Does no FBI record mean I have never had a criminal record?

Not necessarily. State, court and local law-enforcement records may be maintained separately or subject to different reporting, sealing and access rules.

How Can I Obtain My Criminal Record: Criminal Records Guide

Q: What is the fastest way to get my own criminal record?

For an FBI Identity History Summary, the FBI indicates that an electronic request is generally faster than a fully mailed request. Fingerprints are still required.

Q: Can I request someone else's FBI criminal record?

The ordinary Identity History Summary process is for the subject's own record. The FBI does not provide another person's personal Identity History Summary to an unrelated private requester.

Q: Is my FBI record the same as my state criminal record?

Not necessarily. States maintain their own criminal-history repositories and can have different records, update procedures and disclosure rules.

Q: How do I prove that an old case was dismissed?

Contact the court that handled the case and request the final disposition or dismissal order. A certified court copy is often useful for formal proof or record correction.

Q: Can I use my personal FBI report for a job or professional license?

Not necessarily. Employment and licensing checks may be required to go through a state identification bureau, designated fingerprint channel or requesting government agency. Follow the requesting organization's instructions.

Q: What if I need my FBI record for use in another country?

Check the foreign authority's requirements. An FBI Identity History Summary may need a U.S. Department of State apostille or authentication, and some countries may also request state or local police records.

U.S. personal criminal-history guide

Choose the record you actually need before ordering anything

There is no single document called “my criminal record” that works for every purpose in the United States. You may need an FBI Identity History Summary, a state criminal-history record, a certified court disposition, a local police record, or a combination of these. Choosing the correct record first can save money, fingerprint fees and unnecessary repeat requests.

Coverage: United States Purpose: Your own records Information checked: September 2026

Fast answer: If you simply want to review your own nationwide FBI identity-history information, request an FBI Identity History Summary. If you need the most complete information maintained by one state, contact that state’s State Identification Bureau. If you need proof of how a particular criminal case ended, request the court docket or certified disposition from the court that handled the case.

Get my FBI record Fingerprint-based Identity History Summary for personal review.

FBI steps →

Get my state record Request the criminal-history record maintained by your state’s central repository.

State route →

Get my court record Case docket, disposition, sentencing order or certified copy.

Court route →

Fix an incorrect record Challenge missing dispositions, wrong arrests or identity mismatches.

Correction guide →

Start by matching the record to the reason you need it

“Criminal record” can refer to several different government records. One may show an arrest while another shows the court’s final disposition. A third may contain fingerprint-supported information from several jurisdictions.

If you need…	Best starting source	Why	Important limitation
A personal nationwide identity-history review	FBI Identity History Summary	Fingerprint-based search of FBI-maintained identity-history information.	It is not the same as every state repository’s complete file.
Your complete record in one state	State Identification Bureau / state police	State repositories maintain their own criminal-history information and correction procedures.	Rules, fees and fingerprint requirements differ by state.
Proof that a case was dismissed or resolved	Court clerk	The court maintains the official case disposition and filed documents.	A background report may not substitute for a certified disposition.
A recent arrest or police report	Arresting police or sheriff	The law-enforcement agency created the arrest or incident record.	Access depends on state law and investigation status.
A federal criminal case	PACER / federal court clerk	Federal court files are maintained separately from state court systems.	PACER access may involve fees.
Employment or professional licensing	The requesting agency’s required process	The law may require a specific state/federal fingerprint channel.	Do not assume a personal FBI summary meets the official requirement.
Visa, residence or foreign use	Requirements of the destination authority	The authority may ask for an FBI record, state certificate or local police certificate.	An apostille or authentication may also be required.

If your goal is simply “I want to see what is on my record,” a useful approach is to obtain both your FBI Identity History Summary and the record from the state where the arrest or conviction occurred. Then compare those records with the actual court disposition.

How to obtain your FBI Identity History Summary

The FBI calls its fingerprint-based personal criminal-history response an Identity History Summary. It is also commonly called an FBI rap sheet, police background clearance or FBI criminal-history record.

The summary is created from information associated with fingerprint submissions maintained by the FBI. It can contain arrest information and dispositions and, in some cases, information connected with federal employment, naturalization or military service.

FBI Identity History Summary Checks

You can request your own FBI summary, not another person’s. The FBI does not provide an unrelated private requester with someone else’s Identity History Summary.

Three ways to obtain the FBI result

Direct online

Electronic Departmental Order

Start the request online, pay electronically, and submit fingerprints through an approved route.

Direct mail

Paper request to FBI CJIS

Mail the signed request form, current fingerprints and accepted payment to the FBI.

