Criminal Record Report: Criminal Records Guide
Criminal Record Report: How to Get, Read & Verify Criminal Records
A criminal record report is a document or collection of records describing a person’s reported criminal-history information. Depending on its source, it may include arrests, criminal charges, convictions, court dispositions, sentences and other legally releasable information.
To obtain your own nationwide FBI Identity History Summary, use the official FBI fingerprint-based request service. For a public criminal court case, search the appropriate state or county court. For an employment background-screening report, contact the screening company used by the employer.
Official FBI, federal court and consumer-protection resources reviewed October 19, 2026.
What Is a Criminal Record Report?
A criminal record report presents criminal-history information maintained or collected by a particular government agency, court or background-screening organization.
The term does not identify a single standardized national document. An FBI Identity History Summary, a state police report, a certified criminal court judgment and an employment background check can contain different information.
| Report type | What it typically shows | Where to obtain it |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Identity History Summary | Fingerprint-linked arrest information, charges and reported dispositions when available | FBI Criminal Justice Information Services |
| State criminal-history report | Reportable criminal-history information held by one state’s repository | State police, state bureau of investigation or identification bureau |
| Criminal court case report | Court filings, charges, hearings, orders, judgments and dispositions | County, municipal, state or federal court clerk |
| Local police history or clearance letter | Records within the issuing department’s coverage, subject to its rules | City police or county sheriff |
| Employment background-screening report | Information compiled for an authorized screening purpose, potentially including criminal and other background data | Consumer reporting company used by the employer |
What Information Appears in a Criminal Record Report?
The information depends on the database being searched and the public-disclosure rules that apply to the requester.
Identifying information
May include legal name, aliases, date of birth, physical descriptors, state identification number or other agency record identifiers.
Arrest information
May include the arrest date, arresting agency, location, booking identifier and charges reported at the time of arrest.
Prosecution information
May include the prosecuting court, case number, charge description, statute and filings associated with a criminal proceeding.
Case disposition
May identify dismissal, acquittal, guilty plea, conviction, deferred disposition, sentencing or another final court action.
Sentencing information
Where available, may describe imprisonment, probation, fines, community supervision or additional sentencing terms.
Subsequent updates
May include a corrected disposition, amended judgment, record-restriction order or other legally reportable change.
What is not guaranteed to appear?
A criminal record report does not necessarily contain all arrests, minor citations, juvenile proceedings, federal cases, other-state offenses, court judgments or restricted records.
For example, the FBI explains that its Identity History Summaries contain certain information received from fingerprint submissions by authorized agencies. An arrest’s final disposition appears if it has been reported and is known to the FBI.
This is why a report can contain an arrest entry without a complete court outcome.
How to Get Your FBI Criminal Record Report
The FBI calls its personal criminal-history report an Identity History Summary, commonly known as a rap sheet.
It is based on fingerprint information supplied by authorized criminal justice agencies and can help individuals review arrest history recorded in the FBI’s systems.
How much does an FBI criminal history report cost?
The FBI’s direct Identity History Summary fee is $18 per person. Fingerprinting, postal services or third-party channelers may charge additional fees.
Option 1: Request your FBI report online
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Open the FBI electronic request website.
Visit edo.cjis.gov through the official FBI Identity History Summary page.
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Complete the online application.
Provide the requested identifying and contact information and follow the electronic request instructions.
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Pay the FBI fee.
Complete the $18 payment through the authorized process.
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Submit your fingerprints.
Use a participating United States Post Office that offers electronic fingerprint submission, or mail the required fingerprint card using the instructions supplied in your confirmation.
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Receive your response.
Once the submission has been processed, the FBI provides an electronic response. You can also elect eligible mailed delivery options.
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Review the information carefully.
Check the arrest dates, reported charges, contributing agencies and available dispositions.
Option 2: Request your FBI record by mail
The FBI also accepts direct mail requests.
- Complete the FBI applicant information form.
- Include a current fingerprint card with the required impressions.
- Pay the $18 fee using an accepted payment method.
- Mail the application and documents to the FBI CJIS Division.
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Phone: (304) 625-5590
Email: identity@fbi.gov
The FBI accepts the authorized credit-card payment form, money orders and certified checks. Cash and ordinary personal checks are not accepted for direct mailed applications.
Option 3: Use an FBI-approved channeler
An FBI-approved channeler is an authorized company that transmits fingerprints and request information to the FBI and provides the resulting Identity History Summary to the applicant.
Channelers may charge more than the FBI’s $18 direct fee. They also have eligibility restrictions: the FBI’s departmental-order channeler process is limited to eligible U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents located in the United States or its territories.
