Criminal checks allow you to check the history of an individual to determine if they have committed a crime in the past. Every state maintains a database of criminal convictions that can be used to perform criminal checks. These records are accessible by Government and Law Enforcement agencies as well as a number of services that specialize in criminal checks.

A criminal history record describes any arrests and subsequent dispositions attributable to an individual. Complete, accurate, and immediately accessible records enable States to:

• immediately identify individuals with prior criminal records in any State
• more effectively identify felons and others prohibited from firearm purchases
• check backgrounds of persons responsible for child, elder and disabled care
• identify individuals who have a history of domestic violence or stalking
• make informed decisions relating to pretrial release and detention of offenders, prosecutions of career criminals and appropriate correctional confinement
• conduct background checks to protect public safety and national security

Criminal records are maintained by each State in a central repository. To facilitate the interstate exchange of criminal history records, the FBI also maintains the Interstate Identification Index (III), which is an “index-pointer” system to records of persons arrested for felonies or serious misdemeanors under State or Federal law. These repositorys make criminal checks a simple matter when they are needed.