Yes, many criminal records are public—but there is no single rule or database for every record
In the United States, many criminal court dockets, filed charges, convictions and court proceedings are accessible to the public. But that does not mean every criminal-history record, arrest report, warrant, police investigation, juvenile case or sealed file is public. Access depends on what type of record you want, who maintains it, the state where the case occurred, and whether the record has been sealed, expunged, restricted or made confidential by law.
Which criminal records are usually public?
There is no nationwide rule that makes every criminal record public or private. The table below is a practical starting point, not a substitute for the law of the state or court that holds the record.
| Record type | Usually public? | Where to look | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Court docket | Often yes | State/local court or PACER | Sealed, confidential and some pending matters may be restricted. |
| Filed criminal charges | Often yes | Court docket | Some jurisdictions restrict remote name searches or sensitive cases. |
| Conviction record | Often yes | Court / state repository | Clean-slate, sealing and expungement laws can change visibility. |
| Arrest record | Varies | Police / sheriff / state repository | State law and investigative status can limit disclosure. |
| Booking / jail record | Often public locally | County sheriff / jail | Retention periods and online access vary widely. |
| Police investigative file | Often restricted | Investigating agency | Active investigation, privacy and safety exemptions can apply. |
| Arrest warrant | Varies | Court / sheriff / police | An unexecuted warrant may be confidential or restricted. |
| Search warrant | Varies | Court | May remain sealed while investigation is active. |
| Juvenile record | Usually restricted | Juvenile court | Special exceptions vary by state and seriousness of the case. |
| Sealed record | Generally no | Court | Access depends on the sealing order and applicable law. |
| Expunged record | Usually restricted | Court / state repository | The legal effect of expungement differs by state. |
| FBI Identity History Summary | Not a public people search | FBI CJIS | An individual can request their own fingerprint-based record. |
Criminal court records are usually the most accessible public records
Court records commonly contain the clearest public information about a criminal prosecution. Depending on the jurisdiction, a public docket can show:
- court and case number
- defendant name
- filed charges
- court dates
- docket entries
- pleas
- dispositions
- sentencing information
- orders and judgments
- attorneys
The actual documents available online can be narrower than the docket information. Some states allow extensive remote document access, while others require users to visit the courthouse for criminal case documents.
Why “public criminal record” means something different from state to state
State courts create most criminal case records in the United States, and every state has its own court structure, public-access rules, privacy statutes, sealing laws and criminal-history repository.
Two real examples show why nationwide assumptions are risky.
Public at the courthouse does not always mean public remotely
California Rule of Court 2.503 generally requires electronic criminal case records to be accessible at the courthouse but restricts ordinary public remote access to the underlying electronic criminal records.
Registers of actions, indexes and calendars can have broader remote availability.
California Rule 2.503Pending criminal cases have a special name-search restriction
Minnesota’s MCRO system does not return a pending criminal case when a member of the public searches by the defendant’s name. Users need another identifier, such as a case number, citation number or attorney information.
Minnesota MCRO guidanceHow to search criminal court records in any U.S. state
Identify the state and county
Criminal cases are usually filed where the alleged offense occurred. Start with the state, then determine the county or local court.
Find the official court system
Use the state’s official judiciary website rather than beginning with a commercial background-check or people-search site.
Search the trial court
Depending on the state, this may be called District Court, Circuit Court, Superior Court, Court of Common Pleas, County Court or another name.
Review the disposition
Confirm whether the charge was convicted, dismissed, acquitted, reduced, diverted or otherwise resolved.
Contact the clerk when online information stops
Older files, certified records and documents unavailable online may still be accessible through the court clerk or courthouse terminal.
The federal government’s USA.gov court directory can help locate federal, state, territorial, county and municipal court systems.
A state criminal-history report is different from a court search
Many states maintain a central criminal-history repository through the state police, bureau of investigation, department of public safety, attorney general or another criminal-justice agency.
A repository search can be useful when you do not know which county handled a case. But the information publicly available from a repository can be narrower than the complete record maintained internally.
Case-specific
Shows what happened in one court case and often provides the most detailed procedural history.
Statewide criminal history
Can combine reportable criminal-history information from multiple counties within the state.
Fingerprint-based federal record
The FBI Identity History Summary uses fingerprint submissions and is not a public name-search service.
Are arrest records public?
Sometimes. Arrest data are often publicly accessible at the state or local level, but the exact information available depends on state law and the agency holding it.
Possible sources include:
- city police department
- county sheriff
- county jail
- state police
- state criminal-history repository
- court docket after charges are filed
Are pending criminal charges public?
Filed charges are commonly reflected in a public court docket, but access rules can vary. A jurisdiction may restrict remote name searches, withhold sensitive details or require an in-person courthouse search for certain records.
