Start with the records that can actually identify you
If you are unsure whether you have a criminal record, do not rely on a random people-search website or a simple Google search. In the United States, arrests, court cases, convictions, jail records and fingerprint-based criminal-history records are maintained by different agencies. The most reliable self-check combines your state criminal-history repository, the courts where a case may have been filed and, when you want a nationwide fingerprint-based review, the FBI Identity History Summary process.
“Having a criminal record” can mean several different things
Before searching, it helps to know what question you are really asking. A person can have an arrest record or court case without having a criminal conviction.
Arrest record
A police or sheriff record showing that you were arrested, booked, cited or otherwise processed in connection with an alleged offense.
Criminal case
A case filed in court. The case can exist even if the charge was later dismissed or you were acquitted.
Conviction
A guilty finding or qualifying plea resulting in a criminal conviction under the law of the jurisdiction.
Criminal-history record
A centralized record built from fingerprints and information supplied by criminal-justice agencies.
Incarceration record
Information showing custody, prison admission, supervision or release maintained by a corrections agency.
Sealed / expunged record
A record whose public availability has been restricted or altered under applicable state or federal law.
A practical five-step self-check
Gather these details before you search
Court records may have been filed under an earlier version of your name, and criminal-history records can contain aliases or demographic information used to distinguish you from someone else.
- current full legal name
- former legal names
- maiden name
- middle name or initials
- date of birth
- states where you have lived
- counties where an arrest may have occurred
- approximate arrest or case year
- court case number if known
- arresting agency if known
Check your official state criminal-history record
Every state has a centralized agency responsible for criminal-history information. Depending on the state, it may be called the State Police, Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, Criminal Justice Information Services division or State Bureau of Identification.
State systems are especially important because the FBI itself explains that changes and corrections to criminal-history information often must begin with the state agency that submitted or maintains the data.
What a state personal record review may contain
Arrest information
Fingerprint-supported arrest events submitted by participating agencies, subject to state rules.
Charges
Offense information associated with qualifying arrest and prosecution events.
Disposition
Conviction, dismissal or other court outcome when successfully reported to the repository.
Find the criminal-history agency for your state
The FBI maintains an official State Identification Bureau Listing with criminal-history contacts for each state and the District of Columbia.
Find your State Identification BureauWhat to look for on the state agency website
- personal criminal-history review
- record review
- criminal-history check
- rap sheet request
- fingerprint record check
- background-check instructions
- challenge or correction procedure
- expungement or sealing information
Search court records in every state where a case may have been filed
A state criminal-history repository is valuable, but you should also check court records if you remember an arrest, citation, arraignment, probation case or criminal hearing.
USA.gov provides an official directory for federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.
Find the official court systemStart with the state judiciary
Search the official state court website for “Case Search,” “Case Lookup,” “Public Access,” “Criminal Cases” or similar terms.
Search your legal and former names
If allowed by the court system, try your full current name and any name you used when the possible case was filed.
Narrow by county and date
A common name can produce many unrelated results. County, DOB and approximate filing year can help separate your record from someone else’s.
Open the complete case history
Look beyond the charge. Find the final disposition, sentencing entry, dismissal order or other outcome.
Contact the clerk when an old case is missing
Older cases may not be digitized or may have limited remote access. Ask the clerk about archives, paper records and certified copies.
Do not assume a statewide court search covers every local case
U.S. court structures differ dramatically. Some states provide a nearly statewide online criminal-case search, while others require searches through county clerks, district courts, circuit courts, superior courts, municipal courts or justice courts.
If you remember the city or county where the event happened, use that location—not merely your current home address.
You can have an arrest record without a conviction
This is one of the most important distinctions when checking yourself. An arrest record may exist even if prosecutors never filed charges or the case was later dismissed.
| Event | Possible record | Does it automatically mean conviction? |
|---|---|---|
| Police arrest | Police / sheriff / fingerprint record | No |
| Jail booking | Booking / custody record | No |
| Criminal charge filed | Court case | No |
| Charge dismissed | Court case may still exist historically | No conviction on that dismissed charge |
| Not guilty / acquitted | Court case remains subject to access rules | No conviction on that charge |
| Guilty finding / qualifying plea | Conviction record | Yes, subject to the jurisdiction’s law |
If your main concern is whether you have a conviction, focus on the court’s final disposition rather than merely asking whether an arrest record exists.
Request your FBI Identity History Summary for a fingerprint-based national review
The FBI’s Identity History Summary Check is often called an FBI criminal-history record, rap sheet, police clearance or criminal background check.
