Start by deciding whether you need an FBI record, a state record, or a court record
There is no single document called “my criminal record” that automatically contains every federal, state and local case in one perfect file. In the United States, your FBI Identity History Summary, your state criminal-history repository record and your actual court files can contain different information. The right request depends on why you need the record and which jurisdiction created it.
Which version of your criminal record do you actually need?
Before paying a fee or getting fingerprinted, identify what the requesting agency actually wants. A federal fingerprint summary, a state record and a certified court disposition are not interchangeable.
| What you need | Official source | What it is best for | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| FBI Identity History Summary | FBI CJIS Division | Reviewing your fingerprint-supported FBI criminal-history information. | Not a substitute for every state or court record. |
| State criminal-history record | State police / BCI / SBI / DOJ / DPS | Reviewing what one state’s repository has associated with you. | Usually state-specific. |
| Court record | Court or clerk | Charges, docket, plea, dismissal, judgment and final disposition. | Usually one case or jurisdiction at a time. |
| Police/arrest record | Arresting law-enforcement agency | Arrest reports, incident reports and agency-created records. | Access depends on state/local law and investigation status. |
| Federal court case | PACER / federal court clerk | Federal indictment, docket, orders, judgment and sentencing records. | Separate from state criminal cases. |
How to obtain your FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI calls its personal criminal-history report an Identity History Summary. It is commonly called an FBI rap sheet.
The report is created from fingerprint submissions and other information sent to the FBI by authorized criminal-justice agencies.
Official FBI Identity History SummaryThree ways to submit the request
Online FBI request
Begin electronically through the FBI’s Electronic Departmental Order system, then submit fingerprints electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office or mail a fingerprint card.
Request by mail
Mail the application, current fingerprint card and exact FBI payment to the CJIS Division.
FBI-approved channeler
An approved private company can submit the request to the FBI on your behalf, normally for an additional service charge.
Fastest route: submit the FBI request online
The FBI says its electronic option is the fastest direct method. Start through the FBI’s Electronic Departmental Order portal.
Start the FBI electronic requestOpen the FBI electronic request portal
Follow the instructions under “Obtaining Your Identity History Summary.”
Enter your personal information
Use your legal information carefully. The name entered on the electronic request will be used on the response.
Pay the FBI fee
The current FBI fee is $18 per person.
Submit fingerprints
After completing the electronic request, you can use a participating U.S. Post Office for electronic fingerprints or mail a completed fingerprint card as directed by the FBI.
Receive the response
Electronic applicants receive an electronic response and can also select an option for a mailed First-Class response.
How to request your FBI record by mail
The mail method is useful when you prefer paper forms or cannot use the electronic fingerprint option.
Complete the Applicant Information Form
Each person requesting a report must complete and sign their own form. Include a complete mailing address and, when possible, phone and email contact information.
Get a current fingerprint card
Use the FBI FD-1164 fingerprint form or another acceptable standard fingerprint card. Previously processed fingerprint cards cannot be reused.
Prepare payment
Include exactly $18 per person using an accepted payment method.
Review the FBI checklist
Missing signatures, payment errors or poor fingerprints can delay the request.
Mail everything to FBI CJIS
Send the signed form, fingerprint card and payment together.
FBI mail address
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Fingerprint requirements that commonly cause delays
The FBI requires a current fingerprint submission. Poor-quality fingerprint cards can be rejected and cause processing delays.
A mailed fingerprint card should include
- your name
- date of birth
- your signature
- rolled impressions of all 10 fingers
- plain/flat impressions of all 10 fingers
- clear, legible prints
The FBI accepts FD-1164 fingerprint cards printed on standard white paper stock. If possible, have the prints taken by a trained fingerprint technician. Local police departments and private fingerprinting services may provide the service for a fee.
Current FBI fee and processing time
| Item | Current FBI guidance | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Identity History Summary | $18 per person | Same FBI fee whether requested electronically or by mail. |
| Online + electronic Post Office fingerprints | Within about 48 hours after fingerprint visit | Additional Post Office fingerprint fee may apply. |
| Electronic request + mailed fingerprint card | Approximately 10 days after FBI receives card | Add mailing time. |
| Traditional mail request | Up to 15 days | Add outbound and return mail delivery time. |
| FBI challenge | No FBI challenge fee | Average challenge response is currently listed within about 45 days. |
Accepted mail payment
The FBI currently accepts:
- credit card using the FBI Credit Card Payment Form
- money order payable to the Treasury of the United States
- certified check payable to the Treasury of the United States
If you cannot afford the $18 fee, the FBI provides a fee-waiver process for qualifying applicants. Contact the FBI for instructions before submitting the request.