Channelers for this personal-review service cannot substitute for an authorized employment or licensing fingerprint check.
View the FBI-Approved Channeler Directory ↗
How long does an FBI report take?
The FBI currently describes processing timelines as approximately:
- Electronic fingerprints at a participating U.S. Post Office: within 48 hours after fingerprint submission.
- Online request with mailed fingerprint card: approximately 10 days after the FBI receives the card.
- Direct mail application: up to 15 days for processing, plus delivery time.
These are published processing estimates, not guarantees. Fingerprint rejection or incomplete materials can extend processing.
How to Request a State Criminal Record Report
Every state maintains criminal-history information through its own police or identification authority.
These agencies can be called State Police, Department of Public Safety, Department of Justice, Bureau of Investigation or Criminal Justice Information Center.
Public access and eligibility differ by state. Some states offer name-based public conviction searches, while others restrict complete criminal-history reports to the record subject or authorized organizations.
Steps for a state criminal record request
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Identify the state where the criminal matter occurred.
State repositories generally hold information reported within their jurisdictions.
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Locate the official criminal-history agency.
Use the FBI’s state identification bureau directory or the state’s official government website.
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Determine the report type.
Check whether you need a publicly releasable name-based history, personal fingerprint review, certified clearance or an employer-authorized check.
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Complete the required request.
Prepare identification, fingerprints, signed authorization or other documents required by that state.
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Pay applicable fees.
State charges and fingerprint-provider fees vary.
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Review and retain the response.
If the report contains an incorrect or missing disposition, contact the issuing agency about its correction procedure.
Examples of state criminal-history services
| State | Official agency or service | Important difference |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | Texas DPS Conviction Name Search | Public access to qualifying reported convictions and deferred adjudications |
| Florida | FDLE Criminal History Checks | Public name-based checks and separate personal record-review procedures |
| Michigan | Michigan State Police ICHAT | Name-based publicly releasable state criminal-history information |
| California | California DOJ Record Review | Individuals can request their own fingerprint-based state record; general public access to another person’s complete DOJ history is restricted |
| Georgia | Georgia Felon Search | Public name-based search focused on eligible reported felony conviction information |
How to Get a Criminal Court Record Report
If you need to establish what happened in a specific criminal case, the original court is usually the best source.
A court record may provide more detail about a particular charge than a state or FBI summary report because it can include motions, orders, judgments, sentencing documents and subsequent proceedings.
How to find the original criminal case
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Identify where the offense was prosecuted.
Find the state, county, city and court shown on the criminal case paperwork.
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Determine the court type.
Depending on the jurisdiction, misdemeanor proceedings may be in municipal, district, county or local courts. Felonies may be in circuit, superior or district-level trial courts.
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Open the court’s official case-search system.
Use a government court website or clerk’s records page.
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Search by case number or party name.
A known case number provides more precision than a name-only search.
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Review the available docket.
Identify the original charges, hearings, orders, plea information, sentence and later activity.
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Obtain a certified disposition if needed.
Request the actual final judgment, sentencing order, dismissal or other relevant filed document from the clerk.
How to search federal criminal cases
Federal criminal cases are maintained by United States District Courts rather than state criminal courts.
The federal judiciary operates PACER for public case searching, docket reports and qualifying filings.
PACER charges $0.10 per billable page. The usual maximum charge for one electronic document is $3, although some searches, reports and transcripts do not receive that cap.
If a user’s total PACER charges are $30 or less during a calendar quarter, the charges are waived.
Federal court opinions are generally available without PACER document charges, and federal courthouse public-access terminals provide another access method.
How to Read a Criminal Record Report: Example and Terminology
The following fictional example illustrates the type of information a criminal-history or court report may contain. It does not represent an actual person, case or government report.
Sample Criminal Case Summary
- Subject
- Sample Person
- Case number
- EXAMPLE-0001
- Jurisdiction
- Example County Criminal Court
- Offense
- Misdemeanor charge
- Case filed
- Sample filing date
- Initial status
- Charge filed
- Final disposition
- Dismissed
- Conviction shown
- No conviction recorded for this example charge
This example is for explaining report fields. Courts and criminal-history repositories use different formats and terminology.
