Choose the right record before you submit a request
“My criminal record” can refer to several different documents. You might need your FBI Identity History Summary, a state criminal-history record, a certified disposition from a particular court, or a police/arrest record. They come from different agencies, and requesting the wrong one can cost time and money.
First decide which “criminal record” somebody is asking you to provide
There is no single document called a universal U.S. criminal record. The correct document depends on why you need it and which agency created the information.
| Your goal | Usually start here | What to request |
|---|---|---|
| Review FBI-held information about yourself | FBI CJIS | Identity History Summary |
| Review your record in one state | State Identification Bureau / state repository | Personal criminal-history or record-review copy |
| Prove how one criminal case ended | Court that handled the case | Disposition, judgment or certified court copy |
| Get an arrest or incident report | Police / sheriff that created the report | Arrest, incident or police-report copy |
| Use a record for U.S. employment or licensing | Requesting employer/agency or authorized state process | Follow the requesting agency’s exact background-check procedure |
| Use criminal-record proof abroad | Foreign authority’s requirement + FBI/state/local source | Often FBI summary or police clearance; authentication may also be required |
Getting your FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division provides individuals with access to their own Identity History Summary, commonly called a federal criminal-history record or “rap sheet.”
The record is based on fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI. Because fingerprints are used to confirm identity, the FBI does not provide this personal-review service as a simple name-only criminal-record search.
$18
The FBI charges $18 for an Identity History Summary request.
Fingerprints required
You must provide current fingerprints. The FBI does not substitute a name check for this process.
Electronic or mail
You can submit directly to the FBI electronically or use the FBI’s mail procedure.
No FBI rush service
The FBI says it does not offer expedited handling. Electronic submission should generally process faster.
Option 1: request your FBI record electronically
The electronic route is usually the most convenient direct-FBI method. You begin the request online and then provide fingerprints.
Open the FBI electronic Departmental Order system
Start at the FBI’s official electronic Identity History Summary request system. Use your own email address and provide the requested identifying information accurately.
Complete your personal information
Enter your legal identifying information as requested. The name entered in the electronic request is the name the FBI says will appear on the response letter.
Pay the $18 FBI fee
Complete payment through the FBI’s electronic system. Additional fingerprinting charges can apply depending on where your fingerprints are collected.
Submit your fingerprints
After completing the electronic application, you can use a participating U.S. Postal Service fingerprint location where available, or mail a completed fingerprint card to the FBI.
Watch for your result
Electronic applicants receive an electronic response and may also choose the available First-Class Mail response option during the process.
Option 2: request your FBI record by mail
You can also submit a paper request directly to the FBI. Follow the FBI’s current application instructions before mailing anything because forms and payment procedures can change.
Complete the current FBI request form
Download the current Identity History Summary application materials from the FBI rather than using an old form saved from another website.
Get a fresh set of fingerprints
Use the FBI-accepted fingerprint-card format and make sure the impressions are clear. Local law-enforcement agencies and fingerprinting businesses may offer fingerprint services for a fee.
Include the FBI processing fee
The current fee is $18. Follow the FBI’s current payment instructions. The FBI specifically says not to send cash, personal checks or business checks for Departmental Order requests.
Mail the completed package
Current FBI mailing address:
FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
Fingerprint rules that commonly cause delays
Because this is a fingerprint-based identity check, poor-quality or outdated fingerprints can cause problems. The FBI requires a current fingerprint submission for each request.
- Use current fingerprints rather than a card from an old request.
- Make sure all required fingerprint impressions are captured clearly.
- Use a trained fingerprint technician when possible.
- If prints are repeatedly rejected, consider submitting multiple properly taken cards.
- Use accurate personal identifying information.
- Do not expect the FBI to substitute a simple name search for fingerprints.
The FBI says the downloadable FD-1164 fingerprint card is accepted on standard white paper, although the fingerprinting provider you visit may prefer standard card stock.
You can also use an FBI-approved channeler
An FBI-approved channeler is a private company authorized to receive fingerprint submissions and required information, transmit them electronically to the FBI and return the FBI response to the individual.
A channeler can be convenient when faster electronic transmission or bundled fingerprinting is important, but the company may charge its own service fee in addition to FBI-related charges.
Check the current FBI-approved channeler listWhat you receive from the FBI
If the FBI identifies matching information, the Identity History Summary can contain information derived from fingerprint submissions, including identifying information, arrest data and dispositions that have been reported to the FBI.
The FBI is not necessarily the original source of every arrest or disposition shown. Local, state and federal criminal-justice agencies submit information to FBI systems.
