Background check by state: who keeps the records in all 50 states

How to use this background check by state guide

Whether you came looking for an Idaho background check, a Kentucky background check, a Louisiana background check or an Arkansas background check, find that state in the regional tables below. Each row names the agency that keeps statewide criminal history, says whether a name based search is open to the public or employers, and links either our detailed guide or the agency's official site. Use it to answer three questions before an employer does: which agency holds your record, whether someone can look it up with just your name, and where to request your own copy.

A state search covers that state only. Employers that want a wider view add county court searches, a national database search confirmed at the county level, or an FBI fingerprint check. Our page on types of background checks explains each piece.

Our state guides

We have detailed guides for 25 states. Each one covers the official source, how employers and individuals request a check, which jobs need fingerprints, state hiring rules we could confirm, and how to fix errors.

Northeast: state by state

Midwest: state by state

South: state by state

West: state by state

Name search or fingerprints: what the difference means for you

A name based search compares the name, birth date and other details typed in with the state file. It is fast and often cheap, but it can miss a record filed under a different spelling or tie you to someone with the same name. Prints, by contrast, are compared with prints taken at arrest, which is far more reliable, and it is what laws require for teachers, child care and health care workers, and many licensed jobs. Read fingerprint background checks for how an appointment works.

Many states with public name searches only show convictions, or only records that are public under state law. Others, such as Colorado, also show arrests. That is why the same history can look different from one state to the next. If you have lived in several states, an employer may search each one, which is a common reason a check takes longer; see how long checks take.

Federal rules that apply in every state

Federal law follows you across state lines. Any time an employer buys a hiring report from a screening firm, the Fair Credit Reporting Act treats it as a consumer report. That brings three moments worth watching: a stand alone disclosure you sign before the search, a heads up with your own copy and a rights sheet before a rejection rests on it, and a closing letter that names the firm and mentions your right to dispute. The Federal Trade Commission walks through all three.

There are also federal caps on how long screening firms may report some items: seven years for arrests that never resulted in conviction, civil suits and paid collections, ten for bankruptcies, while convictions carry no federal cap. These caps fall away for jobs with pay of at least 75,000 a year, and some states go shorter. The EEOC adds that employers should weigh an offense against the job rather than banning everyone with a record. More detail is in federal and state hiring rules.

State rules that change the answer

Several of our state guides cover laws that go beyond federal rules. A few examples we confirmed on official sources:

• When employers may ask: Minnesota holds record questions until an interview invitation, Maryland until the first in person interview at firms with at least 15 full time workers, and Colorado on the first application for most private employers.
• How convictions may be used: Pennsylvania lets employers weigh only job related convictions, and Illinois requires an interactive assessment with written notices.
• Expunged and sealed records: Virginia bars employers from requiring disclosure of expunged records, and many states seal or set aside older cases.

Local governments sometimes layer on fair chance ordinances as well. Always check the official page for your state and city before you rely on a rule. For sealed cases, see how sealing works.

Getting your own record and fixing errors

Every state lets you see your own record, though the method varies: an online name search in some states, a fingerprint based review in others. Request yours before a job search so you are not surprised. When an entry looks wrong, go first to the clerk where the case was heard; get certified papers showing the outcome, and send them to the state agency listed above. If the error is in a screening company's report, dispute it with that company in writing; it has a duty to recheck, normally inside 30 days. Our dispute guide has a letter, and checking yourself shows where else to look.

Treat this page as a map of official sources rather than legal advice; a state records office, legal aid in your area or an employment attorney can speak to your own facts.