Start here: checking your own record usually means checking more than one system
If you want to know what appears on your criminal record, there is no single U.S. database that automatically answers every question. Your state criminal-history repository, state and local courts, the FBI, local police or sheriff agencies and federal courts can hold different pieces of information.
The most useful approach is to check the systems that match your history: your state’s official criminal-history record, the courts where cases were filed, and—when you want to review FBI-held fingerprint information—your FBI Identity History Summary.
The most complete practical way to check your own criminal record
If your goal is simply, “I want to see what another person or background check might find,” do not stop after one name search.
What does “my criminal record” actually mean?
Several different records can be described informally as a criminal record. They do not necessarily contain identical information.
State criminal-history record
A centralized state record compiled from criminal-justice agencies. Access, fees and whether fingerprints are required vary by state.
Criminal court record
The actual court case containing charges, docket events, disposition, sentence and later court orders.
Identity History Summary
Fingerprint-based criminal-history information retained by the FBI from contributing agencies.
Arrest record
Information created by the agency that arrested or booked you, which may exist even when no conviction followed.
Prison / supervision record
Information held by a state department of corrections, county jail or federal correctional system.
Consumer screening report
A report produced by a screening company. It may combine court and other information and is governed by additional laws when used for regulated purposes.
Before searching, gather the details that will save you time
You know your own history better than a search engine does. Write down the basic details before opening multiple court and government systems.
- current legal name
- former or maiden names
- middle names and initials
- date of birth
- states where you have lived
- states where you were arrested
- counties or cities involved
- approximate arrest or court dates
- known case numbers
- known booking or inmate numbers
- names of courts you remember
- copies of old dismissal or sealing orders
Step 1: check your official state criminal-history record
Every state has a centralized criminal-history or identification agency. Depending on the state, it may be called the State Identification Bureau, state police, department of public safety, bureau of investigation or criminal-justice information division.
The FBI maintains an official State Identification Bureau Listing covering all states and the District of Columbia.
Find your state’s official criminal-history agency
Use the FBI State Identification Bureau list instead of guessing which state department holds criminal records.
Look for “Record Review,” “Personal Review” or “Criminal History”
States use different names for the process that allows you to inspect your own criminal-history information.
Check whether fingerprints are required
Some states use fingerprint-based identity verification for a complete personal record review, while others also provide name-based public searches.
Follow the state’s identity and payment instructions
Fees, notarization, fingerprinting, online access, mail procedures and processing times differ by state.
Compare every arrest with its final disposition
If an arrest is listed without the later dismissal, acquittal or corrected charge, investigate the discrepancy.
Step 2: check the actual court cases filed under your name
A state criminal-history summary is useful, but the court file is often the best place to confirm how a case actually ended.
USAGov maintains a current guide to federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts .
Start with the state’s official judiciary website
Look for a statewide case-search system. If none exists, identify the county or local court that handled the case.
Search every name you used at the time
Try your legal name, former name and middle-name variations when the court allows name searching.
Save the case number
A case number is usually the strongest identifier for obtaining a court file or certified disposition.
Read the final disposition
Do not stop at the original charge. Look for dismissal, acquittal, conviction, diversion, amendment, deferred disposition or another final outcome.
Contact the clerk if the case is too old or missing online
Older files can remain available at the courthouse, records center, archives or on microfilm even when they are absent from the online search.
If you have lived or had cases in more than one state
A record from one state does not automatically tell you what another state maintains.
If you remember arrests, citations or prosecutions in several jurisdictions, repeat the state-repository and court search for each relevant state.
State criminal-history record
Check the centralized state agency for arrests and dispositions it maintains.
Local court cases
Search the courts where another arrest or prosecution occurred.
FBI / PACER when relevant
Use federal systems separately when your history includes federal arrests or prosecutions.
This is one reason an internet “nationwide name search” should not be assumed to be complete.
Step 3: request your FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI allows individuals to request a copy of their own Identity History Summary, commonly called a RAP sheet.
The process is fingerprint-based. The FBI specifically states that it does not provide name-only Identity History Summary checks for this personal-review service.
| Item | Current FBI rule |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Review, change, correction or updating of your own FBI Identity History Summary |
| Identity method | Fingerprints required |
| FBI fee | $18 |
| Electronic request | Available directly through the FBI |
| Mail request | Available with request form, fingerprint card and payment |
| Approved Channeler | Available through FBI-approved commercial channelers; extra fees may apply |
| FBI fee waiver | Possible; contact FBI for instructions before submitting |
| Name-only check | Not provided for this process |
| Expedited FBI service | No formal expedited procedure; electronic submission may process faster |
How to get your FBI criminal-history summary step by step
Option 1: submit electronically to the FBI
Start the FBI electronic request
Use the FBI’s official Identity History Summary request service rather than an unofficial background-check website.
