Looking up someone’s criminal record in the United States usually requires more than one search. State criminal-history repositories, state and county courts, local jails, federal courts and correctional agencies maintain different pieces of information. The most reliable approach is to start with official government records, identify the correct jurisdiction and verify the final court disposition instead of relying on a name match alone.
Choose what you are actually trying to find
Before searching, gather enough information to identify the right person
Searching only a first and last name can produce misleading results, especially when the name is common. Before opening a court or criminal-history database, gather as much reliable identifying information as you legitimately have.
- full legal first and last name
- middle name or middle initial
- former or maiden names
- approximate or exact date of birth
- state where the person lived
- county where an arrest or case may have occurred
- approximate year of the event
- court or case number, if already known
Understand the difference between a court record and a criminal-history record
Court record
A court record documents a particular prosecution or proceeding. It may include charges, docket events, hearings, pleas, orders, sentencing and the final disposition.
The record usually comes from a state court, county court, municipal court or federal court.
Criminal-history repository
A state criminal-history repository compiles qualifying criminal-justice information submitted by agencies across that state.
What the public can search varies significantly by state. Some states provide public name searches; others restrict access or require fingerprints, consent or another authorized process.
Step 1: Search state and local criminal court records
For most ordinary criminal cases, the most useful public source is the court that handled the prosecution. State court systems vary: some provide a statewide online case-search portal, while others require county-by-county or court-by-court searches.
USAGov provides a starting point for federal, state, territory, county and municipal courts.
Identify the state
Search where the alleged offense or prosecution happened, not simply where the person lives now.
Find the state’s official judiciary website
Look for a government or official judicial-branch case search rather than starting with a commercial people-search site.
Determine whether the search is statewide or local
Some states allow broad statewide searches. Others make you choose a county, district, circuit, superior, municipal or other local court.
Search the person’s name carefully
Add middle-name, date, county and case-type filters when offered.
Open the case rather than stopping at the result list
Read the charge, filing date, case status and final disposition. The initial accusation does not tell you how the case ended.
Contact the clerk if documents are missing online
Older or non-digitized records may still be public at the courthouse even when they cannot be downloaded remotely.
How to find the correct court when you do not know where the case was filed
Step 2: Check the state’s official criminal-history repository
Every state has a central criminal-history agency or State Identification Bureau, although public-access rules differ.
Depending on the state, the repository may be operated by:
- State Police
- Department of Public Safety
- Department of Justice
- Bureau of Criminal Investigation
- Bureau of Identification
- Attorney General or another criminal-justice agency
The FBI maintains an official State Identification Bureau listing that can help you identify the appropriate statewide agency.
| State system may offer | Possible access model | Why you must verify locally |
|---|---|---|
| Public name search | Anyone may search qualifying public information. | Coverage and retention periods differ. |
| Name-based background check | Fee, registration or identifying information may be required. | A name match may not conclusively prove identity. |
| Fingerprint record review | Often limited to the person who is the subject of the record. | Fingerprint verification is more precise than a name-only search. |
| Consent-based search | Some purposes require the person’s authorization. | Employment, licensing and other statutory checks can have different rules. |
| Public convictions only | The online system may show less than the agency’s complete repository. | A blank public search does not necessarily mean the state has no underlying record. |
Step 3: Search recent arrests and county jail records locally
If the event happened recently, a local jail or arresting agency may provide useful information before a state criminal-history database or court portal is updated.
Start with:
- county sheriff inmate or jail search
- city police department records division
- county detention center roster
- county booking or recent-arrest search
- local court arraignment or criminal-case portal
- statewide jail search, where one exists
What a local booking record may show
Booking information
Name, booking number, age or other publicly releasable identifiers.
Current jail status
Whether the person is currently held, released or transferred.
Charges and bond
Booking charges, bond information and sometimes the related court or case number.
Step 4: Search prison and corrections records
If the person was convicted and sentenced to state prison, check that state’s Department of Corrections or equivalent agency.
State correctional search tools may show:
- offender or inmate number
- current facility
- custody status
- sentence information
- projected or actual release information
- community supervision status where publicly available
Step 5: Search federal criminal cases through PACER
State court websites do not include federal criminal prosecutions. Federal district-court and appellate case records are searched through PACER.
Anyone can register for a PACER account. If you know the federal court where the case was filed, search that court directly. If you do not know the court, use the PACER Case Locator to search the nationwide federal index.
Search federal prison records through the Bureau of Prisons
The Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator can locate federal inmates whose records fall within the BOP locator’s coverage.
The BOP states that the online locator contains federal inmate information from 1982 to the present.
Searches can use a person’s name or qualifying identification number.
