How to Search Someone’s Criminal Record in Out Someones
How Can You Find Out Someone’s Criminal Record? Official Search Steps
If you want to find out whether someone has a criminal record, start with the official state or county criminal court search where the person may have been prosecuted. Enter the person’s name or a known case number, check possible matches, and review the final disposition to determine whether the case resulted in a conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another outcome.
You can also search qualifying federal criminal cases through PACER, use public state criminal-history systems where authorized, and check local arrest or jail records. However, there is no single free public website that provides everyone’s complete criminal history across the United States.
Official U.S. court, FBI, FTC and state government sources reviewed October 19, 2026.
Where Can You Look Up Someone’s Criminal Record?
The record source depends on what you need to know. A county criminal court case search may confirm a particular prosecution, while a police booking record may show an arrest without proving that criminal charges resulted in a conviction.
| Information you want | Where to search | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal charges or convictions | State trial court or county criminal court clerk | Public case information and dispositions within that jurisdiction. |
| Felony court case | State district, circuit, superior or other felony trial court | Filed charges, hearings, judgments and sentences where publicly available. |
| Misdemeanor case | County court, district court, municipal court or other designated court | Public misdemeanor case history, depending on state law. |
| Current arrest or jail custody | Police department or county sheriff | Available arrest, booking or custody information—not a final conviction record. |
| Statewide public criminal history | State police or criminal-history repository, where public access is authorized | State-specific report subject to authorization, disclosure rules and fees. |
| Federal criminal prosecution | PACER | Federal district court docket and available case documents. |
| Public sex offender registry information | Department of Justice NSOPW | Publicly disclosable registration information; not all criminal offenses. |
| Certified criminal judgment | Clerk of the court that decided the case | Official document showing a specific case outcome. |
How to Find Out if Someone Has a Criminal Record
This search process is designed for lawfully available public information. It helps reduce mistaken identity and shows how to verify an actual court result.
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Find the state and county where the person may have a case.
Start with the location of the alleged incident or court proceeding. A person’s current residence is not necessarily where an older criminal case was filed.
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Identify the correct court type.
A felony may be handled by a circuit, district or superior court. Misdemeanors and municipal offenses may be maintained by another court. Federal prosecutions belong to the U.S. federal court system.
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Open the official court website.
Use the USA.gov court directory to find the appropriate state or local judicial website. Avoid assuming that the first commercial search result is the official court system.
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Locate the court’s public case search.
Look for Criminal Case Search, Public Access, Court Records, Case Lookup, Court Dockets or Clerk of Court.
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Search by name or case number.
A full case number is generally the most precise option. When using a name, follow the court’s required format and narrow the search with available court, county or year filters.
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Check whether the result belongs to the correct person.
Compare the case number, location, approximate dates and other reliable information that the court lawfully displays. Do not rely solely on an identical name.
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Open the case docket.
Look for allegations, hearings, court filings, guilty pleas, dismissals, trial findings, judgments and sentencing information.
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Read the final disposition for each charge.
One case can contain several criminal counts with different outcomes. Determine which charges were dismissed, which remain pending and which, if any, resulted in a conviction.
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Check for an appeal or later court order.
A judgment may be modified or reversed, and eligible records may later be sealed or expunged. Review any relevant subsequent actions.
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Request an official document when verification matters.
If you need reliable proof of a specific case outcome, contact the court clerk and ask for the final judgment or certified disposition, subject to the applicable access rules.
Where to Search Someone’s Criminal Record by State
Public criminal court search rules vary significantly. These official examples show the difference between a free court docket, a paid statewide criminal-history search and a state that restricts some online criminal records.
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access
The Wisconsin Court System offers Circuit Court Access, commonly called WCCA or CCAP.
Users can search eligible public circuit court cases by name or case number. The service provides available court events, charges, judgments and case history.
A result is not automatically proof of identity. Wisconsin separately maintains public appellate case information.
