the dropdown lacks a clear match, the Travis County District Clerk's intake desk can confirm before you submit.
• Proposed order upload. Travis County requires the proposed order as a separate PDF attachment, not as part of the petition. Many pro-se filers concatenate them, which draws a rejection.
• Fee waiver flow. If you are filing a Statement of Inability, it has to go in first — as a separate envelope — and the clerk rules on it before the petition envelope is processed. Filing them together almost always bounces.

Realistic Travis County Timeline

In short: A straightforward Travis County expunction typically takes a few months from filing to the signed order and record destruction, longer if a hearing is set or an agency objects. Anyone promising a near-instant result is overstating what the process allows.

Travis County is one of the faster counties in Texas for expunctions because the DA has a dedicated review process. Realistic numbers for a pro-se filing:

Travis County Local Quirks That Trip Up Pro-Se Filers

In short: Travis County has local filing conventions, courthouse procedures, and clerk requirements that are not written in the statute. Overlooking them is a frequent reason DIY Travis County petitions are delayed or denied.

1. UT Austin Police has its own arrest authority. An arrest on or near campus may have been made by UTPD — a separate agency from APD. List it correctly.
2. Travis County Sheriff runs the jail at Del Valle. Always a respondent regardless of arresting agency.
3. Austin is the state capital. DPS troopers and Texas Capitol Police generate additional arresting agencies downtown. Check the arrest report carefully.
4. Travis County has a strong progressive DA tradition. Dismissals are common — which means many Austin cases are eligible for expunction rather than just non-disclosure.
5. Suburbs straddle county lines. Pflugerville sits partly in Travis and partly in Williamson; Round Rock is entirely in Williamson. Verify county of arrest before filing.

10 Travis County DIY Mistakes That Get Petitions Denied

In short: The most common Travis County DIY expunction mistakes are filing in the wrong court, missing a required agency, mis-citing Chapter 55A, and submitting exhibits the portal rejects. Each one is avoidable with the right preparation.

1. Filing before the waiting period runs. Travis County courts do not hold for ripeness.
2. Wrong CCP Chapter 55A subsection. The Travis County DA review team catches the wrong subsection fast. Denial.
3. Missing the Travis County Sheriff as a respondent. Travis County Sheriff runs the county jail — they have booking records even when the arrest was by a city PD. Missing the Sheriff means the booking photo stays in the system.
4. Outdated Travis County DA service address. The current Travis County DA service address is 509 W. 11th Street, Austin, TX 78701 (Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center). Old templates may point to a stale address — verify before mailing or your service will be returned.
5. Case number typo. One digit wrong sends the filing to the wrong case jacket.
6. Wrong filing code on eFileTexas. "Petition for Expunction" is the correct code — not "Petition."
7. Not listing suburban PD as arresting agency. "Arrested in Travis County" and "Arrested by Austin Police Department" are different. Travis County has 25+ PDs. Get the right one.
8. Concatenated petition and proposed order. Travis County requires separate PDFs. Concatenation = rejection.
9. Forgetting the Municipal Court in Class C cases. Austin Municipal Court holds the file for Austin PD Class C arrests. Missing it leaves the record active there.
10. Assuming the clerk distributes certified copies. Travis County volume means distribution is inconsistent. You have to mail the certified copies yourself — every respondent, every time.

DIY vs. Attorney vs. Expunction360 in Travis County

In short: DIY is the cheapest route but carries the highest risk of a rejected Travis County petition; a traditional hourly attorney is the most expensive; Expunction360 sits in between as a flat-fee Texas law firm that handles the Travis County filing end to end. The right choice depends on how complex your case is and how much risk you want to carry.

For a Travis County expunction with a clean dismissal, acquittal, or no-bill, our flat fee is the best value in the Central Texas market. For complex Travis County cases — contested petitions, identity theft (55A.006), pardons for innocence — a licensed Texas attorney may be the right call. We will tell you honestly which category you fall in on the intake call.

Will an Expunction Remove a Case From Google Search Results?

In short: An expunction order requires government agencies to destroy their records, but it does not directly bind Google or third-party background-check sites. As the agencies delete the underlying records, those third-party listings usually lose their source and fade over the following weeks to months, though no service can guarantee an instant Google removal.

The honest answer is no — not directly — but in practice the listings almost always fade. A Texas expunction order is directed at government agencies. Under Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A, the court orders the Texas Department of Public Safety, the arresting agency, the Travis County District Clerk, and every other named respondent to destroy or return their records. That order does not, by itself, command Google, a news site, or a private background-check vendor to delete anything.

Here is what actually happens. Most criminal records that surface in a Google search are republished by third-party data brokers and mugshot sites that originally scraped them from public court and jail databases. Once the underlying agencies destroy their copies under the expunction order, those third-party feeds lose their source. Over the following weeks and months the listings typically decay, and many vendors will remove an entry outright when you send them a certified copy of the signed expunction order. Major background-check companies such as Checkr, HireRight, and Sterling must maintain reasonable procedures for accuracy under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act — the legal basis for demanding removal once a record is expunged.

So an expunction is still the most powerful tool for cleaning up an online criminal record; it simply reaches search engines indirectly. See if your record qualifies with a free review — Expunction360 serves every required agency and gives you certified copies of the order to send to any site still showing the case.

Travis County Expunction FAQ