Kansas Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Kansas Criminal Records Search: Cases, Criminal History & Public Records
To search Kansas criminal records statewide, use the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) Criminal History Record Search. The public online name-based check costs $30 per person and provides the criminal-history information that Kansas law permits the public to receive.
If you only need a specific criminal court case, begin with Kansas CaseSearch instead. You can look up available public court information without buying a KBI report. Inmate records, registered-offender listings, county jail bookings and federal cases have their own official searches.
Official Kansas sources reviewed October 16, 2026. CriminalCourtRecord.org is an independent informational website, not a Kansas government agency or consumer-reporting agency.
Where to Search Kansas Criminal Records Online
Before searching, decide whether you need a statewide criminal-history response, an individual prosecution, a jail booking or a corrections record. Each source answers a different question.
| What you need | Official source | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas criminal history | KBI Criminal History Record Search | $30 public name-based record check covering releasable Kansas repository records. |
| Criminal case or docket | Kansas CaseSearch | Publicly available district or appellate case information, subject to court access rules. |
| Certified judgment or disposition | Clerk of the District Court where the prosecution occurred | Certified copy of a particular official court document, subject to fees. |
| Complete personal Kansas criminal history | KBI personal review | $45 fingerprint-based request for the person’s own full KBI history. |
| State prison or corrections offender | Kansas KASPER | Offender information within the Kansas Department of Corrections system’s scope. |
| Registered sex, violent or drug offender | KBI Registered Offender Search | Public registry information concerning qualifying registered offenders. |
| Federal criminal prosecution | PACER | Federal case docket and available documents; usage charges may apply. |
How Much Does a Kansas Criminal Records Search Cost?
KBI’s published charges depend on whether the search uses a name or fingerprints and whether the result must be certified. A certified KBI response is not the same thing as a certified copy of a district court judgment.
| KBI service | Published fee | Request method |
|---|---|---|
| Public name-based criminal-history check | $30 | Online through KBI / Kansas.gov |
| Fingerprint-based criminal-history check | $45 | Submit the fingerprint card under KBI instructions |
| Complete personal criminal-history review | $45 | Mail a signed request and personal fingerprint card |
| Certified name-based criminal-history check | $40 | Mail the certified-check form to KBI |
| Certified fingerprint-based criminal-history check | $55 | Mail the certified-check form with fingerprints |
| KBI fingerprint-taking appointment in Topeka | $10 | Additional fingerprint service fee when using KBI’s fingerprinting location |
| Kansas district court case viewing | Generally free | Public portal or courthouse access terminal; copies and staff-assisted requests may incur charges |
Fees published by KBI’s Conducting a Record Check instructions. Verify current charges and payment requirements before submitting a request. Fees for court documents vary by court and document.
How to Run a Kansas Criminal History Search Through KBI
KBI operates the Kansas Central Repository for Criminal History Record Information (CHRI). The repository receives reportable information from Kansas law-enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts and correctional agencies.
The online system allows qualified public requests for releasable information. It does not disclose everything KBI holds about an individual.
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Open the official Kansas Criminal History Record Search.
Visit kansas.gov/criminalhistory. This is the state service—not an independent people-search or advertising website.
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Sign in using KanAccess.
KBI directs new users to create a KanAccess account and returning users to sign in. Follow the registration and account-validation instructions shown on the official page.
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Read the record-check rules.
Review the information KBI releases to public requesters and the exclusions that apply to juvenile, expunged and nonconviction records.
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Prepare the identifying information.
KBI requires the subject’s first and last name and date of birth for a name-based check. Additional available identifiers can help distinguish possible matches. Use only information you are authorized to provide.
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Select the record-check option.
Choose the public criminal-history search and confirm that you want the $30 name-based service rather than a certified or fingerprint-based check.
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Complete the payment process.
Review the $30 published charge and any payment instructions displayed by Kansas.gov before submitting.
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Read the returned criminal-history response.
Many automated records are available promptly for review and printing. If a record requires additional processing, follow the instructions displayed in your account.
