How to Check Your Criminal Record: Search Guide

Independent criminal record self-check guide

How to Check Your Criminal Record: Court Cases, FBI Record, State Checks and Public Record Lookup

If you are asking “how do I lookup my criminal record?”, start by separating four different things: your local court cases, your state criminal-history record, your FBI Identity History Summary and any federal court cases in PACER.

A criminal record search is not always one single search. Your record may involve county courts, state courts, state police or bureau records, FBI fingerprint records, jail records, prison records, sex-offender registry data and federal court records.

Official source routes reviewed October 13, 2026

Own record check Court case lookup State criminal-history check FBI Identity History No HTML H1

Find Official Courts FBI Identity History Federal PACER Records

Independent website notice: CriminalCourtRecord.org is an independent public-information guide. It is not a court, sheriff’s office, police department, state repository, FBI, Department of Justice, PACER, sex-offender registry, background-check company or consumer-reporting agency. This page does not run a background check, does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee that any record exists.

Your Criminal Record May Be in More Than One Place

If you are checking your own criminal record, do not rely on one name search. Search the court where the case happened, the state criminal-history repository, the FBI Identity History Summary route if you need a federal fingerprint-based record, and PACER if you may have a federal court case.

A court case search, arrest record, jail record, state criminal-history check and FBI Identity History Summary are different record types. For employment, licensing, housing, immigration, travel, adoption or legal matters, use the exact official route requested by the agency.

Start Here Choose Record Type Fix Errors

Quick Answer: How Do I Lookup My Criminal Record?

To look up your criminal record, first search the court where the case was filed. Then check your state criminal-history repository or state police / bureau of identification process. If you need your FBI record, request your own FBI Identity History Summary using the official FBI process. If your case was federal, use PACER. If you were jailed or incarcerated, check the sheriff, jail, state corrections department or federal Bureau of Prisons route.

Step 1 Search the court where the case happened.

Step 2 Check the state criminal-history repository for your state.

Step 3 Request your FBI Identity History Summary if you need your federal fingerprint-based record.

Step 4 Use PACER for federal court cases and the jail/corrections route for custody records.

Best practical approach: Make a list of every state, county and court where you may have had an arrest, ticket, charge, case, jail booking, probation, parole or conviction. Search each official route separately.

Choose the Right Criminal Record Source

Your criminal record can mean different things depending on who is asking. A court, employer, landlord, licensing board, immigration lawyer, school, military recruiter or foreign visa office may require different proof.

What you need	Best official route	What it can show	What it does not prove by itself
Your local court case	County, municipal, district, circuit, superior or state court portal / clerk	Case number, charges, docket events, hearings, plea, judgment, sentence or disposition	Complete statewide, federal or out-of-state criminal history
Your statewide criminal-history record	State police, department of public safety, bureau of criminal identification or attorney general	State criminal-history information based on that state’s law and search type	Every federal case or every record from other states
Your FBI criminal record / rap sheet	FBI Identity History Summary Check	Fingerprint-based FBI identity-history information submitted to the FBI	That every court file is complete or corrected at state level
Your arrest or jail record	Arresting agency, police department, sheriff or county jail	Arrest report, booking entry, custody status, jail location or local charge information	Conviction or final court disposition
Your prison, parole or probation record	State Department of Corrections, parole board or probation agency	Custody, supervision, release or offender-status information where public	Complete court history or all arrests
Federal criminal case	PACER or PACER Case Locator	Federal district, bankruptcy and appellate case information	State or county criminal records
Sex-offender registry status	NSOPW or state registry	Public registry information from participating jurisdictions	Complete criminal history or every conviction

Official Links to Check Your Criminal Record

Use these official routes when checking your own record. For any legal, immigration, employment, licensing or court purpose, follow the exact route requested by the agency or attorney handling the matter.

Find court records

USA.gov Courts

Use for: Finding federal, state, territory, county and municipal court systems.

After opening: Choose the state or court type, then look for court records, case search, clerk of court or public records.

Best for: Finding the court that handled your case.

Open USA.gov Courts

Find state repository

USA.gov State Governments

Use for: Finding state police, attorney general, public safety or criminal-identification agencies.

After opening: Choose your state, then search for criminal history, background check, state police, public safety or identification bureau.