Can you print extra copies?
Yes. The FBI says that when you receive an electronic response, you may print as many ordinary copies as needed. If you select a mailed hard-copy response, the FBI provides one sealed response for that request.
If you need additional sealed mailed responses, the FBI says each additional request requires another $18 payment.
Is the personal FBI response a “certified copy”?
Individuals should not confuse a sealed FBI response with a court-style certified copy. The FBI states that individuals cannot request certified copies of fingerprints or Identity History Summary information through the law-enforcement certification process.
FBI fingerprint-search results are authenticated with an FBI watermark and the signature of a division official. This becomes important when the record must be authenticated for use abroad.
How to get your criminal-history record from a state
If your goal is to review what one state has in its criminal-history repository, the state process may be more useful than an FBI request.
The responsible agency may be called the State Police, Department of Public Safety, Department of Justice, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, State Bureau of Identification or another criminal-justice repository.
Find your State Identification BureauSelect the state that maintains the record
Use the FBI’s State Identification Bureau directory to locate the official central criminal-history agency.
Look for “personal record review” instructions
State websites may use terms such as Record Review, Personal Criminal History, Right of Access, Individual Review or Criminal History Check.
Check whether fingerprints are required
Some states use fingerprint-based personal review, while others provide additional name-based public-search options. Do not assume the public search contains the same data as your personal record-review copy.
Confirm the current fee and ID requirements
Fees, payment methods, identification documents, fingerprint vendors and processing procedures vary by state.
For proof of one case outcome, get the court record instead
If somebody wants proof that a particular charge was dismissed, reduced, expunged, resulted in conviction or ended in another disposition, a broad criminal-history report may be the wrong document.
The court that handled the case can often provide the most direct proof of the outcome.
Case disposition
Shows how the charge or case was resolved. Often useful when you need to prove dismissal, acquittal, conviction or another final outcome.
Judgment / sentence
Can show the court’s formal judgment and sentencing information when applicable.
Certified copy
A court-certified copy is useful when another agency requires proof that the document is an official copy of the court record.
Find the court where the case was filed
Identify the county, state, court name and case number if possible.
Search the official court portal first
Many courts allow you to confirm the case number and document names online before ordering copies.
Ask for the specific document
“Certified final disposition in case 12345” is usually clearer than asking the clerk for “my whole criminal record.”
Confirm copy and certification fees
State and county court fees vary. Check the court clerk’s current fee schedule before mailing payment.
Getting a copy of a federal criminal court record
If your criminal case was prosecuted in a U.S. District Court, use the federal court system rather than a state repository.
Option 1: PACER
PACER provides electronic public access to federal district, bankruptcy and appellate court records.
| Federal court service | Current published amount | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| PACER remote access | $0.10 per page | Most case-specific documents are capped at $3 each. |
| Quarterly PACER charges | $30 or less waived | Current 2026 rule; scheduled to change in 2027. |
| District court clerk records search | $34 per name/item | Applies when clerk staff must conduct the search. |
| Paper copy from district court clerk | $0.50 per page | Federal district court miscellaneous fee schedule. |
| Certification | $12 | Added when certification of a federal court document is requested. |
| Exemplification | $24 | Different from ordinary certification. |
Older federal criminal records
Some older federal records may not be fully available remotely. Federal criminal documents filed before November 1, 2004 can have remote-access restrictions, and sufficiently old court files may eventually be transferred to the National Archives.
National Archives court recordsNeed a police or arrest record rather than a criminal-history report?
Police and arrest records are generally requested from the law-enforcement agency that created them. That might be a city police department, county sheriff, state police agency or another investigative agency.
Useful information to provide in a request can include:
- your full legal name
- date of birth
- incident or report number
- approximate arrest date
- location of the incident
- arresting agency
- specific document requested
- proof of identity if required
Public-record laws, privacy restrictions, fees and access to active investigative records vary by state and agency.
Using a U.S. criminal record for a visa, residency, work or other foreign purpose
A foreign government may ask for a police clearance, criminal-record certificate, FBI background check or proof that you have no criminal history. The exact requirement comes from the country or authority receiving the document.
Police clearance
The U.S. Department of State advises that local police where you live or last lived may be able to conduct a local/state criminal-record search and provide proof of the result.
FBI Identity History Summary
Many foreign processes request the fingerprint-based FBI background check rather than only a local police report.
Apostille / authentication
Some foreign authorities require an additional certificate authenticating the official signature and seal on the U.S. document.