When an FBI-approved channeler may be useful
An FBI-approved channeler is a private business under contract with the FBI that can collect your fingerprints and identifying information, submit the request and return the FBI response.
A channeler can be convenient when speed or nearby fingerprinting matters, but it usually charges its own service fee in addition to the FBI-related cost.
Find FBI-approved channeler informationYour state criminal-history record can be different from your FBI summary
Each state maintains its own central criminal-history repository. Depending on the state, it may be operated by the state police, a Bureau of Criminal Identification, Department of Public Safety, Department of Justice or another State Identification Bureau.
State repositories can have their own:
- fingerprint requirements
- request forms
- fees
- online or mail procedures
- processing times
- record-challenge procedures
- sealed/expunged-record rules
- employment/licensing procedures
Find the official criminal-history agency for your state
The FBI maintains a State Identification Bureau Listing covering every state’s central criminal-history agency.
Find your State Identification BureauWhat to look for on the state agency website
- “criminal history record review”
- “personal record review”
- “request your own record”
- “rap sheet review”
- “criminal history challenge”
- “fingerprint background check”
Get the actual court record when you need the final outcome
An FBI or state criminal-history summary may show an arrest, charge and a disposition if that disposition was reported. The actual court file is usually the stronger source when you need proof of exactly how one case ended.
A certified disposition can be especially useful when
- a criminal-history report shows an arrest but no disposition
- a charge was dismissed
- you completed diversion or deferred adjudication
- a conviction was vacated or set aside
- you need proof for immigration or licensing
- you are correcting a state or FBI record
Court-copy fees and procedures vary by jurisdiction.
Your local police or arrest record may require a separate request
A criminal-history summary does not necessarily include every document created during an arrest. Police reports, incident reports, booking records and investigative materials are usually maintained by the local law-enforcement agency that created them.
If you need a copy of your arrest report:
Identify the arresting agency
Find the police department, sheriff or other agency that made the arrest.
Open its official records-request page
Look for “Public Records,” “Police Records,” “Incident Reports” or “Records Division.”
Provide the incident identifiers
Case/report number, arrest date, location, your name and DOB can make the request easier to locate.
Ask what is releasable
Active investigations, victim information and other protected material may be withheld or redacted.
Use PACER if your case was prosecuted in federal court
An FBI Identity History Summary and a federal court docket are not the same record. If you had a federal criminal case, use the federal judiciary’s PACER system or contact the clerk of the federal court where the case was filed.
Find a federal court caseThe court record can show the indictment, plea, motions, orders, judgment and sentencing documents that a brief criminal-history summary may not reproduce in full.
What information can appear on an FBI Identity History Summary?
The FBI says an Identity History Summary can include information taken from fingerprint submissions maintained by the FBI.
When fingerprint submissions relate to an arrest, the summary can include:
- the agency that submitted the fingerprints
- date of arrest
- arrest charge
- disposition when known
- other fingerprint-supported identity-history information
The FBI also notes that a summary can contain certain fingerprint-related information from federal employment, naturalization or military service.
What happens if the FBI has no arrest data for you?
If the FBI does not have an Identity History Summary associated with your fingerprints, the FBI provides a response explaining that no prior arrest data is on file.
If another agency specifically needs proof that no FBI Identity History Summary exists, confirm whether the FBI response satisfies that agency’s requirement before ordering additional records.
How to correct an inaccurate FBI criminal-history record
If your FBI Identity History Summary contains incomplete or inaccurate information, the FBI provides a formal challenge process.
There are two common routes:
Correct the source agency
Contact the state repository, arresting agency or court that controls the incorrect information. Once corrected, that agency can send the appropriate update to the FBI.
Challenge through the FBI
Identify the inaccurate or incomplete entry and provide supporting documentation. The FBI can contact the source agency to verify the correct information.
Useful supporting documents
- certified court disposition
- dismissal order
- expungement/sealing order
- court docket showing the correct outcome
- letter from the reporting agency
- other official proof showing the entry is incomplete or wrong
For state-record errors, start with the state that owns the information
The FBI explains that most states require corrections to state criminal-history information to go through the state’s centralized criminal-history agency before the FBI record can be updated.