Complete your personal information
Enter the identifying information requested in the official application.
Submit fingerprints
After initiating the electronic request, you may use a participating U.S. Post Office for electronic fingerprint submission where available, or mail an acceptable fingerprint card. Additional fingerprint service charges can apply.
Pay the $18 FBI fee
The FBI currently charges the same $18 fee for direct electronic and mail requests.
Receive and review the result
Electronic applicants receive an electronic response and can also select the available mailed-response option.
Option 2: mail the request directly to the FBI
You will generally need:
- completed FBI request form
- current fingerprint card
- all required fingerprint impressions
- signed request
- $18 payment
- accurate contact information
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Phone: 304-625-5590
Email: identity@fbi.gov
Option 3: FBI-approved Channeler
FBI-approved Channelers can electronically submit fingerprints and request information on your behalf. They may provide faster or more convenient processing, but they charge their own fees in addition to applicable FBI-related charges.
Current official list: FBI-Approved Channelers .
What can appear on your FBI Identity History Summary?
FBI criminal-history information is built from fingerprint-based submissions received from criminal-justice agencies and other qualifying sources.
An Identity History Summary can contain:
- biographic identifiers
- biometric identifiers
- arrest information
- submitted charges
- disposition information when reported
- agency-related identifying information
FBI guidance says criminal-justice agencies such as custodial agencies, prosecutors, supervisory agencies and courts can submit arrest-disposition information into FBI criminal-history systems.
Check federal criminal court cases under your name
If you were ever prosecuted in federal court, your state court search will not substitute for the federal court record.
Use PACER for federal district and appellate cases.
If you do not remember the federal district, the PACER Case Locator searches a nationwide federal-case index.
| PACER item | Current rule as of September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Account registration | Free |
| Electronic access | $0.10 per billable page |
| Most case-specific document caps | $3 maximum per document |
| Quarterly waiver | Charges of $30 or less in a quarter are currently waived |
| Courthouse public terminal | Viewing case information is free; printing can cost money |
PACER also notes that certain federal criminal records are not publicly available, including sealed materials and some older electronic criminal documents.
Check your local arrest and booking records when needed
If you remember an arrest that does not appear correctly on your state or FBI record, go back to the agency that created the arrest information.
Public-record rules for police reports, booking photos and investigative records differ from state to state. Use the agency’s official records-request instructions.
What if your criminal case is too old to find online?
Older court cases can disappear from online search interfaces without disappearing from the courthouse record.
Try this order:
- Search the current state judiciary system.
- Search the county or local court if there is a separate portal.
- Call or visit the clerk’s office.
- Ask whether the case is in paper storage, microfilm, a records center or state archive.
- Request a certified disposition if you need proof of the final outcome.
Why your criminal record may look incomplete
A missing case, arrest or disposition does not always mean an agency made an error.
Different agency
The record may exist only in the court, police or state repository you have not checked yet.
Old record
The file may predate the searchable online database.
Incomplete disposition
The arrest was reported, but the later court result may not have reached every repository.
Sealed or expunged
The record may have been restricted from ordinary public access.
Name variation
A court case may be indexed under a former surname, middle name or another spelling.
State-only information
Some information can exist in a state repository without appearing on a personal FBI summary.
What to do if your criminal record is wrong
Do not start by disputing every database at once. Identify which source contains the wrong information.
| Problem | Start here | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Court disposition is wrong | Clerk of the court that handled the case | Case number, judgment, dismissal or sentencing order |
| State criminal-history record is wrong | State Identification Bureau / state repository | Certified court disposition, arrest information, fingerprints if required |
| FBI summary is wrong or incomplete | FBI Identity History Summary challenge process | Supporting court or agency documentation |
| Private background report is wrong | Consumer reporting company and, when applicable, source agency | Official court / government record showing the correct information |
FBI challenge process
The FBI provides a formal process to challenge information in your Identity History Summary. The challenge itself currently has no FBI fee.
The FBI says challenges are processed in the order received and currently reports an average response time of within approximately 45 days after receipt.
Your challenge should clearly identify what you believe is inaccurate or incomplete and include available supporting documents.
Review FBI correction / challenge guidanceWhat if your record was sealed, expunged or cleared?
