How to Find Arrest Records

When you perform an arrest records search, you are looking into public records. This means the search is completely legal and open to anyone. It is rare that arrest records are sealed or expunged (cleared up). In addition, arrest records searches will find information about any type of arrest—even if formal charges were never brought against the person and they never went to jail.

There are many reasons for performing arrest records searches. Background checks are common when a person is planning to rent an apartment or a house. When a family is hiring a nanny or regular babysitter, they may want to perform an arrest record search to make sure the person has a clean background. Many times a criminal records search will be conducted by potential employers as well, or by potential investors in a business proposition.

There are many commercial websites that conduct arrest records searches for a fee. You may want to start by performing records searches on your own, though the process may be confusing and you may need to look through many webpages before you find the right search portal. If you request records from a courthouse, be prepared to pay small fees for copy costs or for the clerk’s searching time.

Sample State Websites for Records Searches

Each state has its own method for searching arrest records. Your best bet is to go to the government website for your state and explore the Court Records sections. In addition, arrest information may be filed under various counties in the state, so you may be able to search county government websites for specific arrest records. Here are some direct links to arrest records searches for various states:

Public records and Florida arrest information is available from

http://www.hcso.tampa.fl.us/pub/default.asp?/Online/sname01

. This site also has an address and phone number you can call to talk to Florida government officials.

Public records including arrest records are available for the State of Minnesota by visiting

http://www.mncourts.gov/PublicAccess

. You may also search current court calendars and conviction records through this site.

California courts have a very good information portal available by clicking

http://www.courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp/other/crimlawclean.htm

. In addition to performing records searches you may find out about what those records contain, who may request them, and the answers to many other frequently asked questions.

The main portal for the State of New York Criminal Justice Services is available by clicking

http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/.

From this page you may conduct a personal criminal history record review and find the current address and telephone number of the New York records office.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has a Crime Records Service portal available at

https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/Portal/index.aspx?Redirected

. Here you may conduct criminal history searches and sex offender searches, as well as find out information about Texas arrest records.

For the State of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Corrections records search portal is available at

http://www.dcor.state.ga.us/.

You may also search for inmate information if you discover that an arrest record led to the person being thrown in jail.

The Colorado State Judicial Branch main website is located at

http://www.courts.state.co.us/.

Here you may find out current and historical information on all court cases held in Colorado, but you will want to look for arrest records under the Court Records Search function.

Additional Information about Arrest Records Searches

Even though arrest records are public, they are protected by privacy acts under state laws. Each state has its own version of a privacy act, and in some instances records may be public but you must prove who you are and why you are searching for the information. You may need to appear in person at the county courthouse to obtain copies of some types of records, and show a photo ID and explain your relationship to the person.

Since each state’s privacy laws are different, you will need to visit the government section of your state’s website to read exactly what the privacy laws are. If you are performing a records search from another location, the laws of the state you are requesting the records from will apply.

It is important to search under the name of the person and also under any aliases he or she might have used. Arrest records may not automatically connect aliases with the person. If your search includes looking for jail or prison incarceration as well as arrest records, looking for aliases may be even more important.

Sometimes a person may be arrested but the charges are dropped or they were detained on suspicion. In these instances, you will only find arrest records when you perform your search, and will not find prison records or other information. Most of the time, arrest records will tell you what happened after the arrest, but you may encounter dead ends if the charges were dropped.