Federal, State, and County Criminal Searches

Federal criminal searches focus on violations of federal law, such as bank robbery, counterfeiting, tax evasion, embezzlement, and drug trafficking. These offenses are prosecuted in federal courts and may involve activity across state lines.

Federal searches provide an additional layer of insight, identifying serious criminal activity that may not appear in county or state-level searches.

Statewide criminal searches provide information on felony and misdemeanor convictions, as well as pending charges, following federal and state reporting guidelines. These records originate at the county level and are reported to state repositories. However, not all state repositories are consistently updated, and some may lack complete or current data.

In states where reliable statewide searches are not available, we recommend supplementing or replacing them with county-level searches to ensure the most accurate reporting.

County criminal searches offer detailed reports on felony and misdemeanor convictions, including pending charges, based on federal and state reporting standards. These searches are conducted through our extensive network of court clerk researchers and are available in every county across the United States.

County-level searches often provide the most up-to-date and reliable information, making them a critical component of a thorough background check.