To get your arrest record, request it from the agency that arrested you, from your state’s criminal history repository, or from the FBI’s Identity History Summary service for $18. Which door you knock on depends on who took you into custody and how complete a picture you need. For a single arrest by a city police department, the local records division is usually enough. For a nationwide check that pulls every arrest tied to your fingerprints, the FBI is the most reliable source.
Which Agency Holds Your Record
Arrest records are scattered across levels of government, and no single database holds them all. Where you send your request depends on who arrested you.
- If a city police department or county sheriff’s office made the arrest, that agency holds the record. Contact its records division directly.
- Every state maintains a central criminal history repository, usually housed within a state police bureau or department of public safety. These repositories collect records from local agencies statewide, so one request can surface arrests from multiple jurisdictions within that state.
- For arrests made by federal agencies like the FBI or DEA, the records are held at the federal level. The FBI’s Identity History Summary is the standard way to access federal criminal history, and it also captures any arrest where your fingerprints were submitted to the FBI’s national database, regardless of which agency made the arrest.
If you’re not sure which agency was involved, or you want a full picture across states, start with the FBI.
What to Gather Before You Request
Agencies typically ask for your full legal name, date of birth, and any aliases you’ve used. Some also require your Social Security number. The more identifying details you provide, the faster the agency can locate the file, especially if you have a common name.
Details about the arrest itself help too. The approximate date, the city or county where it happened, the name of the arresting agency, and the specific charges (if you remember them) all narrow the search. When you’re unsure of these details, a fingerprint-based search through the FBI is the most reliable fallback because it matches your identity biometrically rather than relying on names and dates.
Requesting Your FBI Identity History Summary
The FBI maintains the largest collection of criminal history records in the country. Its Identity History Summary, sometimes called a “rap sheet,” pulls from fingerprint submissions made by law enforcement agencies nationwide, which makes it the closest thing to a single comprehensive arrest record you can get.
The fee is $18, payable by certified check or money order made out to the Treasury of the United States. The FBI does not accept personal checks, business checks, or cash. If you cannot afford the fee, you can request a waiver by contacting the FBI at (304) 625-5590 or identity@fbi.gov before submitting your request.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
Every request requires fingerprints. The FBI does not perform name-based searches for Identity History Summaries. You have two ways to submit them.
The faster route is electronic. Visit a participating U.S. Post Office or an FBI-approved channeler to have your fingerprints captured and submitted digitally.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
The mail route uses a fingerprint card. The FBI accepts standard FD-1164 cards or cards provided by law enforcement. Mail the completed card with your payment to: FBI CJIS Division – Summary Request, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306.2eCFR. 28 CFR Part 16 Subpart C – Production of FBI Identification Records
Requests are processed in the order received, and mail takes longer than electronic submissions. Fingerprinting itself often costs an additional fee charged by the service provider, typically ranging from about $20 to over $100 depending on location and vendor.
Requesting from Local and State Agencies
Beyond the FBI, local and state agencies each have their own procedures. Most offer at least two of the following methods.
- Online. Many agencies now have web portals where you create an account, fill out a digital request form, upload identification, and pay electronically. At the state level, this is usually the fastest option.
- Mail. Download or request the agency’s specific form, complete it, attach copies of your identification, and include payment (usually a money order or cashier’s check). Some agencies require the form to be notarized.
- In person. Walk into the agency’s records office with valid photo identification, complete the form on-site, and pay the fee. You may be fingerprinted on the spot for state-level requests.
Fees for state-level criminal history checks generally range from a few dollars to around $25, though the total cost can be higher when fingerprinting is required. Processing times vary. Some online portals return results within days; mail-in requests at busy agencies can take several weeks. If you’re working against a deadline for a job offer or immigration filing, build in extra time and use electronic options where available.
Reading What You Get Back
An arrest record documents a specific encounter with law enforcement where you were taken into custody. It typically includes the date of arrest, the name of the arresting agency, the charges filed, and your personal identifying information such as fingerprints, a booking photo, and any aliases. Some records also include the disposition, meaning the final outcome of the case.
An arrest record is not a conviction record. An arrest means law enforcement took you into custody based on suspicion; it says nothing about guilt. A conviction record means a court found you guilty or you entered a guilty plea, and it includes sentencing details. Employers, landlords, and government agencies treat the two very differently.
If your record includes a disposition, you may see legal shorthand. “Nolle prosequi” or “nolle prossed” means the prosecutor decided not to pursue the charges. “Dismissed” means a judge or prosecutor dropped the case entirely. “Deferred adjudication” or “diversion” means the court delayed a final ruling while you completed certain requirements like community service or treatment, after which the case may have been dismissed. If no disposition appears at all, it often means the reporting agency never received an update from the court, which is one of the most common inaccuracies people find on their records.
Checking for Errors
Read the record carefully. Errors are more common than most people expect. You might find charges listed that were actually dismissed, dates that don’t match, a missing disposition, or in rarer cases, arrests that belong to someone else entirely. A missing disposition is particularly damaging because it makes an old, resolved case look open.
The correction process depends on where the error originated. For records held by a local police department or state repository, contact that agency’s records division, explain the inaccuracy, and provide supporting documentation like court orders, dismissal records, or official correspondence. The agency will review your submission and amend the record if warranted.
To challenge inaccurate information on your FBI Identity History Summary, submit a written challenge to the FBI’s CJIS Division. Clearly identify what you believe is wrong and include copies of any supporting documents, such as court records or expungement orders. There is no fee for filing a challenge, and the FBI processes them in the order received, with an average response time of about 45 days.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
Your right to request corrections to federal records is backed by the Privacy Act, which requires federal agencies to acknowledge your amendment request within 10 business days and either make the correction or explain the refusal. If the agency refuses and you disagree, you can file a statement of disagreement that must be included whenever the disputed record is shared.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 5 – 552a
If the error surfaced through a private background check company rather than a direct government request, you have additional protections under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Background check companies must follow reasonable procedures to ensure maximum possible accuracy of what they report.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1681e If you dispute an item directly with the company, it must conduct a free reinvestigation and resolve the dispute within 30 days, with a possible 15-day extension if you submit additional information during the investigation period. If the company can’t verify the disputed information, it must delete it. If the reinvestigation doesn’t resolve things in your favor, you can file a statement of dispute that the company must include in future reports.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1681i
Sealing or Expunging What Shows Up
If your arrest didn’t lead to a conviction, or you completed a diversion program, you may be eligible to have the record expunged or sealed. These are different. Expungement effectively erases the record, treating it as though the arrest never happened. Sealing keeps the record in the system but hides it from most public searches, including standard background checks. Certain government agencies and law enforcement may still access sealed records in limited circumstances.
Eligibility rules and waiting periods vary significantly by state. Arrests that did not result in a conviction are generally the easiest to expunge. Most states also allow expungement of minor offenses after a waiting period, provided you’ve stayed out of trouble. Serious felonies, sex offenses, and violent crimes are almost universally excluded. The process typically requires filing a petition in the court where the case was handled, and a judge reviews your eligibility.
If your record has been expunged or sealed at the state level and you want the FBI’s copy updated, the FBI removes nonfederal arrest data at the request of the state agency that originally submitted it. Work with your state’s identification bureau to make sure the update reaches the FBI. For federal arrest data, removal requires either a request from the original submitting agency or a federal court order specifically directing expungement.1Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions
A growing number of states have also passed “clean slate” laws that automatically seal qualifying records after a set period, without requiring you to file a petition. These laws typically cover nonviolent offenses and require that you’ve remained crime-free during a waiting period. Once sealed, the records won’t appear on standard background checks.