Private intermediary

FBI-approved Channeler

An approved Channeler electronically submits your fingerprint request to the FBI and may charge an additional fee.

Fastest direct route: start the FBI request electronically

The FBI’s electronic process is commonly the easiest direct route because the application, payment and status communication begin online.

Open the FBI electronic request system

Start through the FBI’s official Identity History Summary page and follow the link to the Electronic Departmental Order system.

Enter your identifying information

Complete the personal details requested by the FBI carefully. The name entered on the electronic request is the name that appears on the response letter.

Pay the FBI processing fee

The current FBI fee is $18. Fingerprinting or Post Office fees, if applicable, are separate.

Submit current fingerprints

Electronic applicants may use a participating U.S. Post Office after completing the FBI request, or they may mail a completed fingerprint card according to FBI instructions.

Watch for the electronic response

Electronic applicants receive an electronic result and can also choose an FBI response by First-Class Mail.

Review every arrest and disposition

Compare the record with your known court outcomes. If something is wrong or incomplete, use the challenge process described later in this guide.

Start FBI Electronic Request

You can request your FBI record entirely by mail

A mail request remains available if you prefer not to use the electronic application. The FBI’s current request package requires three core items:

completed and signed Identity History Summary Request Form
current fingerprint card
exact $18 payment using an accepted method
useful contact information in case FBI staff need to reach you

Mail request address

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

Current accepted mail-payment methods

The FBI request form allows payment by credit-card form, certified check or money order. The current FBI checklist instructs people using a certified check or money order to make it payable to the Treasury of the United States.

Do not send cash, personal checks or business checks. The FBI says these are not accepted for Identity History Summary requests.

FBI Request Form FBI Fingerprint Form FD-1164

Your FBI request requires fingerprints — a name search is not enough

The FBI does not perform an Identity History Summary request as a simple name-based criminal-record search. Fingerprints are required so the agency can positively associate the record with the correct person.

Where you can get fingerprints taken

participating U.S. Post Office locations for eligible electronic FBI requests
local police or sheriff agencies that offer fingerprinting
state or county law-enforcement fingerprint services
private fingerprinting businesses
FBI-approved Channelers where appropriate

Fingerprint fees are separate from the FBI’s $18 charge. A law-enforcement agency, Post Office, Channeler or private fingerprint provider may charge its own service fee.

What the fingerprint card needs

FBI guidance calls for a properly completed card containing identifying information, all ten rolled fingerprint impressions and the required plain impressions.

Use current fingerprints. The FBI says a fingerprint card from a previous Identity History Summary request cannot simply be reused for a new request.

If your fingerprints keep getting rejected

The FBI recommends having multiple sets taken, preferably by a fingerprint technician, when fingerprints are difficult to capture clearly.

Current FBI cost, copies and fee-waiver option

Item	Current FBI guidance	Important detail
Identity History Summary request	$18	Same FBI processing fee for direct electronic or mail request.
Fingerprinting	Varies	Provider or Post Office charges can be additional.
Electronic copies	No separate FBI copy fee stated	You can print copies of the electronic response.
Additional sealed mailed response	Another $18 request	Required for each additional sealed response requested from the FBI.
Challenge to FBI summary	No fee	The FBI does not charge to challenge inaccurate or incomplete information.

Unable to pay the $18 fee? FBI guidance says to contact the Identity History Summary unit before submitting your request for instructions about a possible fee waiver.

When an FBI-approved Channeler may be useful

An FBI-approved Channeler is a private organization approved to receive your fingerprint submission and personal data, collect applicable fees, electronically send the request to the FBI and return the FBI result to you.

A Channeler can be useful when speed or convenient fingerprint submission matters, but its own charges are separate from direct FBI pricing.

FBI-Approved Channeler List

Use the FBI’s current approved list. Do not assume that a company advertising an “FBI background check” is an FBI-approved Channeler. Verify the provider on FBI.gov before submitting fingerprints or sensitive identity information.

Request your state criminal-history record separately when needed

The FBI summary and your state criminal-history record are related but are not necessarily identical. States maintain their own criminal-history repositories and can have different disclosure rules, fees, retention rules and correction procedures.

The FBI maintains a State Identification Bureau Listing with the centralized criminal-history agency for each state.

Find Your State Criminal-History Agency

What to look for on the state agency website

personal criminal-history review
personal record request
rap sheet request
criminal-history challenge
fingerprint-based personal review
State Identification Bureau or criminal-history repository

State procedures vary substantially. Some states allow online name searches, while a complete personal record may require fingerprints. Other states provide only the subject of the record with certain nonpublic information.

