Serach Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Criminal Records Search: Court Cases, Dockets & Public Records
To search criminal records online, start with the official state court website or the county court clerk where the criminal case was filed. Many jurisdictions offer free public case searches that show criminal charges, hearing dates, docket entries and final court dispositions.
For a statewide criminal-history report, you may need the state police or criminal-history repository. For federal criminal prosecutions, use PACER. For jail custody, use the appropriate Sheriff or Department of Corrections search.
Official-source research reviewed October 19, 2026. CriminalCourtRecord.org is an independent informational website, not a government search service or consumer-reporting agency.
Where Can You Search Criminal Records Online?
The first question is whether you need an actual criminal court case, a statewide criminal-history check, a current jail record or a federal prosecution. Each requires a different source.
| What you want to find | Official source | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| Local criminal court case | State judiciary or county clerk | Available criminal dockets, charges, case numbers, hearings and dispositions. |
| Statewide criminal court case search | State’s official electronic court-records portal | Court case information from participating trial courts, subject to state access rules. |
| State criminal-history report | State Identification Bureau directory | Information legally releasable by a state’s criminal-history repository. |
| Federal criminal case | PACER | Federal district court criminal dockets and public documents. |
| Current county jail inmate | County Sheriff’s Office or jail | Available local custody or booking information, not a conviction history. |
| Federal prison inmate | Federal Bureau of Prisons | Federal inmate information from 1982 onward, within BOP coverage. |
| Public sex offender registration | DOJ National Sex Offender Public Website | Qualifying public registry information from participating jurisdictions. |
| Your own FBI criminal history | FBI Electronic Departmental Order | Personal fingerprint-based Identity History Summary, $18 FBI fee. |
How to Search Public Criminal Records by Name or Case Number
Most official criminal court search systems follow a similar process, although case types, name filters and public access vary by state.
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Identify the likely state and county.
Start with the location of the arrest, alleged offense or prosecution. A person can live in one state and have a criminal case filed in another.
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Find the official court website.
Use the USA.gov courts directory or the state’s judicial branch. Look for links labeled Public Case Search, Court Records, Case Access, Public Index or Docket Search.
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Choose the criminal case category.
Search for the correct court level and case type. Felony, misdemeanor, criminal traffic, municipal and federal proceedings may be maintained in different systems.
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Search by the full case number if known.
A complete case identifier is generally more precise than a name. Include letters and numbers as shown on the court notice.
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Otherwise search the person’s legal name.
Use the available first and last name fields. Include a middle name or date of birth only when the official portal permits it and you are authorized to use that information.
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Try supported search refinements.
Some court websites support date ranges, court location, case status, wildcard characters or phonetic searches. Other systems require exact name matching.
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Compare possible matches.
Check the court, filing year, case number, charge and other lawfully available identifiers. People with similar names can have entirely different criminal cases.
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Open the docket or register of actions.
Review recorded hearings, motions, orders, pleas and other activity. The original charge may not match the final court disposition.
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Find the final outcome.
Look for a dismissal, acquittal, judgment, sentence, deferred disposition or other final order. Do not interpret a filed charge as a conviction.
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Request the official document when needed.
If the docket alone is insufficient, contact the Clerk of Court for the actual judgment, disposition or certified copy. Public document access varies widely.
Criminal Records Search by State: Official Portals and Fees
These examples illustrate why a public criminal records search cannot use one universal procedure. Some states provide a free statewide court index; others charge for a criminal-history report or require searching individual counties.
