What Is a Criminal Record?

A criminal record is a history of criminal offenses committed by a person during a certain time frame. Criminal record histories are obtained from either law enforcement agencies or county courthouses.

A criminal offense falls into one of the following three categories:

Definition	Explanation
Traffic	Most of the traffic offenses that appear on a criminal record are serious offenses such as hit and run and DU I's.
Misdemeanors	Considered a minor offense, usually is punishable by probation, a fine and/or incarceration
Felonies	Considered a serious offense, usually results in one year to life incarceration, or the death penalty. However, felons can receive probation or a fine instead of incarceration depending on the nature of the crime.
Criminal Record Searches
Turnaround Times	Most criminal searches have a turnaround time of three to four days, depending on the counties or states being searched. Some states are now automated and the results can be obtained in one business day. Wants & Warrants Turnaround time eight to 24 Hours.
County Searches	County searches shows if a subject has any felonies or misdemeanors on file at county courthouses. The records are retrieved by on 'site court reporting agencies' which physically search for the records thus assuring more accuracy. These records can be retrieved up to SEVEN YEARS. After that, previous years can be retrieved usually up to five or ten years depending on the county you want searched.
Statewide Felony & Misdemeanors	Statewide felonies and misdemeanors show if a subject has committed either a felony or misdemeanor in a given state, and you are not sure which county the crime occurred in. These records usually go back SEVEN TO TEN YEARS depending on the state. Some states are now automated and the results can be obtained within a one business day. Please keep in mind when ordering a statewide search, not all counties report into their state reserves at the same time. Thus a subject could have a conviction and it may not be reported immediately. A1though, most states report major crimes on a timely manner.
Wants & Warrants-Nationwide	Wants and Warrants show if a subject is wanted by state or federal law enforcement, and has any outstanding warrant for their arrest. This search is Nationwide and therefore covers the entire U.S.A.

What type of criminal record search is best?
Please, first familiarize with the different type of criminal record searches we offer, then e-mail or call us for any further questions.