Why getting the state record can matter

The FBI notes that several states maintain criminal-history records at the state level and that updates or corrections may need to be processed through the state repository before the FBI record can be changed.

Get the court record when you need the actual case outcome

A criminal-history summary is useful for seeing reported history, but the court file is usually the strongest source for determining exactly how a particular case was resolved.

You may need the court when you want:

the charging document
case docket or register of actions
plea information
dismissal order
sentencing order
judgment
certified disposition
expungement or sealing order

Step-by-step court record workflow

1 Identify the jurisdiction Find the state and county where the prosecution occurred.

2 Find the court Use the state judiciary website or local court directory.

3 Locate the case Use your name or, preferably, the case number.

4 Order the right document Ask for a plain or certified disposition depending on the purpose.

USA.gov provides an official starting directory for federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.

Find the Court That Handled Your Case

If your background record shows an arrest with no final result, the court clerk is often the most important next stop. Obtain the final disposition and use it when challenging incomplete information with the state repository or FBI.

A local police or sheriff record answers a different question

If you want the original arrest report, booking record, police incident report or local criminal-history information, contact the agency that made the arrest or created the report.

Police / sheriff

Arrest report

Details generated by the law-enforcement agency around the arrest or incident.

Jail

Booking record

Custody, booking, release and listed-charge information, depending on local law.

Court

Case disposition

The legal outcome after charges are filed with the court.

An arrest record and a conviction are not the same thing. If you are checking your record for accuracy, always trace an arrest through to the court disposition.

Use PACER for your federal criminal court case

If you were prosecuted in federal court, the court case is separate from state and county records. The official federal electronic case system is PACER.

If you know the federal district or court, search that court directly. If you do not remember which federal court handled the matter, use the nationwide PACER Case Locator.

Find a Federal Case

Current PACER pricing

PACER currently charges $0.10 per page for most electronic case information, with a $3 cap on many individual case documents. If your total PACER charges are $30 or less in a quarter, the current system waives those fees.

Need an official paper or certified federal court document? Contact the Clerk’s Office of the federal court where the case was filed. PACER is excellent for researching the docket, but a formal use may require a court-issued copy.

Sealed documents will not appear publicly in PACER. Some criminal documents and juvenile or investigation-related material can be unavailable to public users.

For employment or licensing, follow the requesting agency’s instructions

A common mistake is ordering a personal FBI Identity History Summary when an employer, licensing board or government agency requires a different statutory fingerprint process.

The FBI’s personal-review system explains that an Identity History Summary obtained under the personal-review process is not automatically the correct route for U.S. employment, licensing or adoption requirements.

Before paying for anything, ask the requesting organization exactly what it requires. The correct procedure may need to go through your State Identification Bureau, a designated fingerprint vendor, a federal agency or another authorized channel.

Questions to ask the employer or licensing agency

Do you require state fingerprints, FBI fingerprints or both?
Do I need a specific service code or authorization number?
Must results go directly to your agency?
Can I submit my own FBI Identity History Summary?
How recent must the record be?
Is a certified court disposition needed for a disclosed case?

For immigration, visas or foreign residence, check the destination’s exact requirement

Foreign governments, immigration authorities and overseas employers may use terms such as police clearance certificate, criminal-history certificate, good conduct certificate or FBI background check.

Those phrases are not always interchangeable. Some authorities want an FBI Identity History Summary, while others may also ask for records from each state or locality where you lived.

Before ordering multiple records, read the receiving country’s instructions. That can prevent you from paying for a state record when only an FBI summary is required—or obtaining an FBI summary when the authority actually wants a local police certificate.

The U.S. Department of State provides guidance on criminal-record checks for use abroad.

If the record will be used abroad, you may need an apostille or authentication

The FBI currently authenticates its fingerprint-search results with an FBI watermark and the signature of a division official.

If a foreign authority requires additional legalization, a federal FBI background check may need an apostille or authentication through the U.S. Department of State.

U.S. Department of State Apostille Guidance

State documents follow a different authentication path. A state criminal-history document may first need certification or apostille through the state that issued it. Follow the destination country’s instructions before submitting documents.

What to do if your FBI criminal-history record is wrong or incomplete

The FBI provides a formal Identity History Summary challenge process. There is currently no FBI fee to challenge the summary.

Obtain your Identity History Summary first

You need to identify exactly which arrest, charge, disposition or identifier is incorrect.