Common criminal record terms explained
| Term | What it generally means | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | A person was taken into law-enforcement custody | Does not by itself prove guilt or conviction |
| Charge | An alleged criminal offense | The charge may later be changed, dismissed or resolved |
| Pending | The proceeding has not reached the recorded final outcome | Further court action may occur |
| Dismissed | A charge or proceeding was terminated without a conviction on that charge | The underlying arrest or filing may still exist in some records |
| Acquitted | The defendant was found not guilty | Not a conviction |
| Convicted | A legally recognized determination of guilt | Check the offense, judgment and subsequent orders |
| Deferred adjudication | A procedure postponing final adjudication subject to conditions, where authorized | Legal consequences and reporting vary by jurisdiction |
| Disposition unavailable | A final outcome is missing from the particular system | Do not assume conviction or dismissal; check the court |
| Sealed / expunged | Access or retention has changed through applicable legal relief | Scope and authorized agency access vary by state and order |
What if a report lists an arrest without a disposition?
This may indicate that the agency did not receive a subsequent court result or that the report was generated before the case was resolved.
It does not establish that the person was convicted.
Find the court case and request its final disposition. If the criminal-history repository has outdated information, use the issuing agency’s correction process and provide the supporting court document.
How Much Does a Criminal Record Report Cost?
The price depends on the records you need and the agency that issues them.
| Service | Cost | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| FBI direct Identity History Summary | $18 | Personal fingerprint-based review; fingerprinting charges may be extra |
| FBI-approved channeler | Varies by provider | Service charges and applicant eligibility restrictions apply |
| State public criminal-history report | State-specific | Coverage and eligibility vary by state |
| State or county online court search | Often free; not universally | Typically limited to records of that court or participating courts |
| Certified criminal court disposition | Court-specific | Page, search and certification fees may apply |
| PACER federal court records | $0.10 per billable page | Quarterly charges of $30 or less are waived; caps have exceptions |
| Private employment background report | Provider-specific | Consumer rights and authorized-purpose rules apply |
Can you get a free criminal record report?
Some public criminal court case searches are free, but they are not necessarily comprehensive criminal-history reports.
For your own previously prepared consumer background report, the reporting company may be required to provide a copy upon request. Many employment-screening and other specialty consumer reporting companies provide free file disclosures under applicable law.
A person denied employment or rental housing based on a qualifying consumer report may also have rights to a free copy within the relevant notice period.
The FBI may consider a fee-waiver request from an individual who cannot afford its $18 Identity History Summary fee, but the waiver requires following the FBI’s prescribed instructions and providing proof of financial hardship.
Criminal Record Reports for Employment: What Are Your Rights?
Employers and landlords may use consumer reporting companies to prepare background reports for authorized purposes.
These reports may include criminal records, but they are not the same as an FBI personal Identity History Summary or a certified court judgment.
Employer background checks
When an employer obtains a background report from a consumer reporting company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act generally requires the employer to:
- Provide a clear written disclosure before obtaining the report.
- Obtain the applicant’s or employee’s written authorization.
- Give the person a copy of the report and a summary of FCRA rights before taking an adverse employment action based on it.
- Provide the required adverse-action notice if the employer ultimately makes the adverse decision.
Other federal, state and local employment laws can impose additional protections.
What if an employment report is incorrect?
Request the actual report from the screening company, identify the disputed information and provide supporting court records.
For example, if a dismissed case is incorrectly shown as a conviction, obtain the certified dismissal or disposition from the original court and submit it with your dispute.
If an employer took adverse action based on the report, the FCRA can also entitle you to an additional free copy requested within 60 days of the notice.
Tenant screening and criminal records
Tenant screening companies can also be subject to the FCRA. If a report contains a criminal case belonging to another person or omits a dismissal, you can dispute the error with the company.
The FTC explains that a tenant screening company generally must investigate a qualifying dispute within 30 days, although certain circumstances can allow up to 45 days.
FTC Guide to Correcting Tenant Background Report Errors ↗
How to Correct an Error in a Criminal Record Report
Errors can occur when the wrong person’s information is matched, an arrest disposition was never reported, a case was duplicated or legally restricted records appear in a consumer report.
The correct dispute process depends on which organization created or maintains the information.
FBI report error
Use the FBI Identity History Summary challenge process and provide supporting documents.
FBI Correction Instructions ↗State repository error
Contact the state’s identification bureau and the agency that supplied the information.
Find State Identification Bureau ↗Court docket error
Contact the clerk of the court that issued the underlying judgment, dismissal or order.
Find the Original Court ↗Private background report error
Dispute the entry with the consumer reporting company and supply copies of official documents.
Find Consumer Reporting Companies ↗Step-by-step correction process
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Save the report containing the error.
Keep the full report, report date, provider name and reference or case numbers.
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Identify exactly what is incorrect.
Common errors include mistaken identity, inaccurate charge, wrong disposition, duplicate entries or a missing correction.