Best for: State-level criminal-history checks.

Open State Governments

FBI record

FBI Identity History Summary

Use for: Requesting your own FBI Identity History Summary, often called an FBI rap sheet.

After opening: Review fingerprint, identity, fee, mailing / electronic request and correction instructions.

Best for: Your own fingerprint-based FBI record.

Open FBI Identity History

State correction route

FBI State Identification Bureau Listing

Use for: Finding the state agency that may need to correct or update a state-origin criminal record.

After opening: Choose the state that submitted or controls the record, then follow that state’s correction process.

Best for: State-level error correction.

Open State Bureau List

Federal court cases

PACER Federal Court Records

Use for: Federal district, bankruptcy and appellate court cases.

After opening: Register or sign in, search by federal court if known, or use Case Locator if the court is unknown.

Best for: Federal criminal case lookup.

Open PACER

Federal case index

PACER Case Locator

Use for: Searching a national index for federal district, bankruptcy and appellate cases.

After opening: Use party name, case number or court filters to narrow the search.

Best for: When you do not know the federal court.

Open PACER Case Locator

Prison records

USA.gov Prison Records

Use for: Finding prisoner and prison-record information, including state and federal routes.

After opening: Choose the state, federal or local custody route that matches the record.

Best for: Prison, custody or corrections-related searches.

Open Prisoner Records

Registry search

NSOPW National Sex Offender Search

Use for: Public sex-offender registry searches from state, territory and tribal registries.

After opening: Search by name or location where available and read the registry limitations.

Best for: Registry-specific checks, not full criminal-history checks.

Open NSOPW

Screening rights

FTC Background Check Rights

Use for: Understanding your rights if an employer uses a background report.

After opening: Read permission, notice, report-copy and dispute-right guidance.

Best for: Employment background-check concerns.

Open FTC Rights Guide

Step-by-Step: How to Lookup Your Criminal Record

Use these steps before paying a third-party website. Start with official sources because official sources are the places most likely to provide accurate status, certified copies, correction instructions and current record rules.

List every place where a record may exist

Write down every state, county, city, court, arresting agency, jail, prison, probation office or federal court that may have handled your case.

Search the court case first

Look up the case in the court where it was filed. Use case number if you have it. If not, search by your exact legal name and spelling variations.

Check the final disposition

Do not stop at the charge. Look for dismissal, conviction, acquittal, deferred adjudication, diversion, plea, sentencing, sealing, expungement or other disposition language.

Request certified court records when needed

If a job, licensing board, immigration attorney, school or court asks for proof, contact the clerk and request the specific certified document.

Check your state criminal-history record

Use your state police, public safety department, bureau of criminal identification or attorney general criminal-record process.

Request your FBI Identity History Summary if required

If you need a federal fingerprint-based record, follow the FBI Identity History Summary Check instructions.

Search PACER for federal court cases

If the case was federal or you are unsure, use PACER or the PACER Case Locator.

Correct mistakes through the agency that controls the record

If something is wrong, ask whether the correction must start with the court, arresting agency, state repository or FBI challenge process.

Identity tip: Search old names, maiden names, aliases, misspellings and previous addresses if any record may be under a different name.

Criminal Record Route Finder

Select what you are trying to check. This tool runs only in your browser and does not collect names, dates of birth, case numbers or private identity details.

Find the right official route

What do you need to check?

Why do you need it?

How to Check Your Court Case Record

Court records are the best place to confirm what happened in a specific case. Court records may show charges, court dates, docket entries, motions, plea, judgment, sentence, dismissal, sealing or expungement activity.

Use court records when you need

Case number
Charges filed in court
Hearing dates
Disposition or outcome
Judgment or sentence
Certified court copies
Proof that a case was dismissed, sealed or expunged

Do not use one court search as

A complete nationwide background check
A full FBI record
A state criminal-history repository check
A guarantee that no other record exists
A substitute for a certified copy
A legal opinion about your rights

Certified copy tip: If you need proof for a job, license, immigration filing or court matter, ask the clerk for a certified disposition, certified judgment or certified docket sheet.

How to Check Your State Criminal-History Record

Every state has its own criminal-history repository process. Some states use the state police. Some use a department of public safety. Some use a bureau of criminal identification, attorney general or public safety agency.

