Looking Criminal Records Search: Cases & Public Records
Looking Up Criminal Records: Search Cases, Convictions and Public Records
Looking up criminal records usually starts with the official court system in the state or county where the case occurred. Search by a case number or permitted defendant name, open the matching case, and check the final disposition to determine whether the charges resulted in a conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another outcome.
If you need more than a court case, you may have to search an arresting agency, statewide criminal-history repository, corrections department or federal court separately. These agencies hold different information, and access rules vary.
Where Should You Look Up Criminal Records?
The most effective search depends on what you are trying to establish. A court docket is useful for checking how a prosecution ended. A sheriff’s booking database answers a different question: whether someone was arrested or held in local custody.
| What you want to find | Where to search | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal charges and convictions | State trial court or county clerk’s criminal case portal | Usually limited to cases within that court system. |
| Current court date | Assigned court’s docket or calendar | Dates can change after the online schedule is published. |
| Judgment or dismissal order | Filing court’s clerk or public document system | The full document may require a separate request. |
| Recent arrest or booking | Police department or county sheriff | Booking data does not show the final court result. |
| Current inmate or prison status | County jail or state corrections department | Not a complete arrest or conviction history. |
| Statewide criminal history | State police or designated criminal-history repository | Access may be paid, restricted or fingerprint-based. |
| Federal criminal prosecution | PACER | Federal electronic court access can generate fees. |
| Personal FBI criminal-history report | FBI Identity History Summary | An ordinary private requester cannot obtain another person’s FBI rap sheet. |
How to Look Up Criminal Records Step by Step
This process works as a starting point for researching publicly available criminal cases. It avoids paying for a broad background report when the question can be answered through a specific court.
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Identify the jurisdiction.
Determine where the alleged offense or court proceeding took place. A person may live in one state but have a case filed in another. Search the filing jurisdiction rather than assuming the current residence is correct.
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Determine whether the case is state, municipal or federal.
Felony and misdemeanor cases may be heard in different courts. A municipal violation may have a separate local search, while a federal indictment belongs to a U.S. District Court.
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Open the official court website.
Use the USA.gov court directory or the state’s judicial branch site. Locate the public criminal case search, court records portal or clerk’s records page.
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Start with a case number if possible.
An exact case number usually produces fewer false matches. When only a name is available, use the site’s permitted name fields and narrow by county, filing year or case category.
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Identify the correct record.
Compare court location, filing date, case identifier and legally disclosed details. Never treat a matching name by itself as proof that the person is the defendant.
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Open the docket or case history.
Look for the filed charges, plea events, hearings, trial, dismissal orders, judgment, sentencing and any appeal.
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Check each charge’s disposition.
One case may contain multiple counts with different results. A dismissal on one charge and a conviction on another must not be combined into an inaccurate summary.
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Verify consequential information with the records custodian.
If you need a certified disposition, an older document or information important to a legal decision, contact the clerk responsible for the original case file.
What information should you have before beginning?
A full legal name and the likely county are helpful. Better still, have a case number, approximate filing date or court notice. A date of birth can help distinguish matches where a court lawfully offers it as a search field, but many public systems limit identifying information.
Where to Look Up Criminal Records by State
These real court systems demonstrate why public access works differently across the country. Some offer free documents, others restrict certain name searches, and some have paid statewide court-history services.
MyCase: Case Numbers, Names and Documents
Indiana’s MyCase provides public access to nonconfidential cases from courts using the state’s Odyssey system. It supports searches by case number, party name or attorney.
A person searching by party name can use the last name and refine with available first name, middle name or birth-date information. The system also offers search filters and a sounds-like option.
Many eligible public case documents can be viewed without charge, but historical coverage and online document availability vary.
Open Indiana MyCase →Maryland Judiciary Case Search
Maryland’s Case Search includes eligible District Court and Circuit Court case information, such as case numbers, parties, dates, charges and dispositions.
Name searches default to exact matches. For a partial last-name search, the system permits a trailing % wildcard.
An important restriction: certain criminal charges ending in dismissal, acquittal, nolle prosequi or an older stet disposition may no longer appear online, even when courthouse access is still legally available.
Open Maryland Case Search →MiCOURT Case Search
Michigan offers a public case search across participating trial courts. Case types may include criminal, civil, traffic and other matters depending on the court.
Some Michigan courts apply a seven-year criminal-sentence display filter. Their public online results may omit certain conviction case information when sentencing occurred more than seven years before the search.
The courts using that limitation are marked in the search system. Contact the trial court for older files that are not displayed.
