How do you find criminal records?

Criminal records can be obtained via background check, or a federal or state level court record search. Many online criminal record search options are available for persons wanting to obtain a copy of their personal criminal histories via official county and state level websites.

Obtaining criminal record histories for other persons may be more difficult depending on factors such as the city and state in which the crime occurred. For example, juvenile criminal records are not normally made available to the general public. Both online and on-site criminal record search tools are usually available for use free of charge, but fees are often required to retain tangible copies of criminal records.