Accessing Idaho Criminal Records

In the state of Idaho, the Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) and the State Police maintain and update all information on the criminal history and criminal records of individuals who are subjected to the state’s criminal justice system. The central repository is an automated database of criminal records that is based on fingerprint records which are reported to the BCI through the various criminal justice agencies of the state. For any assistance and queries, the BCI can be reached at:

Bureau of Criminal Identification
700 S. Stratford Dr. Ste 120
Meridian, ID 83642
Ph: 208.884.7130
Fax: 208.884.7193
Website: http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/PublicAccessToCriminalHistoryRecordInformation_000.html

Idaho Criminal Records Categories

There are three distinct classes of criminal records that can be accessed by anyone in Idaho. These are Felonies, Infractions and Misdemeanors.

Felonies are serious offenses that are punishable by a prison term or probation for a period of one year or more. Infractions on the other hand are minor criminal offenses such as a traffic violation, disturbance of the peace, municipal code violation and other minor crimes.
Misdemeanors are criminal offenses in which an individual may be subjected to probation or a jail term that is less than a year.

Contents of a Criminal Record

Idaho criminal records contain individual details such as name, date of birth, disposition and personal characteristics, conviction history with the dates of each conviction, any charges that have been withdrawn, stays in criminal proceedings, jurisdiction, acquittals and absolute and conditional discharges.

Need for Criminal Records

Idaho criminal records keep an account of the offenses, preserve a list of the offenders, incorporate the details of the depositions, notations of arrests, and include fingerprint identifications of all offenders. This account plays a vital role in obtaining accurate and complete information pertaining to any criminal matter or criminal history of any individual residing in Idaho. 

Idaho criminal records help to identify and ascertain if an individual can be entrusted with the care of our loved ones such as our children, or the elderly or the disabled. It can help to identify sex offenders, career criminals and fraudulent individuals. Criminal records come in handy for carrying out background checks for employment or before dating someone. It is also essential for licensing and national security.

Accessing Idaho Criminal Records

Although the citizens of Idaho enjoy a legal right to search and access files and records pertaining to any criminal matter, all Idaho criminal records are not open for general consumption. A statute or a court order may limit access to certain files that may be sealed or rendered confidential. The contents of these files cannot be accessed until the sealing period expires or a court order gives special permission to open these files. Any records or court proceedings involving juveniles as the central subject are kept confidential. Apart from that, communication and confidential information shared between a doctor and his patient or a social service worker and the individual consulting their services are automatically sealed by statutes.

If you need to search, access, or verify any information pertaining to any criminal matter in  Idaho, all you need to do is either visit the county courthouse or the police station of the town, county, or municipality in which the crime or incident took place. A courthouse search utilizes name search system. You need to provide basic details such as the name, date of birth and SSN for retrieving details from the open criminal records. You can send search requests through the mail to expedite the search process. Conducting a complete search requires fifteen to thirty business days on average. Additional information on this procedure can be found at:
 http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/ucr/crimeinidaho2008.html http://www.isp.state.id.us/identification/ucr/ucr_http://www.peoplepublicrecords.org/forms.html