Open Wisconsin Official Case Search →Unified Judicial System Case Search
Pennsylvania provides an official public court case search through its Unified Judicial System portal.
The search includes eligible criminal dockets from Courts of Common Pleas and Magisterial District Courts.
The system supports participant-name, docket-number and county filters. Public docket sheets are accessible without a paid subscription.
Juvenile, expunged and limited-access matters may be excluded.
Open Pennsylvania Court Case Search →Minnesota Court Records Online
Minnesota’s MCRO provides public district court case, document and hearing searches.
An important restriction applies to pending criminal matters: defendant-name searches do not return pending criminal cases before a conviction as defined by Minnesota law.
To locate such a proceeding, use the case number, citation number or an available attorney search.
Open Minnesota MCRO →Maryland Judiciary Case Search
Maryland’s official Case Search displays public information concerning eligible criminal and other court proceedings.
However, the Maryland Judiciary states that charges ending in dismissal, acquittal or nolle prosequi no longer appear online through Case Search, even when they remain available for public inspection at the courthouse.
Certain older stet dispositions are also excluded from remote searching.
Open Maryland Case Search →FDLE Public Criminal History Check
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement provides a public name-based Florida criminal-history search.
The published fee is $24 per search. Its Instant Search carries an additional $1 credit-card processing fee.
The report covers available Florida criminal-history information and is not a nationwide FBI check.
Florida also offers court case searches through its individual county Clerks of Court.
Open Florida FDLE Public Checks →New York Statewide Criminal History Record Search
The New York State Office of Court Administration offers a formal statewide court criminal-history record search.
The fee is $95 per search, and the service requires an exact match of name and date of birth.
Search results concern qualifying open, pending and conviction information across New York’s 62 counties, subject to the service’s coverage limitations.
Results are not certified. A Certificate of Disposition must come from the original court.
Open New York Criminal History Search →What about California, Texas and other states?
California generally requires you to search the Superior Court in the county where a criminal case was filed. Public indexes and case information may be available remotely, but California Rule of Court 2.503 generally restricts remote access to underlying electronic criminal case documents.
Texas often provides county-specific felony and misdemeanor searches through District Clerk and County Clerk systems. The Texas Department of Public Safety separately offers a statewide public criminal-history conviction search.
For another state, start with the official U.S. courts directory and identify the actual filing court.
How Can You Find Out Someone’s Criminal Record Using Only Their Name?
Many official court databases permit searching a person’s first and last name. But a name-only search can be misleading, especially when the person has a common name.
What information helps narrow the search?
- Full legal first and last name.
- Middle name or middle initial, when available.
- Possible previous legal names.
- State or county where the criminal case may have occurred.
- Approximate year of arrest or prosecution.
- Known criminal case number.
- Date of birth only where the official portal lawfully permits its use.
Do not attempt to obtain someone else’s Social Security number, private account credentials or confidential fingerprint records merely to run a public search.
Why is the county so important?
Suppose someone currently lives in Dallas, Texas, but had an old criminal proceeding in Orlando, Florida.
Searching only Dallas County’s court database would not ordinarily reveal that Florida case. You would need to search the responsible Florida county court or an applicable authorized Florida criminal-history service.
Try approved name variations
Different courts offer different search behavior.
Some support a last-name wildcard, such as an asterisk, while others use exact matching or a sounds-like option. Follow each portal’s instructions rather than assuming the same symbol works everywhere.
A public search for “Michael Johnson” returns one felony case from 2016, a misdemeanor case from 2021 and a dismissed case from 2024.
The fact that all three defendants share the name Michael Johnson does not mean all three records concern the same individual.
Compare the case numbers, courts and other reliable identifying details. If identity remains uncertain, do not attribute the case to the person you are researching.
Can You Find Out Someone’s Criminal Record for Free?
