Will a Criminal Charge Show Up on My Record in Texas?

An Arrest Appears on Background Checks Before Conviction

Yes — an arrest appears on criminal background checks immediately, even before charges are filed or a case is resolved. The Texas DPS criminal history database, commercial background check services used by employers and landlords, and FBI records all reflect arrests, not just convictions. If you were arrested in San Antonio and booked into the Bexar County Jail, that booking record is immediately searchable regardless of how the case ultimately resolves at Cadena-Reeves.

Dismissed Charges Stay on Your Record Until Expunged

A dismissal in the Bexar County Courts at Law or District Courts does not automatically clear your record. The arrest and the dismissed charge remain visible on background checks until a Bexar County District Court issues a formal expunction order under Texas Chapter 55. Expungement requires filing a petition, serving all relevant agencies, conducting a hearing, and obtaining the judge’s order. Once the order is issued and served, all records of the arrest — police reports, court records, DPS files, and commercial background check databases — are legally destroyed. We evaluate expunction eligibility on every dismissed case. Learn more on our San Antonio expungement page.

A DWI Conviction Is Permanent

A DWI conviction appears on background checks for life. For DWI specifically, there is no non-disclosure order available in Texas — the conviction cannot be sealed or hidden from public view under any Texas law. Unlike most other criminal convictions, a DWI conviction on your record is permanent in the fullest sense: it cannot be sealed, expunged, or otherwise removed after conviction.

What This Means for Employment and Housing in San Antonio

Employers and landlords in the San Antonio area routinely conduct background checks. An arrest — even without a conviction — appears until expunged. A dismissed charge that has been expunged does not appear. A conviction appears permanently. For anyone with professional licensing concerns — nursing, teaching, military service, law enforcement — a permanent DWI conviction can trigger licensing board review. Fighting toward dismissal and then expunging the record is the only path to a completely clean background check after a Bexar County DWI arrest.