How to Access Criminal Court Records
Look in the right place., Look for a criminal court records database on your state or county court’s website.While courts have begun going digital, the digital database may only include court records for recent cases., Be aware of the different...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Look in the right place.
Your first impulse might be to look for a criminal record wherever the person you're researching lives.
That's a good starting point, but courts file their records where the offense occurred.
If you know where a specific crime took place, look for the record in that state or county.
Many states don’t allow you to access juvenile records if they’re sealed. -
Step 2: Look for a criminal court records database on your state or county court’s website.While courts have begun going digital
It will depend entirely on the county or state where you are conducting your research.
Many courts have converted their paper records to digital, online records.
Search your court's website for a database of criminal court records to find out if you can access a digital record. , A given state might separate their courts into tax courts, superior courts, appellate courts, supreme courts, and so on.
You may have search the database specific to the record you're looking for.
However, most states combine these records into a single searchable database online. , Criminal record databases can be quite large, so have as much information as possible to find the record you need:
The offender's full name.
You may know the person by a nickname or by his middle name, but the courts know him by his full legal name.
Even then, there may be several "John Smith"s in the database, so have more information if possible.
A business name if a business was involved.
Case number.
This is the most reliable way to find a criminal record. , Once you locate a listing for the criminal record you want, click the link to see the record itself.
Note that even if your state or county has digital records, they may still be in the middle of converting their files.
The information in the database might be incomplete.
If you don’t see the record you’re looking for, follow up by trying to find a hard copy. -
Step 3: the digital database may only include court records for recent cases.
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Step 4: Be aware of the different levels of state courts.
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Step 5: Provide the information you need to find your record.
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Step 6: View the record online.
Detailed Guide
Your first impulse might be to look for a criminal record wherever the person you're researching lives.
That's a good starting point, but courts file their records where the offense occurred.
If you know where a specific crime took place, look for the record in that state or county.
Many states don’t allow you to access juvenile records if they’re sealed.
It will depend entirely on the county or state where you are conducting your research.
Many courts have converted their paper records to digital, online records.
Search your court's website for a database of criminal court records to find out if you can access a digital record. , A given state might separate their courts into tax courts, superior courts, appellate courts, supreme courts, and so on.
You may have search the database specific to the record you're looking for.
However, most states combine these records into a single searchable database online. , Criminal record databases can be quite large, so have as much information as possible to find the record you need:
The offender's full name.
You may know the person by a nickname or by his middle name, but the courts know him by his full legal name.
Even then, there may be several "John Smith"s in the database, so have more information if possible.
A business name if a business was involved.
Case number.
This is the most reliable way to find a criminal record. , Once you locate a listing for the criminal record you want, click the link to see the record itself.
Note that even if your state or county has digital records, they may still be in the middle of converting their files.
The information in the database might be incomplete.
If you don’t see the record you’re looking for, follow up by trying to find a hard copy.
About the Author
Denise Harris
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow DIY projects tutorials.
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