Criminal records are a snap shot of a person’s criminal history that is documented and filed away on that person.  These records can be paper and filed at the local courthouse or housed online in a digital format.  Criminal records are a way for the public to view a person’s criminal background.  This becomes very useful for employers searching on background records of a new higher, tenants looking to rent out a home or office, and for the public searching records for their personal use.  The list is endless on why these kinds of records are not only useful but a necessity in some instances.

Official records from local courthouses

If you require official records, you will need to visit your local courthouse and more specifically the clerk of courts.  The clerk of courts main responsible are to maintain the records of a court.  The clerk also will enter judgments and give certified copies from the records.    

People who are trying to obtain these official records have a few options when searching for this data. Your first move should be to try and access this data directly online at the courts website.  A quick search online should allow you to find the courthouse your looking for.  

Once at the page you should be able to find there online record search.  At the very least you can contact the clerk of courts by email or phone and ask how to obtain this information.  You can also visit the clerk of courts in person to obtain these records if you’re close by.

Keep in mind this process is used mostly when an official record is required and not just informational purposes.

Using a search service to find criminal records online

When official records are not required using a search service is a great bet.   Users just need a first and last name to search.  A name can be searched against billions of pieces of data when using a search service that specialize in public record data.  

Once the name is inputted and a search happens users will see a result page with names that match the users input data.  Users who opt to sign up for a premium account will gain access to a secure portal that will allow for unlimited searching in most cases and unlimited record searches from criminal records, arrest records, arrest warrants, court documents, and much more.

Keep in mind that your search subject will not know in either cases you’re doing a search on them and you can access most data from a smartphone, tablet, or computer from anywhere you have an internet connection.   Data is pulled from local, state, and federal sources and is a good way to find criminal records fast when official records are not required.

Importance of accessing criminal records and other public data

There are many reasons why someone would need to access criminal data and the list is long one the benefits of making these records available to the public.  From the public being able to search data on potential dates, coaches for their kids, new co-workers and everything in-between these records are valuable to many people for many reasons.   If you feel the need to find background information on someone then you should run a criminal record check and find out the truth about that person to keep you and your family safe.