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Frequently Asked
Question
1. Privacy and security
Will the people I request background checks on know I requested the information?
No, the records USCriminalCheck.com locates are completely public.
The people you are searching will not know you have accessed their
records.
What is your privacy
policy?
At USCriminalSearch.com we are committed to respecting and protecting
your privacy. For full details on our Privacy Policy, click
here.
Are your services completely
confidential?
Yes, we do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer outside the company
the personally identifiable information that visitors to our site voluntarily
provide in our registration or order forms. Information of this nature
is only used to better understand how our visitors use our services
and to support related transactions made on our web site.
Does your site track
me as I use the web?
No, but our site does use cookies, which are data files used to communicate
with your web browser. These files are used exclusively to provide
security and are not used to gather information about users. So, when
you log out, the cookies won't be saved, and we will not share information
about our users with any other web site.
2. General Questions
How do I contact USCriminalcheck.com?
Just click here to tell us your concerns and we will contact you (via email?) within 24 hours.
What are public records?
Various government offices and agencies compile records in one place
so that they can be made available to anyone who wishes to see them.
What if I need more
information than is contained in the result?
You can check the Judicial Branch listings for the appropriate district
or county court phone numbers and addresses.
What if the information
provided is inaccurate?
Government records can and do contain misinformation. If you find an
inaccuracy, the Judicial Branch recommends that you write or call the
applicable court.
I'm having trouble
with my computer loading pages. I'm getting weird error messages.
Could this be my computer's fault?
Yes. The most common problems accessing our site is reported by users
with Netscape and AOL. Microsoft Internet Explorer v. 4.0 and higher
almost always work properly.
Can I search by last
name only?
No! Our system won't accept a search without at least a first initial.
The subject I want to
search gave his name as "Bob". Might this name be listed as
"Robert" in your records?
Definitely! The record also could be listed as "Rob". In such
cases, to avoid having to perform multiple searches, it might be best
to search as "Rob". Since our database logic uses "wild
cards" then if you search on "Rob" you also would get
results where the first name is Robert. Conversely, if you type in the
full name "Robert" the system would not report occurrences
of "Rob". The same logic would apply to Tom and Thomas, Rick
and Richard, etc. Even last names are searched this way, so if you don't
know the correct spelling of a last name, type only as many letters
as you're sure of.
What is the best way
to search on a common name?
The best way to search a common name is to include the date of birth
as a search parameter, along with the first and last name. (Be sure
to type the DOB like this: "MM-DD-YY"). Be prepared for hundreds
of results being sent to your computer if you search on a John Smith
without including a DOB!
If I submit a search
with the name spelled incorrectly, then I re-submit the search with
the correct spelling, will I be charged for two searches?
Yes, you will be charged for all searches submitted. As stated in our
User Agreement, it is the user's responsibility to enter correct spellings
for all searches.
Are the records you
house in your data center considered to be "official" criminal
history records?
No. Almost every state has laws that prohibit the dissemination of "official"
criminal history records to any private citizen or business. However,
USCriminalSearch.com does have the most comprehensive criminal records
database of any Internet site in the U.S.
How do I determine
which record most likely applies to my inquiry?
Review the possible hits individually, by evaluating all of the demographic
information that is available. You should begin by looking at the
complete name, date of birth, SSN and any other identifiers that may
be present, such as alias name, additional dates of birth or SSN.
Do not assume that the possible hit will always be the first or second
search results.
The Search Results Page displays the possible matches to the search
criteria that you have entered. The result of the search could indicate
that no record was found on the subject, that a single subject matched
the search criteria, or that there were multiple possible matches.
If there was no record found, there is no criminal history on file for
the subject (based on the info provided). No additional charges apply
beyond the search fee already processed.
If a single match occurred, the subject's criminal history will be returned.
No additional charges apply beyond the search fee already processed.
If more than one record matched the search criteria, you will be presented
with a choice of up to five candidates that matched. You will then select
the record(s) you would like to receive. The criminal record for one
selected candidate is included in the search fee.
Why am I charged if
my search returned no results?
