How to Search Someone’s Criminal Record in See If Someone Has

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United States • Public criminal history and court records

How to See If Someone Has a Criminal Record: Free Searches and Official Background Checks

Want to find out whether someone has a criminal record? In the United States, the best starting point is usually the official state or county court website where the person may have been charged or convicted.

Many courts allow free searches by first and last name, case number, county or filing date. You can review publicly available criminal cases, charges, hearing information and dispositions.

However, a free court search is not the same as a complete criminal background check. State repositories, county courts, jail records and federal court systems may contain different information.

Find Official Court Records Search Federal Cases State Criminal Record Searches
Independent guide: This page provides information about lawful public-record searches. It is not affiliated with any court, police agency, the FBI or a consumer reporting agency. Information found in a public search should not be used to make unsupported allegations or bypass legal privacy and background-screening requirements.
Quick answer: How can I see if someone has a criminal record for free?

Visit the official court website for the state or county where the person may have a case. Choose Criminal Case Search, enter the person’s name, and review matching case numbers. Open the docket and look for the final disposition—such as a conviction, guilty plea, dismissal or acquittal. If you do not know the court, begin with the USA.gov court directory. A missing search result does not prove that the person has no criminal history.

Understand what you can legally access

Can You Look Up Someone Else’s Criminal Record?

Yes, you can generally search criminal court records that are open to the public. Many state judicial systems provide free docket information for qualifying felony, misdemeanor and traffic-criminal cases.

Some states also allow public name-based searches of certain criminal-history repository records, with access conditions or a fee.

But not all criminal information is public. Fingerprint-based criminal history records, sealed cases, juvenile matters and information from restricted law-enforcement systems are subject to different access rules.

Record type Can you normally search publicly? Important limitation
Criminal court docket Often yes, through a state or county court website Availability depends on court and public-access rules
State public conviction database Sometimes, depending on state law May include only certain conviction categories or time periods
Arrest or booking record Often available from a sheriff or local jail Arrest does not establish conviction
Federal criminal case Generally through PACER for public cases Account, charges and sealed-record restrictions may apply
FBI Identity History Summary Not through a general third-party public search Individuals can request their own FBI summary; authorised checks use separate procedures
Sealed or expunged case Generally not available in ordinary public searches Legal exceptions may permit access by authorised agencies
Juvenile criminal history Often confidential or restricted Specific rules vary by jurisdiction and case type
Know the difference between a court search and a background check.

A public court search finds cases in the courts you searched. A state criminal-history check may draw on information reported by many agencies. A fingerprint-based check provides stronger identity verification but usually requires the individual’s participation or specific legal authorization.

Best first step for a personal public-record search

How to Find Out If Someone Has a Criminal Record for Free

Follow this process before paying a third-party background-check website. The goal is to find an official case, confirm that it belongs to the correct person, and determine the actual outcome.

  1. Identify the state or county

    Start with the state or county where the person may have been arrested, charged or convicted. A person’s current residence may be different from the place where a criminal case was filed.

    If the location is unknown, identify previous jurisdictions associated with the person and search the appropriate official court systems individually.

  2. Find the official judicial search website

    Visit USA.gov’s courts directory and locate the state court system. Search for links named Case Search, Criminal Records, Judicial Records Search, Docket Search or Public Access.

  3. Select criminal cases rather than civil cases

    Some portals combine criminal, family, probate, civil and traffic records. Choose the appropriate criminal case category or court division where possible.

    For many jurisdictions, felony cases are handled by a higher trial court while misdemeanors are handled by county, district or municipal courts.

  4. Enter the person’s full name

    Use the first and last name. Add a middle name, initials or other permitted identifiers if the search offers them.

    Names such as Smith, Johnson or Williams can return numerous possible matches, so do not assume the first result is the person you intend to find.

  5. Use a case number if available

    A docket, cause or case number often produces a more precise result. It may appear on a summons, notice of hearing, citation or older case document.

  6. Open each potentially relevant case

    Check the filing county, court, case type, date filed and other available identifiers. Determine whether the record is a criminal prosecution rather than an unrelated civil matter.

  7. Read the case disposition

    Locate the entry describing what happened to each charge. Look for a guilty plea, conviction, acquittal, dismissal, withdrawal, deferred adjudication or another outcome.

    A case that began with felony charges may have resulted in reduced charges, dismissal or a different judgment.

  8. Confirm identity independently

    Compare only lawfully available identifying details such as an accurate date of birth, relevant case location or other public court identifiers. Where serious consequences depend on the result, seek reliable official identity verification.