Expungement, sealing, set-aside, dismissal and record-clearing rules vary dramatically by state. They also do not all have the same legal effect.
If you obtained relief from a state case:
Keep a certified copy of the order
Store the sealing, expungement, dismissal or other relief order somewhere secure.
Check the court after the order is processed
Confirm whether the public-facing case access changed as expected under your state’s law.
Check your state repository
Make sure the state’s centralized criminal-history system reflects the relief when required by law.
Check your FBI summary when appropriate
If the state record should have changed but the FBI summary has not, follow the state and FBI correction paths.
Checking your record before an employment or licensing background check
Reviewing your own records before applying for a job, professional license or housing can help you find outdated or incomplete information early.
But do not assume that your personal FBI Identity History Summary is the exact report an employer, licensing agency or other organization will use.
If an employer obtains a background report through a consumer-reporting company, federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements can also apply, along with state and local laws.
The practical advantage of checking beforehand is simple: you can compare what the employer may encounter with your official court dispositions and begin correcting errors before they affect an application.
Protect your identity while checking your record
Looking up your own history can involve sensitive information, especially when fingerprints are required.
- use official .gov court and agency websites when possible
- verify the exact domain before entering personal information
- do not upload fingerprints to an unknown records website
- do not publish your Social Security number in a public-record request
- use official FBI-approved Channelers if choosing a Channeler
- save confirmation numbers securely
- keep certified court records in a private location
- avoid paying for information already available through an official court search
Your criminal-record self-audit checklist
Before you consider your review complete, work through this list.
State & court review
- I identified every relevant state.
- I found each state’s official criminal-history agency.
- I searched known state / local court cases.
- I checked former names or name variations.
- I saved the case numbers.
- I read each final disposition.
Accuracy review
- I checked whether dismissed cases are shown correctly.
- I checked whether sealed or expunged records were updated.
- I obtained certified dispositions where needed.
- I reviewed my FBI summary if appropriate.
- I challenged inaccurate information.
- I kept copies of supporting documents.
How to check your criminal record: frequently asked questions
1. How do I look up my own criminal record?
Start with the official criminal-history repository for each relevant state and search the courts where your cases were filed. If you also want to review fingerprint-based information held by the FBI, request your FBI Identity History Summary.
2. Can I check my criminal record for free?
Some state and local court searches are free, but fees vary by jurisdiction. State criminal-history record reviews may also carry fees. The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary, although a fee-waiver process exists for people unable to pay the FBI fee.
3. Is my FBI RAP sheet my complete nationwide criminal record?
Not necessarily. The FBI’s current request form states that an Identity History Summary is not the same as a complete national background check and may not include information held only in state repositories.
4. Do I need fingerprints to get my FBI criminal record?
Yes. The FBI Identity History Summary process is fingerprint-based. The FBI states that it does not provide name-only checks for personal Identity History Summary requests.
5. How much does an FBI criminal-history request cost?
The current FBI fee is $18. Fingerprinting providers, participating Post Offices or FBI-approved Channelers may charge additional service fees.
6. How do I find criminal cases filed under my name?
Use the official judiciary website for the state where the case was filed. If the state does not operate a complete statewide search, identify the county or municipal court and use that court’s official case-search or records process.
7. What if my criminal record contains the wrong disposition?
Obtain the actual court record showing the correct disposition, then contact the agency maintaining the inaccurate information. State records are usually challenged through the state repository, while FBI Identity History Summary errors can be challenged through the FBI process.
8. Does it cost money to challenge an FBI Identity History Summary?
No. The FBI currently states that there is no fee for challenging information in an Identity History Summary.
9. Will an expunged or sealed record disappear from every database?
Not automatically in every situation. The effect depends on the state’s law, the type of relief and which agency maintains the record. Keep your court order and verify that the state repository and other applicable systems were updated.
10. Should I use my FBI Identity History Summary for a job background check?
Follow the employer or licensing agency’s required process. The FBI states that employment, licensing and adoption checks may need to go through a state Identification Bureau, requesting government agency or other authorized channel rather than the ordinary personal-review process.
Official sources for checking your own criminal record
Fees, access rules and processing procedures can change. Use the official source that maintains the original record before making an important decision.
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQ
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Listing
- FBI — Approved Channelers
- USAGov — Federal, State, Territory, County and Municipal Courts
- PACER — Find a Federal Court Case
- PACER — Current Pricing and Fee Rules
- U.S. Courts — Court Records
- Federal Trade Commission — Employment Background Checks