First, decide which criminal record copy you actually need
“My criminal record” can mean several different documents in the United States. You may need your state criminal-history report, an FBI Identity History Summary, a certified court disposition, a local police or arrest record, or a document authenticated for immigration or use outside the United States. The correct agency depends on why you need the record and what the receiving organization has asked you to provide.
The five records people most often confuse
Before requesting a copy, identify what the receiving agency actually wants. These documents can contain overlapping information but serve different purposes.
| Record | Where it comes from | Best for | Usually fingerprint-based? |
|---|---|---|---|
| State criminal-history record | State police, department of public safety, attorney general or state identification bureau | Reviewing criminal history maintained within one state | Often, especially for your own full record |
| FBI Identity History Summary | FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division | National fingerprint-based personal record review and some foreign-use requirements | Yes |
| Certified court disposition | Clerk of the court where the case was filed | Proving exactly how a specific charge or case ended | No |
| Police/arrest record | Police department, sheriff or arresting agency | Incident report, arrest report, booking or agency-level documentation | Usually no |
| Consumer background report | Private consumer reporting company | Employment, housing or other permitted screening uses | Depends on service and law |
How to get a copy of your state criminal-history record
Every state has a central criminal-history repository, although the agency name varies. It may be called a Bureau of Criminal Identification, State Bureau of Investigation, Department of Public Safety, State Police, Crime Information Center or something similar.
State criminal-history records generally contain information submitted by law-enforcement, courts and criminal-justice agencies within that state.
Find your state’s official criminal-history repository
Use the FBI’s State Identification Bureau Listing or your state government’s official criminal-history page. Avoid starting with a commercial people-search site.
Look for “Record Review,” “Right of Access” or “Personal Criminal History”
States use different terminology for a request by the person whose record is being requested.
Check whether fingerprints are required
Many states use fingerprints to ensure that your criminal-history record is matched to you rather than another person with a similar name.
Prepare identification and the state form
Requirements may include government-issued ID, fingerprints, notarization, a signed application and payment.
Choose online, mail or in-person submission
Availability differs by state. Some repositories provide electronic fingerprinting; others still require fingerprint cards or mailed forms.
Review the result against court records
If a disposition is missing or appears incorrect, obtain the underlying court disposition before starting the state correction process.
Find the official criminal-history agency for your state
The FBI maintains a current directory of centralized State Identification Bureaus for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories.
Find your State Identification Bureau
State Police
Several states place criminal-history services within the State Police or Highway Patrol.
Bureau of Investigation
Other states operate a Bureau of Criminal Identification or State Bureau of Investigation.
Department of Public Safety
In many jurisdictions the central repository sits within a public-safety department.
How to request your FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI calls its fingerprint-based personal criminal-history report an Identity History Summary. It is also commonly called a “rap sheet,” police background clearance or FBI background check.
The FBI currently charges $18 for a personal Identity History Summary request.
FBI Identity History Summary Start FBI electronic request
Fastest practical FBI route: start electronically
The FBI states that electronic requests should be processed faster after it receives the required fingerprints, although requests are still handled in the order received and there is no FBI expedited-processing option.
Using a participating U.S. Post Office
After completing an electronic FBI request, eligible applicants can use a participating USPS location to submit fingerprints electronically. USPS charges its own fingerprinting fee in addition to the FBI’s $18 Identity History Summary fee.
You can also request the FBI record entirely by mail
A mail request requires the FBI application materials, payment and a current fingerprint card.
Complete the FBI application
Follow the current Identity History Summary request instructions and provide the identifying information required by the FBI.
Get a current fingerprint card
The FBI accepts the FD-1164 fingerprint form and qualifying fingerprint cards prepared by law-enforcement or fingerprint providers.
Include the $18 payment
Follow the FBI’s current payment instructions. Do not send cash, personal checks or business checks.
Mail the complete packet
Send it to the FBI CJIS Division’s current Identity History Summary address.
Identity History Summary Request
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Why fingerprints are required for the FBI copy
The FBI does not provide an Identity History Summary based only on a name search. Fingerprints positively identify the subject of the record and help prevent information belonging to someone with a similar name from being released to the wrong person.
You may be able to obtain fingerprints from:
- a participating U.S. Post Office after an electronic FBI request
- local police or sheriff departments
- state or county law-enforcement agencies
- qualified private fingerprinting providers
- an FBI-approved channeler
- other authorized fingerprint vendors
If fingerprints are rejected
Poor-quality impressions can delay a request. The FBI recommends having multiple fingerprint sets taken—preferably by a trained fingerprint technician—when prints have repeatedly been rejected.
