Start with official records before paying for a background-search website
There is no single public website that shows every criminal record for every person in the United States. Criminal cases are divided among state courts, county and municipal courts, federal courts, state criminal-history repositories, correctional agencies and law-enforcement records systems. A reliable search therefore means identifying the right jurisdictions, checking official court records, verifying identity and reading the final disposition instead of stopping at an arrest or charge.
A criminal-record search is usually several searches, not one
Court records are organized by jurisdiction. Someone may have a county misdemeanor case, a felony case in another state, a federal case, a county-jail booking and a state corrections record, with each record maintained by a different government agency.
Criminal case
Shows filed charges, docket activity, hearings, court orders and disposition where public.
Criminal history
A state police, department of public safety or bureau of investigation may maintain a centralized criminal-history repository.
Arrest or booking
Arrest reports, booking records and current jail information frequently originate at the local level.
Prison record
State departments of corrections commonly publish inmate or offender locators.
Federal case
Federal district and appellate cases are separate from state-court searches and generally use PACER.
Registration information
Certain public registries, such as sex-offender registries, operate under their own laws and disclosure rules.
Collect enough information to identify the right person
Name-only searching can produce false matches, particularly when the name is common. Before searching, collect lawful identifying information that will help distinguish one person from another.
- full legal name
- middle name or initial
- former or maiden names
- aliases known to be used
- approximate age or date of birth where lawfully available
- current and former states of residence
- counties or cities associated with the person
- known case number or arresting agency if available
Step 1: search official state court records
Most criminal prosecutions occur in state and local courts. Start with the official judicial branch for every state where the person is reasonably known to have lived or where the event occurred.
USAGov’s court directory provides a government starting point for locating federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.
Identify the state
Use known residences, work history or the location of the incident to determine which judiciary is relevant.
Open the official judiciary website
Look for “Case Search,” “Court Records,” “Public Access,” “Case Information” or similar wording.
Search name variations
Try the full legal name, middle initial and known former names where the system permits them.
Open the individual case
Confirm jurisdiction, filing date, defendant information and case number before assuming the result belongs to the person.
Read the final disposition
Determine whether the charge resulted in conviction, dismissal, acquittal, diversion or another outcome.
Step 2: check county and municipal courts when the statewide search is incomplete
Not every state provides one unified statewide criminal-case database. Some states route users to county clerks, district courts, municipal courts or separate electronic-record vendors.
County-level searching is especially useful when:
- the state portal does not cover every court
- the case is old
- the matter began in municipal court
- the online statewide portal shows only limited docket information
- you need a certified copy
- you need an archived paper file
Step 3: check the state’s official criminal-history repository
Many states maintain centralized criminal-history information through an agency such as:
State Police
Common in states where the police agency maintains the repository.
Department of Public Safety
Often responsible for criminal-history and fingerprint services.
Bureau of Investigation
Used in several states for statewide criminal-history systems.
State Identification Bureau
May handle fingerprint-supported criminal-history information.
Public-access rules differ dramatically. A state may offer:
- free public conviction lookup
- fee-based name search
- fingerprint-only background check
- personal-record access only
- consent-based third-party access
- limited public conviction information
Step 4: search federal criminal cases through PACER
Federal criminal cases are filed in the United States federal court system, not state court. The official electronic service is Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER).
PACER fees
PACER currently charges $0.10 per page. A single case-specific document is normally capped at $3, although the cap does not apply to every type of report or search. PACER currently waives charges when a user’s total quarterly bill is $30 or less.
Search federal court recordsYou generally cannot use the FBI’s personal rap-sheet service to search someone else
The FBI’s Identity History Summary Check is a fingerprint-based process that lets an individual obtain their own FBI-maintained identity-history summary.
The current FBI fee is $18. The applicant submits fingerprints directly to the FBI or through an FBI-approved channeler.
Public sex-offender registry search
The U.S. Department of Justice operates the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
NSOPW searches public registry information from:
- all 50 states
- District of Columbia
- U.S. territories
- participating federally recognized tribes
Searches can include name, jurisdiction and—where supported by the contributing jurisdiction—location fields.
Step 5: search state corrections records
State departments of corrections frequently provide a public inmate or offender locator. These systems can help identify people who are currently incarcerated, on supervised release, or otherwise within that state’s correctional system, depending on the jurisdiction.
