Free Criminal Records

While most companies are looking into the free criminal records or backgrounds of their applicants for security reasons, ordinary people are likewise into the same background checking league.

These may include people who are looking into the past records of fiancée’s, nanny’s, new boyfriends (their own or their daughter’s) or business partners.

The usual reasons for checking the free criminal records of an individual are for safety and security reasons.

Lawyers, on the other hand are also into criminal background checking for which they use for or against any client of them.  The most common case is for that of sexual offenders.  For individuals who are habitual sexual offenders, a thorough list of past sexual offenses is necessary to determine the likeliness of another occurrence or of that of the present charge.

Still, although no one can do anything about such past records, the idea is to have a slight overview of one’s past criminal record to determine possible outcome of personal or business relationship with such individuals.

Various sites in the internet may be used to check one’s criminal records.  Others offer free searches, but most cover charges.  Fees may range from $20 to $500+.

Usually, if no record is found, the searcher would not be charged for the service.

The usual requirements for such searches are the following:

1. Name

2. Social Security number

3. Date of Birth

4. License number

A Criminal Record Report contains some or most of the following information:

1. Name of the person whose record is being checked

2. Complete or partial date of birth

3. List of persons with the same name.  Their Social Security numbers may likewise be indicated to differentiate said individuals
 
Same name occurrences may be the result of typographical errors, father and son who have the same name, or due to fraudulent use of someone else’s Social Security Number.

4. License Number.  This is usually included in the report if the date of birth and name of the individual is the same.  This would narrow down the search of information about the subject.

5. List of addresses of the stated names may likewise be included, as well as their telephone numbers.

6. List of convictions of the subject, if there is any.

7. Date of arrest and sentence

Background checking for any criminal record may take about two (2) days to weeks to be able to produce, while free criminal record checks through online searches may take up to only a few seconds or minutes at the most.

Not all data provided to the private sectors by the various search networks are valid and mistake-proof.  There are some reports that are outdated, contain typographical errors or are incomplete.

This is the case since there is not a single or central repository of all the criminal records, say for the US alone.

Still, it would be advisable that individuals check on their own criminal records since false statements may arise.  This may be due to typographical errors, eg. a sentence of 51 days in a county jail may be recorded as 5 years.

Even such minimal errors could have a great effect and embellish the character of any applicant vying for a good position in any company, much less be given any fair consideration if found with a criminal record.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, any individual has a right to correct such mistake free of charge.