| State | Official search | Access details and important limits |
|---|---|---|
| Wisconsin | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access (WCCA) | Free online public circuit court case information; municipal cases may require another court search. |
| Maryland | Maryland Judiciary Case Search | Public case summaries. Certain dismissed, acquitted and other nonconviction records are not shown remotely even when courthouse inspection may be available. |
| Minnesota | Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) | Free public case and eligible document access. Pending criminal cases generally cannot be found by defendant-name search. |
| California | California Superior Court Directory | Search or request records through the responsible county Superior Court. California has 58 Superior Courts, each maintaining its own records. |
| Texas | Texas DPS Criminal History Name Search | $1 per online credit, with payment transaction charges. Texas criminal court dockets are generally searched through the filing county or court. |
| Florida | Florida FDLE Criminal History | $24 for a public instant history search plus a $1 card-processing fee. County Clerks provide separate court case searches. |
| Kansas | Kansas Bureau of Investigation | $30 online public name-based criminal-history check. Court case information can be searched separately through Kansas CaseSearch. |
| South Carolina | SLED CATCH | $25 base public name-based history check plus online convenience and service charges; county Public Index court searches are separate. |
These are examples, not an exhaustive list of state criminal record websites. The listed fees concern different services, so they should not be treated as directly equivalent background-check products.
Free public criminal court search: Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Court System Case Search links to Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, often called WCCA or CCAP. Public users can search available statewide circuit court cases without purchasing a state criminal-history report.
A Wisconsin circuit court case record is not necessarily a complete Wisconsin criminal-history report. Contact the relevant court clerk for documents unavailable online.
Maryland: Why some criminal cases are missing from online search
Maryland’s Judiciary explains that some criminal charges ending in nolle prosequi, dismissal or acquittal are no longer displayed on Case Search, even where access remains possible at the courthouse.
The same limitation can affect certain matters entered as stet after the applicable period.
Practical effect: A criminal case may be absent from the public online index without having been erased from all court records.
Minnesota: Pending criminal cases require different search details
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) offers public case and document searches without a registration charge. Its name-search restrictions are important: pending criminal cases generally do not appear through a defendant-name search until there is a qualifying conviction.
To locate an eligible pending case, use the case number, citation number or available attorney identifier. This is an access rule, not proof that the underlying case does not exist.
Minnesota also provides some public court documents as free downloads. Certified copies must be requested from court administration.
California: Search the county, not one statewide criminal court portal
The California Judicial Branch explains that each of the state’s 58 Superior Courts maintains its own case records. To obtain criminal court documents, contact the Superior Court in the county where the case was filed.
The California Department of Justice’s statewide criminal-history repository is different from these court systems. California summary criminal-history information is subject to statutory access restrictions and is not generally available to anyone through a public name search.
Can You Search Criminal Records for Free?
Yes, in many jurisdictions. Official court websites often provide free docket and case-summary searches. However, some charge for public access, and an official statewide criminal-history report may require payment even when a local court case search is free.
Public Court Dockets
Search available state or county cases by name, case number or other supported criteria.
Examples include Wisconsin WCCA, Maryland Case Search and Minnesota MCRO.
State Criminal-History Reports
State police or justice agencies maintain criminal-history repositories with different disclosure rules.
Kansas KBI, Florida FDLE and South Carolina SLED charge for ordinary public searches.
Certified Court Documents
A public docket may be free, but a certified judgment, dismissal order or signed sentencing document may cost extra.
Selected Inmate and Registry Searches
Some official state corrections, county jail and registered-offender databases are accessible without a search fee.
They are not complete criminal-history searches.
How to avoid unnecessary search charges
- Use the official public court index when you only need a case number or disposition.
- Check whether a county clerk has free online docket access before purchasing a commercial report.
- Review the state criminal-history repository’s access rules before paying.
- Do not purchase a name-based state check when the receiving organization requires a certified court document.
- Compare charges displayed at the official checkout, including processing or service fees.
How to Search Federal Criminal Cases Nationwide Through PACER
PACER, or Public Access to Court Electronic Records, is the official federal judiciary’s system for accessing available federal District Court, appellate and bankruptcy case information.
The PACER Case Locator is useful when you don’t know which federal court handled a prosecution. It searches a national index of federal court cases, not the state criminal court systems.
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Open the federal judiciary’s Find a Case page.
