DNA Supported Suspected Offender File

August 27, 2020

DPS will maintain a DNA Supported Suspected Offender File containing information about possible additional offenses that may have been committed by a person arrested for or charged with a felony or misdemeanor that is not punishable by a fine only. Information will only be entered into the DSSO File based on forensic DNA test results that indicate the person cannot be excluded as a donor of a DNA suspect profile.

Information entered into the DSSO File must meet the following criteria:

  1. Submitted in an affidavit signed by an investigating criminal justice agency;
  2. Approved by district judge;
  3. Accompanied by the submission of the subject’s fingerprints; and
  4. Accompanied by a completed CR–40.

Information entered into the DSSO File is confidential and may not be disseminated except as provided by Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter D-1. DPS will disseminate the information in the DSSO File to a criminal justice agency upon inquiry. A criminal justice agency may disseminate the information to any other criminal justice agency for a criminal justice purpose.

A person may submit a request to verify if the Department has made an entry into the DNA Supported Suspected Offender File as follows:

  1. Being fingerprinted on a DPS approved fingerprint card at a criminal justice agency or other entity or by a DPS approved electronic fingerprint vendor. The criminal justice agency, other entity or electronic vendor must verify the identity of the person by requiring the person to produce a government issued photo identification card;
  2. The criminal justice agency, other entity or electronic vendor must include the following on the fingerprint card:
    1. The person’s complete name (Last,First Middle) and any alias’;
    2. The person’s sex, race, and date of birth (Month, Day, Year); and
    3. A complete, legible set of ten rolled fingerprints and simultaneous impressions of the person
  3. Mailing the fingerprints and a signed written request that includes the printed name, phone number and return mailing address of the person to receive the results to:
    Crime Records Service
    Attn: DNA Supported Suspected Offender File
    Texas DPS
    PO Box 4143
    Austin, TX 78765-4143
  4. Fingerprint cards with illegible prints or incomplete information will be returned to the address provided by the person.

Upon receipt of the required information, DPS will conduct a fingerprint based search of the DSSO File. If a record pertaining to the person is found, a printout and the request letter will be mailed to the designee. If no information relating to the person is located, a certified letter stating “No entry on file” and the requesting letter will be returned to the designee. DPS will respond within ten business days of the receipt of the request.

If a person believes that information pertaining to them in the DSSO File is inaccurate, they may return a copy of the DPS correspondence and a written request for DPS to review the information to:

DNA Supported Suspected Offender File
PO Box 4143
Austin, TX 78765-4143

The request for review must allege that DPS may have entered inaccurate information in relation to the person.

Upon receipt of the review request, DPS will review the information to determine if there is a high likelihood the information is accurate. If DPS finds a high likelihood the information is accurate, DPS will notify the subject. If DPS finds there is not a high likelihood the information is accurate, DPS will:

  1. Promptly remove the information from the DSSO File; and
  2. Notify appropriate divisions of DPS, the investigating criminal justice agency and the subject of the determination and of the removal from the DSSO File.