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Save the report securely.
Download or print the permitted result and note when the check was run. A criminal-history record can change when the repository receives an updated disposition or another reportable event.
4 a.m. to midnight, Central Time
KBI lists scheduled maintenance from midnight to 4 a.m. daily. Search availability is governed by the Kansas service’s local time.
30-minute inactivity timeout
The online application uses session cookies and automatically signs users out after 30 minutes of inactivity. Finish or save the applicable transaction before the timeout.
How long are KBI online results available?
According to KBI’s official FAQ, completed record-check results can be accessed through the account dashboard for up to seven calendar days. Viewing the same completed transaction again during that window does not generate another record-check charge.
After seven days, KBI directs requesters to contact the Criminal Records Unit at 785-296-2454 about having the result mailed. KBI says requests older than 60 days must be submitted again.
What Appears on a Public Kansas Criminal History Report?
The Kansas Central Repository contains records beyond what the general public can see. This distinction is especially important when a report says “No Record Found” even though an earlier arrest or court proceeding occurred.
Generally available in public KBI results
- Adult felony and misdemeanor convictions under Kansas law.
- Qualifying municipal or county ordinance convictions equivalent to state misdemeanors.
- Information about confinement in Kansas Department of Corrections facilities.
- Arrests within the previous 12 months when KBI has not received the disposition.
- Active diversions that have not yet been successfully completed.
Not released in an ordinary public KBI check
- Adult arrests resolved without a conviction, including qualifying dismissals and acquittals.
- Successfully completed diversions.
- Expunged arrests, prosecutions, convictions and confinements.
- Arrests 12 months old or older with no disposition received.
- Juvenile offender records.
How far back do Kansas criminal-history records go?
KBI says its oldest repository records date to 1939. That does not mean the agency has every arrest or case from that year onward. Reporting systems, historical coverage and the accuracy or completeness of records vary.
A historical court case may exist even if no publicly releasable matching record is returned by KBI.
How is a Kansas rap sheet organized?
KBI describes its criminal-history abstract as having four main parts:
Introduction
Information about the request, subject and permitted handling of the record.
Identification
Name and other identifiers associated with the record, including reported aliases where releasable.
Criminal justice cycles
Related arrest, prosecution and court-disposition segments grouped into chronological events.
Custody and confinement
Available confinement data associated with the state repository record.
One arrest cycle can contain multiple charges or prosecution events. KBI’s format matters when an offense description differs between the original arrest and the court’s final disposition.
Official Guide to Reading a Rap Sheet ↗How to Request Your Own Complete Kansas Criminal History
If you want to check your own record for mistakes, missing court outcomes, diversion information, expungements or juvenile history, do not assume the $30 public online search will show everything.
KBI offers a complete personal criminal-history review using fingerprints. The published processing fee is $45, excluding any separate charge by the agency taking fingerprints.
- Read KBI’s Requesting Your Own Criminal History instructions.
Open the official record-check guide and locate the personal review section.
- Obtain an accepted fingerprint card.
KBI identifies FBI Form FD-353 for personal identification and permits Form FD-258 as a substitute.
- Have fingerprints taken properly.
Ask an agency offering fingerprint services to prepare the card. KBI also offers fingerprint-taking appointments in Topeka.
- Write the personal review request.
Identify yourself, explain that the request is for your complete Kansas criminal-history review and provide your return mailing address.
- Include the $45 payment.
Follow KBI’s accepted check or money-order instructions, and include the fingerprint card with the written request.
- Mail the application packet.
Use a sufficiently large envelope so the fingerprint card is not folded or stapled.
- Read the complete response.
Review arrests, dispositions, diversions, expunged records and other information KBI says is included in a verified personal review.
- Challenge inaccuracies if necessary.
Send KBI a clear explanation and supporting certified court documentation where available.
Attn: Criminal History Records Section
1620 SW Tyler
Topeka, KS 66612-1837
KBI fingerprint appointments in Topeka
KBI lists fingerprint service at its Headquarters Annex, 1631 SW Topeka Boulevard, Topeka, KS 66612. Appointments are required, with published weekday service hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The listed fingerprint-taking fee is $10.
