How to Retrieve a Criminal Background Check
- 1). Call the police department in your jurisdiction. Most police stations can easily run a name through their computer database and provide basic information about a person's criminal history. Prisons and courthouses also have this capability. Most of an individual's adult criminal history is public information.
- 2). Search online databases. Plenty of websites provide information on criminal backgrounds, some of which are free. Most U.S. prison websites offer sections for locating offender data. Find these by searching online for "department of corrections" with your targeted state name. The Federal Bureau of Prisons at bop.gov provides free information on federal inmates. Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) at pacer.psc.uscourts.gov allows you to sift through state court files at $.08 per page as of 2010.
- 3). Drive to the courthouse. Most counties offer computer workstations where you can search criminal histories. Make sure that you have the correct spelling of the offending individual's full name, and if possible, a court case number. Printing costs, which vary by courthouse, usually apply.
