What a criminal record report actually tells you
A criminal record report is not one universal government document. Depending on who created it, the report may contain court cases, convictions, arrests, incarceration information, sex-offender registration data or a fingerprint-based criminal-history summary. The safest way to understand any report is to identify its source first, then verify important entries against the government agency or court that created the underlying record.
“Criminal record report” can mean several different documents
Before ordering or trusting a report, identify what kind of record it actually is. Different systems answer different questions.
Criminal case report
Filed charges, hearings, docket entries, pleas, dispositions, judgments and sentencing information maintained by a court.
State criminal history
A centralized record maintained by a State Police, DPS, DOJ, SBI or other identification bureau.
Identity History Summary
A fingerprint-based FBI summary containing certain information associated with fingerprint submissions.
Inmate / offender record
Custody, prison location, offender number, release information or supervision information maintained by a correctional agency.
Sex-offender record
Public registration information for people subject to applicable sex-offender registration laws.
Consumer background report
A commercial report compiled from court records, public databases and other sources. Different legal rules can apply when it is used for employment, housing or another regulated purpose.
What information can appear in a criminal record report?
The exact fields depend on the agency, jurisdiction and purpose of the report, but common information includes:
- legal name and known aliases
- date of birth or birth year
- arrest date
- arresting agency
- offense or charge
- court name
- court case number
- filing date
- plea
- case disposition
- conviction information
- sentence
- probation or supervision information
- custody or incarceration information
- release information where public
- fingerprint-supported identity information
A criminal record report must be read in context
One of the biggest mistakes is treating every entry as a conviction.
| Report entry | What it generally means | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | Law enforcement took the person into custody or otherwise recorded an arrest. | It does not prove guilt or conviction. |
| Charge | A criminal allegation was filed or presented. | It does not tell you the final outcome. |
| Pending | The case has not reached final disposition. | It does not mean the person will be convicted. |
| Dismissed | The identified charge was ended without a conviction on that charge. | Other counts in the same case may have different outcomes. |
| Acquitted / Not guilty | The charge did not result in conviction after adjudication. | It should not be described as a conviction. |
| Convicted | A conviction was entered. | It does not by itself show whether the conviction was later vacated, appealed or sealed. |
| Expunged / Sealed | Access or legal treatment of the record has changed under applicable law. | It does not always mean every historical government record was physically destroyed. |
The best report for checking your own history
If you are trying to discover what criminal-history information is associated with your own identity, a fingerprint-supported personal review is generally more reliable than repeatedly searching your name.
There are two important paths:
Identity History Summary
Request your fingerprint-based FBI Identity History Summary directly from the FBI or through an FBI-approved channeler.
State criminal-history review
Contact the State Identification Bureau for the state whose record you need to inspect or correct. Procedures, fees and public-access rules vary by state.
FBI Identity History Summary: what it is and how to request it
The FBI describes an Identity History Summary—often called a “rap sheet”—as a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and some other federal processes.
The FBI’s public personal-review process is designed for the individual whose record is being requested.
Current FBI fee
The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary request. The fee is the same for the FBI’s mail and electronic request routes.
An FBI personal review is not an ordinary third-party people search
The FBI states that Identity History Summary information is provided to the subject for personal review and correction. Employment, licensing and other authorized checks can require a different state or federal submission route.
State criminal-history reports can be different from FBI reports
Each state has a central criminal-history agency—often called a State Identification Bureau. Depending on the jurisdiction, it may be part of:
- State Police
- Department of Public Safety
- Department of Justice
- Bureau of Investigation
- State Bureau of Identification
- another centralized criminal-records agency
The FBI maintains an official State Identification Bureau listing with agency contact information for every state.
Use the actual court file to verify what happened
A centralized criminal-history report is useful, but the trial court remains one of the most important sources for verifying:
- exact charges filed
- court case number
- hearing history
- plea
- dismissed counts
- convicted counts
- sentence
- later orders
USA.gov provides an official directory for locating federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.
Find the official courtHow to check another person’s public criminal record
An ordinary private person generally cannot order someone else’s unrestricted FBI Identity History Summary. Public research instead depends on what the relevant courts, state repositories and government agencies lawfully make available.
Identify the likely state and county
Start with the jurisdiction where the person lived or where the possible arrest or prosecution occurred.
Search the official court system
Look for a judiciary, clerk, district court, superior court or circuit-court case search.
