Brownsville Jail Mugshots and Arrest Records
Brownsville jail mugshots and arrest records are split between the Brownsville Police Department and the Cameron County Sheriff's Office. The Brownsville Police Department handles arrests inside city limits, while the Cameron County Jail holds most inmates after booking. This guide covers how to search Brownsville booking photos, submit a public records request, and use state tools to find arrest data in the Rio Grande Valley.
Brownsville Overview
Brownsville Police Department Records
The Brownsville Police Department (BPD) is the primary law enforcement agency for the city. Officers make arrests within city limits and maintain an internal records division for incident reports, arrest logs, and related documents. The Records Division is at 600 E. Jackson St., Brownsville, TX 78520. Call them at (956) 548-7033. Spanish-language service is also available at (956) 548-7111. Both lines are open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
BPD uses an online public records request portal. You can find that at brownsvilletx.justfoia.com/publicportal. That system handles police department requests separately from other city department requests. You can also download an Open Records Request Form in PDF format at brownsvilletx.gov and mail or fax it in. All requests must be in written form. The BPD's main records page is at brownsvillepd.com/records.
| Department | Brownsville Police Department |
|---|---|
| Address | 600 E. Jackson St., Brownsville, TX 78520 |
| Records Phone | (956) 548-7033 |
| Fax | (956) 548-7115 |
| Hours | Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Records Portal | brownsvilletx.justfoia.com/publicportal |
The city also has a separate public information office for non-police city records. You can reach that office by email at PIR@brownsvilletx.gov, by mail to P.O. Box 911, Brownsville, TX 78521, or in person at 1001 E. Elizabeth, Brownsville, TX 78521. More information is at brownsvilletx.gov/667/Public-Information.
The Brownsville records portal at brownsvilletx.justfoia.com/publicportal gives residents a fast way to submit requests for arrest reports, incident records, and jail booking data online without visiting the department in person.
The city's online records portal makes it easy to request Brownsville arrest reports and booking photos without a trip to the police station.
Where Brownsville Jail Mugshots Are Held
After BPD makes an arrest, most inmates are transferred to the Cameron County Jail. The Cameron County Sheriff's Office runs that facility and maintains booking records, mugshots, and inmate rosters for people in county custody. The Sheriff's Office is the primary keeper of booking photos for Brownsville arrests. Cameron County serves the southern tip of Texas, and the jail sees a high volume of bookings due to the region's size and activity.
To search current Cameron County inmates, contact the Cameron County Sheriff's Office directly. The county website has information about jail operations and how to check on an inmate's custody status. For people arrested by BPD and processed through the county system, the Cameron County Sheriff's Office is the right place to start. Some records may also be accessible through the county's district and county courts depending on whether a case went to trial.
Booking photos are part of the arrest record. They become public record once a person is booked into the county jail. That does not mean every photo is posted online. In Cameron County, you may need to submit a formal request to get copies of booking photos if they are not listed in the public inmate roster.
How to Find Brownsville Arrest Records
Finding Brownsville arrest records takes a few steps. You need to know which agency made the arrest and where the person is or was held. BPD handles city arrests. The Cameron County Sheriff handles arrests in unincorporated areas of the county. Both feed into the Cameron County Jail system for longer-term custody.
Start with the Cameron County Jail inmate search to check if someone is in current custody. If the person has been released, you can submit a public records request to BPD through their JustFOIA portal at brownsvilletx.justfoia.com/publicportal. You can also request records by mail, fax, or in person at 600 E. Jackson St. For fee schedules on BPD record copies, see brownsvillepd.com/records-fees. The city charges fees to recover reproduction costs. Requests estimated to cost more than $100 may require a deposit before the work begins.
For criminal court case records, the Cameron County District Clerk's office handles felony and major misdemeanor filings. Those records are separate from the jail and police systems. The District Clerk can tell you if a case was filed, what the charges were, and how it was resolved.
Note: If a Brownsville arrest led to a state prison sentence, use the TDCJ offender search at inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start rather than local county tools.
Public Information Requests in Brownsville
Texas Government Code Chapter 552, the Texas Public Information Act, gives the public the right to ask for government records including arrest reports, booking logs, and police incident records. Agencies must respond within 10 business days of getting a written request. If a request is large or complex, the agency may seek more time or ask the Texas Attorney General for guidance on whether certain parts can be withheld.
For Brownsville Police records, submit through the portal at brownsvilletx.justfoia.com/publicportal, by fax to (956) 548-7115, or by mail to 600 E. Jackson St., Brownsville, TX 78520. For city-level records not involving the police, email PIR@brownsvilletx.gov or write to P.O. Box 911. Each request should describe the specific records you need clearly and in writing.
Some records are exempt from release under state law. Those include juvenile arrest records, records of ongoing investigations, victim identity information, and certain personnel data. If your request is denied, you can appeal to the Texas Attorney General's Open Records Division for a review.
Texas Statewide Arrest Record Resources
Brownsville residents have access to several state-level tools beyond local databases. The Texas Department of Public Safety keeps a statewide criminal history database. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice runs the main offender search for state prison inmates. These tools can fill gaps when local systems do not have what you need.
Key statewide resources:
- TDCJ Offender Search: inmate.tdcj.texas.gov/InmateSearch/start
- Texas DPS Crime Records: dps.texas.gov/section/crime-records
- VINELink Victim Notification: vinelink.com
Brownsville sits on the U.S.-Mexico border and is the county seat of Cameron County. The border location means some criminal matters involve federal agencies including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Border Patrol. Federal arrests and federal court cases are separate from local Brownsville and Cameron County records. For federal cases, search PACER at pacer.gov or contact the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
Expunction and Nondisclosure in Cameron County
If you were arrested in Brownsville and your case did not result in a conviction, you may be able to clear that record. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55, the Texas expunction law, allows people to petition for destruction of arrest records in certain situations. These include arrests where charges were dropped, cases that were dismissed, and situations where a grand jury issued a no-bill.
Once an expunction order is granted by the court, all agencies that hold the record must destroy their copies. That includes the police department, the county jail, and court clerks. The record should no longer appear in public searches or background checks. However, it can take time for systems to update after an order is issued.
If you completed deferred adjudication, you may not qualify for expunction but could qualify for an order of nondisclosure. That seals the record from public view without deleting it. Consult a local attorney or contact legal aid in the Rio Grande Valley area to find out which option applies to your case and to get help filing the petition in Cameron County District Court.
The Texas DPS crime records division provides statewide criminal history data that supplements local Brownsville and Cameron County arrest records.
Cameron County Jail Records
Arrests in Brownsville are processed at the Cameron County Jail. Visit the county page for inmate search and booking records.