Question	What to do	Why it matters
Which state should I check?	Start with every state where you were arrested, charged, convicted, fingerprinted, licensed or lived during the relevant period.	One state repository may not show another state’s record.
Name-based or fingerprint-based?	Read the state’s instructions. Some purposes require fingerprints instead of name-only search.	Fingerprint-based checks usually reduce identity mismatch risk.
Do I need consent?	If someone else is requesting your record, check state consent and authorization rules.	Some criminal-history records are restricted by law.
What if my record is wrong?	Ask the state repository how to challenge or correct the record.	The correction may need to begin with the court or agency that submitted the data.

Find Your State Government Find State Identification Bureau

How to Request Your FBI Identity History Summary

The FBI Identity History Summary Check is the official route to request your own FBI identity-history record. It is often called an FBI rap sheet, police clearance or FBI criminal history record.

You may need it for

Personal review of your FBI record
Immigration-related preparation
Foreign visa or foreign work requirements
Adoption or international documentation requests
Professional licensing where specifically requested
Record correction or challenge preparation

Before you start, check

Fingerprint card or electronic fingerprint requirements
Current fee and payment method
Proof of identity
Submission method
Processing time
How to challenge or correct the result

Important: The FBI Identity History Summary route is for requesting your own record. Do not use it as a casual public search tool for other people.

Open FBI Identity History Summary FBI Electronic Request Page

How to Check Jail, Prison, Probation or Parole Records

Jail and prison records can help you find custody or supervision information, but they are not the same as a complete criminal-history record.

County jail

Use the county sheriff or jail inmate search for current booking, custody, bond, jail location and court-date information.

State prison

Use the state department of corrections or state offender locator for prison, parole, probation or supervision records where available.

Federal custody

Use federal prison and PACER routes if the case or custody was federal.

Reminder: Jail booking is not conviction. Always check the court disposition before relying on a charge or jail entry.

Open Prisoner Records Guide Find State Corrections

How to Check Sex-Offender Registry Status

If your question involves registry status, use the official state registry or the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website. Registry records are not a full criminal-history report.

Use registry routes for

Public registry status
Address-based registry checks
State, territory or tribal registry records
Registry-specific verification

Do not use registry records as

A complete criminal-history report
A certified court disposition
An FBI Identity History Summary
A replacement for legal advice

Open NSOPW

How to Check Federal Criminal Records

Federal criminal cases are separate from state and county criminal records. Use PACER if the case was filed in federal district court, appealed in a federal appellate court or handled in another federal court system.

Use PACER when

You need a federal criminal case, docket, filing, judgment or document.

Use Case Locator when unsure

Use the PACER Case Locator if you do not know which federal court handled the case.

Watch for fees

PACER registration may be free, but searches and documents can generate fees unless usage is waived under PACER rules.

Federal/state split: A state court may not show federal criminal cases, and PACER will not show your state and county criminal records.

Open PACER Open PACER Case Locator

How to Fix Mistakes on Your Criminal Record

If your record is wrong, the fix usually starts with the agency that created or controls the incorrect entry. A court disposition error may need the court. An arrest-data error may need the arresting agency. A state repository error may need the state identification bureau. An FBI record error may need the FBI challenge process and sometimes the state that submitted the information.

Problem	Possible custodian	What to request
Case outcome is wrong	Court clerk	Certified disposition, corrected docket entry or official judgment copy
Arrest record is wrong	Police department, sheriff or arresting agency	Record correction instructions, report correction or updated submission to state repository
State criminal-history record is wrong	State repository / state identification bureau	Challenge process, fingerprint review or correction packet
FBI record is wrong	FBI plus state or agency that submitted the record	FBI challenge process and source-agency correction if required
Sealed or expunged record still appears	Court, state repository, arresting agency or reporting background-check company	Certified expungement/sealing order and correction/dispute process

Do not ignore errors: If a background report is wrong, dispute it quickly with the reporting company and the official source. Keep copies of court orders, dispositions, letters and receipts.

If a Job or Landlord Checks Your Criminal Record

If an employer or landlord uses a background-check company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act may give you rights related to permission, notice, a copy of the report and the ability to dispute wrong information. Public record lookup is not the same as a legally compliant consumer report.

