Use these tools to search across archival collections held in repositories throughout Texas. TARO helps you discover materials housed at dozens of institutions statewide, while the featured Austin-based archives offer rich opportunities for hands-on research close to campus.
Texas Archival Resources Online (TARO)
Texas State Library and Archives Commisssion (TSLAC)
Briscoe Center for American History
Austin History Center
UT Austin Campus Archives and Collections
Austin Area Archives and Collections
Thank you to Austin Community College's Texas History guide for this list of Austin area archives.
Bexar County Official Records Search
Search land records, plats, foreclosures, marriage licenses, public notices, etc.
Bexar County Clerk & District Clerk Court Records
Search for criminal and civil court case records in Bexar County.
San Antonio Municipal Archives & Records
Find current and past city council meeting documents, ordinances, and more.
San Antonio Municipal Archives & Records: Search Digital Collections
Online access to digitized archival materials.
Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library - DRT
This archival collection contains approximately 38,000 non-circulating items, including documents, books, maps, letters and other artifacts, pertaining to the Republic of Texas, history of Texas, San Antonio, and the Alamo.
National Museum of the Pacific War
Visit the museum in Fredericksburg, TX. The archives of the National Museum of the Pacific War hold thousands of manuscripts, official documents, photographs and recorded interviews with Pacific War veterans. A sampling of archival material is digitized online and available online.
San Antonio Conservation Society Online Resources
Materials documenting the history of San Antonio and South Central Texas, including architectural drawings, archives, books, clipping files, maps, oral histories, and photographs.
Texana Department at the San Antonio Public Library
Documents the history of San Antonio, Bexar County and Texas, including selected San Antonio city documents, personal papers and organizational records, rare books, and genealogy resources.
Rare books, photographs, personal papers and organizational records pertaining to San Antonio and South Texas, as well as archival materials on UTSA history.
UTSA Libraries Digital Collections
Digitized materials from UTSA Special Collections and the Institute of Texan Cultures.
Center for Mexican American Studies and Research Special Collections - Our Lady of the Lake University
Historic documents and information that include the Spanish Colonial Missions Collection, the María Antonietta Berriozábal Collection, the Mexican American Collection, among others. Make an appointment with OLLU library staff to see items in person.
St. Mary's University Special Collections
University archives and manuscript collections, including the Spanish Archives of Laredo. See the online guide to the Laredo Archives Series here.
Trinity University Special Collections and Archives
Rare books, personal papers, photographs, and Trinity University archives. Of particular note is the Claude and ZerNona Black collection documenting the civil rights and community activism of Reverend Black and his wife.
Trinity University Digital Collections
Digitized materials from Trinity University Special Collections.
UT Health Science Center P. I. Nixon Medical Historical Library
Rare and classic books in the history of medicine from the 15th to early 20th centuries, as well as university archives and local historical documents related to the history of medicine and health care in Bexar County and South Texas.
UT Health Science Center Digital Archive
A selection of digitized items pertaining to the history of medicine, university history, university records, and electronic theses and dissertations.
Thank you to UTSA's Texas History guide for this list of San Antonio area archives.
Visit the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) for records from:
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Texas Supreme Court
Several of the 14 Texas Courts of Appeals
See the list of collections on the TSLAC Processed State and Local Records page.
To request materials, use the Archives Material Request Form (for court records).
Includes a checklist: “Research request or PIA request?”
Questions? Contact:
Email: archinfo@tsl.texas.gov or ref@tsl.texas.gov
Phone: 512-463-5455 (reference desk)
Contact the district clerk’s office in the county where the court case took place.
To find the clerk's website, search:
[county name] district clerk
Example: Travis County district clerk
Look for a records request or public access page.
For additional help with Travis County records:
ESPY File – Executions by State, 1608–2002 (list of executions includes basic information)
For detailed data:
Executions in the United States, 1608–2002: The ESPY File (ICPSR 8451)
Search by case number or many other variables listed here.
Requires account to download
Texas Department of Criminal Justice Execution Files:
Request files using the Archives Material Request Form
Includes a checklist: “Research request or PIA request?”
Tarlton Law Library:
Texas State Library and Archives Reference:
Email: ref@tsl.texas.gov
Phone: 512-463-5455
Reference Librarians @ Texas State Law Library:
Ready to take your research further? These archives offer a chance to work with historical documents and unique materials in person.
Reach out ahead of your visit—many collections require appointments or have usage guidelines.
Read this intro guide from the Society of American Archivists for more information about finding and visiting archives.
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