Open Michigan MiCOURT →MCRO: Pending-Case Name Restrictions
Minnesota Court Records Online (MCRO) supports public district court case, document and hearing searches.
But pending criminal cases generally cannot be found through defendant-name searches before a conviction has been entered, as defined under Minnesota law.
For such a pending case, the court instructs users to search with a case number, citation number or permitted attorney information.
Open Minnesota MCRO →UJS Public Docket Search
Pennsylvania’s Unified Judicial System publishes publicly accessible docket sheets for eligible criminal cases.
Its public portal supports searches using available name, docket-number, court or county criteria. The resulting docket can show charges, hearings and case outcomes.
A public docket sheet is not necessarily the same as the complete certified court file.
Open Pennsylvania UJS →Statewide Court Criminal History Search
New York’s Office of Court Administration provides a statewide criminal-history record search covering qualifying open, pending and conviction information from courts across the state’s 62 counties.
Unlike free county searches elsewhere, this formal statewide court-history search costs $95 per search.
It requires an exact match of the name and date of birth. Results are not certified; a Certificate of Disposition must be obtained from the original court.
New York OCA search instructions →How to find a court in another state
Visit USA.gov’s official court directory, locate the state’s judiciary, then select the trial court or county where the case was filed. If the state lacks a suitable statewide portal, contact the local court clerk for its current public lookup method.
Looking Up Criminal Records by Name: How to Search Accurately
Name searching is convenient but imperfect. Two unrelated people can have identical names, and electronic case systems may contain abbreviations, former legal names or incorrect information submitted at arrest.
Use search variations appropriately
- Full first and last name.
- Name with or without a middle initial.
- Known previous legal name, where relevant and lawful.
- Different spellings supported by the portal.
- Case number instead of name when available.
- Specific court, county and filing-year filters.
Do not assume that every portal uses the same wildcard. For example, Maryland allows a trailing percent sign for partial name searches, while Minnesota MCRO uses an asterisk and also supports a sounds-like search option.
Suppose the name “James Williams” returns a criminal case in one county from 2015, a dismissed matter in a second county from 2020 and a pending proceeding in a third county.
Without reliable identifying information, you cannot determine that all three refer to the same individual.
Use case numbers, court records and appropriate verification. Do not combine unrelated results into one supposed criminal history.
What if you know only the date of birth?
Most public court search tools are not general date-of-birth directories. When available, birth date is usually an additional filter for a permitted name or case search. Do not attempt to obtain confidential identifiers merely to expand a public records search.
Arrest, Criminal Charge, Conviction and Dismissal: What Is the Difference?
The most important step when looking up criminal records is checking the final disposition rather than stopping at the first allegation or booking entry.
| Record status | What it means | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | Law enforcement took someone into custody. | Whether charges were filed and the later case result. |
| Charge filed | A criminal allegation entered the court process. | Later orders, pleas or trial outcome. |
| Pending | The identified proceeding remains unresolved. | Current docket and future hearings. |
| Dismissed | The identified charge or matter was dismissed. | Whether other counts remain and whether there were later proceedings. |
| Acquitted | A not-guilty outcome was entered for the applicable charge. | Which charges were covered by the acquittal. |
| Convicted | A conviction was entered following a qualifying plea or finding. | Final judgment, sentence and subsequent changes. |
| Deferred or diversion | A jurisdiction-specific alternative procedure applies. | Conditions, completion status and ultimate legal disposition. |
| Sealed or expunged | Public access is restricted under applicable law. | Only through lawful, authorized channels. |
Why you should check each count separately
A single criminal case can contain several counts. One may be dismissed, another reduced to a different offense, and another result in a conviction.
Reporting the original complaint as though all charges resulted in conviction would be inaccurate. Use the case’s final judgment or disposition for the precise result.
How to Look Up Arrest, Booking and Inmate Records
A court case search may not answer whether someone was recently arrested or is currently in custody. Those records are usually maintained by law-enforcement or corrections agencies.
County jail and booking records
Look for the sheriff’s official Jail Roster, Inmate Search or Booking Search.
Some systems show current inmates; others publish limited recent bookings. A person may disappear from a current roster after release or transfer.
Find local government agencies →State prison and corrections records
State departments of corrections commonly operate offender locator tools for qualifying incarcerated people.
These services usually do not display every county jail admission, police arrest or prior court case.
Find state agency websites →Requesting an older arrest report
First identify the arresting police or sheriff agency. Search its official Records Division or Public Records Request instructions. Provide a report number, approximate incident date or other lawfully available details if required.
Police incident reports may be subject to exemptions, privacy redactions or limits on release of investigatory material. A public court docket does not automatically entitle a requester to every related police file.