Are criminal convictions public?
Convictions are among the criminal records most commonly available to the public through court dockets and state repositories.
Public access can still change later because of:
- record sealing
- expungement
- automatic clean-slate laws
- set-aside laws
- vacatur
- juvenile confidentiality
- court orders
- state-specific public-record limits
Are arrest warrants and search warrants public?
Warrant access varies considerably. An executed warrant may eventually become part of a public court file, while an unexecuted warrant can remain confidential because disclosure could interfere with an investigation or arrest.
In the federal court system, Judiciary privacy policy specifically excludes unexecuted summonses and warrants from the public criminal case file.
Police investigation files are not automatically public
Public-record laws often treat basic arrest or incident data differently from the complete investigative file.
Investigative records can contain:
- witness statements
- victim information
- confidential-source information
- surveillance information
- investigative techniques
- evidence
- medical information
- personal identifiers
At the federal level, FOIA Exemption 7 protects several categories of law-enforcement information when disclosure could interfere with proceedings, invade privacy, reveal confidential sources or investigative methods, or endanger someone.
DOJ FOIA Exemption 7 guidanceAre jail bookings and mugshots public?
Jail and booking information is often published by county sheriffs or local correctional agencies, but availability differs significantly across jurisdictions.
An online jail roster may show:
- name
- booking number
- booking date
- charges
- bail or bond
- housing location
- scheduled court date
- release status
Booking photographs are more complicated. Some states make them public, while others restrict disclosure or limit their use and publication.
State prison records are often searchable through corrections departments
Most states operate an official Department of Corrections inmate locator or offender-search system.
Depending on the state, a locator may include:
- state inmate number
- facility
- conviction information
- sentence information
- release information
- parole status
- supervision status
Juvenile criminal records are usually more restricted
Juvenile proceedings receive stronger confidentiality protections in most jurisdictions. Some states make portions of certain serious juvenile cases public, particularly when an older juvenile is accused of a serious felony, but the rules vary considerably.
Federal court privacy policy also excludes juvenile records from the public criminal case file.
Sealed and expunged criminal records are different from ordinary public records
A court can restrict public access to a record through sealing, expungement, set-aside, limited-access or another state-specific process.
Hidden from ordinary public access
The record generally remains in the justice system but public access is restricted.
Legal effect varies
Some states seal records through expungement while others provide broader destruction or legal relief.
Automatic relief
A growing number of jurisdictions automatically restrict qualifying records after statutory conditions are met.
Federal PACER does not provide public access to sealed documents, including sealed indictments.
Federal criminal court records are searched through PACER
The official federal court record system is Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER).
Anyone can register for a PACER account and search federal district, bankruptcy and appellate court records.
Current PACER pricing
PACER currently charges $0.10 per page for case information. Most individual case documents are capped at $3. If an account incurs $30 or less in a quarter, those fees are waived.
Find a federal case PACER pricing detailsWhat federal criminal material is not public?
Federal Judiciary policy excludes or restricts several categories, including:
- sealed documents
- sealed indictments
- unexecuted arrest warrants
- unexecuted search warrants
- presentence investigation reports
- juvenile records
- juror identifying information
- certain confidential Criminal Justice Act materials
Criminal documents filed before November 1, 2004 can also have additional remote-access restrictions.
Your FBI criminal-history summary is not a public people-search database
The FBI calls its fingerprint-based criminal-history report an Identity History Summary, commonly known as a “rap sheet.”
It can contain information connected to fingerprint submissions received by the FBI, including arrest information supplied by participating criminal-justice agencies.
Submit an FBI Identity History Summary request
Use the FBI’s official electronic or mail process.
Provide current fingerprints
Fingerprints establish positive identity and protect the record from disclosure to unauthorized people.
Pay the FBI processing fee
The FBI currently lists the Identity History Summary fee as $18.
Review the result
If the summary contains inaccurate or incomplete information, the FBI provides a challenge process.
Registered sex offender information has a national public search
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW) is the U.S. Department of Justice’s public search tool connecting registries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and participating tribal jurisdictions.
Searches can include:
- name
- address where supported
- ZIP code
- city or town
- county where supported
- individual jurisdiction
- nationwide name search
FOIA does not give you automatic access to every criminal record
The federal Freedom of Information Act applies to records held by federal executive-branch agencies.
It does not provide access to:
- federal court records
- Congressional records
- state court records
- county records
- city police records
- private business records
Federal court records are accessed through the Judiciary’s own systems such as PACER. State and local records are governed by each state’s public-record laws and judicial rules.
Official FOIA.govHow to get an official or certified criminal court record
An online docket printout is not always enough for licensing, immigration, court proceedings, professional applications or another formal purpose.
If you need an official certified record:
Find the case number
Search the official court database first when possible.