Visit pacer.uscourts.gov/find-case.
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Register for a PACER account.
Registration is free. Usage fees may apply when you search or access records.
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Choose the national index if the court is unknown.
Use PACER Case Locator to find a possible federal proceeding.
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Search the individual court if known.
The direct court docket generally provides the most current information about recent filings.
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Review the case and available documents.
Identify the criminal case number, charges, docket events and final order.
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Request certification from the issuing court.
If a formal certified federal judgment is needed, contact that federal court’s Clerk rather than treating a PACER download as certified.
PACER fees in 2026 and the announced 2027 change
| Fee category | Through December 31, 2026 | Beginning January 1, 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic record access | $0.10/page | $0.12/page |
| Quarterly automatic fee waiver | $30 or less | $40 or less |
| Single-document cap | Generally $3 | Confirm the applicable revised cap and exceptions at the time of access |
The federal judiciary announced that its per-page PACER charge will increase on January 1, 2027. Certain searches, transcripts and non-case-specific reports are excluded from the ordinary document cap.
Sealed federal documents and sealed indictments are not available for public search through PACER.
Criminal Inmate Search, Jail Records and Offender Registries
An inmate lookup is useful when you need custody information, but it should not be confused with a criminal court history. A person may be held pending trial, incarcerated after conviction or released without a conviction on the particular charge.
Sheriff’s Jail Search
For recent arrests or pretrial detention, locate the official county Sheriff’s Office or jail.
Some county systems provide booking dates, bond information, custody status and release details.
Coverage and disclosure rules differ by county.
BOP Inmate Locator
The Federal Bureau of Prisons provides a name and registration-number search covering federal inmates from 1982 onward.
A person listed as released may still be under another authority’s supervision.
Search Federal Inmates ↗National Sex Offender Registry
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website searches qualifying public registries across states, territories and participating tribal jurisdictions.
It is a specialized registry, not a search of all criminal convictions.
Search NSOPW ↗State prison records vs. county jail records
State Departments of Corrections often provide offender locators for people incarcerated or supervised in the state corrections system. County jails generally maintain separate custody records.
If a person is not found in a state prison search, this does not mean they have never been arrested, prosecuted or convicted. They may be in county custody, in another state’s system, in federal custody or no longer incarcerated.
How to Read Criminal Court Records, Charges and Dispositions
Criminal case searches may display a series of entries covering the investigation, charging decision, appearances, motions, plea, trial, sentencing or dismissal. Each term has a different meaning.
| Common court term | What it generally means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest / booking | A law-enforcement custody or processing event. | Whether charges were filed and what happened afterward. |
| Complaint / information / indictment | A charging document alleging a criminal offense. | A formal allegation does not itself establish guilt. |
| Arraignment | A proceeding involving the charges and plea. | Review subsequent events and any judgment. |
| Motion filed | A party has requested an action from the judge. | Check whether the motion was granted, denied or withdrawn. |
| Dismissed / nolle prosequi | A charge or case was dismissed or prosecution discontinued under applicable law. | Which charges were affected and whether others remain. |
| Acquitted / not guilty | A not-guilty finding for the specified offense. | The exact charges and final court documentation. |
| Guilty plea / conviction | A plea or adjudicated finding of guilt. | The accepted plea, final judgment and actual offense of conviction. |
| Deferred disposition / diversion | An alternative case process or conditional disposition, varying by state. | Whether conditions were completed and the final recorded outcome. |
| Sentenced | A sentence or other ordered consequence was imposed. | The actual signed sentence and later modifications. |
| Closed | An administrative case status. | Closed alone does not mean the defendant was convicted. |
How to Get a Certified Criminal Record or Court Disposition
A criminal record search page can help you identify the case, but an organization may require an official signed and certified court document instead of a screenshot or unofficial PDF.
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Locate the original criminal case.
Use the official state or county portal to identify the correct court and case number.