You are being charged for the process of the performing the search.
When entering your search criteria on the subject of interest; name
and date of birth (or age) of the subject are required fields for conducting
the search. The required fields usually provide sufficient criteria
to provide credible search results. Once you submit the search, your
credit card will be charged regardless of the search result.
3. Why "No record"?
The person I'm looking
for is currently in jail. Will their record reflect that?
That depends. If the court proceedings are still in the process and
the person has not posted bail, then that will not show up on their
record. Until they are convicted, their record will come back clear.
I looked up someone
who I know is in prison but it didn't show up on your report. Why?
Depending on the county, if a person was convicted outside of our seven-year
time frame, it is possible their offense may not come up in our report
even though they are currently serving time.
I know someone who
has been arrested in the past. Will this report show that?
Arrests by themselves do not show up on our reports. We can only report
criminal convictions. If someone was arrested and then released without
being convicted, it will not show on our report.
I know someone who
was convicted of spousal abuse less than seven years ago, but that didn't
come up on your report.
This may be because some crimes can fall into more than one court category.
Where they fall, depends on the state or county where the offense took
place. With a crime like spousal abuse, it may have been reported to
the family courts instead of the criminal courts, and because family
court records are not available to us, it would not show on our report.
This does not downplay the nature of the offense. It just means the
record is stored in a different place. Another example of this is if
someone is convicted of a DUI. A DUI is sometimes reported in traffic
court, which is also not accessible to us.
Why did my search
return no results?
Reasons why this may occur are as follows:
- Subject has never been arrested for a serious offense.
- Subject's record is sealed or expunged.
- Subject was arrested by a Federal agency (NCIC rules do not allow
dissemination of national or other state criminal history information
for public record/non-criminal justice purposes).
4. Search tips
How do I decide whether
to run a county or statewide criminal search?
Both of these two products involve criminal records research, but the
source of information and the focus of each search are very different.
While it is possible for both products to yield the same case information
on a subject, your chances of finding information will be greater if
you follow these simple guidelines:
If you know or think a subject was tried for a criminal offense in a
particular county, choose county criminal search. This is where the
actual records filed in that county are hand-checked by a qualified
court records researcher.
If you know or think a subject was tried for a criminal offense in a
particular state, but don't know the county, or if the subject has moved
around a state several times, try a statewide criminal Search. This
search has a much wider geographical focus.
Why should I search for
County criminal records if I can search the State Criminal Records Repository?
Unfortunately, the state repositories are databases of information,
which vary independently. Each repository relies upon the various agencies
within the state to report information to the repository. It has been
our experience that the information is less complete than the actual
court records.
I'm looking for someone
who committed a crime in one county but is serving time in another county.
Where do I begin my search?
You should search in the county where the crime was committed, NOT where
they may be incarcerated.
Does the county court
cover all cities in that county?
That depends. Only counties with large populations or major cities will
put all courts on a "network" so the records can be accessed
by one search through one court. In this case, the entire county reports
from one court, (i.e., Cook County only has the Chicago circuit court),
making it very likely that all criminal offenses in that county will
be passed through that court.
What does "Deferred
Adjudication" mean?
Adjudication is an agreement between the defendant and the courts to
clear the charge from the docket. For this to occur, the defendant has
agreed to complete some sort of arrangement, such as a fine, community
service, etc. If the defendant fails to hold up their end of the agreement,
then he or she will be convicted of the charge and sentenced accordingly.
Deferred Adjudication is generally not considered a criminal conviction.
What does "Disposition"
mean?
A disposition is the final outcome of a criminal case.
What does "Sentence"
mean?
A sentence is the punishment for the crime. In official terms, it is
the judgment formally pronounced by the court or judge upon the defendant
after his/her conviction in a criminal court. The punishment can be
in the form of a fine, incarceration or probation. Depending upon the
laws of a state and specific court procedure, a sentence may be decided
upon by a judge, jury or sentencing council. The term "sentence"
is only used in criminal proceedings. In civil cases, the terms "judgment",
"decision", "award", "finding", etc. are
used instead.
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