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Instant Checkmate
Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
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Getting A Criminal Record Check
Work out who requires the criminal-record check and which official product they need before beginning an application.
Start by naming the exact criminal-record product
| Purpose | Likely official / regulated route | What it is not |
|---|---|---|
| Review your own FBI Identity History Summary | FBI Identity History Summary Checks. | Not an employment/licensing background check just because it is federal. |
| Review a state repository record | Use the appropriate state identification bureau from the FBI state-bureau listing and that state’s instructions. | Not automatically nationwide and not necessarily the same as county court records. |
| Find a specific federal criminal court case | PACER / the federal court that holds the case. | Federal court case records, not a state criminal-history repository. |
| Employment report from a screening company | The employer and consumer reporting company under federal FCRA-related procedures described by the FTC. | A commercial consumer report can combine sources; it is not itself the government source record. |
Identity verification determines what kind of match you are buying
Fingerprint-based self review
The FBI requires a current fingerprint submission for an Identity History Summary. State repositories may also use fingerprints for personal review or authorized programs. This is designed to match the subject biometrically.
Name / date-of-birth search
Many court and state public-search products are name-based. They can be useful, but common names, aliases, incomplete DOB data and data-entry differences create false-match or missed-match risk.
Case-number lookup
When you already have the docket/case number, use it. A specific case reference is usually a better bridge to the authoritative court file than repeating broad name searches.
Program-specific identifiers
Employment, licensing and volunteer programs may require an ORI, service code, agency number, approved fingerprint channel or direct-delivery method. Follow that program’s instructions rather than substituting a self-check.
Build the check from the official source types that answer the task
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State criminal-history repository
Use the state identification bureau or other central state agency when the task calls for a state criminal-history product.
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County/state court records
Use the court that owns a known criminal case when the exact charge, disposition, sentence or certified filing matters.
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Federal court records
Use PACER or the relevant federal court for federal prosecutions. A state repository search does not prove that no federal case exists.
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FBI self-review
Use the FBI Identity History Summary for your own FBI-maintained history. The FBI explicitly says this personal-review service is not the route to satisfy employment, licensing, adoption or similar background requirements.
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Consumer reporting company
For third-party employment/housing screening, identify the reporting company and report components so errors can be disputed with the company as well as at the underlying source.
Self-check and third-party employment screening are not the same workflow
| Situation | Who initiates / receives it | Important right or limit |
|---|---|---|
| Your FBI self-check | You request your own Identity History Summary. | FBI currently lists an $18 fee; the purpose is personal review/correction, not an employer credential. |
| Your state self-review | You follow the state repository’s subject-access process. | State fees, fingerprints, delivery and correction routes vary. |
| Employer uses a consumer reporting company | Employer obtains a report after the required disclosure/authorization process. | FTC says the employer generally needs written permission and must provide the report plus Summary of Rights before adverse action based on it. |
| Employer/agency requires statutory fingerprint check | The authorized program specifies its channel and recipient. | Do not replace it with a personal FBI copy or a public name search unless the program explicitly accepts that product. |
When the result arrives, preserve the actual report and its scope
Keep the complete returned document
Save the PDF/letter or certified copy, not only a screenshot of a “complete” status. The document usually carries the product name, date and scope needed to interpret it.
Check jurisdiction and identifiers
Confirm that the report covers the requested state/court/federal system and that the identity details belong to the intended person.
Separate “no record found” from universal clearance
A no-hit means the chosen product found nothing reportable under its rules/parameters. It does not establish absence from every county, state, federal court or sealed/nonpublic source.
Verify disposition details at the court
If a report lists an arrest/charge but the outcome is unclear, locate the court case and obtain the disposition rather than guessing from a repository summary.
Know the main limitations before relying on a criminal-record check
Broader-sounding does not always mean more authoritative
A “national,” “multi-state” or “instant” commercial search may aggregate indexes with different update cycles and coverage. An official state repository can still omit out-of-state or federal matters; a county court search is authoritative for its own file but geographically narrow; sealed, expunged, juvenile or otherwise nonpublic information may be unavailable. Describe the product you actually used rather than promoting any one check as universally complete.
Use the right correction or dispute path
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FBI Identity History Summary error: the FBI challenge process is free and the FBI says to submit the challenge/correction request with supporting documentation; it reports an average processing target within 45 days.
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State repository error: contact the state identification bureau or the originating court/agency identified in the state’s correction instructions.
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Consumer report error: dispute with the screening company. The CFPB explains that consumers can dispute inaccurate background-report information and should also correct the underlying source when appropriate.
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Employment adverse action: use the report copy and Summary of Rights provided before the employer’s final adverse decision to identify the reporting company and dispute inaccuracies promptly.
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Never alter a government record yourself. Correct it through the source/court/agency, then provide the authoritative correction to downstream reporters as needed.