Identify the court clerk
Contact the trial court where the criminal case was filed.
Specify the exact document
Examples include complaint, judgment, sentencing order, docket sheet or disposition.
Ask for certification when required
Certification usually carries an additional fee and authenticates the copy as an official court record.
Why a criminal record may not appear in an online search
A missing online result does not always mean that no record exists.
Wrong court
The case may be filed in another county, municipal court, district court or federal court.
Older record
Historic cases may never have been digitized or may require archive retrieval.
Sealed / expunged
Public visibility can change after court-ordered or automatic relief.
Pending-case restriction
Some jurisdictions limit remote name searching of pending criminal matters.
Name variation
Middle names, aliases, maiden names and spelling variations can affect results.
Wrong database
A jail record, court case, FBI record and state criminal-history report are different datasets.
Retention rule
A court or agency may lawfully destroy older records under an approved retention schedule.
Confidential case
Juvenile, victim-sensitive or otherwise protected matters can be excluded from public access.
Reporting gap
A central repository may not yet have complete disposition information from the originating jurisdiction.
How to make sure the criminal record belongs to the right person
A matching name is not enough to safely identify a person.
Where legally available, compare:
- full legal name
- middle name or initial
- date of birth
- aliases
- case number
- county
- offense date
- court location
- booking or inmate number
- other lawful identifiers
When identity must be established with a higher degree of confidence, fingerprint-based processes are stronger than a simple name search.
Public criminal records and background screening are not the same thing
A person can manually look at a public court docket, but businesses that compile criminal information into consumer reports for employment or other regulated purposes may be subject to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.
The Federal Trade Commission explains that employers using a consumer report to make employment decisions must follow FCRA requirements before obtaining the report and before taking adverse action based on it.
FTC employment background-check guidancePractical tips for finding public criminal records faster
Start with geography
Identify the state and county where the alleged offense occurred before searching names.
Use official court websites first
Court portals provide stronger source information than scraped people-search databases.
Search multiple court levels
A case can begin in a lower court and later move to a higher trial court.
Use a case number
A case number is usually much more precise than a common defendant name.
Search name variations
Try full middle name, middle initial, previous surname and known aliases where supported.
Recent arrest? Check jail records
Custody information can appear before a full court trail is easy to locate online.
Read the final disposition
Do not describe an accusation as a conviction.
Older case? Call the clerk
Archived paper files may not appear in modern online systems.
Federal case? Use PACER
A state court or state criminal-history search will not substitute for a federal court search.
Common questions about public criminal records
1. Are criminal records public in the United States?
Many criminal court records are public, but access varies by state, court and record type. Juvenile, sealed, expunged, investigative and other protected records may be restricted.
2. Can anyone look up someone’s criminal record?
Members of the public can often search public court dockets and some state criminal-history systems. However, there is no unrestricted national public database containing every person’s complete criminal history.
3. Are arrest records public?
Arrest information can be public, but disclosure rules vary by state and agency. Active investigative material and sensitive information may be withheld.
4. Are criminal convictions public?
Convictions are commonly available through courts or state criminal-history repositories, unless a record has been sealed, expunged, restricted or otherwise made nonpublic.
5. Are pending criminal charges public?
Filed charges are often public, but online access can be restricted. Some jurisdictions limit defendant-name searches for pending cases or require courthouse access for certain records.
6. Are FBI criminal records public?
No. The FBI’s Identity History Summary is not an open public people-search database. Individuals can request their own fingerprint-based FBI record through the official CJIS process.
7. Are juvenile criminal records public?
Juvenile records are generally subject to greater confidentiality protections, although some states provide public access in limited serious-offense circumstances.
8. Are sealed or expunged criminal records public?
Usually not through ordinary public searches. The legal effect of sealing and expungement varies by jurisdiction, and authorized agencies may retain access in some circumstances.
9. Can I search federal criminal cases online?
Yes. PACER provides public electronic access to federal district and appellate court records, subject to fees and restrictions for sealed and protected material.
10. Why can’t I find a criminal case that I know exists?
The case may be in another court, archived, sealed, expunged, confidential, not searchable by name, filed under a different name, or excluded from remote access. Contact the court clerk when the official online system does not answer the question.
Official resources for searching and understanding criminal records
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- PACER — Find a Federal Case
- U.S. Courts — Public Access to Court Proceedings and Records
- U.S. Courts — Privacy Policy for Electronic Case Files
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- DOJ — Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
- FOIA.gov — Federal Freedom of Information Act
- U.S. Department of Justice — About FOIA
- DOJ — FOIA Law-Enforcement Exemption 7
- FTC — Employment Background Checks and the FCRA
- California Courts — Rule 2.503 Public Electronic Access
- Minnesota Courts — MCRO Public Access FAQ