Sealing and expungement depend on the state and court
The FBI does not decide whether a state criminal case qualifies for sealing or expungement. Those rules come from the law of the state where the offense occurred and from the court or agency with authority over the record.
The FBI directs questions about sealing or expunging nonfederal arrest information to the appropriate State Identification Bureau.
Keep copies of any expungement, sealing, vacatur or set-aside order. You may need those documents later if another criminal-history system still shows the old entry.
Do not use the FBI personal-record process for an ordinary employment check
The FBI specifically states that an Identity History Summary obtained under the personal-review process is not intended for ordinary employment or licensing background checks.
If an employer, licensing board, school, healthcare agency or other organization requires fingerprint-based screening, follow the process provided by that organization or the relevant State Identification Bureau.
For immigration, visas or international use, confirm exactly what document is required
Foreign governments, consulates, immigration authorities and international employers may ask for different documents: an FBI Identity History Summary, state police clearance, local police certificate, certified court disposition or a combination of records.
Before requesting multiple records, ask the receiving authority whether it requires:
- FBI Identity History Summary
- state criminal-history certificate
- local police clearance
- certified court disposition
- apostille or authentication
- certified translation
Common mistakes that delay personal criminal-record requests
Ordering only the FBI report
The organization may actually want a state police clearance or certified court disposition.
Poor fingerprint quality
Illegible fingerprints can be rejected and create another submission cycle.
Reusing an old fingerprint card
FBI personal-review requests require a current fingerprint card.
Wrong payment
Cash and ordinary personal/business checks are not accepted for FBI mail requests.
Ignoring missing dispositions
If your report shows an arrest without a final outcome, obtain the court disposition and correct the record.
Using a background-check website as proof
A commercial database printout is not the same as your official FBI, state or certified court record.
Assuming expungement updated every system
Check the court, state repository and FBI record after record relief has been granted.
Using the report for the wrong purpose
Employment and licensing can require a separate authorized fingerprint-background-check process.
Waiting until a deadline
Fingerprint rejection, mail transit or record corrections can turn a simple request into a longer process.
Questions people commonly have when ordering their own criminal record
1. How do I get a copy of my nationwide criminal record?
Request your FBI Identity History Summary using fingerprints. For a more complete practical review, also obtain the criminal-history record maintained by each relevant state and any important court dispositions.
2. How much does an FBI criminal record cost?
The FBI currently charges $18 per person for an Identity History Summary Check. A fingerprint provider, participating Post Office or FBI-approved channeler may charge additional service fees.
3. Can I get my FBI criminal record without fingerprints?
No. The FBI states that it does not conduct a name-only search for Identity History Summary requests. Fingerprints are required to establish positive identity.
4. How long does the FBI criminal record request take?
Current FBI guidance lists processing within about 48 hours after electronic fingerprint submission at a participating U.S. Post Office, approximately 10 days after receipt of a mailed fingerprint card tied to an electronic request, and up to 15 days for a traditional mail request. Mailing time is additional.
5. Can I request my FBI record online?
Yes. The FBI provides an Electronic Departmental Order portal. You can then submit fingerprints electronically at a participating U.S. Post Office or mail a fingerprint card as instructed.
6. Does my FBI record show every court case?
Not necessarily. The FBI summary contains fingerprint-supported information submitted by authorized agencies. A local or state court record may exist even when the FBI summary does not reproduce the complete court file or final disposition.
7. How do I get my state criminal record?
Use the FBI State Identification Bureau Listing to identify the official criminal-history agency for your state, then follow that state’s personal-review procedure. Fees and fingerprint rules vary by state.
8. What do I do if my criminal record is wrong?
Identify which agency owns the inaccurate data, obtain official supporting records such as a certified court disposition, and follow the state repository or FBI challenge process. The FBI currently does not charge a fee to challenge an Identity History Summary.
9. Can I use my FBI Identity History Summary for employment?
The FBI’s personal Identity History Summary process is not intended to substitute for an authorized employment or licensing background check. Follow the employer, licensing agency or State Identification Bureau instructions for that purpose.
10. What if the FBI says I have no record?
The FBI will provide a response indicating that no prior arrest data is on file based on the fingerprints submitted. That does not necessarily mean that no local or state court record has ever existed, so check the relevant jurisdiction if a specific case matters.