National Criminal Database Search

Database searches provide useful information to help uncover details of an individual’s criminal history and are a key part of the background screening for employment or tenant purposes.

A National Criminal Background check typically includes information about prison and probation sentences, offense history and more, offering a broad range of information that is not available from an individual county or state research.

While these database searches are designed to do a broad sweep within all 50 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, the records are sent from the county, to the state, to the FBI and may not be updated as frequently as state reports.

The most important thing to understand when using a national criminal database is that these databases are not intended to replace a county criminal search. Instead, it is meant to provide a more affordable way to include a broad view search at a first step in the screening process.