Are Criminal Records Public Record: Criminal Records Guide

Which Criminal Records Are Public and Which Are Private?

The most common mistake is treating every document called a “criminal record” as if it were kept in one nationwide public database. In reality, a trial court, sheriff’s office, state police agency and FBI maintain different records under different access laws.

Why Are Criminal Court Records Public?

Public access to criminal proceedings serves important purposes. It allows people to see how criminal cases are handled, evaluate the actions of courts and prosecutors, and verify whether a person was charged, convicted, acquitted or otherwise released from prosecution.

In the United States, constitutional principles, common-law traditions, state court rules and public-access laws support openness in many criminal proceedings.

That openness is not unlimited. Courts and lawmakers also protect juveniles, victims, witnesses, confidential investigations, identifying information and the fairness of ongoing proceedings.

Are Court Records and Criminal Background Checks the Same?

No. A criminal court record usually concerns an individual proceeding in a specific court. A criminal-history report is compiled by a state or federal agency using information reported by criminal justice institutions.

A person can have a public county court case even when a member of the public cannot request that person’s complete state police rap sheet.

How to Search Public Criminal Records Online

For most people, the best first step is to identify where the criminal case was filed. A case prosecuted in California will not normally appear in a Wisconsin circuit court search, and a federal criminal prosecution may not appear in either state’s public criminal court portal.

1. 1

   Identify the state and county

   Determine where the arrest, prosecution or court case occurred. If you know the courthouse or case number, use that information instead of searching every state.

2. 2

   Find the official court website

   Search for the state judicial branch, county Clerk of Court or municipal court. Look for an official Case Search, Public Access, Court Records or Criminal Case Inquiry page.

3. 3

   Choose the criminal case category

   Some courts combine criminal and civil records, while others have separate felony, misdemeanor and traffic searches. Select the correct court and case type.

4. 4

   Search by the case number or name

   Use the complete case number when available. Otherwise enter the party’s legal name and the additional search criteria permitted by the portal.

5. 5

   Verify the identity and case

   Compare the filing location, case date, charge and any legally available identifying information. Two unrelated people may share the same name.

6. 6

   Read the charges and case events

   Identify whether the case was filed, is still pending or has been resolved. Do not assume the original charge is the final outcome.

7. 7

   Check the final disposition

   Look for a judgment, guilty plea, acquittal, dismissal, deferred disposition or later order. Review each count separately when the case contains multiple charges.

8. 8

   Request the official document if needed

   For a certified judgment or other formal proof, contact the Clerk maintaining the case file. A public case-search screenshot is generally not a certified court document.

Are Criminal Records Public in Every State? Official Search Examples

All states have public-access rules for court records, but they do not follow one universal online-access policy. An important distinction is whether you are searching court cases or requesting statewide criminal-history reports.

Official State Court Record Search Examples

Maryland: Public at the Courthouse Does Not Always Mean Online

Maryland provides a particularly useful example. Its Judiciary introduced an updated Case Search & Record Portal on March 14, 2026.

Maryland’s official court guidance explains that certain criminal charges ending in nolle prosequi, dismissal or acquittal are no longer displayed through ordinary public online Case Search, although qualifying records may still be available for inspection at the courthouse.

The same restriction applies to certain cases marked stet after the relevant period.

This means an online no-result response does not always establish that no publicly inspectable court record exists.

Maryland Judiciary — Public Court Record Access and Exceptions →

California and New York: Court Records vs. Confidential Rap Sheets

California’s Department of Justice says that statewide summary criminal-history records are generally restricted to law enforcement, approved applicant agencies and the individual who is the subject of the record.

New York’s Division of Criminal Justice Services similarly states that its official criminal-history records are not available to the public through the state’s Freedom of Information Law. A person can obtain their own rap sheet, but ordinary third parties cannot obtain that official report merely by requesting it.

Public court cases in these states must be evaluated under their separate judicial-access rules.

Are Federal Criminal Records Public? How PACER Works

Most nonsealed federal criminal court case files can be searched through Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), the official U.S. federal judiciary records service.

PACER allows registered public users to search a particular federal court or use a nationwide index of federal cases.

How to Search a Federal Criminal Case

1. Visit the official PACER Find a Case website.
2. Register or sign into a PACER account.
3. Select the federal district court if you know where the case was filed.
4. Otherwise use the nationwide PACER Case Locator.
5. Enter the case number or the defendant’s name.
6. Open the matching criminal case docket.
7. Review available charges, orders, judgments and public documents.