Yes, in many jurisdictions you can search public criminal court records without paying a commercial background-check company. However, availability varies by state, county and type of record.
| Service | Published access or fee | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania UJS court dockets | Free public access | Eligible Pennsylvania court case information. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access | Public online search | Qualifying Wisconsin circuit court cases. |
| Minnesota MCRO | Free public portal | Eligible district court cases, subject to pending criminal name-search restrictions. |
| Maryland Judiciary Case Search | Free public portal | Public case summaries, with nonconviction-related remote access exclusions. |
| Florida FDLE Instant Search | $24 + $1 card processing | Publicly available Florida criminal-history information. |
| New York OCA statewide search | $95 | Qualifying court criminal-history records subject to exact identity search criteria. |
| Federal PACER | $0.10 per page; quarterly waiver rules | Federal court dockets and available documents. |
| Certified judgment | Court-specific copy and certification fees | Official documentation of a particular case result. |
Does a free criminal records search cover every state?
No. A free search may cover one county, one state’s courts or one type of proceeding.
There is no unrestricted national public database that combines every local arrest, county misdemeanor, state felony, sealed record and federal prosecution.
Are paid people-search websites more complete?
Not necessarily. Commercial data aggregators may combine records from different sources, but their results can be stale, duplicated, incomplete or associated with the wrong person.
Before paying for any report, check whether the official court or authorized state criminal-history repository offers the specific information you need.
How to Check Someone’s Arrest Records and Jail History
An arrest does not always lead to a criminal court case. Some matters may never be prosecuted, and others may be dismissed.
Police departments and county sheriffs are generally the starting points for available local arrest and booking information.
Checking a county jail roster
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Identify the relevant county.
Look for the sheriff’s office in the area where the person was reportedly booked.
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Find the official inmate lookup.
Many sheriffs publish a Jail Roster, Inmate Search, Jail Lookup or Booking Search.
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Use the permitted search fields.
Enter the person’s name or an available booking identifier.
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Read the custody information carefully.
Some systems show only current inmates. Others include recent releases or selected previous bookings.
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Check the related criminal case.
If charges were filed, use the appropriate court docket to understand what happened after the arrest.
Can you find out whether someone has ever been arrested?
Sometimes, but a complete lifetime arrest history is not generally available through one public search.
Local police and sheriff records systems may publish some arrest information. State criminal-history repositories differ in whether they disclose arrest records to the general public.
Certain reports can be restricted because of active investigations, privacy laws, juvenile confidentiality or expungement and sealing orders.
How to Find Out Whether Someone Has a Federal Criminal Record
Federal criminal cases are maintained by U.S. District Courts rather than county or state trial courts.
The official federal court records search system is PACER, which provides electronic access to available federal case information and documents.
How to search a federal criminal case
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Open PACER and register or sign in.
Creating an account is free, but eligible search and document usage may generate charges.
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Select the known federal court.
If you know the U.S. District Court where the case was filed, searching that court directly can be more efficient.
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Use PACER Case Locator if you do not know the district.
The national index can help identify federal case numbers and filing courts.
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Enter the person’s name or case number.
Use as precise an identifier as possible. A common name may return unrelated federal proceedings.
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Review the criminal docket.
Check the charges, court orders, judgment and other publicly available entries.
How much does PACER cost in 2026?
As of October 19, 2026, PACER charges $0.10 per page for standard electronic record access.
Many individual case documents have a $3 charge cap. Charges totaling $30 or less during a calendar quarter are automatically waived.
However, search-result pages can incur charges even if no matching cases are found, and some search reports are not subject to the individual-document cap.
PACER has announced that the rate will increase to $0.12 per page and the automatic quarterly waiver threshold to $40 beginning January 1, 2027.
Official details: PACER pricing and free-access conditions.
How to Tell Whether Someone Was Actually Convicted of a Crime
The most important part of a criminal records search is understanding the case’s legal outcome.