Sex offender registry information
The U.S. Department of Justice’s National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) provides access to public registry information through participating jurisdictions.
It is not a nationwide all-offenses criminal-history database. The absence of a registry result does not mean a person has no criminal convictions.
How to Obtain an Official Criminal Background Record
A criminal-history report may draw on arrest and prosecution information reported to a state or federal repository. That differs from viewing individual court cases.
State criminal-history checks
State repositories have different public access rules. Some allow public name-based checks, some restrict access to authorized purposes, and others require the person being checked to submit fingerprints.
For example, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation offers a public Tennessee-only adult criminal-history check for $29 without fingerprint submission.
California, by contrast, requires an individual requesting their own statewide DOJ criminal-history record to follow a fingerprint-based personal record-review process. That process is not an unrestricted public lookup of other people’s records.
FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI offers a formal fingerprint-based Identity History Summary request for individuals obtaining their own records.
The FBI lists a standard processing fee of $18, separate from possible fingerprint collection fees. It does not provide another person’s rap sheet to an ordinary private requester.
What if your own criminal-history report is wrong?
Identify the inaccurate entry and obtain the court disposition or other official evidence. Follow the repository’s formal challenge process.
The FBI provides a no-fee challenge process for incorrect or incomplete Identity History Summary information. State repository correction procedures differ.
Looking Up Federal Criminal Records Through PACER
Federal criminal cases are filed in U.S. District Courts. They are not reliably found by searching a state or county trial court database.
The official Public Access to Court Electronic Records system, known as PACER, allows searches within a known federal court or through its nationwide federal case locator.
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Open PACER Find a Case.
Choose the specific federal district if known, or use the national PACER Case Locator.
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Register or sign into your account.
Registration is free, but search pages and documents may incur fees.
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Search by case number or party.
A known docket number and district can make the search more targeted.
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Review the criminal docket.
Check filings, orders, hearing activity, judgment and later proceedings.
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Watch your usage charges.
Even a search returning no matching case may generate a page-based charge.
As of October 2026, the standard PACER rate is $0.10 per page. Charges totaling $30 or less during a quarterly billing cycle are automatically waived. Beginning January 1, 2027, the announced rate is $0.12 per page with a $40 quarterly waiver threshold.
Is Looking Up Criminal Records Free?
Many public case searches are free, but an official report or certified document may cost money. Check what the source actually provides before buying a third-party search.
| Search type | Typical cost or access | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| State or county public case search | Often free; varies | Case information and docket entries, with jurisdiction limits. |
| Indiana MyCase public documents | Many available without charge | Only eligible, available nonconfidential documents. |
| New York OCA statewide search | $95 per search | Exact name and DOB matching; not a certified disposition. |
| Tennessee TBI public check | $29 | Tennessee-only adult criminal-history search. |
| FBI personal history review | $18 FBI processing fee | Subject’s own fingerprint-based request; other fingerprint charges may apply. |
| Federal PACER | Usage-based, with waivers | Federal case searches and documents. |
| Certified court disposition | Set by the responsible court | Copy and certification costs may apply. |
Why You Cannot Find Someone’s Criminal Record
A no-results page does not necessarily mean that no criminal record exists. The search may be incomplete because of the jurisdiction, search method, record age, portal rules or legal restrictions.
| Problem | Possible reason | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| No matching name | Spelling variation, common name or exact-match search. | Use permitted variations or a case number. |
| Pending case missing in Minnesota | MCRO restricts pending criminal defendant-name searches. | Use a case number, citation number or permitted attorney search. |
| Older Michigan conviction absent | A participating court may apply a seven-year sentence display filter. | Contact the trial court of record. |
| Maryland dismissed charge missing online | Certain nonconviction charges are excluded from remote Case Search. | Review Maryland’s courthouse-access rules. |
| Case found but no documents | Public docket metadata may be online without the underlying file. | Request permitted copies from the clerk. |
| Booking not visible anymore | The person may have been released or transferred. | Check the court case or relevant corrections agency. |
| Record sealed or expunged | Public disclosure may be restricted by law. | Respect access restrictions and follow lawful procedures. |
| State portal has no federal charge | Federal and state court systems are separate. | Search PACER for the correct federal proceeding. |
How to check an older criminal conviction
Find the original court and approximate case year. Ask the clerk whether older files are stored in archives, on microfilm or in another historical records system. The absence of a digital result does not establish that the original file was destroyed.
How to correct mistaken identity in a case search
If a public criminal case has been incorrectly associated with you, identify the actual court record and contact the responsible clerk about correcting case-index information. If a third-party background report repeats an incorrect match, follow the reporting company’s dispute procedure as well.