Appointment telephone: 785-296-4038. Confirm availability and payment rules before visiting.
How to Obtain a Certified Kansas Criminal History Record
KBI handles certified Kansas criminal-history checks through a mail-only process, not through its ordinary online instant-search application.
Certified checks are used for certain immigration, visa, adoption and similar requirements where a formal signed record response is necessary. KBI certifies the check using a supervisor’s original signature, notarization and the Central Repository’s embossed seal.
$40
Complete and mail the official certified record-check request form and the required payment.
$55
Mail the certified request form, payment and the required fingerprint card.
Use the KBI certified record-check instructions to obtain the current request form, then follow the mailing directions.
Also distinguish a certified KBI history response from a certified judgment or disposition. The latter comes from the Clerk of the District Court where the particular criminal case was filed.
How to Search Kansas Criminal Court Records Without a KBI Fee
For a particular felony or misdemeanor case, start with Kansas CaseSearch through the Kansas Judicial Branch. It provides publicly available district court case information, but access to the actual documents can differ from access to the online docket.
- Choose the district court search.
Open the Kansas public court-records portal from the official Judicial Branch site.
- Complete any sign-in or access requirements.
Follow the portal’s current registration, user agreement and verification instructions.
- Search by case number or party name.
Enter the complete case identifier if known. Otherwise use the defendant’s legal name and available search refinements.
- Filter by relevant court or case category.
Use court, case type, status or date fields where offered to narrow results to the prosecution you need.
- Open the case information.
Check the correct court, filing date, defendant, charge and docket history.
- Look for the disposition.
Do not treat the original filed charge as a conviction. Review later pleas, dismissals, acquittals, sentencing orders and case activity.
- Contact the district court clerk for documents.
Some available public documents may not be displayed online. Ask the filing court about inspection, copies or certification.
Kansas court records are not identical to Kansas criminal-history records
CaseSearch answers
- Was a case filed in this court?
- What is the case number?
- Who is listed as a party?
- What public court events appear?
- What disposition can be found?
KBI answers
- What releasable Kansas criminal history is associated with the searched identity?
- What reportable arrests, convictions and other qualifying events are in the repository?
- What criminal-history abstract does the authorized request return?
Examples: Finding Kansas criminal records by county
When you need certified court documents rather than a statewide KBI response, the filing county matters. These are practical county-to-city examples:
| County | City commonly used for district court records | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Sedgwick County | Wichita — 18th Judicial District | Use CaseSearch for a district court case; contact the Clerk for certified documents. Wichita municipal ordinance cases may require the separate city court. |
| Johnson County | Olathe — 10th Judicial District | Identify the Johnson County district case and request official copies from the district court clerk. |
| Shawnee County | Topeka — 3rd Judicial District | Use the statewide public case search, then contact Shawnee County District Court for an older or certified record. |
| Wyandotte County | Kansas City, Kansas — 29th Judicial District | Distinguish Wyandotte District Court prosecutions from Kansas City municipal ordinance cases. |
| Douglas County | Lawrence — 7th Judicial District | Search the district court case and use the filing court for copies or unavailable online documents. |
Why municipal cases matter: Kansas municipal courts hear city ordinance violations. Some municipal convictions are reportable to KBI if they meet qualifying statutory criteria, but ordinary municipal case lookup is not necessarily the same as searching the district court portal.
Use the Kansas Judicial Branch District Courts directory to identify the appropriate court and current contact details.
Kansas KASPER Offender Search and Registered Offender Records
These searches can be useful for locating particular types of publicly available criminal justice information. Neither replaces the KBI criminal-history record check.
KASPER Offender Search
KASPER—Kansas Adult Supervised Population Electronic Repository—provides records for individuals associated with Kansas Department of Corrections programs, custody or supervision.
Open the official search, read the disclaimer, accept it, then search using available name or offender-identifier options.
