Data You Give Us Directly
Search Queries
A name or place entered into a search tool is sent directly to the outside provider that operates that tool. The provider processes the query and supplies the result. Stephens County Criminal History does not keep or log those search terms on its own systems.
Messages and Contact Submissions
When you email us, the message is retained so a response can be provided. It remains within our organization unless disclosure is required by a valid legal obligation.
Data We Gather Automatically
Basic technical information can be recorded as pages load. It may include:
- Timestamps for page views
- The pages opened and time spent on them
- Your device's assigned IP address
- Browser name and version
- Operating system and device category
- The referring website, when one is supplied
Cookies and Analytics
Small files called cookies help measure how visitors move through the website, including popular pages and points where visits end. Analytics providers aggregate that traffic information. You can block cookies through browser settings, although some website functions may then work differently.
What We Do With This Data
- Send a search request to the appropriate partner service
- Maintain reliable, fast website operation
- Identify and repair performance or technical problems
- Understand which resources visitors use most
- Present advertising that may reflect visitor interests
No Criminal-Record Data on File
Stephens County Criminal History does not build, keep, or sell a database of personal criminal records. It publishes general information about reaching the Stephens County Sheriff's Office, the county courts, the Texas Department of Public Safety Crime Records Division, and the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry. Texas Government Code Chapter 552 provides the Texas Public Information Act route to records held by governmental bodies, while Government Code Chapter 411 governs confidentiality and dissemination of state criminal history record information. Those official laws do not make this private website a government record custodian. We are not a consumer reporting agency, and visitor information is not assembled into consumer reports or third-party criminal profiles.
Third-Party Search Partners
Outside companies power the search boxes. Information submitted through a box is handled under the provider's privacy policy, including its own rules for retention and disclosure. We do not control those practices. Read the provider's policy before sending a query.
Links to Other Websites
Links may lead to the Stephens County Sheriff's Office, court systems, Texas agency resources, legal-aid organizations, or outside search services. Once you follow one, the destination's privacy terms govern the visit. Review them before supplying personal details.
Advertising providers may also use their own systems to observe activity across websites and select ads. That tracking is performed by those providers, not by us.
Who Might See Your Data
We do not sell personal information. Limited data may be disclosed to:
- Analytics providers that measure use and performance
- Outside search partners processing a submitted query
- Advertising networks serving ads on the website
- Government or law-enforcement bodies responding to a valid legal order
How We Protect Your Data
Reasonable, standard security measures are used for the information we handle. No internet-connected system is completely secure, however. We work to protect the data, but cannot guarantee that a breach will never occur.
Users Under 18
This website is intended for adults, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone younger than 18. If we learn that a minor supplied personal data, we will remove it promptly.
Your Data Rights
You may ask what personal information we hold about you, request a correction, seek deletion, or ask to opt out of certain processing where applicable. Texas Government Code Chapter 552 concerns access to records held by government bodies, and Government Code Chapter 411 controls dissemination of criminal history record information held in the state system. Requests for official Stephens County or Texas criminal records must go to the government custodian under those rules, not to this private website.
- Ask for a copy of personal data we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate information
- Ask that eligible personal data be erased
- Opt out of processing when the applicable law provides that choice
Updates to This Policy
This privacy policy may be revised. An updated version and its new effective date will be posted here, so revisit this page if you want to review current practices.
Effective date: August 10, 2026