The U.S. Department of State lists FBI background checks among federal documents that may require an apostille when used in a country participating in the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.
U.S. State Department criminal-record guidance Apostille instructionsEmployment, licensing and adoption requests follow a different path
The FBI’s direct Identity History Summary process is designed for personal review and correction. The FBI warns that if a background check is required for employment, licensing, adoption or another authorized U.S. purpose, you may need to submit fingerprints through:
- the requesting government agency
- your State Identification Bureau
- state police or Department of Public Safety
- an authorized channeling agency
- another process required by state or federal law
What to do when your criminal record contains an error
Criminal-history information can be incomplete when an arrest is present but a later court disposition was not properly linked, or inaccurate information may have originated with a contributing agency.
Get your official record first
Review the actual FBI or state repository record rather than relying on a commercial background-check summary.
Identify the exact incorrect entry
Note the arresting agency, arrest date, charge, state identifier, court case number and any missing disposition information.
Gather supporting documents
Useful proof can include a certified court disposition, expungement order, corrected identification information or documentation from the originating agency.
Use the proper challenge process
The FBI provides an Identity History Summary challenge process. State repositories have their own correction or record-review procedures.
The FBI says an Identity History Summary challenge should clearly identify the information believed to be inaccurate or incomplete and should include available supporting documents.
FBI record review and challenge informationWill sealed or expunged records appear on your copy?
That depends on the jurisdiction, the type of sealing or expungement order, the agency holding the information and whether the record was properly updated after the court action.
A court case can be restricted from public access without every criminal-justice agency physically destroying every related record. Some sealed information can remain available to authorized agencies even when it is no longer visible to the general public.
Before you submit a request, use this checklist
- Know why you need the record.
- Ask the receiving agency exactly which document it accepts.
- Decide whether you need FBI, state, court or police records.
- Use only the current official application or portal.
- Confirm the current fee before paying.
- Use current, clear fingerprints when required.
- Check your legal name, DOB and mailing information carefully.
- Keep your request confirmation or tracking details.
- Do not send original court documents unless required.
- Review the final record for inaccurate or incomplete information.
Frequently asked questions about getting your own criminal record
1. What is the easiest way to get my FBI criminal record?
The FBI’s electronic Identity History Summary request is generally the most direct method. Complete the online request, pay the current $18 FBI fee and submit fingerprints through a participating USPS location or another accepted fingerprint method.
2. How much does an FBI Identity History Summary cost?
The FBI currently charges $18 per Identity History Summary request. Fingerprinting or FBI-approved channeler services can involve additional charges.
3. Can the FBI search my criminal record using only my name?
No. The FBI Identity History Summary process requires fingerprints to establish positive identity. The FBI states that it does not provide a name check as a substitute for this personal-review process.
4. Can I expedite my FBI criminal-record request?
The FBI says it does not offer expedited handling. Electronic requests should generally process faster than the traditional paper route once the required fingerprints are received.
5. How do I get a copy of my state criminal record?
Contact the state’s central criminal-history repository or State Identification Bureau. The FBI maintains an official directory of these agencies. Each state has its own fees, fingerprint rules and record-review procedures.
6. Should I order an FBI record if I only need proof that a court case was dismissed?
Usually the more direct document is the court’s final disposition, judgment or certified case copy. Ask the receiving organization exactly which document it requires.
7. Can I print multiple copies of my FBI response?
Yes. The FBI says electronic recipients may print as many ordinary copies as needed. Additional sealed mailed responses require separate requests and additional $18 payments.
8. Can I get a certified copy of my FBI Identity History Summary?
Individuals cannot request the law-enforcement certified-copy service for FBI fingerprints or Identity History Summary information. FBI results are issued with authentication features such as the FBI watermark and division-official signature.
9. What do I do if my FBI criminal record is wrong?
Use the FBI Identity History Summary challenge process. Clearly identify the inaccurate or incomplete information and include available supporting documentation, such as a certified court disposition.
10. Do I need an apostille for my FBI background check?
Only if the foreign country or authority receiving the document requires it. FBI background checks are federal documents and can require a U.S. Department of State apostille or authentication certificate for official use abroad.
Official resources
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — Electronic Departmental Order Request
- FBI — Identity History Summary FAQs
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Directory
- FBI — Approved Channelers
- PACER — Federal Court Records
- U.S. Courts — District Court Copy and Certification Fees
- National Archives — Historical Federal Court Records
- U.S. Department of State — Criminal Records Checks for Use Abroad
- U.S. Department of State — Apostille Instructions