You may want to ask

Will you use a background-check company?
Which company will provide the report?
Will I get a copy if there is a problem?
How can I dispute wrong information?
What record type are you actually requiring?

Before applying, check

Your court dispositions
Your state criminal-history record
Your FBI record if required
Sealing or expungement status
Old aliases or name variations
Any incorrect or mismatched records

FTC: Background Checks and Your Rights FTC: Landlord Consumer Reports

What If You Cannot Find Your Criminal Record?

A no-result search does not always mean no record exists. It may mean you searched the wrong court, wrong state, wrong name, wrong date range, wrong record type or an online system that does not show older, sealed or restricted records.

Problem	Possible reason	Best next step
No court result	Wrong county, court level, spelling, case year or online index	Search by case number, alternate names and the correct court clerk
State record is empty	No state-reported record, expungement, reporting delay, fingerprint mismatch or out-of-state record	Check the court directly and ask the state repository about its scope
FBI record is missing something	Source agency may not have submitted data or record may need correction	Use FBI challenge instructions and contact the state/source agency
Federal case not found	Wrong federal court, old paper file, sealed record or search term mismatch	Try PACER Case Locator and contact the federal clerk if needed
Old case missing	Archive, retention rule, sealed/expunged record or limited online history	Ask the clerk about archived records and certified copies

Good sign but not final proof: “No result” can be helpful, but it is not the same as an official clearance unless the agency specifically provides a clearance letter or official no-record result.

Criminal Record Lookup Glossary

Criminal record: A general term that may refer to court cases, arrests, convictions, criminal-history repository records, FBI identity-history records or custody records.
Disposition: The final or current court outcome of a charge or case, such as conviction, dismissal, acquittal, plea, deferred result or sentence.
State repository: The state agency that maintains criminal-history records, often state police, public safety, attorney general or bureau of identification.
FBI Identity History Summary: A fingerprint-based FBI record of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI.
Certified copy: An official copy issued by a court or record custodian, usually with certification that it is a true copy.
Expungement: A legal process that may remove, seal or limit access to certain records depending on state law and court order.
Consumer report: A background report from a consumer-reporting agency used for employment, housing or other eligibility decisions.
PACER: The federal judiciary’s public access system for federal court records.

How to Check Your Criminal Record FAQs

How do I lookup my criminal record?

Start with the court where the case happened, then check your state criminal-history repository. If you need your FBI record, request your own FBI Identity History Summary. If the case was federal, search PACER.

Can I check my criminal record for free?

Some court case searches, jail rosters and registry searches are free. Certified court copies, state criminal-history checks, FBI Identity History Summary requests and PACER documents may require fees.

Is a court record the same as a background check?

No. A court record shows activity in a specific case or court. A background check may include court records, criminal-history repository records, identity verification and other information depending on the process.

Where do I get my FBI criminal record?

Use the official FBI Identity History Summary Check process. It generally requires fingerprints, identity information and a fee.

How do I check if I have a state criminal record?

Use your state’s official criminal-history repository, usually the state police, department of public safety, bureau of criminal identification or attorney general.

How do I know if I have a federal criminal case?

Use PACER or the PACER Case Locator to search federal court records. Federal cases are separate from state and county court records.

Does an arrest mean I have a conviction?

No. An arrest is not the same as conviction. Always check the court disposition to see whether the charge was dismissed, convicted, acquitted, deferred, sealed or otherwise resolved.

How do I fix an error on my criminal record?

Contact the agency that controls the incorrect record. That may be the court, arresting agency, state repository or FBI challenge process. Keep certified court documents and written proof.

Can an employer check my criminal record?

Employers may use background checks, but when they use a consumer-reporting agency, federal law may require permission, notices, a copy of the report and dispute rights.

Why can I not find my criminal record online?

The record may be in another court, under another name, sealed, expunged, restricted, old, not indexed online, federal, held by a state repository or available only through a formal request.

Official Sources and Final-Action Links

Use these official sources to find court systems, state repositories, FBI Identity History Summary instructions, federal PACER records, registry searches, prison records and background-check rights.

Editorial Accuracy and Use Note

This guide was written to help readers check their own criminal record by separating court records, state criminal-history records, FBI Identity History Summary requests, jail/prison records, registry searches and federal PACER records. It avoids implying that one search covers every criminal record.

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Last reviewed: October 13, 2026