Search the official website of the relevant state’s Department of Corrections for terms such as:
- Offender Search
- Inmate Locator
- Incarcerated Individual Search
- Prisoner Search
Step 6: look for recent arrest and booking records locally
Recent arrests are often easiest to locate through the arresting police department, county sheriff or detention center rather than a court database.
Depending on the jurisdiction, public booking information may include:
- booking date
- listed charges
- booking number
- bond or bail information
- custody status
- release information
Verify that the record actually belongs to the person
This is one of the most important parts of a responsible criminal-record search. A matching first and last name is not enough.
Date of birth
Where lawfully available, compare the DOB or year of birth with known information.
Middle name
A middle name or initial can separate two people with otherwise identical names.
Location
Confirm that the county, state and known history make sense for the person you are researching.
Do not stop at the arrest or original charge—read the disposition
| Record term | What it generally indicates | What it does not automatically mean |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | Law enforcement took the person into custody or otherwise recorded an arrest. | That the person was convicted. |
| Charge | A criminal allegation was formally made. | That the allegation was proven. |
| Dismissed | The charge or case was dismissed. | A conviction on that dismissed charge. |
| Acquitted | The defendant was found not guilty. | A conviction. |
| Convicted | The case resulted in a conviction through plea or adjudication. | That the conviction is still legally reportable for every purpose. |
| Sealed / expunged / set aside | Access or legal treatment has been changed under the jurisdiction’s record-relief law. | That every copy everywhere was physically destroyed. |
Why a criminal record may not appear online
A missing search result can have many explanations:
- wrong state or county
- case is too old for the online index
- municipal court is separate
- case is pending but name searching is restricted
- juvenile record is confidential
- record was sealed or expunged
- case is federal rather than state
- name spelling differs
- former name or alias was used
- court data has not yet updated
Searching criminal records for employment requires a different legal workflow
An employer may have legitimate reasons to consider criminal conduct for certain jobs, but federal discrimination law and the Fair Credit Reporting Act can affect how that information is collected and used.
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission explains that criminal-history screening can create disparate-treatment or disparate-impact issues under Title VII.
Different rules for different people
An employer cannot apply a criminal-record standard more harshly to applicants because of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.
Neutral policy, discriminatory effect
A facially neutral criminal-record rule can still raise Title VII problems when it disproportionately excludes a protected group and is not job-related and consistent with business necessity.
Why a blanket policy excluding everyone with a criminal record can create discrimination risk
The EEOC’s current criminal-record guidance does not say employers must ignore criminal convictions. It says the screening rule should connect the criminal conduct to the actual risks and duties of the job.
The three Green factors
EEOC guidance emphasizes three core considerations when an employer creates a targeted criminal-conduct screen:
Nature and gravity of the offense
A serious offense directly related to job duties can present different concerns from an unrelated minor offense.
Time elapsed
Consider how long ago the conduct occurred and how much time has passed since completion of the sentence.
Nature of the job
Consider actual duties, supervision, access, environment and the risks inherent in the position.
Arrest record vs. conviction record
EEOC guidance draws an important distinction: the fact of an arrest does not establish that criminal conduct occurred. A conviction generally provides stronger evidence of the underlying conduct, although records can still be inaccurate, outdated, expunged or associated with the wrong person.
Individualized assessment
EEOC guidance explains that individualized assessment can reduce the risk of an overbroad decision. Relevant information may include:
- facts surrounding the offense
- number of offenses
- time since the conduct
- successful employment after conviction
- rehabilitation
- education or training
- references
- whether the record is inaccurate
Title VII does not require individualized assessment in every possible circumstance, and some jobs are subject to specific federal or state statutory restrictions. Employers should evaluate the actual law applying to the position.
EEOC criminal-record guidanceFCRA rules when an employer buys a background report
When an employer uses a company that is in the business of compiling background information, the Fair Credit Reporting Act can apply.
Provide a standalone disclosure
The employer must clearly tell the applicant or employee that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes.
Get written permission
The employer generally must obtain written authorization before ordering the background report.
Before adverse action
Before rejecting, firing or otherwise taking adverse employment action based on the report, the employer must provide a copy of the report and the FCRA Summary of Rights.