  9. Get the final court document if needed

    If a case’s outcome is unclear, request the public judgment, sentencing order, dismissal order or certified disposition from the court clerk.

  10. Search other relevant jurisdictions

    Repeat the search in another state or county if there is a legitimate reason to believe a case may have been filed there. A no-results message in one county says nothing definitive about other jurisdictions.

Search efficiently:

Start with a free court docket search, then use the case number to request the exact document you need. Avoid ordering a paid statewide report unless a local search is insufficient for your purpose.

Actual state systems you can open

How to Check Someone’s Criminal Record by State

Criminal history access is not uniform across the United States. Some states offer free public criminal-history searches; others offer free court dockets but charge for official background reports.

The following examples show meaningful differences between government systems. They are not interchangeable searches of one nationwide database.

Free court search

Pennsylvania: UJS Web Portal

Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System provides free public criminal court dockets, including Court of Common Pleas records, magisterial district court cases and Philadelphia Municipal Court information.

How to search: Open Case Search, choose a name or docket-number search, enter the available details and inspect the case disposition.

The Pennsylvania Courts website specifically warns that court docket information is not a substitute for a Pennsylvania State Police criminal-history background check.

Search Pennsylvania criminal court cases →
Free public conviction search

Minnesota: Bureau of Criminal Apprehension

Minnesota BCA provides a free public criminal-history search covering qualifying convictions for 15 years after completion of the sentence.

How to search: Enter the full first and last name and date of birth in the official BCA Criminal History Search.

The BCA warns that a name match does not confirm identity; fingerprints are needed for positive verification.

Search Minnesota public criminal history →
Free case search, separate history limits

Minnesota: Court Records Online

For Minnesota criminal court case details, use Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO).

Important exception: MCRO does not return pending criminal cases without a conviction in defendant-name searches. Those cases may be searchable using a case number, citation number or attorney details.

Open Minnesota MCRO →
Paid statewide history

Florida: FDLE Criminal History Checks

Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement provides statewide public criminal-history searches for a statutory fee of $24, with applicable transaction charges depending on the request method.

How to search: Open Florida Criminal History Record Check and select the appropriate public name-based search option.

For a specific county case, it may be cheaper to start with the relevant county Clerk of Courts.

Open Florida criminal-history checks →
Statewide search credits

Texas: DPS Criminal History Search

Texas DPS maintains a public criminal-history name-search service for qualifying reported convictions and deferred adjudications.

How to search: Register for a DPS account, purchase search credits and enter the person’s identifying details.

Search credits cost $1 each, with published processing charges for certain payment methods.

Search Texas DPS criminal history →
Public statewide court report

New York: OCA Criminal History Record Search

New York’s Office of Court Administration offers a statewide public court-history report covering qualifying open and conviction records from courts across the state’s 62 counties.

Cost: $95 per name-and-date-of-birth search, plus any applicable online payment convenience charge.

The results are not certified, and exact name and DOB matching creates limitations.

Open New York OCA CHRS →

What if your state is not listed?

Use the official USA.gov directory of state and local courts. You can also look for the state’s judicial branch or public safety agency website, but confirm that the page belongs to an actual government agency.

Important state-specific caveat:

An applicant’s name can appear in a court search in one state but be excluded from a similar public name search in another. Coverage, privacy restrictions, search fees and record retention are governed by each jurisdiction’s rules.

Cases prosecuted under federal law

How to Check Whether Someone Has a Federal Criminal Record

Federal criminal court records are separate from state and county criminal cases.

The official federal court access system is PACER, short for Public Access to Court Electronic Records.

PACER allows registered users to find publicly available federal district court cases. When you do not know the federal court, the PACER Case Locator can help identify the district and case number.

Open PACER Case Search View PACER Costs

  1. Register for a PACER account

    Use the federal judiciary’s official PACER website to create the appropriate case-search account.

  2. Choose a specific federal court or the nationwide locator

    If you know the district where the case was filed, search it directly. Otherwise, open PACER Case Locator.

  3. Search by participant name

    Enter the party’s name and narrow the search when possible.

  4. Identify a possible criminal case

    Review the court, case number and case type. Do not confuse civil litigation, bankruptcy or immigration-related proceedings with criminal convictions.

  5. Open the federal criminal docket

    Check available charges, court entries, judgments, sentencing documents and case closure details.

How much does PACER cost?

As of October 2026, PACER charges $0.10 per billable page for ordinary electronic access, generally capped at $3 for an individual court document. Different rules apply to some reports, search results and transcripts.

If your total charges are $30 or less during a quarter, the federal judiciary waives those charges. A name search that produces no matches can still generate billable pages.