Check the state’s criminal-history agency
Determine whether the State Identification Bureau provides a public name-based search and what categories of information it releases.
Check corrections when incarceration matters
Use the state Department of Corrections for state prison or supervision records.
Search federal systems separately
Federal court cases use PACER and federal inmate information uses the Bureau of Prisons.
Verify identity and disposition
Do not rely on a matching name alone, and do not treat an arrest or charge as a conviction.
Federal criminal case reports come from PACER
State court systems generally do not include federal prosecutions. The federal judiciary’s official electronic court-record system is PACER.
If you know the federal court, search that court directly. If you do not know the court, use the nationwide PACER Case Locator.
Current PACER pricing
PACER currently charges $0.10 per page for electronic court records. Most case-specific documents are capped at $3 per document. Quarterly charges of $30 or less are currently waived.
Inmate records are useful, but they are not complete criminal-history reports
Correctional databases tell you about custody or supervision. They do not necessarily show every arrest, dismissed charge or court case in a person’s history.
Federal inmates
The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator covers federal inmates incarcerated from 1982 to the present. BOP says the locator data are updated daily.
Older federal inmate records may be held by the National Archives rather than appearing in the modern BOP locator.
State inmates
Use the relevant state’s Department of Corrections offender or inmate search for state prison records. County jail detainees are often maintained separately by sheriffs or local correctional agencies.
Sex-offender registry reports are a separate record type
The Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website is the U.S. Department of Justice-supported national search connecting public sex-offender registries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and participating tribal jurisdictions.
Search NSOPWHow to read a criminal record report without misinterpreting it
Start with the source and then move line by line through the event sequence.
“No record found” is not the same as “no criminal history”
A report can come back blank for many reasons.
- no qualifying record exists in that database
- the wrong state or county was searched
- the case is in federal court
- older records are not online
- the name was entered incorrectly
- the record uses a former or alternate name
- the record was sealed or expunged
- juvenile confidentiality rules apply
- the reporting agency never submitted the information
- the database only publishes convictions, not all arrests
Identity mistakes are one of the biggest criminal-report risks
A name-based report can match the wrong person. Common names, similar dates of birth, aliases and automated database matching all increase that risk.
Before accepting a result, compare:
- full middle name
- date of birth
- known aliases
- county and state
- known address history when lawfully disclosed
- age at the time of the case
- case number
- fingerprint-supported identity when available
Sealed and expunged records can change what a report shows
Record-sealing and expungement laws vary significantly by state. A record that once appeared publicly may later disappear from a public court search, criminal-history website or consumer background report.
The FBI advises people with questions about expunging or sealing nonfederal arrest information to contact the State Identification Bureau for the state where the offense occurred.
Federal arrest information is handled differently and can be removed from the FBI criminal file following appropriate action by the submitting agency or a qualifying federal court order.
Juvenile criminal records usually have stronger access restrictions
Juvenile delinquency and juvenile criminal-history records are commonly subject to more restrictive confidentiality rules than ordinary adult criminal records.
Do not assume that a blank adult public search means no juvenile record ever existed. It may simply mean the record is not publicly accessible.
When you need proof, ask for a certified record
A search result or downloadable web page is not necessarily an official certified criminal record.
Informational
Useful for locating a record, but often not accepted as formal proof.
Document copy
A copy of a court filing or record without the clerk’s certification.
Authenticated court record
A copy authenticated according to the issuing court’s procedure.
If a school, agency, licensing body, immigration authority or attorney asks for an official disposition, confirm exactly what type of certification is required before ordering.
How to correct a criminal record report that is wrong
The correct procedure depends on where the error originates.
| Problem | Start with | Useful evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Wrong court disposition | The court that handled the case | Certified disposition, order or docket. |
| State criminal-history error | State Identification Bureau | Fingerprint review and court documentation. |
| FBI Identity History Summary error | FBI challenge process / state repository | Supporting court or agency records. |
| Wrong person’s record | Record provider and originating source | Identity documents and fingerprint comparison where appropriate. |
| Consumer-reporting error | Background reporting company | Correct court record and written dispute. |
FBI challenge process
The FBI says there is no fee to challenge an Identity History Summary. A challenge should clearly identify the information believed to be inaccurate or incomplete and include supporting documentation when available.
The FBI currently reports an average challenge response time of within 45 days after receipt.