Can you request someone else’s FBI criminal record?
Not through the ordinary FBI Identity History Summary process. The FBI states that a private individual may request a copy of their own Identity History Summary, but the FBI does not provide another person’s rap sheet to a private requester through this process.
Requesting your own FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI’s Identity History Summary is based on fingerprints. The current FBI processing fee is $18, although fingerprint vendors, participating U.S. Post Office locations or FBI-approved channelers may charge additional fees.
Start an FBI Identity History Summary request
Requests can be initiated through the FBI’s electronic process or submitted according to the FBI’s mail instructions.
Submit fingerprints
Electronic applicants may use participating U.S. Post Office locations or other authorized fingerprint options. Mail applicants submit an accepted fingerprint card.
Pay the FBI fee
The FBI currently lists its Identity History Summary request fee as $18.
Review the results
If the record contains inaccurate or incomplete information, use the FBI challenge process and contact the relevant state repository when appropriate.
National sex offender registry search
The U.S. Department of Justice operates the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).
NSOPW searches public registry information supplied by all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories and participating Indian Country jurisdictions.
Depending on the participating jurisdiction, searches can include:
- name
- address
- ZIP code
- county
- city or town
- nationwide name search
How to search for active warrants
There is no single public national warrant database for ordinary private name searches. Active warrant access is normally controlled by state and local courts or law-enforcement agencies.
If you know the location, check:
- county sheriff warrant search
- county or district court case search
- municipal court warrant search
- local police department
- state court portal, where warrant data are public
- court clerk handling the underlying case
How to read a criminal-record search result correctly
| Term | What it usually means | What not to assume |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest | A law-enforcement action placing someone in custody. | It does not prove guilt or conviction. |
| Charge | An allegation that an offense was committed. | The person has not necessarily been convicted. |
| Indictment / Information | A formal charging instrument, depending on jurisdiction. | It is still an accusation, not a final judgment. |
| Dismissed | The charge or case was terminated without a conviction on that count. | Do not report the dismissed charge as a conviction. |
| Acquitted / Not guilty | The person was not convicted after adjudication. | The original charge should not be described as a conviction. |
| Convicted / Guilty | A conviction was entered through plea or adjudication. | Check whether the conviction was later vacated, sealed or otherwise changed. |
| Disposition | The outcome assigned to a charge or case. | Do not rely only on the original filing. |
| Sealed / Expunged | Access or legal treatment of the record has changed under applicable law. | The exact meaning and effect vary by jurisdiction. |
Why a criminal-record search may return no result
A blank search does not always prove the person has no record.
Name variation
The record may use a full middle name, former surname, maiden name, alias or different spelling.
Wrong jurisdiction
The arrest or prosecution may have occurred in another county, state or federal court.
Recent case
A jail booking can become public before the corresponding court or statewide record is updated.
Older record
Older files may not be digitized and may require a clerk or archive request.
Sealed or expunged
Public access may be limited by expungement, sealing, juvenile-record rules or another statute.
Database limitation
A public criminal-history portal may expose only part of what the agency maintains internally.
Try this troubleshooting sequence
- check spelling
- add middle name
- try former or maiden names
- verify date of birth
- search neighboring counties
- search another state where the person lived
- check local jail records
- check the state criminal-history repository
- search PACER for federal cases
- contact the courthouse for older records
Sealed, expunged and restricted records
Expungement and sealing laws vary substantially from state to state. Some jurisdictions restrict public access while preserving government access. Others may require destruction or different treatment of qualifying records.
The FBI advises that questions about expungement or sealing of non-federal arrest data should generally be directed to the State Identification Bureau for the state where the offense occurred.
Federal expungement is different and comparatively limited. The U.S. Department of Justice notes that a presidential pardon does not erase the underlying federal conviction from the criminal record.
What to do if the record belongs to someone else or contains an error
Mistaken identity can happen when records are searched by name rather than fingerprints. If you are checking your own record and find inaccurate or incomplete information, correct it through the agency that controls the underlying record.
The FBI states that there is no fee for challenging an FBI Identity History Summary. For state-maintained information, corrections often begin with the relevant State Identification Bureau.
Can you use someone’s criminal record for employment or tenant screening?
Public availability does not mean every use of the information is unrestricted.
If an employer obtains a criminal background report from a company that is in the business of compiling background information, the Fair Credit Reporting Act can apply. The FTC explains that employers using such reports generally must provide appropriate disclosure, obtain written permission and follow specific procedures before and after taking adverse action.
Use public criminal records responsibly
Criminal-record information can affect employment, housing, reputation and personal safety. A good search should therefore be about verification, not simply finding the most damaging-looking result.
