Federal Criminal Records: Criminal Records Guide

Where Can You Find Federal Criminal Records?

Different federal agencies maintain different aspects of criminal proceedings. The most relevant starting point depends on whether you need a public court docket, a fingerprint-based criminal-history report, a certified judgment or correctional information.

How to Search Federal Criminal Records Using PACER

The Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) service is operated by the federal judiciary. It allows registered users to search federal District Courts, Courts of Appeals and other federal case records.

A federal criminal prosecution is generally filed in a United States District Court. When the district is unknown, the nationwide PACER Case Locator is the best starting point.

Step-by-step: Search a federal criminal case by defendant name

1. Open the official PACER website.

   Visit pacer.uscourts.gov. Select Find a Case from the federal judiciary website.

2. Register for a Case Search Only account.

   Registration itself is free. If you provide an accepted credit card during registration, you may receive prompt access. Without a card, the service may send an activation code by U.S. mail, typically requiring 7–10 business days.

3. Sign in to PACER Case Locator.

   Use the nationwide index if you are unsure which federal court handled the prosecution.

4. Enter the defendant’s name.

   Use the person’s accurate legal name. Where supported, narrow by criminal case type, filing period, geographic region or specific court.

5. Review the matching federal cases.

   Compare the party name, court location, case number, filing date and available case information.

6. Identify the correct District Court.

   The nationwide Case Locator shows where matching federal cases were filed. This helps distinguish cases from different federal districts.

7. Open the case in the filing court.

   Follow the case link to the court’s electronic docket for more detailed information.

8. Review the criminal case docket.

   Look for filed charges, court hearings, motions, orders, plea activity, trial proceedings and available sentencing information.

9. Check the final outcome.

   Find the judgment or other recorded disposition. A federal charge or indictment does not itself establish conviction.

10. Download only the documents you need.

    PACER charges by billable pages, so selective document downloading can reduce unnecessary charges.

What if you know the federal District Court?

If you already know that a case was filed in the Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of New York or another specific federal court, skip the nationwide index and search that court directly.

This is useful for recently filed cases because the court-specific system updates as filings occur, while the nationwide Case Locator generally updates once per day.

Find a court using the federal judiciary’s Court Finder.

What if no federal criminal cases are found?

A missing result may mean the case was filed in state court, has not yet been filed, belongs to another name or court, predates electronic coverage, or is legally restricted.

PACER specifically recommends contacting the federal court where you believe the case was filed if both the court search and national Case Locator fail to locate it.

What Federal Criminal Records Can You See in PACER?

The court’s electronic docket records case activity in chronological order. It is often more useful than a simple background-check summary because it identifies what was filed and when.

How to read a federal criminal case number

Federal court numbers often contain the filing year, a case-type identifier and a sequence number.

Why a federal criminal docket may show several defendants

A single federal indictment can charge multiple defendants. Their hearings, pleas, dismissals, sentencing dates and judgments may differ.

Always review the docket entries and judgment belonging to the specific defendant rather than treating the entire multi-defendant case as one shared outcome.

Is a federal indictment proof of conviction?

No. An indictment establishes that charges were formally brought. The prosecution may later result in dismissal, acquittal, a guilty plea, conviction or other legal outcome.

Can You Search Federal Criminal Records for Free?

Some federal court information can be accessed without paying, but PACER is generally a usage-based service.

Several official methods may help avoid unnecessary charges.

How to search federal judicial opinions at no charge

1. Open the GovInfo United States Courts Opinions collection.

   Use the official Government Publishing Office website.

2. Enter the party name, subject or case number.

   For criminal appeals, published opinions may identify the United States as a party.

3. Narrow by court or date.

   Use the collection’s filters to select an appellate or District Court.

4. Open the published opinion.

   Review the court’s decision and stated procedural background.

5. Check the original trial docket if needed.

   A published opinion is not a complete collection of all documents in the case.

Federal Criminal Records Search Costs in 2026

PACER access fees differ from Clerk-provided certified copies, assisted record searches and FBI criminal-history requests.

How PACER charges are calculated

PACER charges are based on pages of search results or accessed documents, not simply whether a useful criminal case was located.