It contains certain information associated with fingerprints submitted to the FBI by criminal-justice and other authorized entities.
| Item | Current FBI information |
|---|---|
| Who can request it? | You can request your own Identity History Summary. |
| Current FBI fee | $18 per request. |
| Fingerprints required? | Yes. The FBI does not perform a name-only personal Identity History Summary check. |
| Electronic request? | Yes. Electronic submission is available through the FBI process. |
| Mail request? | Yes. A completed request and current fingerprint card may be mailed. |
| Can you order someone else’s? | No, not through the ordinary personal FBI Identity History Summary process. |
Why fingerprints give you a stronger answer than a name search
Names are not unique. Fingerprints allow the FBI or state criminal-history repository to compare you against fingerprint-supported records associated with your identity.
For an FBI request, the FBI requires a current fingerprint submission. It does not perform a name check for the personal Identity History Summary process.
Ways to submit fingerprints for the FBI process
Participating U.S. Post Office
After beginning an electronic FBI request, participating USPS locations can electronically submit fingerprints. Additional fingerprinting fees may apply.
Fingerprint card
You can have fingerprints taken by a law-enforcement agency or another fingerprint provider and mail the completed card according to FBI instructions.
FBI-approved Channeler
Approved channelers can electronically submit fingerprint information to the FBI and return the result to the individual, with their own additional service charges.
How to submit an FBI request by mail
If you use the direct mail process, follow the current FBI application instructions and include the required application, payment and fingerprint materials.
FBI CJIS mailing address
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
The FBI does not accept cash, personal checks or business checks for the ordinary Identity History Summary request. Follow the FBI’s current payment instructions before mailing anything.
If you cannot pay the current $18 FBI fee, the FBI FAQ states that fee-waiver instructions may be requested before submitting the application.
Check PACER if you might have a federal criminal case
State criminal-history and court websites do not substitute for federal court records. Federal district, appellate and bankruptcy court case information is accessed through PACER.
If you know the federal court where the case was filed, search that court directly. If you are not sure, use the PACER Case Locator, which searches a nationwide index of federal cases.
Search federal court recordsCurrent PACER pricing
As of September 2026, PACER charges $0.10 per page for most online case information. Most case-specific documents are capped at $3 per document. If your quarterly PACER charges total $30 or less, the fees are currently waived.
Corrections records can confirm incarceration, but they are not a complete criminal-history check
If you know that you served time in state prison or were placed under a state corrections agency’s supervision, check the appropriate Department of Corrections.
USA.gov provides an official directory of state departments of corrections.
Find your state corrections departmentAn active warrant is not the same thing as a criminal conviction
You may also be concerned about an old or active warrant. Warrant access varies considerably by state, county and court, and there is no single public nationwide warrant database operated for ordinary public self-checks.
If you believe a warrant may have been issued:
- identify the court or county connected with the underlying matter
- check that court’s official case system
- review the county sheriff’s official warrant guidance
- contact the issuing court when instructions are unclear
What if your record was sealed or expunged?
Sealing and expungement laws vary by state. A record that once appeared in a public court search or background database may later become restricted.
The FBI instructs people with questions about sealing or expungement of nonfederal arrest information to contact the State Identification Bureau in the state where the offense occurred.
For federal arrest data, the FBI says removal can occur at the request of the submitting agency or upon receipt of an appropriate federal court order that specifically directs expungement.
Juvenile records may not appear in ordinary adult searches
If the event occurred when you were a juvenile, do not assume an adult court search will answer the question. Juvenile records are often governed by separate confidentiality, sealing and access rules.
Contact the juvenile or family court that handled the matter, or your state’s central criminal-history agency, to determine whether the record exists, whether you may obtain it and whether it has been sealed.
If every online search is blank, are you definitely clear?
Not necessarily. A blank online search is encouraging, but it does not prove that no criminal-justice record exists anywhere.
Why a record may not appear online
Old case
The court may not have digitized records from the year your case was filed.
Wrong jurisdiction
You may be searching the state where you live instead of the state or county where the event occurred.
Name variation
The record may be indexed under a former name, maiden name or different spelling.
Record restriction
Sealed, expunged or juvenile records can have limited or no public online visibility.
Reporting gap
A disposition or arrest event may not have been transmitted correctly to a centralized repository.
Federal case
A federal prosecution must be checked through federal court systems such as PACER.
What to do if your criminal-history record is wrong
Mistakes can happen when a disposition was not reported, identity information was associated incorrectly or an old record was not updated after a court action.
Get your official record first
Obtain your state personal review or FBI Identity History Summary so you can identify the exact event you believe is inaccurate.