After adverse action
The employer must provide the required adverse-action notice, including information about the reporting company and the person’s right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information.
Federal Fair Chance Act rules for federal hiring
The federal Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act generally prohibits federal agencies—and federal contractors acting on their behalf—from asking an applicant for federal employment to disclose criminal-history information before a conditional offer, unless an applicable exception applies.
Using criminal records for housing decisions
The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination because of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status and disability. Having a criminal record itself is not listed as a protected class under the federal Fair Housing Act.
Housing providers should nevertheless apply screening standards consistently and comply with current federal program rules plus any stricter state or local criminal-record screening laws.
For HUD-assisted programs, specific regulations and program rules can still require or permit criminal-history screening in defined circumstances. State and local housing laws can also impose separate limits on what records may be considered, how old they may be, and when a housing provider may ask about them.
Current HUD Fair Housing Act overviewState and local laws may be more restrictive than federal rules
The legal rules for criminal-record use are not uniform across the country. Depending on jurisdiction, laws may regulate:
- when an employer can ask about criminal history
- which convictions may be considered
- whether sealed or expunged records may be considered
- how far back a report may go
- housing-provider criminal-history screening
- occupational licensing
- notice and individualized-assessment requirements
- record-relief rights
Responsible use of someone’s criminal record
Public access does not remove the need for accuracy and context. Before repeating or relying on a criminal-record result:
- confirm the person is correctly identified
- verify the information against the official record
- read the final disposition
- do not treat an arrest as a conviction
- do not publish protected personal identifiers
- respect sealing and expungement laws
- do not use juvenile or confidential information unlawfully
- check purpose-specific laws before making eligibility decisions
Searching someone’s criminal record: frequently asked questions
1. Is there one website that shows every criminal record in the United States?
No. State and local courts, state criminal-history repositories, federal courts, law-enforcement agencies and correctional agencies maintain different records. A reliable search normally requires more than one official source.
2. Can I search someone’s state criminal court cases for free?
Many state courts offer free public online case search, but coverage and fees vary by jurisdiction. Some counties or court systems require separate searches or charge for document access.
3. How do I find federal criminal cases?
Use PACER. If you know the federal district or circuit, search that court directly. If you do not know where the case was filed, use the nationwide PACER Case Locator.
4. Can I request another person’s FBI rap sheet?
The FBI Identity History Summary process described in this guide is a fingerprint-based service for individuals requesting their own FBI-maintained identity-history information. It is not a public name-search system for another person’s rap sheet.
5. Does an arrest mean someone was convicted?
No. An arrest shows that law enforcement took action; it does not establish guilt. Check the court disposition to determine whether charges were filed and how the case ended.
6. Why can’t I find a criminal case that I know existed?
The case may be in another county or state, too old for remote access, sealed, expunged, confidential, juvenile, federal, filed under a different name, or stored only in an archive.
7. Can an employer automatically reject everyone with a criminal record?
EEOC guidance warns that blanket criminal-record exclusions can violate Title VII when they disproportionately affect a protected group and are not job-related and consistent with business necessity. Employers should consider applicable federal, state and local laws and job-specific factors.
8. What are the three Green factors used in employment criminal-record screening?
EEOC guidance identifies the nature and gravity of the offense, the time elapsed since the offense or sentence, and the nature of the job as key factors in a targeted criminal-conduct screen.
9. What rights does an applicant have when an employer uses a background-screening company?
The FCRA generally requires disclosure and authorization before the report is obtained. Before adverse employment action based on the report, the employer must provide the report and a Summary of Rights, followed by an adverse-action notice if the negative decision is made.
10. Can public criminal-record information be used for any purpose?
No. Employment, housing, credit, licensing, insurance and other decisions may be governed by federal, state and local laws. Public availability of a court record does not automatically authorize every use of that information.
Official sources for verifying criminal-record searches and screening rules
- USAGov — Federal, State, Territory, County and Municipal Courts
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- PACER Case Locator
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- U.S. Department of Justice — National Sex Offender Public Website
- EEOC — Criminal Records and Employment
- EEOC — Arrest and Conviction Records Enforcement Guidance
- FTC — Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know
- FTC — Employer Background Checks and Applicant Rights
- HUD — Current Fair Housing Act Overview
- HUD — 2025 Notice of Withdrawal of FHEO Guidance Documents