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Find the Clerk of Court.
Contact the office where the prosecution was filed. District, municipal and federal courts may have different record custodians.
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Choose the exact record.
Examples include a judgment of conviction, sentencing order, dismissal order, acquittal documentation or certified final disposition.
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Ask whether the record is public.
Sealed, expunged, juvenile and other confidential records may require special legal authorization.
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Confirm copy and certification charges.
Ask about ordinary document copies, per-page charges, certification, electronic verification and mailing.
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Submit the request through the Clerk.
Follow the court’s online, in-person, mail or other approved request procedure.
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Verify the resulting document.
Check the case number, court, defendant, final charges, disposition and certification before using the record.
When do you actually need a certified disposition?
A certified criminal court disposition may be requested for an immigration application, professional license, legal proceeding, criminal-history correction or another official administrative process.
Ask the recipient which documents are required. A certified judgment, a certified docket and a statewide criminal-history background check are not interchangeable.
Why Can’t I Find Someone’s Criminal Record Online?
Criminal record searches are affected by state laws, court jurisdiction, search-field requirements, reporting delays and access restrictions. There are several reasons a valid case may not appear in an online search.
| Search problem | Likely explanation | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No matches for a full name | The system may require a different spelling, middle initial or exact name. | Try permitted alternate spellings or search by case number. |
| Pending criminal case missing | Some jurisdictions restrict defendant-name searches for pending cases. | Use the case number or contact the court; Minnesota is a notable example. |
| Dismissed or acquitted case missing | The state may restrict remote publication of certain nonconviction cases. | Check the courthouse’s permitted in-person access; Maryland has specific restrictions. |
| Felony found but misdemeanor missing | Different courts handle different criminal charge classes. | Search municipal, justice, district or county courts as appropriate. |
| Case too old to appear online | The case predates electronic indexing or historical conversion. | Ask the filing court about archived or microfilmed records. |
| Jail booking exists but no court case | An arrest may not have resulted in charges, or filing may be recent. | Check the prosecuting court and arresting agency. |
| Different state shows a record | The prosecution occurred in another jurisdiction. | Search the state and county where the case was filed. |
| Federal case does not appear in a state portal | Federal and state courts have different databases. | Use PACER. |
| Record was sealed or expunged | Court order or statute limits public access. | Seek authorized clarification; don’t attempt to bypass confidentiality restrictions. |
| Background report contradicts final court order | The reporting agency may have incomplete or outdated disposition information. | Obtain the certified disposition and dispute the inaccurate report. |
How to fix a spelling or search-term error
If you typed “criminal record serach”, the intended search is “criminal record search.” Official government portals usually use terms such as Case Search, Criminal History Record Check, Public Court Records or Public Index.
Use the official service’s own search fields for a name, county, court or case number rather than searching the entire internet for a private person’s identifying information.
Which Criminal Records Are Not Available to the General Public?
Criminal records are not universally public. State law, court rules, statutes and judicial orders determine which case information can be released and how it may be used.
- Sealed or expunged records: Public access may be restricted or removed under an applicable legal process.
- Juvenile matters: Many juvenile delinquency records have confidentiality protections.
- Protected personal information: Social Security numbers, protected addresses, certain victim information and other sensitive details may be redacted.
- Pending or nonconviction matters: Some states restrict public online name searches or access to dismissed or acquitted cases.
- Full FBI criminal histories: The FBI’s fingerprint-based personal-review process is restricted to the individual concerned and separately authorized recipients.
- Sealed federal cases: PACER does not disclose sealed court filings or sealed indictments to the public.
Can you check someone else’s criminal history?
You can search records that the relevant court or state makes publicly available. But this does not grant a right to obtain another person’s confidential state or FBI criminal-history information.
Some states permit limited public criminal-history checks, while others restrict repository records to the person involved, government agencies or legally authorized requesters.
Before ordering a paid background check, verify the applicable law and intended purpose.