A case might contain an arrest, an original charge, several hearings and a later dismissal. Describing such a case as a conviction would be inaccurate.
| Result or term | What it usually means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Arrested | Law enforcement took a person into custody. | Whether charges were filed and the later result. |
| Charged | A criminal allegation was formally filed. | Subsequent pleas, motions and judgment. |
| Pending | The charge or case has not reached its final resolution. | Latest docket and future hearings. |
| Dismissed | The identified charge or proceeding was dismissed. | Whether other charges remain. |
| Not guilty / Acquitted | The applicable charge ended in an acquittal. | Which specific counts the finding covered. |
| Convicted | A conviction was entered for a specific offense. | Final judgment, sentence and later orders. |
| Diversion or deferred disposition | An alternative procedure or conditional disposition applies. | Jurisdiction-specific requirements and final outcome. |
| Appealed | A higher court reviewed or may review a ruling. | Appeal decision and any modification of judgment. |
| Sealed / Expunged | Legal restrictions affect access to qualifying records. | Do not attempt to bypass restricted access. |
Read each charge separately
A criminal case may include two or more charges. For example, one might be dismissed while another results in a conviction.
The final judgment and charge-by-charge disposition matter more than the original allegations.
A defendant is originally charged with three offenses. The prosecutor later dismisses two, and the court enters a conviction on the remaining charge.
The accurate conclusion is that the defendant was convicted of one identified offense, not all three original allegations.
Before making a consequential decision, review the court’s judgment and any subsequent orders affecting the result.
Can You Check Someone’s Criminal Record Without Their Permission?
In many U.S. jurisdictions, you can view publicly available criminal court case records without asking the defendant’s permission.
However, public court information is different from confidential criminal-history records. State laws and court rules govern which records are available to ordinary members of the public.
What you may generally be able to access
- Public criminal court case indexes.
- Public court dockets and hearing calendars.
- Accessible conviction and dismissal records.
- Eligible sentencing judgments.
- Publicly disclosable arrest information.
- Available jail or correctional custody records.
- Public registry information subject to the registry’s conditions.
What you generally cannot obtain as an ordinary private requester
- Another person’s confidential FBI Identity History Summary.
- Sealed or expunged records outside authorized exceptions.
- Confidential juvenile criminal case records.
- Protected criminal-history repository information.
- Restricted police investigative records.
- Private fingerprints, personal credentials or confidential identifying information.
Can you request another person’s FBI criminal-history report?
No, not through the FBI’s ordinary personal record-review procedure.
The FBI expressly states that it does not provide copies of personal arrest records to private individuals other than the record subject.
Authorized screening agencies may use separate processes under applicable laws.
Official FBI explanation: Does the FBI Provide Arrest Records to Private Citizens?.
Can Employers or Landlords Search Someone’s Criminal Record?
Employers and landlords may have legitimate reasons to obtain background information, but they must follow applicable federal, state and local laws.
A public court lookup is not automatically the same as a legally compliant consumer background screening report.
Employment background checks
When an employer uses a consumer reporting company to obtain a criminal background report, the Fair Credit Reporting Act generally requires a written disclosure and the applicant’s written authorization before obtaining the report.
If the employer intends to take an adverse action because of the report, additional notice and report-disclosure requirements apply.
Federal nondiscrimination rules and state or local criminal-history screening restrictions can also affect how the information is used.
Official guidance: FTC — Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know.
Rental housing and tenant screening
Landlords and property managers sometimes use tenant screening companies that include criminal-record information.
These reports are subject to applicable FCRA accuracy and adverse-action requirements. State and local housing laws may impose additional restrictions on criminal-history inquiries or how results can be considered.
The FTC warns that tenant reports may include the wrong person’s records, incomplete court dispositions or outdated information about sealed or expunged matters.
Official guidance: FTC — Tenant Background Checks and Your Rights.