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Locate the authoritative source.
Find the reporting agency or court associated with the disputed information.
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Obtain supporting evidence.
Request the certified disposition, corrected court record, expungement order or other appropriate documentation.
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Submit a formal dispute.
Use the FBI, state agency or consumer reporting company’s official challenge procedure.
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Check the completed correction.
Review the updated record and verify that the information was corrected in the relevant system.
How long does an FBI record challenge take?
The FBI states that the average processing time for an Identity History Summary challenge is within 45 days of receiving the challenge.
There is no FBI fee for challenging an Identity History Summary.
The FBI also explains that some state-maintained criminal-history data must be corrected through the state identification bureau before the federal system can reflect the update.
Criminal Record Report for Immigration, Visas and Police Clearance
Some government agencies, foreign authorities and other institutions request a police clearance, good-conduct certificate, criminal-history report or certified court disposition.
These documents are not interchangeable.
| Requested document | Where it may come from | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| FBI Identity History Summary | FBI CJIS | Whether the receiving authority accepts the FBI response and requires authentication |
| State police clearance | State police or identification bureau | Whether state-level or fingerprint-based clearance is required |
| Local police clearance letter | City police or county sheriff | The issuing agency’s geographic coverage and accepted format |
| Certified criminal disposition | Original criminal court | Which case, charges and certification method are required |
| Foreign police certificate | Appropriate authority in the foreign country | Country-specific consular document rules |
Is an FBI report the same as a police clearance certificate?
An FBI Identity History Summary can serve as criminal-history documentation when the receiving authority specifically requests or accepts it.
However, a local police clearance letter, state history check and FBI response have different coverage and may not satisfy the same application requirement.
If the document is for a foreign government, check whether the authority requires authentication or an apostille.
The FBI explains that its fingerprint-search results are authenticated with an FBI watermark and official signature. Additional U.S. Department of State authentication may be required depending on the receiving country’s rules.
Do U.S. immigrant visa applicants need U.S. police certificates?
U.S. Department of State guidance for immigrant visa processing distinguishes police certificates issued by foreign authorities from criminal-history records held in the United States.
The Department states that present and former U.S. residents are not required to submit police certificates covering their U.S. residence for the relevant immigrant visa police-certificate requirement.
Applicants may still need to provide other arrest or court documents when required. Always follow the exact instructions issued for the specific visa category and case.
Can You Get Someone Else’s Criminal Record Report?
Sometimes you can search another person’s publicly available criminal court case information, depending on the applicable court’s access rules.
However, that is different from obtaining a confidential state or FBI fingerprint-based criminal-history report.
The FBI’s personal Identity History Summary process requires identification and fingerprints from the person whose record is requested. It is not an unrestricted public name-search service.
State repositories also have different rules governing access to another person’s arrest history, restricted information or nonpublic criminal records.
How to avoid unreliable criminal record websites
- Begin with an official FBI, state, court or police website.
- Check which jurisdictions a report actually covers.
- Verify whether a search is name-based or fingerprint-based.
- Read the site’s payment and refund terms before purchasing.
- Do not treat an advertisement’s “no record found” message as authoritative.
- Do not share fingerprints, Social Security numbers or sensitive identification through an unverified form.
- For a specific charge, compare the report with the original court’s final disposition.
Criminal Record Report FAQs
1. How do I get a criminal record report?
2. How much does an FBI criminal record report cost?
3. Can I get a criminal record report for free?
4. Does a criminal record report show arrests without convictions?
5. Is an FBI criminal record report a nationwide background check?
6. How long does it take to get an FBI criminal record report?
7. What if my criminal record report is incorrect?
8. Can a dismissed criminal case still appear on a report?
9. Can I use my FBI personal criminal report for employment?
10. How do I obtain a certified criminal record report?
Government Links for Criminal Record Reports
Use these federal government and official court resources to locate criminal-history services, confirm fees and review your rights.
- FBI — Identity History Summary Criminal Record Report
- FBI — Electronic Identity History Summary Request
- FBI — Criminal History Fees, Fingerprinting and Corrections FAQ
- FBI — State Criminal Identification Bureau Directory
- FBI — Approved Identity History Summary Channelers
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- PACER — Federal Criminal Court Cases
- PACER — Federal Court Search Costs and Fee Waivers
- FTC — Employment Background Checks and Your Rights
- FTC and EEOC — Background Check Rules for Employers
- FTC — Disputing Tenant Background Check Errors
- CFPB — Consumer Reporting Companies and File Requests
- CFPB — Accuracy Requirements for Background Reports