KDOC cautions that KASPER is not a complete criminal history and should not be substituted for a KBI records check.
Open KASPER ↗Registered Offender Search
The KBI public registered-offender website includes qualifying information about individuals required to register for certain sex, violent or drug offenses under the Kansas Offender Registration Act.
Open the official registry, read and accept its warnings, then use the available search options.
The registry does not include every crime, offender or conviction. Matching only a name or date of birth does not conclusively identify a person.
Open KBI Registry ↗A significant KASPER data limitation
KDOC’s published disclaimer identifies a data-modernization limitation affecting community corrections probation information. It says KASPER cannot display events occurring after April 21, 2021 for persons on community corrections probation supervision during the transition.
If you need current community corrections supervision information, KDOC directs you to the specific community corrections agency responsible for that person.
Kansas registry searches are not background checks
The KBI registered-offender site specifically warns that it cannot serve as a complete criminal background check, including for employment and housing purposes. Registry results can include incomplete or changing information.
The proper statewide criminal-history route remains KBI Criminal History Record Search.
Federal Criminal Records in Kansas: PACER
A federal criminal prosecution is different from a Kansas state prosecution. If the matter is in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, use PACER rather than the Kansas KBI online public history search or state CaseSearch.
- Open PACER — Find a Case.
- Register or sign in as directed.
- Choose the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas when you know the court.
- Use the national PACER Case Locator if you do not know where a federal case was filed.
- Read the federal case docket and obtain authorized documents as necessary.
PACER may charge for searches and document retrieval. It should not be described as a universally free federal criminal-history search.
Kansas Criminal Records Expungement and Diversion
Expungement is a legal process that restricts access to qualifying criminal records. Kansas statutes provide different rules for expunging eligible adult convictions, arrests and diversion agreements.
Eligibility depends on the outcome, offense classification, passage of time and other statutory conditions. Certain offenses cannot be expunged under the ordinary provisions.
Official Kansas expungement forms
The Kansas Judicial Council provides free legal forms for separate procedures involving:
- Arrest record only.
- Criminal conviction or diversion.
- Other record types subject to separate procedures.
The primary adult conviction and diversion statute is K.S.A. 21-6614. Some eligible matters may be petitioned for expungement after three years, while others have different waiting periods or restrictions.
Why completing diversion matters
An active diversion may appear in a public KBI result while a successfully completed diversion is not ordinarily publicly released by KBI.
If the prosecutor or court never reported completion to KBI, the repository may still contain an outdated entry. Obtain a certified journal entry or official completion document from the appropriate district court and follow KBI’s correction procedure.
What to Do When Kansas Criminal Records Are Missing or Incorrect
| Search problem | Possible reason | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| KBI returns “No Record Found” | No releasable record, incorrect name, different alias, unreported event, expungement or nonconviction. | Read the KBI FAQ and verify identity and search criteria. Consider a personal fingerprint review if checking your own record. |
| Court case exists but KBI has no public result | The case may have been dismissed, successfully diverted, expunged or outside public-release categories. | Review the court disposition rather than assuming the systems conflict. |
| KBI shows an arrest without disposition | The final outcome may not have been sent to the repository. | Get the certified journal entry or disposition and follow KBI’s correction guidance. |
| An online court document is unavailable | The document may predate the court’s eCourt records period or may not be available remotely. | Use the public courthouse terminal or file a written record request with the district court. |
| Municipal conviction missing from district court search | The matter may have been handled by a city municipal court. | Contact the relevant municipal court and determine whether the offense was reportable to KBI. |
| Old Kansas case not found | Historical records may not have been converted or indexed online. | Ask the appropriate district court clerk about older and archived files. |
| Person not found in KASPER | Not within KDOC’s scope, county jail custody only, outdated supervision data or identity mismatch. | Check court records or contact the actual custody or supervision agency. |
| Federal criminal case not found | Federal cases are maintained separately. | Search PACER or PACER Case Locator. |
How to correct your own Kansas criminal history
- Request your complete personal KBI record.
Use the fingerprint-based process to see information that may not be available in the public online version.