Personal relationships and informal research
A person researching public court information for personal reasons can generally begin with official public sources. The exact access rules depend on the jurisdiction, and no general search can guarantee a complete criminal history.
When the information matters to an important personal decision, verify the correct identity and the final outcome instead of relying on an unconfirmed commercial people-search result.
How to Request a Criminal Judgment or Search the Public Sex Offender Registry
Requesting a certified criminal court record
If you locate a criminal case and need proof of the final outcome, contact the court clerk that maintains the original file.
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Identify the specific court and case number.
Record the details from the official case search.
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Find the clerk’s records request instructions.
Search the court website for Criminal Records, Copy Requests or Certified Copies.
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Ask for the final judgment or disposition.
Specify exactly which publicly accessible document you need.
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Confirm the cost and permitted access.
Copy, certification, historical retrieval and staff research fees may apply.
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Receive the document through the approved method.
Depending on the court, copies may be available online, at the courthouse or through a written request.
Searching public sex offender registration information
The U.S. Department of Justice operates the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
The website allows public searches of participating sex offender registries across the states, District of Columbia, territories and Indian Country.
Available search criteria include name and, where supported by the jurisdiction, location-related options.
NSOPW relies on participating jurisdictions’ registry data. Search limitations and legal restrictions vary.
Why You May Not Find Someone’s Criminal Record Online
A no-results message has several possible explanations. It does not establish that the person has never been arrested or convicted.
| Search problem | Possible explanation | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| No case under the person’s name | Wrong court, spelling variation or missing search fields. | Try another relevant jurisdiction or a known case number. |
| Several people have the same name | The portal matches names without conclusively verifying identity. | Compare reliable public details; do not assume the records belong to the same person. |
| Pending Minnesota case missing | MCRO restricts defendant-name searching before a qualifying conviction. | Use an authorized case-number, citation-number or attorney search. |
| Maryland dismissal not shown | Certain nonconviction charges are excluded from online Case Search. | Follow Maryland’s courthouse-access instructions if the record remains public. |
| Old court case missing | The case may predate electronic indexing or remain archived. | Contact the original clerk about historical records. |
| Federal case absent from state search | Federal cases use a separate judiciary system. | Check PACER and the relevant U.S. District Court. |
| Original court documents unavailable | Remote access limits or document digitization restrictions. | Request eligible files through the court clerk. |
| Sealed or expunged matter missing | Law restricts public disclosure. | Do not attempt to circumvent the restriction. |
| State criminal-history search has incomplete results | State repository reporting, name matching or disclosure limitations. | Consult the state agency’s rules and verify an identified case with the court. |
| Person no longer appears in inmate search | Release, transfer or limited historical jail roster coverage. | Search the corresponding court docket for the criminal case outcome. |
Can a dismissed case remain publicly visible?
Depending on state law, yes. A case may remain in the court’s public docket even after dismissal.
Other jurisdictions restrict remote access to some dismissed proceedings. For example, Maryland excludes specified nonconviction charges from online Case Search even when courthouse inspection remains possible.
What if the person has a sealed or expunged record?
A properly sealed or expunged case may not be available through ordinary public court searches. The legal effect differs among states and record-relief procedures.
Do not try to obtain records outside the permitted access process.
Is a clean court search the same as a clean background check?
No. Searching one county and receiving no results does not establish that the person has no criminal history elsewhere.
It also does not establish whether the person has any records that are legally unavailable to the public.
Before You Trust Someone’s Criminal Records Search Result
Use this checklist to evaluate whether the information actually supports the conclusion you want to make.
| Verification question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Is the source an official government or court system? | An original record custodian is generally more reliable than an unverified data aggregator. |
| Did I search the correct county and court? | A case may be maintained outside the person’s current residence or in another court type. |
| Is the case associated with the correct individual? | Identical names can produce false matches. |
| Did I read the final disposition? | An allegation or arrest is not proof of conviction. |
| Did I check each charge separately? | One case can include multiple counts with different outcomes. |
| Could the record have been modified by appeal or another order? | Later legal actions can change a case’s status. |
| Does the search include older cases and other jurisdictions? | Most public systems have geographic, historical or case-type limits. |
| Is the intended use legally permitted? | Hiring and rental screening can trigger additional legal requirements. |
If the information will be used in an important legal or regulated decision, rely on the applicable authorized screening procedure and verified official records, not an informal name-search screenshot.
