Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – The Texas Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) statewide rollout of the new Texas Crime Lab Records (CLR) Connect Discovery Portal is complete. Texas CLR Connect – pronounced clear connect – is a new online platform that streamlines access to crime laboratory records for authorized attorneys in the criminal discovery process. The pilot and phased rollout were completed on Oct. 30, 2026.
Texas CLR Connect was established under Texas Government Code Section 411.161-164. It is a centralized platform for authorized prosecuting and defense attorneys to access and request crime laboratory records associated with criminal proceedings on demand. Instead of submitting a separate request to laboratory personnel to locate and provide each record, authorized users can now search for and retrieve eligible DPS crime laboratory data right at their fingertips. The system is designed to protect sensitive information with role-based user permissions and jurisdictional access controls.
The portal also establishes a statewide framework for crime laboratories that conduct forensic analysis for criminal proceedings in Texas, including laboratories located both within and outside the state, subject to limited statutory exemptions. Participating laboratories can receive and respond to records requests through the portal while working toward direct integration with the system.
Texas CLR Connect improves access to records and creates a more efficient, consistent approach to discovery for prosecutors, defense attorneys and participating crime laboratories.
Learn more about the Texas CLR Connect here.
HQ 2026-116) Texa DPS