PACER Fees

The federal judiciary publishes the following electronic access charges:

The $3 cap generally applies to individual documents and qualifying case-specific reports. It does not apply to name-search result pages, certain reports or transcripts. Even a search returning no matches can produce a billable result page.

Which Federal Criminal Documents Are Not Public?

Federal judiciary privacy rules restrict certain criminal case documents, including:

• Sealed criminal indictments and sealed filings
• Certain unexecuted warrants and summonses
• Presentence investigation reports
• Pretrial bail reports
• Protected juvenile records
• Documents containing protected juror information
• Other documents restricted by federal rules or court orders

The judiciary also requires redaction of specified sensitive personal information from many public filings.

U.S. Courts — Privacy Policy for Electronic Case Files →

Are State Police and FBI Criminal-History Records Public?

These records require a separate analysis from public court dockets. State and federal criminal-history repositories combine information received from criminal justice agencies and typically have their own statutory access limitations.

Can You Get Someone Else’s FBI Criminal Record?

Generally, no. The FBI does not operate a public website where anyone can search another person’s complete fingerprint-based criminal-history report.

An individual may request their own FBI Identity History Summary, commonly called a rap sheet. Authorized employers, licensing agencies and criminal justice entities may use separate procedures when law permits.

FBI — Official Identity History Summary Checks →

How to Request Your Own FBI Criminal History

1. 1

   Open the FBI Identity History Summary service

   Choose the electronic or mail-based request procedure provided by the FBI.

2. 2

   Submit the application information

   Enter the required personal information according to the selected procedure.

3. 3

   Submit fingerprints

   Follow the instructions for electronic fingerprint submission or an approved fingerprint card.

4. 4

   Pay the FBI processing fee

   The FBI lists a processing charge of $18. A fingerprinting or channeler provider may charge additional service fees.

5. 5

   Review the result

   The response may contain a record or indicate that no matching FBI Identity History Summary was located.

6. 6

   Challenge inaccuracies if necessary

   Follow the FBI’s record challenge instructions and gather supporting information from the relevant reporting agency or court.

Do not confuse this personal-review service with authorization to screen another person’s FBI criminal history.

Statewide Criminal-History Access Varies

Are Arrest Records, Mugshots and Police Reports Public?

Sometimes. Arrest information, jail bookings, mugshots and police incident reports are governed by the applicable state’s public-records and criminal justice laws.

Arrest Records

Some sheriff’s offices publish recent arrest information online. Others require a records request, restrict certain arrest details or withhold information connected to active investigations.

An arrest report may identify the date, arresting agency, booking information and alleged offense. It does not automatically show whether prosecutors filed charges or whether the case ended in a conviction.

Mugshots

Mugshot access is not uniform nationwide. Depending on the jurisdiction, a booking photograph may be published, available only on request, withheld because of legal restrictions or removed under a statutory process.

Private mugshot websites are not official criminal-history repositories and may contain inaccurate or outdated information.

Police Reports

Police reports can contain factual allegations, witness statements, protected personal information and investigative details. Portions may be disclosed, withheld or redacted under state law.

For a report, contact the police department or sheriff responsible for the incident. Do not assume the Clerk of Court possesses the full police investigation file.

Are Arrests Without Convictions Public?

Some remain publicly available, but the answer depends on the state and record system. Other nonconviction records may be removed from online searches, automatically restricted, sealed or eligible for expungement.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission emphasizes that an arrest by itself is not proof that the arrested person committed a crime.

EEOC — Arrest and Conviction Record Guidance →

Which Criminal Records Are Not Available to the General Public?

Even in states with broad public court access, some records are confidential by statute, protected by court order or limited to certain government users.

Are Criminal Records Free to Look Up?

Many official court websites provide free case searching. However, detailed criminal-history checks, certified documents, copies and federal electronic records can involve fees.

These are charges for different services. A $24 Florida statewide history request and an $18 FBI personal rap sheet are not two prices for the same record.

Always check the current government fee schedule before submitting payment.

How to Obtain Official or Certified Criminal Court Records

If you need proof of a criminal case outcome, a certified court document is often more useful than an ordinary online docket result.

Examples include a certified judgment of conviction, dismissal order, sentencing order or final disposition.

Requesting a Certified Criminal Record

1. 1

   Locate the original court

   Identify the state, county, courthouse and case number.

2. 2

   Find the court’s records office

   Use the official Clerk of Court website or contact the criminal division directly.

3. 3

   Specify the document

   Ask for a judgment, final disposition, dismissal order or another clearly identified record.

4. 4

   Request certification

   State whether the receiving institution needs a certified copy or whether an ordinary copy is acceptable.