Using Public Criminal Records for Background Checks
A public court search is not automatically a legally compliant consumer background report for employment, housing, credit or other regulated decisions.
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, consumer reporting companies must follow rules concerning report accuracy and disputes. Employers using third-party background checks are subject to requirements concerning consent, notices and adverse action.
A record should be attributed to the correct person, and the final court disposition matters. Treating an arrest or a dismissed allegation as a conviction can create a serious inaccuracy.
How to dispute inaccurate criminal information
- Obtain the original court’s certified final disposition.
- Identify the reporting source and specific incorrect charge or outcome.
- Submit a dispute to the consumer reporting company or criminal-history repository, as applicable.
- Include relevant documentation through the authorized channel.
- Review the corrected result after the investigation.
The FTC explains that people receiving an adverse employment decision based on a consumer background report may obtain an additional free copy of that report if they request it within the applicable 60-day period.
Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. How do I search criminal records online?
Start with the official court website for the state or county where the case was filed. Use the available name or case-number search, review the docket and verify the final disposition. For federal court cases, use PACER.
2. Can I search criminal records for free?
Many courts provide free public case searches. Examples include Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, Maryland Judiciary Case Search and Minnesota Court Records Online. Some state criminal-history reports, court documents and certified copies require payment.
3. Is there a nationwide criminal records search website?
There is no single public government website covering every state and local criminal court case. PACER offers a national index of federal cases, and the FBI provides fingerprint-based personal Identity History Summaries through a restricted process. State and county records require separate searches.
4. Can I search criminal records by someone’s name?
Yes, in jurisdictions where the court makes party-name searching available. Some systems require exact names or restrict searches of pending and nonconviction matters. A matching name alone does not reliably prove identity.
5. How can I find someone’s criminal convictions?
Search the public criminal docket in the court where the prosecution occurred. Look for the final charge disposition, judgment and sentencing order. For a formal record, request a certified disposition from the Clerk of Court.
6. How do I search federal criminal records?
Use the federal judiciary’s PACER Case Locator to identify a federal case, then open the relevant federal District Court docket. PACER charges $0.10 per page through December 31, 2026, subject to its quarterly fee waiver and exemptions.
7. Why does a criminal record not show up online?
The case may be in another court, too old for the electronic index, confidential, sealed, expunged or restricted by state rules. Some courts do not display certain pending or nonconviction cases in online name searches.
8. Are arrest records the same as criminal convictions?
No. An arrest records a law-enforcement event. A conviction requires the applicable court disposition. A person may be arrested or charged without ultimately being convicted.
9. How do I get a certified criminal court record?
Contact the Clerk of the Court where the criminal case was filed. Provide the case number and request the specific certified judgment, dismissal, sentencing order or final disposition. Copying and certification fees may apply.
10. How do I check my own complete criminal history?
Request your own fingerprint-based FBI Identity History Summary or follow the personal record-review procedure of your state’s criminal-history bureau. The FBI’s standard personal-review fee is $18, excluding any fingerprint service charges.
Official Criminal Records Search Links
Find Courts and Federal Records
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- Federal Judiciary — PACER Find a Case
- PACER — National Case Locator
- PACER — Official Access Charges and Waivers
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator
- Department of Justice — National Sex Offender Public Website
State Court Case Searches
- Wisconsin Court System — Case Search
- Maryland Judiciary — Case Search
- Maryland — Public and Restricted Criminal Court Records
- Minnesota Court Records Online
- California — Find Your Superior Court
- Kansas — CaseSearch Public Court Records
State and FBI Criminal History
- FBI — Personal Identity History Summary
- FBI — Electronic Departmental Order Request
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Directory
- Texas DPS — Criminal History Name Search
- Florida FDLE — Criminal History Record Checks
- Kansas KBI — Criminal History Record Search
- South Carolina SLED — CATCH Criminal History Search
- FTC — Background Checks and Consumer Rights