Find the originating record

Determine which police agency, court or state repository supplied the disputed information.

Get supporting documents

A certified dismissal, amended judgment, expungement order or corrected disposition can help establish what needs to be changed.

Use the appropriate challenge path

Many state-originated errors need to be corrected through the State Identification Bureau, which can then provide the updated information to the FBI when appropriate.

Submit the FBI challenge if needed

Clearly identify the information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete and include available supporting documentation.

The FBI states that Identity History Summary challenges are processed in the order received and currently reports an average response time of within 45 days.

FBI Identity History Challenge Guidance

What if your case was expunged, sealed or dismissed?

Obtaining court relief does not always mean every database changes instantly. The court, state criminal-history repository, arresting agency and FBI can hold different parts of the record and may receive updates through different reporting processes.

The FBI says questions about sealing or expungement of nonfederal arrest data should generally begin with the State Identification Bureau for the state where the offense occurred.

For federal arrest data, the FBI states that removal can occur at the request of the submitting agency or after receipt of a federal court order that specifically directs expungement.

Keep a certified copy of your relief order. A certified expungement, sealing or dismissal order can be important if an old entry later appears on a criminal-history report.

If the FBI says you have no Identity History Summary

A “no summary” result means the FBI did not return an Identity History Summary for your fingerprints through that request. It should not automatically be interpreted to mean that no government agency anywhere has ever maintained any record involving you.

Local police records, state-maintained records, sealed information or court records can be subject to different systems and access rules.

If you know a case existed but the FBI summary is blank, search the state repository and the court where the case was handled. Those sources can help explain whether the case was not reported, was removed, was sealed or exists only in another records system.

Do not confuse an FBI criminal-history request with a FOIA request

If your goal is your FBI Identity History Summary, the FBI specifically directs users to the Identity History Summary process rather than the Freedom of Information / Privacy Act request system.

FOIA can be appropriate for other FBI records, but it is not the correct application route for obtaining your ordinary fingerprint-based rap sheet.

Using the wrong FBI request channel can delay your task. For your rap sheet, start with the FBI CJIS Identity History Summary process.

FBI Identity History Summary contact information

Identity Summary questions

FBI CJIS

Phone: 304-625-5590

Email: identity@fbi.gov

Mail requests

Summary Request

FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306

No map is embedded on this nationwide page. The Clarksburg address is primarily relevant for mailed requests, while fingerprinting is performed through participating Post Offices, law-enforcement agencies and other authorized providers around the country. A single-location map would add page weight without helping most users complete the task.

Common questions about getting your own criminal record

1. What is the fastest way to get my own criminal record?

If you want an FBI Identity History Summary, submitting the request electronically is generally faster than a fully mailed application. Fingerprints are still required, and the FBI processes requests in the order received.

2. How much does an FBI criminal-history request cost?

The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary request. Fingerprinting providers, participating Post Offices or FBI-approved Channelers may charge additional service fees.

3. Can I get my FBI record using only my name and date of birth?

No. The FBI Identity History Summary process requires fingerprints so the FBI can positively identify the subject of the record.

4. Can I request someone else’s FBI criminal record?

Not through the ordinary personal Identity History Summary process. The FBI provides the personal summary to the subject of the record rather than to an unrelated private requester.

5. Is my FBI record the same as my state criminal record?

Not necessarily. States maintain their own repositories, and some information or corrections can be maintained at the state level. If accuracy matters, compare the FBI summary with the relevant state criminal-history record and court disposition.

6. How do I prove that an old case was dismissed?

Locate the court that handled the case and request the final disposition or dismissal order. A certified court copy is often the strongest document when correcting a criminal-history record or responding to an official request.

7. Can I use my personal FBI report for a job or professional license?

Do not assume so. Employment, licensing and adoption checks may be required to go through a state identification bureau, designated fingerprint provider, federal agency or another authorized route. Follow the requesting organization’s instructions.

8. How do I correct an error on my FBI rap sheet?

Obtain your Identity History Summary, identify the incorrect entry and collect supporting documentation. State-originated information may need to be corrected through the relevant State Identification Bureau. The FBI also provides an Identity History Summary challenge process.

9. What if I need my FBI record for use in another country?

Check the foreign authority’s requirements. You may need the FBI Identity History Summary plus an apostille or authentication through the U.S. Department of State. Some countries also request state or local police certificates.

10. Does “no FBI record” mean I have never had any criminal record?

Not necessarily. A no-summary response means the FBI did not return an Identity History Summary for that fingerprint request. State, court or local records can be maintained separately or subject to different reporting and access rules.