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Instant Criminal Database Searches

We strive to collect all electronically available data from statewide repositories, including state offender registries, the departments of corrections and the administrative office of courts. In addition, we strive to acquire and update our database with as many county and municipal court records as possible, especially in states that do not collect criminal record data at the state level.

Direct Court Searches

To ensure 100% coverage of all publicly available criminal conviction records, we offer direct court searches in every county and federal district in all the 50 US states and the District of Colombia. Some results are returned within hours; the typical turn-around time is 2-3 days.

Video

Why is an instant database search so important?

Watch our 3-minute video explainer to guide you more

You might think that all background checks are alike, but there is a big difference between what is considered a traditional direct court house search and a multi-jurisdictional criminal database search. Depending on the type of search you choose, the difference in results can be astounding. Now more than ever, it is important to complement a traditional county search with a multi-jurisdictional criminal database search. You don’t want to miss records that could have easily been found with a database search. This combined approach is a cost-effective way to broaden your search and get a more accurate picture of your subject. In our video we explain how it works.

Learn more about our instant criminal database searches

What We Report

Our multi-jurisdictional database is made up of a number of source types.

Administrative office of courts

Most states have statewide repositories that collect criminal records from all counties in that state; but there are many variables such as how states and counties define criminal records. One of the two most common sources is the administrative office of courts. Administrative office of courts are statewide repositories which maintain criminal court records for the entire state. Data from these repositories can include information about felony and misdemeanor cases filed in the state. A record from an administrative office of courts source does not necessarily represent a conviction.

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Department of corrections

The second most common source for a statewide repository is the department of corrections. Department of corrections data may include information regarding incarceration, probation, and parole history in the state. Contrary to the administrative office of courts records, department of corrections records typically represent a conviction or diversionary program or deferred adjudication (which typically involves probation).

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Counties

The laws that govern the statewide repositories are often loosely enforced, partially due to cost, which can cause information gaps. Besides the many statewide repository sources that we have in our database, we have a dedicated data-acquisition team that focuses on adding local records from counties to supplement the information on the state level.

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Offender registries

We have offender registry data, such as sex offender registries from sources in all 50 states, with photos in all. Our offender-registry data includes sources not found in many competitors' databases, including those from Washington DC, Guam, Puerto Rico, and Native American tribes. Details in the report may include: identifiers, registered addresses, aliases, case numbers, charge, conviction details, and period of incarceration.

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National Security Sources

We include information about individuals and corporations linked to terrorism or terrorist activity in our database. Also included are those that have been debarred, denied, sanctioned, or are listed on exclusion, most wanted, fugitive lists, and more. Key sources include OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals List, FDA’s Debarment List, OIG’s Exclusion List, OCC’s Enforcement Actions List, GSA’s Excluded Parties List, and lists published by the FBI and the DEA, among others.

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