How Can You Find Out Someone’s Criminal Record? FAQs
1. How can you find out someone’s criminal record for free?
Search the official criminal court website in the state or county where the case may have been filed. Some court systems, including Pennsylvania UJS and Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, provide free public case information. Other jurisdictions charge for name searches or statewide criminal-history reports.
2. Can you check someone’s criminal record without their permission?
Many publicly accessible criminal court records can be searched without the defendant’s permission, subject to court rules. Confidential FBI criminal-history files, sealed records and protected state agency reports are different. Employment and housing screening may trigger additional requirements.
3. Can you search criminal records using only a person’s name?
Some official court databases support defendant-name searches. Use the correct county and legally available filters to narrow results. A matching name alone does not establish that the criminal case belongs to that individual.
4. Is there a nationwide criminal record search for everyone?
No unrestricted free public database contains every state, county, municipal and federal criminal history record. Public federal cases can be searched through PACER, while state criminal court records are maintained through various state and local systems.
5. Can I get another person’s FBI criminal record?
No. The FBI’s ordinary Identity History Summary process does not release another person’s personal rap sheet to a private requester. Legally authorized background checks follow separate procedures.
6. How do I find out whether someone was convicted of a crime?
Locate the official criminal court case and review the final disposition of every charge. A conviction must be distinguished from an arrest, pending allegation, dismissal or acquittal. A certified judgment may be needed for formal proof.
7. How can I find someone’s arrest record?
Check the police or sheriff department responsible for the arrest. Some agencies publish booking records or jail rosters, while others require a records request. Arrest information does not establish that charges resulted in conviction.
8. Why can’t I find someone’s criminal record online?
The case may belong to another jurisdiction, be archived, have a name-search restriction, or be sealed or expunged. Some states also remove certain nonconviction charges from remote public searching. No result does not establish that no record exists.
9. How much does a paid criminal records search cost?
Costs depend on the agency. Florida FDLE lists $24 plus a $1 card-processing fee for Instant Search. New York’s statewide OCA court criminal-history search costs $95. Federal PACER charges $0.10 per page as of October 2026, subject to waivers and other rules.
10. Can I use someone’s public criminal record for employment or tenant screening?
Covered background screening decisions must follow applicable laws. Employers using consumer reporting companies generally need appropriate disclosures and written authorization, while housing screening has its own FCRA and state or local requirements. An informal court search does not automatically satisfy those obligations.
Official Websites for Searching Public Criminal Records
These primary sources explain the public case-search methods, fees, confidentiality rules and legal safeguards discussed in this guide.
- USA.gov — Find Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- Wisconsin Court System — Public Circuit and Appellate Case Search
- Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System — Public Case Search
- Pennsylvania UJS — Court Docket Search Instructions
- Minnesota Court Records Online — Case Search
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — Criminal Name Search Restrictions
- Maryland Judiciary — Public Case Search
- Maryland Courts — Court Records and Remote Access Limitations
- Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Public Criminal History Search
- New York Courts — Statewide Criminal History Record Search
- California Rules of Court — Rule 2.503, Electronic Criminal Records
- PACER — Public Federal Court Case Search
- PACER — Pricing, Quarterly Waivers and Court Access
- FBI — Access to Another Person’s Criminal History Records
- U.S. Department of Justice — National Sex Offender Public Website
- Federal Trade Commission — Employer Background Check Requirements
- FTC — Tenant Screening and Consumer Rights