- confirm the correct person before sharing information
- distinguish arrests from convictions
- read the final disposition
- check whether a record was later sealed or vacated
- do not publish sensitive identifiers unnecessarily
- respect restrictions on juvenile and sealed records
- follow FCRA and state law for regulated background-screening uses
- verify consequential information with the original government source
Practical tips for finding the right criminal record faster
Start with the court
The original criminal case usually gives more context than an aggregated name-search result.
Think in jurisdictions
Search the state and county connected with the alleged offense, not only the person’s current address.
Use case numbers
A case number is usually more reliable than a common name and can unlock documents from the clerk.
Search former names
Maiden names and earlier legal names can matter, particularly for older records.
Check DOB when public
Date of birth can help separate unrelated people with the same name.
Recent arrest? Search locally
A sheriff’s jail roster may update sooner than the court or statewide criminal-history portal.
Federal case? Use PACER
State court databases do not contain federal prosecutions.
Do not search FBI by name
The FBI’s personal Identity History Summary process is fingerprint-based and is not a public search for another person’s rap sheet.
Open the full docket
The final case outcome matters more than the headline charge shown in a result list.
Old record? Contact the clerk
An online cutoff is not necessarily the date when government records cease to exist.
Check corrections separately
Court, jail and prison databases answer different questions.
Verify before sharing
A same-name match can harm the wrong person if identity and disposition are not confirmed.
A simple nationwide criminal-record search workflow
Search the official state court system
Look for criminal cases in the state where the event likely occurred.
Search county or local courts if necessary
Not every state offers one statewide trial-court search.
Check the State Identification Bureau
Determine whether the state provides public criminal-history access and what that search includes.
Check recent jail custody
Search the appropriate sheriff or detention center when the event is recent.
Check corrections records
Use the state Department of Corrections for state prisoners and BOP for federal inmates.
Search PACER for federal cases
Use the national Case Locator when you do not know the federal court.
Verify the final disposition
Confirm how the case ended before describing someone as having been convicted.
Frequently asked questions about looking up someone’s criminal record
1. Can I look up someone’s criminal record for free?
Often, yes. Many state and local court systems provide free public case searches, and some state criminal-history repositories offer free public searches. Other jurisdictions charge search, document or certification fees. Federal PACER access can also involve usage fees.
2. Is there one national public criminal-record database?
No. Public U.S. criminal-record access is spread among state courts, county and municipal courts, state criminal-history repositories, local jails, correctional agencies and federal courts. No single public name search contains every criminal record in the country.
3. Can I search someone else’s FBI criminal history?
Not through the FBI Identity History Summary process. The FBI allows individuals to request their own fingerprint-based Identity History Summary, but it does not provide another person’s rap sheet to a private requester through that service.
4. What is the best place to start a criminal-record search?
Start with the official court system in the state and county where the suspected case occurred. Court records can show the charge, docket history and final disposition. Then check the state’s official criminal-history repository if it provides public access.
5. Does an arrest record mean someone was convicted?
No. An arrest shows that law enforcement took a person into custody. The case may later be dismissed, declined, resolved without a conviction or result in an acquittal. The final court disposition should be checked.
6. How do I find a federal criminal case?
Use PACER. If you know the federal court, search that court directly. If you do not know where the case was filed, use the PACER Case Locator to search the nationwide federal index.
7. How do I find out if someone is currently in jail or prison?
For county jail custody, use the official county sheriff or detention-center search. For state prison custody, use the state’s Department of Corrections. For federal custody, use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator.
8. Why can’t I find a criminal record that I know exists?
Possible reasons include a name variation, wrong county, older non-digitized record, delayed reporting, a sealed or expunged case, juvenile confidentiality or a public database that displays only part of the agency’s underlying records.
9. Can I use public criminal records to screen an employee or tenant?
The legal rules depend on how the information is obtained and used. When an employer obtains a background report from a consumer reporting company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies. State and local laws may impose additional requirements or restrictions for employment and housing.
10. How can I make sure a criminal record belongs to the right person?
Compare multiple identifiers such as full name, middle name, date of birth, county, case number and other publicly available identifying information. For your own official criminal history, fingerprint-based checks provide stronger identity verification than a name-only search.
Official U.S. resources for criminal-record research
- USAGov — Federal, State, Territory, County and Municipal Courts
- FBI — Identity History Summary Checks
- FBI — State Identification Bureau Listing
- PACER — Find a Federal Case
- U.S. Courts — Federal Court Finder
- Federal Bureau of Prisons — Inmate Locator
- U.S. Department of Justice — National Sex Offender Public Website
- Federal Trade Commission — Background Checks for Employers
- Federal Trade Commission — Background Check Rights