A search returning no matches may still generate a charge. Searching a common name may produce multiple billable result pages.

The ordinary $3 single-document cap does not apply to every type of PACER report or transcript.

Important January 2027 PACER fee change

The federal judiciary announced that starting January 1, 2027, the per-page PACER charge will increase from $0.10 to $0.12.

The automatic quarterly fee-waiver threshold will increase from $30 to $40. The announcement describes the increase as temporary for five years.

Read the Official PACER Fee Change Announcement ↗

How to Obtain Certified Federal Criminal Records

If you need an official federal judgment, dismissal order or sentencing record, request certification from the Clerk of the U.S. District Court where the case was filed.

An ordinary PACER PDF is not necessarily a certified court record.

Common federal criminal documents requested

• Judgment in a criminal case
• Amended criminal judgment
• Dismissal order
• Sentencing order
• Certified docket sheet, when the court offers one
• Other publicly releasable orders or documents filed in the case

Step-by-step certified copy request

1. Locate the federal prosecution.

   Use PACER to determine the filing District Court and case number.

2. Identify the specific document.

   For example, request the Judgment in a Criminal Case rather than a general unspecified background report.

3. Record the docket entry number.

   When available, this helps Clerk staff locate the exact filed document.

4. Contact the filing District Court Clerk.

   Find the court’s records or certified-copy instructions.

5. Specify the required certification.

   Ask whether the receiving authority needs ordinary certification, exemplification or an apostille.

6. Confirm the complete fee.

   Check copying costs, certification charges, postage and accepted payment methods.

7. Submit the official request.

   Use the procedure required by that court. Some courts accept mail or electronic copy orders; others have different local procedures.

8. Inspect the certified document.

   Confirm the case number, defendant, issuing court and judgment details.

How much is a certified federal judgment?

Under the published U.S. District Court fee schedule, certification costs $12 per document, plus applicable document-copy charges.

The published paper-copy fee is $0.50 per page. More formal exemplification costs $24, and a court-issued apostille carries a separate fee.

How to Request Your Own FBI Federal Criminal Record

The FBI maintains fingerprint-associated criminal-history records submitted by authorized criminal justice agencies.

The resulting Identity History Summary may include both federal and state-reported information, so it should not be confused with a PACER search limited to federal court proceedings.

This is a personal-review service, not an unrestricted public name-based search of another person’s FBI history.

How to submit an FBI personal criminal-history request

1. Open the FBI Identity History Summary page.

   Review eligibility, fingerprint requirements and accepted submission methods.

2. Choose electronic or mail submission.

   The FBI provides a direct electronic application and a conventional mail option.

3. Complete the applicant information.

   Provide your legal name, contact information and other information requested.

4. Pay the $18 FBI fee.

   Follow the official payment instructions. Additional fingerprint-provider fees may apply.

5. Submit current fingerprints.

   For an eligible electronic application, use a participating U.S. Post Office. Alternatively, follow the FBI instructions for mailing a fingerprint card.

6. Receive the result.

   Electronic applicants can receive an electronic response. Mail options depend on the requested delivery method.

7. Check all reported entries.

   Review the arrest, agency, charge and disposition information included in the summary.

8. Use the official challenge process if necessary.

   Dispute inaccurate or incomplete information with the FBI or contributing state agency.

Does an FBI report show every federal conviction?

Not necessarily. The FBI summary depends on the fingerprint records, criminal-history data and dispositions reported to the federal repository.

A federal criminal court case can exist even if related information is not displayed as expected in an Identity History Summary.

For official confirmation of a specific federal prosecution, consult the original U.S. District Court judgment.

Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Search

The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) provides a free public search for qualifying individuals incarcerated in federal prisons from 1982 to the present.

The inmate search is useful for identifying a federal prisoner’s location or recorded release status.

Step-by-step federal inmate lookup

1. Open the BOP Inmate Locator.

   Use the federal Bureau of Prisons website.

2. Choose name or identification-number search.

   The system supports searches using a name or qualifying inmate register number.

3. Enter the inmate’s identifying information.

   Use the available fields, including first and last name or known BOP register number.

