Criminal Records Checks

U.S. citizens may need a "certificate of good conduct" abroad or proof that they lack a criminal record. You may need this for various reasons, including adoption, school, or work.

Local police background check

Go to your local police department where you live or last lived in the United States. Police departments may need you to be there in person to request the background check:

Ask that the police conduct a local or state criminal records search.
Request proof that you have no history of a criminal record.
Check if the country where you will use the records requires authentication.

FBI background check records

The Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division of the FBI provides a range of state of-the-art tools and services to law enforcement, national security and intelligence community partners, and the general public.

For a fee, the FBI offers an Identity History Summary. This summary is also known as a criminal history or "rap sheet." It includes information from fingerprint submissions. These data cover arrests and may also include federal jobs, naturalization, or military service

The FBI will not provide copies of other people's arrest records to you.

Go to the FBI webpage to learn about how to request your FBI Identity History Summary.

Getting your fingerprints taken

You can often get fingerprint cards from your local police.
If submitting to the FBI, see the FBI fingerprinting guidance.
U.S. embassies and consulates abroad do not provide fingerprinting services.

Authentication and Apostille of FBI and police records

If you need to use your background check abroad, you may need authentication and either an Apostille or a non-Apostille authentication.

Authentication

The FBI will authenticate all fingerprint search results by placing the FBI watermark and the signature of a division official on the results.
Documents from your local police will need more than their seal to prove authentication. Contact your state Secretary of State’s office for guidance on how to authenticate state-issued documents.

Apostille

You can send FBI and police records to the U.S. Department of State Office of Authentications to get an apostille if necessary.

Make sure to specify what country you will use the document in.
In non-Apostille countries you will also need to get the authentication of the foreign embassy after obtaining all the U.S. authentications.