Texas CJIS offense codes are eight-digit identifiers the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) assigns to every criminal offense in the state so that arrests, charges, and court outcomes are recorded the same way by every agency. When one shows up on a background check or criminal history transcript, it points to a specific Texas statute and a specific severity level. Decoding it is a matter of knowing how the eight digits are built and where to look them up.
What the Eight Digits Mean
Every code splits into two halves. The first four digits come from the FBI’s National Crime Information Center (NCIC) classification, which sorts offenses into broad national categories like assault, burglary, or drug possession. The last four digits are Texas-specific and narrow the entry down to the exact statute and offense level set by the Texas Legislature. The front half makes the record readable at the federal level; the back half pins it to a precise provision of Texas law.
Because the Texas-specific digits track the statute’s own grading, two codes under the same section can describe very different offenses. A code tied to Texas Health and Safety Code Section 481.115 identifies possession of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1 or 1-B, and the code distinguishes whether the amount was under one gram (a state jail felony) or between one and four grams (a third-degree felony). A theft code built around Texas Penal Code Section 31.03 tells you whether the value of the stolen property fell in the $2,500-to-$30,000 range that makes the offense a state jail felony, or crossed into higher felony territory.
Each numeric code travels with a short literal description. On a drug charge, the literal might read “POSS CS PG 1 <1G,” shorthand for possession of a controlled substance in Penalty Group 1, less than one gram. The literal gives a human-readable snapshot; the numeric code is what databases use to sort and match records across agencies. Both should point to the same offense. When they don’t, it is usually a data-entry error worth correcting.
How to Look Up a Code in Appendix K
The official reference is DPS’s Appendix K, published on the department’s Crime Records website. It contains every active offense code in use, along with archived codes that still show up on older records. DPS publishes it in several formats: an Excel workbook that supports filtering and searching, a PDF sorted alphabetically by offense name, a PDF sorted by code number, and a PDF sorted by the underlying statute. A separate change log shows what was added or modified in the latest version.
Each entry links the eight-digit code to the statute it represents. A code tied to Texas Penal Code Section 30.02, for example, falls under burglary, with the subsection telling you whether the offense involved a building (state jail felony) or a habitation (second-degree felony or higher). You can work backward from the code on your paperwork to the exact elements and penalties of the offense.
The fastest route is downloading the Excel file and searching by code number, statute citation, or a keyword from the offense description. The PDFs work if you already know roughly where to look, but scrolling through thousands of entries without a search box is slow. Appendix K is publicly accessible and does not require a login.
Reading a Code on Your Criminal History Transcript
A Texas criminal history transcript organizes entries by arrest event. For each one you’ll see the arrest date, the reporting agency, the offense code, the literal description, and the offense level and degree. The level tells you the classification: felony, misdemeanor, or a specific tier like state jail felony. That classification controls the penalty range. A state jail felony, for instance, carries 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and a potential fine of up to $10,000.
Below the arrest information, the transcript shows the judicial disposition, which is the outcome of the case: conviction, dismissal, deferred adjudication, or acquittal. This field matters most for employment and licensing, because an arrest without a conviction carries very different legal weight. A blank disposition usually means the court hasn’t reported the outcome yet, not that the case is still open. DPS has up to 30 days to receive that data from the court, and processing adds time on top.
Matching the code on your transcript to the Appendix K definition is the only reliable way to confirm what offense is actually recorded. Clerical mistakes happen. The literal description might say one thing while the code points to a different statute, or the offense level might not match what the court imposed.
Getting Your Own Record From DPS
DPS offers two ways to pull your record. The simpler option is a name-based search through the DPS public website for $1 per query, which returns conviction data associated with the name and identifying information you provide. It is quick, but a name search can miss records if your name was misspelled at booking, and it can return records belonging to a different person with the same name.
The thorough option is a fingerprint-based search, which DPS calls a personal review. You submit fingerprints using form CR-63, available on the DPS website. The fee is $15, and if you use a FAST (FingerPrint Applicant Services of Texas) location to capture your prints electronically, there’s an additional $10 fingerprinting fee. Because fingerprints tie the results to your actual identity rather than your name, this is the definitive way to see what DPS has on file. It is the right route for a professional license application, a federal background check, or any situation where accuracy matters more than speed.
Fixing a Wrong Code on Your Record
An incorrect CJIS code can make a minor charge look far worse than it is: a felony where the conviction was for a misdemeanor, or an offense you were never charged with at all. DPS runs an Error Resolution Unit for these situations.
To start a correction, submit the DPS Error Resolution Form along with certified documents supporting the change, typically certified copies of court records showing the actual charge and disposition. DPS publishes a guide called “Help Us Help You” on its Crime Records site that walks through the documentation the unit expects. Questions can go to error.resolution@dps.texas.gov before you send the paperwork.
Identity misuse is handled separately. If you pull your record and see arrests you know nothing about, DPS treats that as a distinct track through the Crime Records Service rather than a standard data-entry correction.
Why the Code Matters Beyond Texas
Texas records don’t stay in Texas. Through the Interstate Identification Index, authorized agencies in any state can see that Texas holds a record on you and request it, and federal reviewers use the CJIS code to identify what the Texas offense actually was. The classification can trigger consequences well outside the state’s criminal justice system.
Banking is one of the clearest examples. Under Section 19 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, a conviction for an offense involving dishonesty, breach of trust, or money laundering generally bars a person from working at any FDIC-insured bank. The prohibition runs until seven years from the offense date in most cases, or five years after release from incarceration. For offenses committed before age 21, the waiting period drops to 30 months after sentencing. Certain minor offenses, including shoplifting, trespass, and using a fake ID, are treated as “designated lesser offenses” and excluded after just one year.
Transportation credentials work similarly. The TSA maintains two lists of disqualifying offenses for workers who need security clearances, HAZMAT endorsements, or Transportation Worker Identification Credentials. Permanent disqualifications apply to offenses like murder, espionage, terrorism-related crimes, and improper transportation of hazardous materials, regardless of when they occurred. A second tier, including robbery, arson, weapons charges, and fraud, disqualifies an applicant if the conviction occurred within seven years of the application or the applicant was released from incarceration within five years.
A code pointing to a theft statute versus a fraud statute can be the difference between clearing a background check and being permanently disqualified from an industry. That is why verifying the code is worth the effort even years after the case is closed.
Sealing a Record So the Code Stops Surfacing
Some Texas records can be sealed through an order of nondisclosure, which stops public agencies from sharing information about the sealed offense. With one in place, you generally don’t have to disclose the offense on job applications, and it won’t appear in most public background checks. The sealed record still exists in the DPS system and remains visible to law enforcement, but the wall between the record and the public is real.
Eligibility depends on the offense and your overall history. Under Texas Government Code Section 411.074, you are automatically disqualified if you’ve ever been convicted of or placed on deferred adjudication for certain serious offenses, including murder, capital murder, trafficking of persons, aggravated kidnapping, injury to a child or elderly person, stalking, or any offense requiring sex offender registration. Any offense involving family violence also blocks eligibility. Beyond those categorical bars, you generally must complete any required waiting period without picking up new criminal charges.
If a court grants the order, the clerk sends a copy to DPS and any agencies you identify. DPS seals the offense within its records within ten business days and notifies the relevant federal agencies. The CJIS code stays in the system for law enforcement purposes but drops out of public-facing searches. For someone whose record carries a code that no longer reflects their circumstances, a nondisclosure order is often the most practical way to limit its impact on employment and licensing.