4. Compare possible matches.

   Check age, register number and other displayed information.

5. Review custody status.

   The result may provide a current facility, release date or notation that the individual is no longer in BOP custody.

6. Verify the underlying court case if necessary.

   Use PACER for the criminal charges, judgment and sentencing proceedings.

What does “Not in BOP Custody” mean?

This means the person is no longer in the Bureau of Prisons’ custody as reflected by its locator.

It does not necessarily mean the individual is entirely free from custody, parole, supervised release or another criminal justice system.

What if a recently arrested federal defendant is missing?

An individual awaiting federal trial may be held in a local detention facility or under U.S. Marshals Service arrangements rather than in a BOP-operated prison.

The BOP locator is therefore not a comprehensive real-time database for all federal pretrial detainees.

How to Find Old Federal Criminal Records Before PACER

Many older federal case files were created before courts used modern electronic docket systems.

The U.S. Courts explain that most cases created before 1999 were originally maintained on paper. Historical records may remain with the filing court or be stored in federal records centers or National Archives facilities.

Important PACER restriction for older criminal documents

Documents from federal criminal cases filed before November 1, 2004 generally have more limited remote electronic access. PACER notes that those criminal document images are electronically accessible to parties rather than the general public.

This does not automatically mean all older cases are sealed. Contact the original District Court Clerk about publicly accessible paper copies or other authorized retrieval methods.

How to locate an archived federal criminal case

1. Find the original federal court.

   Determine which U.S. District Court handled the criminal prosecution.

2. Find the case number and approximate year.

   Search available indexes or request information from the Clerk.

3. Ask where the original file is stored.

   The Clerk can explain whether it remains onsite, in a Federal Records Center or in National Archives custody.

4. Confirm the file’s retrieval identifiers.

   Archived records may require an accession, box or location identifier in addition to the case number.

5. Follow the records ordering procedure.

   Use the National Archives court-record ordering system or Clerk-directed process.

6. Check copying and retrieval fees.

   Older-file retrieval and reproduction may cost more than ordinary PACER document access.

Can you inspect archived files in person?

The National Archives states that its Federal Records Centers no longer provide onsite public review of closed court files in their legal custody.

Access is handled through ordering procedures, while the original federal court may offer available viewing services or copies.

Are All Federal Criminal Records Public?

No. Federal courts provide access to many case dockets and documents, but law and court orders restrict access to certain information.

PACER does not publicly provide sealed documents, including sealed indictments.

Examples of material that may be unavailable

• Sealed indictments and sealed case filings
• Information protected by judicial sealing orders
• Some juvenile criminal records
• Protected personal identifying information
• Confidential presentence investigation reports
• Restricted discovery materials not filed as public court records
• Specific records restricted by statute or federal court rules

What if you cannot see a federal indictment?

A sealed indictment is not available for public viewing in PACER. If an indictment is later unsealed, the public court record may become available under the court’s directions.

Do not assume that a missing indictment proves no federal investigation or prosecution exists.

Are FBI investigative records the same as court records?

No. Criminal investigations conducted by the FBI, DEA, ATF or other agencies can involve investigative files that are separate from filed court dockets.

The Freedom of Information Act may permit some requests for federal executive-branch records, but law-enforcement exemptions, privacy restrictions and other limitations can prevent disclosure.

FOIA is not a substitute for searching a known federal criminal case through PACER.

How to Correct Errors in Federal Criminal Records

The correction process depends on whether the problem is an inaccurate federal court filing, an incomplete FBI Identity History Summary or an error in a private background report.

How to challenge an FBI criminal-history entry

1. Obtain your FBI Identity History Summary.

   Review the information provided through the official personal request process.

2. Identify the exact entry being challenged.

   Record the date, charge, agency and reported disposition.

3. Obtain official supporting documents.

   For a federal conviction or dismissal, request the relevant judgment or disposition from the District Court.

4. Submit an FBI challenge.

   Follow the Identity History Summary correction process and provide available evidence.

5. Contact the contributing agency when required.

   Some errors must be corrected by the original state criminal-history repository or reporting agency.

6. Check the updated record.

   Review the response and confirm