5. 5

   Confirm the fee and delivery options

   Ask about payment, electronic certified copies, pickup, mailing and processing procedures.

6. 6

   Review the result

   Check the name, case number, charge, final disposition and certification before using the record for an official purpose.

For immigration, occupational licensing, judicial proceedings or other formal uses, ask the receiving authority exactly which document and certification format it accepts.

Are Expunged or Sealed Criminal Records Still Public?

Generally, records that have been validly sealed or expunged are restricted from ordinary public access according to the controlling law or court order. However, sealing and expungement do not have identical meanings in every state.

Record Sealing

Sealing commonly restricts public access while allowing certain law-enforcement agencies, courts, licensing authorities or other authorized entities to access information under statutory exceptions.

Record Expungement

Expungement can involve removing, deleting, destroying or restricting a qualifying record, depending on the state’s law. In some jurisdictions, expungement mainly changes public access rather than physically eliminating every government copy.

Does an Expunged Record Disappear From All Websites?

Not necessarily. A court order may change the maintained official record, but older search-engine listings, news reports or third-party databases may persist until corrected or removed under applicable procedures.

Private companies may also face restrictions on reporting legally sealed or expunged records, but enforcement and removal mechanisms depend on the jurisdiction and use.

How to Find Out If Your Record Can Be Sealed

1. Find the state and court handling the case.
2. Obtain the final case disposition.
3. Review that state’s expungement or sealing eligibility law.
4. Determine whether relief is automatic or requires an application.
5. Use the court’s approved forms and filing procedure.
6. Keep the signed order and check whether the authorized agencies have processed it.

Can Employers, Landlords or Anyone Else Search Public Criminal Records?

Members of the public can generally inspect qualifying public court records. However, using criminal-history information to make an employment, housing, credit or other regulated decision may trigger additional legal requirements.

Employment Background Checks

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) regulates qualifying background reports supplied by consumer reporting agencies. Employers using these reports generally must follow applicable disclosure, authorization and adverse-action procedures.

The FTC explains that before taking certain adverse employment actions based on a consumer report, the employer must provide required notices and an opportunity to review the report.

State and local fair-chance hiring laws can impose additional restrictions concerning when employers may inquire about records and how they may use them.

What Does the EEOC Say About Arrest Records?

The EEOC emphasizes that an arrest is not proof of criminal conduct. Employers should distinguish an arrest from a conviction and assess the relevance and accuracy of criminal-history information in accordance with applicable antidiscrimination law.

EEOC — Employer Criminal Record Guidance →

Does the FCRA Apply to Every Court Search?

Not automatically. The FCRA requirements for using reports from a consumer reporting agency differ from the process of personally inspecting a courthouse record.

However, employers, landlords and other users may still be subject to other federal, state and local laws governing discrimination, fair-chance screening, privacy and the permissible use of criminal information.

FTC — Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know →

How to Read Public Criminal Records Without Mistaking Charges for Convictions

Public criminal case records contain legal terms that can easily be misinterpreted.

Always read the latest court orders. One criminal case can contain a dismissed count, a guilty plea to a different count and later modifications to sentencing.

Why Can’t I Find Someone’s Criminal Record Online?

A missing online result can have several explanations. It should not automatically be interpreted as proof that the person has no criminal history.

Are Criminal Records Public Record? Frequently Asked Questions

Official Government Sources for Criminal Public Records

The links below provide primary information about criminal court access, restricted criminal histories, background-check procedures, fees and record privacy.

Federal Court and FBI Records

• PACER — Federal Court Case Search
• PACER — Electronic Public Access Pricing
• U.S. Courts — Public Access to Proceedings and Case Files
• U.S. Courts — Privacy Policy for Criminal Court Documents
• FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
• FBI — Rap Sheet Fees, Fingerprints and Challenges

Official State Court Searches

• Indiana Judicial Branch — MyCase
• Wisconsin Court System — Case Search
• Maryland Judiciary — Case Search
• Maryland Judiciary — Court Record Access and Exceptions
• Minnesota Court Records Online
• Illinois Courts — Circuit Clerk Directory

State Criminal-History Records

• Florida Department of Law Enforcement — Public Criminal History Checks
• Wisconsin DOJ — Public Criminal Background Checks
• Texas Department of Public Safety — Criminal History Name Search
• California Department of Justice — Request Your Own Criminal Record
• California DOJ — Criminal History Privacy and Public Records FAQs
• New York DCJS — Official Criminal History Records

Background Checks and Legal Use

• Federal Trade Commission — Employment Background Check Rules
• EEOC — Arrest and Conviction Records
• EEOC — Resources for Workers, Applicants and Employers