FBI Identity History FAQsA commercial background report is not the same as an official criminal history
Private background-screening companies may combine information from multiple courts, public-record vendors and other databases.
That can make a report convenient, but it also creates opportunities for:
- wrong-person matching
- duplicate criminal entries
- missing dispositions
- outdated information
- sealed records appearing incorrectly
- charges presented without the final outcome
Employment criminal reports can trigger Fair Credit Reporting Act requirements
When an employer obtains a background report from a company in the business of compiling background information, the Federal Trade Commission says the Fair Credit Reporting Act can apply.
Before obtaining such a report, employers generally must:
- provide the required standalone disclosure
- obtain written permission
- certify compliance to the reporting company
- follow applicable antidiscrimination laws
If the employer plans to take adverse action based on the consumer report, additional notice procedures apply before and after the decision.
Tenant criminal background reports should also be checked for errors
Tenant-screening reports can contain criminal-history information in addition to credit, rental and eviction information.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau specifically advises renters to check whether:
- criminal information belongs to the correct person
- felonies and misdemeanors are identified correctly
- one case has been duplicated
- dismissed charges show the final disposition
- sealed or expunged records are appearing improperly
- outdated information is being reported
If a landlord denies housing or charges more because of information in a consumer report, federal law can give the applicant rights to learn which company provided the report and to obtain and dispute that information.
CFPB rental background-check guideWhat a useful criminal record report should make clear
A good report should help a reader distinguish the allegation from the outcome.
Who is the record about?
Enough lawful identifying information to avoid confusing two people with the same name.
Where did the data come from?
Court, law-enforcement agency, state repository, corrections agency or another identifiable source.
What actually occurred?
Arrest, charge, court filing, conviction, sentence, incarceration or registration.
How did the case end?
Conviction, dismissal, acquittal, diversion, deferred disposition or another result.
How current is it?
Reports should not hide when the source record was last checked or updated.
Can it be checked?
Court case number, agency, jurisdiction or other information should allow meaningful verification.
Five-minute report verification checklist
Common questions about criminal record reports
1. What is a criminal record report?
A criminal record report is a summary or collection of criminal-justice information associated with a person. Depending on the source, it may contain arrests, court cases, convictions, dispositions, sentencing, incarceration or registration information.
2. Is an FBI report the same as a state criminal-history report?
No. The FBI Identity History Summary is a fingerprint-based federal summary, while each state maintains its own criminal-history repository under that state’s laws and reporting practices.
3. How much does an FBI Identity History Summary cost?
The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary request. Additional fingerprinting or channeler fees may apply depending on how the fingerprints are submitted.
4. Can I order another person’s FBI criminal record?
The ordinary FBI Identity History Summary personal-review process is for the subject of the record. Third-party access for employment, licensing and similar purposes follows separate legally authorized procedures.
5. Does an arrest on a criminal report mean the person was convicted?
No. An arrest is not proof of guilt. Search the related court case and read the final disposition to determine whether the charge resulted in conviction, dismissal, acquittal or another outcome.
6. Why might a criminal record report be missing a case?
Possible reasons include incomplete reporting, a different jurisdiction, an older nondigitized case, sealing or expungement, juvenile confidentiality, name variation, or a database that publishes only selected categories such as convictions.
7. How do I correct an FBI criminal-history report?
Use the FBI Identity History Summary challenge process. Clearly identify the information believed to be inaccurate or incomplete and include supporting documentation when available. The FBI does not charge a fee for the challenge process.
8. Where can I find federal criminal court records?
Use PACER, the federal judiciary’s official electronic court-record system. Search the specific federal court when known or use the nationwide PACER Case Locator when the filing court is unknown.
9. Is a private background report an official criminal record?
Not necessarily. Private companies compile reports from courts, government records and other data sources. Important negative information should be verified with the original court or government agency.
10. Can a criminal record report be used for employment or housing decisions?
Employment and tenant screening can involve the Fair Credit Reporting Act plus state and local laws. A basic public-record search is not automatically a legally compliant consumer background-check process.
Official resources for verifying criminal record reports
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs and Challenge Information
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Listing
- USA.gov — Federal, State, County and Municipal Courts
- PACER — Find a Federal Court Case
- PACER — Current Fees
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator
- Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website
- FTC — Employment Background Checks and the FCRA
- CFPB — Review Your Rental Background Check