Federal record availability:

Certain sealed proceedings and documents remain unavailable publicly. Some older federal criminal case documents also have remote-access restrictions. The clerk of the federal court can explain lawful access to records not available through PACER.

A separate national public-safety search

How to Check the National Sex Offender Registry

The U.S. Department of Justice operates the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

It provides a national search interface for public sex offender registration information contributed by states, territories and participating tribal jurisdictions.

Search Official NSOPW Registry
  1. Open the official NSOPW website.
  2. Choose the name-search option or an available location search.
  3. Enter the requested first and last name.
  4. Complete the site’s security verification where required.
  5. Review possible matches.
  6. Verify relevant details with the jurisdiction that maintains the original registration record.

The website supports searches across jurisdictions but does not constitute a complete list of everyone who has ever committed a sexual offense.

Only information subject to public registration and supplied under jurisdiction-specific rules appears through the system.

Do not equate no registry match with no criminal history.

An individual may have a criminal conviction unrelated to registration, a record not subject to public notification or a matter outside the registry’s data coverage. Registry information must also be used in accordance with applicable laws and site conditions.

Avoid accusing the wrong person

How to Verify That a Criminal Record Belongs to the Correct Person

A criminal record should never be attributed to someone solely because a search result contains the same name.

Two unrelated people may have identical names and may even share a birth year or live in the same city.

Check multiple reliable identifiers

Where lawfully available, compare the following:

  • Full legal first, middle and last names.
  • Accurate date of birth.
  • Original case jurisdiction.
  • Approximate age or other permitted court identifiers.
  • Case or arrest number obtained from reliable documentation.
  • Verified information from the original government record custodian.

What does fingerprint verification mean?

Some official criminal-history systems use fingerprints to determine whether records are associated with the same individual.

For example, Minnesota BCA specifically warns that name-based searches cannot positively identify the subject of a criminal record.

Access to fingerprint-based history is subject to specific rules. You cannot simply demand another private person’s fingerprints or FBI record for curiosity-based research.

Example: Two people with the same name

A court search returns a felony case for “Michael Johnson.” The case is in a state where the Michael Johnson you know previously lived.

That location and matching name are not enough to identify him as the defendant. You should not make an allegation unless reliable, lawfully available identifying evidence supports the match.

Identity errors can cause serious harm.

A mistaken match can damage reputations, employment prospects and personal relationships. When a decision has significant consequences, rely on verified records and appropriate authorised screening procedures rather than a public-search assumption.

Understand the result you found

How to Tell Whether Someone Was Actually Convicted

Finding someone’s name in a criminal court search does not necessarily mean the person has a criminal conviction.

The most important information is usually the disposition, meaning how the court resolved the charge.

Court record term General meaning Does it establish a conviction?
Arrest / Booking Person taken into custody No
Charged / Indicted Formal criminal accusation No
Pending Case has not reached a final outcome Not by itself
Dismissed / Withdrawn Charge or prosecution ended without an ordinary conviction on that charge Generally no for that charge; review the full case
Not Guilty / Acquitted Court or jury did not find guilt for the applicable charge No for that charge
Guilty Plea Defendant admitted guilt under the court’s procedures Often, subject to the legal disposition
Convicted / Found Guilty Guilty finding or conviction entered Yes, subject to subsequent court action
Deferred Adjudication / Diversion Special court or prosecution procedure with conditions Depends on state law, disposition and purpose of the check
Expunged / Sealed Access to qualifying records has been restricted or records cleared under applicable law Does not by itself describe the underlying original outcome

Check each charge separately

A criminal case can contain more than one count. A person may plead guilty to one count while another is dismissed, or an appellate court may later change a conviction or sentence.

When accurate reporting matters, obtain the official final judgment or sentencing order instead of relying on the first docket entry.

Example: Felony charge that did not become a felony conviction

A defendant was originally charged with a felony. Prosecutors later amended the charge, and the defendant pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor.

Searching the docket might still reveal the original felony accusation. It would be misleading to describe the final result as a felony conviction without examining the disposition.

Know when payment is necessary

Are Criminal Record Searches Really Free?

Many public court docket searches are free. But some states charge for centralized criminal-history searches, official court documents or certified copies.