How to Request a Certified Criminal Court Record
A case summary can help answer an informal question, but formal applications and legal proceedings may require a certified judgment, court disposition or another original record.
Prepare these details
- The correct court and county.
- The criminal case number, if known.
- The defendant’s name as recorded.
- Approximate filing or judgment year.
- The particular document needed.
- Whether an ordinary or certified copy is required.
Request the record through the clerk
Open the filing court’s official website and look for Records Requests, Certified Copies or Criminal Clerk. Confirm the cost, request form, public access restrictions and delivery method.
I located criminal case [case number] in [court name]. I would like to request the final judgment or disposition. Please advise whether the document is publicly available, the ordinary-copy and certification charges, and the procedure for obtaining it.
Providing an exact case number and document type usually makes the request more useful than requesting a broad search for everyone with a particular name.
What about sealed records?
Sealed, expunged, juvenile and other restricted records are not generally available through ordinary public requests. Access depends on the applicable law, authorization and any required court order.
Can You Look Up Someone Else’s Criminal Records Without Permission?
Many state and local courts permit public access to qualifying criminal case information without the person’s consent. However, that does not make confidential statewide criminal-history files, FBI rap sheets or sealed records available to an ordinary private requester.
Public access and permitted use are also different issues. Employment, housing, professional licensing and other eligibility decisions may be subject to federal and state screening requirements.
When an employer obtains a background report through a consumer reporting agency, the Fair Credit Reporting Act generally requires appropriate notice, written authorization and specified procedures if the report may lead to an adverse decision.
Read the Federal Trade Commission’s background-check guidance and the laws applicable to your particular purpose.
Looking Up Criminal Records: Common Questions
1. What is the best way to look up criminal records?
Start with the official criminal court in the state or county where the case was filed. Use its case search, identify the correct proceeding and review the final disposition. For official statewide history, follow the state’s designated repository process.
2. Can I look up someone’s criminal record by name?
Many public court portals allow searches by defendant name, but some require a case number or restrict name searches for certain case types. Verify identity using reliable, lawfully disclosed information instead of relying on a name match alone.
3. Are public criminal records searches free?
Many court case searches are free, but access differs by jurisdiction. Some courts charge for name searches, and official criminal-history reports, certified copies or federal electronic documents may involve fees.
4. Can I look up criminal records in another state?
Yes, for records lawfully available to the public. Use the other state’s court website and locate the court where the case was filed. A search of your home state does not automatically include proceedings in other states.
5. How do I find out whether someone was convicted?
Find the appropriate criminal court case and review the final judgment or disposition for each charge. Arrests and filed allegations alone do not establish conviction.
6. Why does a criminal records search return no results?
You may have searched the wrong court, used an incorrect name, encountered a search restriction, or searched a portal that excludes older, sealed or certain nonconviction records. A missing result does not prove there is no record.
7. Can I look up another person’s FBI rap sheet?
An ordinary private individual cannot request another person’s FBI Identity History Summary. The FBI has a formal personal, fingerprint-based record-review process, and authorized background checks use other legally designated channels.
8. Are jail records the same as criminal court records?
No. Jail databases describe custody and booking information, while courts maintain prosecutions, judgments and dispositions. A person can have a pending case without currently being incarcerated.
9. How do I obtain an official criminal court disposition?
Contact the clerk of the court where the case was filed. Provide the case number, defendant name and exact document needed. The clerk can explain available public copies, certification and fees.
10. Can criminal court search results be used for employment screening?
A public court search is not automatically a legally compliant employment background check. When regulated consumer reports are used, federal and state laws may require authorization, accuracy safeguards and notices. Seek guidance on the rules for your particular screening purpose.
Official Resources for Looking Up Criminal Records
Use the following government and judiciary resources to verify search methods, find a court, request records or understand the access restrictions covered in this guide.
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- Indiana Judicial Branch — Public Records
- Indiana Courts — MyCase Search Tips
- Maryland Judiciary — Court Records
- Maryland Judiciary — Court Record Access Restrictions
- Michigan Courts — MiCOURT Case Search
- Minnesota Court Records Online
- Minnesota Judicial Branch — MCRO Search Rules
- Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System — Case Search
- New York Courts — Criminal History Record Search
- Tennessee Bureau of Investigation — Background Checks
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Access to Arrest Records
- PACER — Federal Court Case Search
- PACER — Pricing and Access Waivers
- Department of Justice — National Sex Offender Public Website
- FTC — Employer Background Check Requirements