An FBI-approved channeler is another option
FBI-approved channelers are private organizations authorized to receive fingerprint submissions and identifying data, electronically forward them to the FBI, and return the FBI Identity History Summary to the individual.
Channelers charge their own service fees in addition to applicable FBI costs. Availability can also depend on citizenship, location and the purpose of the request.
Current FBI-approved channelers
When you need a certified criminal court disposition instead
Many immigration, licensing, professional, legal or record-correction situations do not merely ask for a “background check.” They ask for a certified disposition or certified copy of the actual criminal case.
That record generally comes from the clerk of the court where the criminal case was filed.
Information that helps the clerk find the case
- full legal name used in the case
- case number
- date of birth where permitted
- approximate filing or conviction year
- county or court location
- offense or charge
- document type required
- whether certification is required
Plain copy, certified copy, exemplified copy and FBI result are different
| Document | What it means | Who normally issues it |
|---|---|---|
| Plain copy | An ordinary reproduction of the record. | Court clerk, agency or online records system |
| Certified court copy | The clerk certifies that the copy is a true copy of the court record. | Clerk of court |
| Exemplified copy | A higher form of court authentication sometimes required for formal interstate or international use. | Court clerk / judge according to court procedure |
| FBI Identity History Summary | Fingerprint-based federal summary issued with FBI authentication features. | FBI CJIS |
| Apostille | Authentication of an official signature/seal for use in a Hague Convention country. | Appropriate state authority or U.S. Department of State, depending on issuer |
How to get a copy of a federal criminal court record
Federal prosecutions are separate from state criminal-history repositories. Federal district, appellate and bankruptcy case records are accessed through PACER or the clerk’s office of the federal court that maintains the case.
Open PACER Find a federal case
Electronic copy
PACER currently charges $0.10 per page. Most case-specific documents are capped at $3 per document, although some searches and transcripts are not subject to that cap.
Certified federal copy
Contact the federal court clerk if you need certification, older materials or records not available remotely.
Pre-November 1, 2004
PACER restricts remote public access to certain older criminal-case documents. Contact the clerk for viewing or copy options.
How to request an arrest report or police record
A state criminal-history record does not necessarily contain the full police report, body-camera video, witness statements or incident file. Those records are generally maintained by the law-enforcement agency that created them.
Identify the arresting or investigating agency
This might be a city police department, county sheriff, state police or another law-enforcement agency.
Find its official records-request page
Search the government agency’s site for Public Records, Records Division, Police Reports or Freedom of Information instructions.
Provide identifying case details
Include report number, event date, location, names involved and the specific record you want whenever possible.
Expect privacy and investigation restrictions
Active investigative material, juvenile information, victim information, medical data and other protected information may be withheld or redacted.
Can you request another person’s criminal record?
The answer depends on the type of record.
Another person’s FBI rap sheet
No. The FBI does not provide another person’s Identity History Summary through the personal-request process.
Another person’s state history
Rules vary. Some states provide public name-based conviction searches; others restrict full criminal-history records or require consent.
Public court case
Many public criminal court records can be searched by members of the public, subject to sealing, expungement and confidentiality laws.
How to verify that a criminal record copy is genuine
Verification depends on who issued the record and what you will use it for.
Certification
Order the document directly from the clerk and request a certified copy if the receiving organization requires official court authentication.
Watermark + signature
FBI Identity History Summary responses are authenticated with the FBI watermark and signature of a division official.
Repository verification
Use the state criminal-history agency’s official result rather than a screenshot from a private people-search website.
Apostille/authentication
The official signature may need an additional authentication certificate or apostille.
When your criminal record needs an apostille or authentication
Immigration authorities, foreign employers, schools, adoption authorities or governments may require a criminal-record document to be authenticated before it can be used abroad.
The correct authentication route depends on whether the document is federal or state/local.
FBI background check
FBI Identity History Summary results can be submitted to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications when an apostille or federal authentication certificate is required.
State police or court record
Contact the state’s Secretary of State or designated authentication authority for instructions applicable to documents issued within that state.
Before ordering a criminal record for immigration or overseas use
Ask the embassy, consulate, immigration authority, employer or foreign government exactly what it requires.
- FBI Identity History Summary or state/local police certificate?
- original paper result or electronic result?
- certified court disposition for every arrest?
- apostille required?
- authentication certificate required?
- translation required?
- document issued within a certain number of months?
- sealed envelope required?
Current federal authentication fee
The U.S. Department of State currently lists a $20 nonrefundable fee per document for its authentication service. Requirements and processing procedures can change, so check the current federal instructions immediately before submitting.
