If someone you know has been arrested in Dallas County, you may be wondering what comes next. Booking is the next step, and during this time, you’ll be fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. Your clothes and belongings will be confiscated.

Eventually, you’ll appear before a judge or magistrate, who will review the charges and decide whether to set bail. The entire process will take at least a few hours — or even a day or more. Contact an attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney may be able to expedite parts of the process. 

Booking in Dallas County

After someone is arrested on a criminal charge in Dallas County, they will typically be transported to central booking at the Dallas County Jail, at the Lew Sterrett Criminal Justice Center, located at 111 Commerce St. in Dallas.

During booking, detainees will be allowed to make phone calls. However, once your phone has  been confiscated, these calls will not be free. You will likely have to make collect calls. Make sure to tell anyone you call where you’re being held.

What Happens During Booking in Dallas County?

The following may take place, depending on the reason for your arrest:

• Fingerprinting: Your fingerprints will be entered into an FBI database, which state, federal, and local authorities can access.
• Booking photograph (mugshot): The mug shot gives police a record of your physical appearance and height. It will include the time, date, and place. The photo can be used to establish your physical condition in the hours after your arrest. 
• Search: Your belongings will be searched, and you may be strip searched. Though this may seem excessive, it’s legal. In 2012, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that these searches are legitimate even for a defendant pulled over for a random traffic violation and subsequently arrested for failing to pay an outstanding fine. 
• Health screenings: If you’re arrested for DWI or a drug offense, you’ll likely undergo a blood test. Other offenders may be required to have blood tests (to detect sexually transmitted diseases) or even X-rays (to detect tuberculosis). You may be required to provide a DNA sample. 
• Questioning: Jail officials typically ask arrestees about gang affiliations and other outside relationships. Depending on your answers, you may be placed in protective custody. However, we don’t recommend answering any police questions without an attorney present. These questions may be a violation of your rights.
• Warrant check: While going through these steps, a booking officer will search to see if you have any outstanding warrants or other pending charges. These can range from an unpaid parking ticket to a criminal charge in another state. If anything is found, bail may be denied. 

During the booking process, an officer will record the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Contact information
• Any other relevant personal information
• All charges against you, plus any statutory citations 

After this, you’ll typically be placed in a holding cell until your initial court appearance.

Booking Can Take Hours

Don’t expect your booking process to be fast. 

“The booking process can usually take between 6 and 12 hours for their information to be posted on the county website and a bond to be set,” said Nelson Knight, a Michael & Associates senior trial attorney who is based in our Dallas office. 

Knight points out that the Dallas County Jail is very crowded, and the timing will depend on what day of the week and time of the day.

Initial Court Appearance

Within about 48 hours of your arrest, you’ll appear before a judge. This is called “magistration.” 

A judge will review your charges and decide whether to set bail, which type of bail, and how much that bail will be. For particularly serious cases or violent crimes, bail may be denied. 

The wait to go before a magistrate is typically the reason the booking process is so long. This is where having an experienced attorney will be extremely helpful. Your lawyer can help expedite the process. 

“We can go to judges in the courthouse and sometimes get a bond set before the magistrate judge gets to our client,” Knight says. “If we are able to get a bond set and get that information over to the jail, then our client will be able to post bond sooner than they would be able to otherwise.”

Once bail has been posted, it will take another hour or two for paperwork to be completed for your release. However, if you can’t afford bail, you’ll have to remain in jail until your case has been resolved. 

What Should I Do If a Warrant Has Been Issued for my Arrest?

If you know there is a warrant out for your arrest, having an experienced attorney is critical. They can help you expedite the process.

“If a client has a warrant for their arrest, I almost always go to a judge and get a bond amount set and take the client over to the jail,” Knight says. This speeds up the process significantly, and helps bypass many steps in the booking process.

“If we can do that, the process takes about an hour,” Knight said.

The DA Will Review the Case Against You

Once the booking process is complete and bail has been posted, the Dallas County District Attorney’s office will need to review the case against you. They will determine whether to file formal charges. If you’re facing felony charges, your case may be presented to a grand jury, which will decide whether there is enough evidence to indict you

If the DA opts to pursue your case, there are several options, which your lawyer will review. You can plead guilty or no contest, accept a plea deal, or go to trial. All have different benefits and drawbacks. Don’t try to get through this without an attorney. 

Your Arrest Will Probably be Public Information

If you’re arrested and booked, don’t expect it to remain a secret. The official media has access to many arrest records, and while a standard DWI likely won’t make the local news, the stakes change if you’re a teacher, coach, public official, medical worker, athlete, or anyone else who works closely with the public or has a recognizable name.

Additionally, arrest information is obtainable through the county website at https://www.dallascounty.org/services/record-search/. 

Several unofficial social media sites also provide information about arrests in Dallas County, even if you were detained by a local municipality. 

There are also several unofficial sites, including:

• https://www.countyoffice.org/tx-dallas-county-arrest-records/
• https://www.facebook.com/dallas.tx.recentlybooked
• https://www.facebook.com/DallasCountyMugshots

More Dallas County Resources

How to find an inmate

How to get someone out of jail

How much is bail in Dallas County?

How to search for warrants in Dallas County

How to visit an inmate at the Dallas County Jail