$0Many public court docket searches
$24Florida FDLE public state search
$95New York statewide OCA CHRS
Search method General cost What it provides
State or county public court docket Free in many jurisdictions; varies elsewhere Available public criminal case information
Pennsylvania public UJS court docket Free Qualifying statewide public case and docket details
Minnesota BCA public criminal history Free Qualifying public Minnesota conviction records
Texas DPS criminal-history name search $1 per credit plus applicable processing charges Qualifying reported Texas public criminal-history data
Florida FDLE public criminal-history search $24 plus applicable payment charges Available Florida criminal-history repository records
New York OCA CHRS $95 plus applicable convenience charge Public statewide court-history search using exact name and DOB
PACER federal court search $0.10 per billable page in October 2026, subject to the quarterly waiver Public federal cases and documents
Certified local court record Varies by court Official certified judgment, order or disposition

These are published government charges applicable in October 2026. Government fee schedules and access arrangements may change, and online payment processors can add separate charges.

Should you pay a people-search website?

Not necessarily. Commercial background-search websites can sometimes combine information from different sources, but coverage and accuracy vary.

Before paying, check whether:

  • The service clearly identifies its data sources and coverage.
  • The search is a one-time payment or automatically renewing subscription.
  • The service explains how records are updated and corrected.
  • The report is lawfully usable for the purpose you have in mind.
  • The government court database provides the information free.

Do not assume that a commercial website advertising a nationwide search has access to confidential state or FBI criminal-history databases.

Limits on national fingerprint records

Can You Check Someone Else’s FBI Criminal Record?

Ordinarily, no. The FBI’s public Identity History Summary process allows people to request their own fingerprint-based criminal-history records.

The FBI expressly states that it does not release another individual’s Identity History Summary to a private requester through that process.

Employers, licensing agencies and other organisations may have access to authorised fingerprint-based state or national checks, but those are conducted under separate statutory procedures.

For your own FBI criminal history

The FBI provides an Identity History Summary request process with a published federal fee of $18. Fingerprinting or authorised provider charges may be additional.

The result can help the subject review their own reported arrests and disposition information.

Official FBI Identity History Summary →

For an authorised employment or licensing check

Contact the agency that requires the check. An employer or licensing authority may use an approved state identification bureau, fingerprinting vendor or other authorised procedure.

The FBI maintains a directory of state identification bureaus.

FBI State Identification Bureau Directory →
Do not attempt to obtain confidential criminal history through another person’s identity.

Use publicly accessible records or lawful, properly authorised background-check procedures. Do not impersonate a record subject, submit their personal information to a restricted account without authorization or attempt to bypass sealed-record protections.

Why public results can be incomplete

Can You See Sealed, Expunged or Juvenile Criminal Records?

Usually not through an ordinary public court search. State and federal laws restrict access to different types of criminal records.

Sealed records

Sealing generally restricts public access. Certain courts, law-enforcement agencies and other authorised entities may retain access where the law permits it.

Expunged records

Expungement may clear or restrict certain records, but the precise legal effect differs substantially across states. Some jurisdictions seal records, while others remove or destroy specified information.

Juvenile cases

Juvenile records often receive additional confidentiality protection. Some exceptional matters involving juveniles tried as adults may be treated differently.

Older or archived cases

A case may not appear online because it predates the court’s electronic records system, was transferred to archives or is subject to a document-retention schedule.

What a no-results search actually means:

It means the search did not locate a record using those specific criteria in that system at that time. It does not establish that no arrest, charge or conviction ever occurred.

Employment, housing and regulated decisions

Is It Legal to Check Someone’s Criminal Record Without Permission?

For ordinary public-record research, you can often view openly available court records without needing the defendant’s permission.

But using criminal-history information to make employment, rental housing, licensing, credit or other eligibility decisions can trigger additional legal requirements.

The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates consumer reports prepared by consumer reporting agencies. State and local laws can impose further restrictions.

Employment background checks

The Federal Trade Commission explains that when an employer uses a background reporting company, the employer generally must provide a separate written disclosure and obtain the applicant’s written permission before obtaining the report.

Additional procedures apply if the report may lead to an adverse employment decision.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also warns that an arrest alone does not establish that the person committed a crime. Employment decisions involving criminal history must comply with federal antidiscrimination law.

Tenant and rental background checks

When a landlord uses a consumer reporting company, federal law provides applicants with certain rights regarding inaccurate criminal-history information and adverse rental decisions.

The FTC explains that tenant-screening reports can contain mistakes such as records belonging to another person, outdated case outcomes or information that has been sealed or expunged.

FTC Employer Background Check Rules FTC Tenant Screening Rights EEOC Arrest and Conviction Guidance
Personal research and formal screening are different.

A person informally looking at a public court case is not necessarily conducting a regulated consumer background check. However, a business obtaining or using background reports for employment, housing or other eligibility decisions may have legal duties that a basic public-record search does not satisfy.