- Identify the precise error.
Examples include a wrong disposition, incomplete diversion record, incorrect identity or missing court information.
- Get official supporting documents.
Obtain certified court journal entries, dismissal orders or other records establishing the correct outcome.
- Write to KBI.
Explain the inaccurate or incomplete information and attach supporting documentation following KBI’s challenge guidance.
- Follow up with the contributing agency if necessary.
KBI may rely on the original court or reporting agency to establish the correct record.
Can You Use Kansas Criminal Records for Employment or Tenant Screening?
The Kansas public criminal-history service is not automatically an FCRA-compliant consumer background-screening product. Employment, housing and licensing decisions may have additional notice, authorization, accuracy and dispute requirements.
KBI specifically notes that employers cannot require applicants to obtain their own Kansas criminal-history record as a condition of employment. The employer must initiate the appropriate check.
Also, a reportable arrest without a disposition is not proof of conviction. KBI can release certain recent arrests with no disposition reported, so a requester must not equate every entry with a court finding of guilt.
Kansas Criminal Records Search FAQs
1. How do I search Kansas criminal records statewide?
Use the official Kansas Bureau of Investigation Criminal History Record Search at kansas.gov/criminalhistory. Sign in with KanAccess and follow the $30 public name-based search process.
2. Are Kansas criminal records free to search?
Some Kansas court case information, KASPER offender data and registered-offender listings are available through public websites without a KBI fee. An ordinary statewide KBI name-based criminal-history check currently costs $30.
3. What information does a Kansas KBI criminal-history check include?
The public may receive adult Kansas felony and misdemeanor convictions, qualifying municipal or county convictions, certain corrections records, active diversions and recent arrests whose dispositions have not been reported, subject to KBI disclosure rules.
4. What records does a public Kansas criminal-history search exclude?
KBI excludes juvenile offender records, expunged history, successfully completed diversions, arrests disposed of without conviction and certain older arrests without reported dispositions from ordinary public results.
5. How much does a Kansas background check cost?
KBI lists $30 for a public name-based check, $45 for a fingerprint-based check, $40 for a certified name-based check and $55 for a certified fingerprint-based check. Additional fingerprint-taking charges can apply.
6. Can I request my complete Kansas criminal history?
Yes. KBI offers a complete personal review by fingerprint submission and a written mailed request. The published fee is $45 and the response may include records not available through the public name search.
7. Why does the Kansas KBI search say “No Record Found”?
The search may have found no record or no record legally releasable to the public. Other reasons include a different name, incomplete identifying details, unreported events, federal or out-of-state history, completed diversion or expungement.
8. Where can I search Kansas criminal court cases?
Use Kansas CaseSearch for available public district court case information. For official documents, certified dispositions or older cases, contact the Clerk of the District Court where the prosecution was filed.
9. Is KASPER a complete Kansas criminal-history search?
No. The Kansas Department of Corrections states that KASPER only covers persons and cases within the scope of its programs. It is not a substitute for a KBI criminal-history record check.
10. Can Kansas criminal records be expunged?
Some Kansas arrests, convictions and diversion agreements qualify for expungement under applicable state law. Eligibility depends on the offense, outcome, waiting period and statutory exclusions. Official forms are available from the Kansas Judicial Council.
Kansas Criminal Records: Verified Government Links
- Kansas Bureau of Investigation — Criminal History Record Search
- KBI — Conducting a Record Check, Fees and Fingerprinting
- KBI — Helpful Hints and Criminal History FAQ
- KBI — How to Read a Kansas Criminal History Rap Sheet
- KBI — Criminal History Terminology
- Kansas Judicial Branch — District Court Records
- Kansas CaseSearch — Public Court Case Lookup
- Kansas Judicial Branch — Find a District Court
- Kansas Department of Corrections — KASPER
- KBI — Registered Offender Search
- Kansas Judicial Council — Adult Expungement Forms
- Kansas Statutes — K.S.A. 21-6614 Expungement
- U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas
- PACER — Federal Court Records