Find the originating agency
Determine whether the disputed information came from a police department, sheriff, court, state identification bureau or federal agency.
Collect supporting documents
A certified dismissal, corrected disposition, expungement order or another official record can support the correction.
Use the official challenge procedure
Follow the state repository or FBI challenge process rather than asking a commercial background website to correct the government’s source record.
Challenging an FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI provides a formal challenge process when you believe your Identity History Summary is inaccurate or incomplete. The FBI currently states there is no fee for a challenge.
Include available documentation that supports the correction you are requesting. State-originated information may need to be corrected by the state agency before the FBI record can be updated.
FBI Identity History FAQChecking yourself before a job is different from an employer’s official background check
It can be useful to review your own court and criminal-history records before applying for a job, professional license or other opportunity so you understand what government records may exist.
However, the FBI specifically says its direct personal Identity History Summary process is for your own review and correction. When a U.S. employer, licensing board or adoption agency legally requires an FBI-based background check, federal or state law may require fingerprints to be submitted through the requesting agency, State Identification Bureau or another authorized channel.
What document should you keep as proof of your record status?
There is no single universal “certificate of no criminal record” for every purpose in the United States. The document you need depends on who is requesting proof.
FBI summary
Useful for seeing the FBI fingerprint-based information associated with you or receiving a no-summary response.
State criminal-history result
Useful for understanding what your state’s central repository maintains and releases to you.
Certified court disposition
Often the strongest proof of how a particular arrest or criminal prosecution was resolved.
Self-check tips that prevent common mistakes
Use fingerprints for certainty
Name-based searches are useful for discovery; fingerprint-based checks are stronger for identity verification.
Search old names
Court indexes may still use the name you had when the case was filed.
Think jurisdiction
Search where the event happened, not only where you currently live.
Read dispositions
An arrest and a filed charge are not enough to determine whether you were convicted.
Check federal separately
State court systems do not replace PACER for federal criminal prosecutions.
Do not trust one database
Court, state repository and FBI records can answer different questions.
Keep case numbers
Once you identify a case, save the exact number and court location for future copy or correction requests.
Old case? Call the clerk
Online databases often do not include every historical file.
Correct the source
Fix the government source record first when a background-reporting company is repeating inaccurate data.
Questions people ask when checking their own criminal history
1. How can I know for sure whether I have a criminal record?
For the strongest answer, request your own fingerprint-based criminal-history record from your state repository and consider an FBI Identity History Summary. Also search court records in the jurisdictions where any arrest or criminal case may have occurred.
2. If I was arrested but never convicted, do I still have a criminal record?
You may still have an arrest or court record even without a conviction. Whether that information is publicly available, included in a criminal-history repository or eligible for sealing depends on the jurisdiction.
3. How much does an FBI criminal-history check cost?
The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary Check requested directly from the FBI. Additional fingerprinting or channeler fees may apply depending on how you submit fingerprints.
4. Does the FBI check require fingerprints?
Yes. The FBI requires fingerprints for an Identity History Summary request and does not provide a name-only personal Identity History Summary check.
5. Can I check my criminal record online for free?
Many court systems provide free public case searches, but state criminal-history checks and the FBI Identity History Summary may charge fees. Access and pricing vary by jurisdiction.
6. If nothing appears on a court website, does that mean I have no criminal record?
Not necessarily. Older cases may be offline, a case may be filed in another county or state, the record may be sealed, or the information may exist only in a criminal-history repository.
7. How do I know whether an old charge became a conviction?
Locate the criminal court case and read the final disposition for each charge. A certified court disposition can provide official confirmation of the outcome.
8. Can I see my federal criminal cases?
Yes. Federal court case information is available through PACER. Search the specific federal court when known or use the PACER Case Locator to search the nationwide federal index.
9. What do I do if my FBI or state criminal record is wrong?
Obtain the official record, identify the inaccurate event, collect supporting court or agency documentation and follow the state repository or FBI challenge procedure. State-originated data often must first be corrected by the state agency that supplied it.
10. Does an expunged or sealed record mean I have no record at all?
Not necessarily. Sealing and expungement have different legal effects depending on the jurisdiction. A record can remain available to certain government agencies even when it is no longer visible to ordinary public users.
Official government resources for checking yourself
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Listing
- FBI — State-Maintained Criminal Records Listing
- FBI — Approved Identity History Summary Channelers
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- USA.gov — State Departments of Corrections
- PACER — Find a Federal Court Case
- PACER — Current Pricing and Fee Rules