What to do if your FBI criminal record is wrong or incomplete
Start by obtaining your actual FBI Identity History Summary so you can identify the specific arrest, charge or disposition that needs correction.
A missing disposition is one of the most common record problems
A criminal-history report may show an arrest but fail to clearly show how the case ended. This can happen when the final court result was not properly linked to the arrest record or when agency records were not updated.
A practical correction path is:
Locate the court case
Search the court where the charge was prosecuted.
Order the disposition
Request the judgment, dismissal, acquittal, sentencing order or other final court document that shows how the charge ended.
Request a certified copy if needed
A certified disposition can provide stronger evidence when correcting a state or federal criminal-history entry.
Submit it through the repository’s correction process
Follow the state identification bureau or FBI challenge instructions for the specific record.
If an employer or licensing board requested the record, follow its instructions
The FBI states that its personal Identity History Summary is primarily a personal review and correction mechanism. Employment, licensing or adoption checks in the United States may need to be processed through a state identification bureau, requesting agency or other authorized channel.
When a private background-reporting company supplies a report for employment, the Fair Credit Reporting Act can give the applicant additional rights, including disclosure, authorization and dispute protections.
Sealed and expunged records need a different approach
Sealing and expungement rules vary substantially by state. A public court search may stop displaying a case while criminal-justice agencies retain restricted information under state law.
If a nonfederal arrest still appears on your FBI Identity History Summary after a state sealing or expungement action, the FBI instructs individuals to work with the appropriate State Identification Bureau when the underlying state information must be updated.
For federal arrest information, the FBI states that removal generally occurs after a request from the contributing federal agency or receipt of a federal court order specifically requiring expungement.
Use this checklist before sending a criminal-record request
- Who is asking for the record?
- Do they want state, FBI, court or police records?
- Is fingerprint identification required?
- Do they need a certified disposition?
- Do they require every state where you lived?
- Do they require an FBI nationwide summary?
- Does the document need to be sealed?
- Does it need an apostille?
- Does it need translation?
- Is there a document-age requirement?
- Do you know all names/aliases used?
- Do you have case numbers for known arrests?
Questions people commonly have when ordering their criminal record
1. How do I get a copy of my criminal record?
Start by deciding whether you need your state criminal-history record, an FBI Identity History Summary or a court-certified disposition. Your state repository handles state criminal-history access, the FBI handles the national fingerprint-based Identity History Summary, and the clerk of court provides copies of individual court cases.
2. How much does an FBI criminal record cost?
The FBI currently charges $18 for an Identity History Summary request. Fingerprinting providers, USPS locations and FBI-approved channelers can charge separate service fees.
3. Do I need fingerprints to get my FBI record?
Yes. The FBI Identity History Summary process is fingerprint-based. The FBI does not provide this personal record through a simple name-only search.
4. Can I get another person’s FBI criminal record?
No. The ordinary FBI personal-record process releases an Identity History Summary to the subject of the record. Public court records and some state public criminal-history services are separate and follow their own access laws.
5. What is the difference between an FBI report and a certified court disposition?
The FBI report is a fingerprint-based criminal-history summary. A certified court disposition is an official court copy showing what happened in a specific criminal case. Some immigration, licensing and legal processes may require both.
6. Where do I get a certified criminal record?
If “certified criminal record” means a certified copy of a court case or disposition, request it from the clerk of the court where the case was filed. State criminal-history agencies may also offer authenticated or official versions of their own records.
7. How do I correct an error on my FBI rap sheet?
Obtain your Identity History Summary, identify the incorrect entry, gather supporting court or agency documentation and use the FBI challenge process or the appropriate State Identification Bureau correction process.
8. Can I use my FBI criminal record for immigration or overseas employment?
Often, but requirements vary. The foreign authority may require an FBI Identity History Summary, state or local police certificate, certified court dispositions, an apostille, authentication and/or translation. Ask the receiving authority first.
9. Does an FBI background check need an apostille?
Only when the receiving country or authority requires one. FBI Identity History Summary results are federal documents, so federal apostille or authentication requests are handled through the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications.
10. Can an expunged case still appear on a criminal-history report?
It can if the state or contributing agency has not yet updated the relevant criminal-history repository. If a sealed or expunged state case still appears, obtain the court order and follow the state repository and, where appropriate, FBI correction procedures.
Official government resources for criminal-record copies
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs
- FBI CJIS — Electronic Departmental Order portal
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Listing
- FBI — Approved Identity History Summary Channelers
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- PACER — Current Electronic Access Fees
- U.S. Department of State — Criminal Records Checks
- U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document
- Federal Trade Commission — Employer Background Checks and Your Rights