Fix a failed search

Why You Can’t Find Someone’s Criminal Record Online

Problem Possible explanation Best next step
No results for the person’s name Wrong spelling, name variation or search criteria Try accurate variations or the known case number
You know there was an arrest, but no conviction appears Charges may be pending, dismissed or never filed Search the originating court and review the actual disposition
A person lived in several states State and county searches are jurisdiction-specific Search the relevant former jurisdictions separately
Several people share the same name Common-name searches produce unrelated matches Compare reliable, lawfully available identifiers before attributing a record
An old criminal case is missing Archived, sealed, expunged or unavailable electronically Contact the original court clerk about lawful record availability
The person was charged federally State and county databases do not cover federal court records Search PACER
Minnesota pending case missing by name MCRO restricts defendant-name searching before conviction Search by case number, citation number or attorney information
A commercial report shows a conviction the court dismissed Outdated or inaccurate reporting Obtain certified disposition and use the reporting company’s dispute process

How to request help from a court clerk

If the online search does not provide the case outcome, contact the original court and supply only the information needed to locate the public file.

You can ask whether a criminal case exists under the relevant docket number, whether a public final disposition is available, and how to request an ordinary or certified copy.

The clerk can explain record-access procedures but generally cannot provide legal advice or certify that a person has no criminal history in every other jurisdiction.

Common criminal-history questions

How to See If Someone Has a Criminal Record: FAQs

1. How can I check if someone has a criminal record for free?

Start with the official state or county criminal court case search. Enter the person’s name or case number, inspect potentially matching cases and review the final disposition. Many public judicial systems allow free searching, although coverage and access rules vary.

2. Can I search someone’s criminal record using only their name?

Often, yes. Many court systems allow name searches, but name-only matching is not reliable proof of identity. The result should be checked against other accurate and lawfully available identifiers before being associated with a particular person.

3. Is there one free nationwide criminal record search?

No single free public government website comprehensively searches all state, county, local and federal criminal histories. Some states provide statewide public court searches, while federal court records are handled through PACER and other government repositories have separate access rules.

4. Can I find out whether someone has a felony conviction?

You may be able to locate a public felony case through the relevant state or county trial court. Open the docket and check the final judgment or disposition rather than treating the original felony charge as proof of conviction.

5. Can I find someone’s arrest history online?

Some county sheriffs and jails publish arrest or booking information, and certain states make qualifying arrest-history information available. Other arrest records are restricted. An arrest should not be reported as a conviction.

6. Can I check someone else’s FBI criminal record?

No, not through the FBI’s ordinary Identity History Summary process. That procedure allows individuals to request their own criminal-history summary. Authorised fingerprint-based employment and licensing checks follow separate legal procedures.

7. Does a dismissed criminal case still appear in public records?

It can. Some courts retain public docket information about cases ending in dismissal or acquittal, while others restrict access after sealing, expungement or other legal action. The disposition determines the reported outcome.

8. Can I check if someone has a criminal record in another state?

Yes, when that state’s public-access rules permit it. Search the court system in the state or county where the case may have been filed. A person’s current address does not determine where an earlier criminal case is recorded.

9. How much does an official criminal background check cost?

Costs vary. Many court docket searches are free. Examples of statewide public searches include Minnesota BCA at no charge, Texas DPS at $1 per search credit plus applicable fees, Florida FDLE at $24, and New York OCA CHRS at $95.

10. How do I check if someone is currently in jail?

Search the sheriff’s official inmate or jail roster in the county where the person may be detained. For federal prisoners, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. Custody information is separate from the final outcome of any criminal case.

11. What if I search someone’s name and nothing appears?

A no-results message does not prove that no criminal record exists. The court may be wrong, the name may differ, the case may not yet be indexed, or it may be sealed, expunged, archived or unavailable for public online access.

12. Can I use a free criminal record search to screen employees or tenants?

A public court search alone does not automatically meet employment or tenant-screening requirements. Employers and landlords using consumer reporting companies must comply with applicable FCRA requirements, and federal, state or local antidiscrimination and fair-chance laws may also apply.

Editorial accuracy and privacy notice

This guide was prepared using publicly available information from USA.gov, the federal judiciary, FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, state criminal-history repositories, state court systems, Federal Trade Commission and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Fee examples and access procedures reflect information available as of October 17, 2026.

Criminal record access varies by court and state. Public search results may be delayed, incomplete, inaccurate or restricted. Verify important records with the original government custodian and obtain certified documents when needed.

This independent website does not furnish consumer reports, perform fingerprint-based background checks or provide access to confidential criminal-history systems. Criminal charges and arrests are not proof of conviction. Use public information lawfully and avoid unsupported allegations about any individual.

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