Federal, state & county criminal searches
Criminal records live in different courts, and no single search covers them all. Federal, state, and county searches each look in a different place — which is why packages layer them.
What each search covers
| Search | Coverage | Price | Included in |
|---|---|---|---|
| County criminal | County courts, where most criminal cases are prosecuted | $25/check* | Essential & Complete (7-year) |
| State criminal | A state's central repository of records | From $10/check* | Complete (7-year) |
| Federal criminal | Federal district courts — fraud, embezzlement, interstate crime | $10/check | Complete (10-year) |
*Third-party court and database access fees may apply, passed through at cost with no markup.
How to order
- The simplest path is choosing the package tier that already includes the depth you need — Essential adds county, Complete adds state and federal
- The criminal layers are set by the tier and can't be added or removed individually in the order flow
- Need a specific court search beyond your package — for example, an extra county outside the standard lookback? Contact support and we'll confirm availability and pricing
What the candidate provides
Nothing extra — criminal searches run on the identity details in the standard application (legal name, date of birth, SSN, and address history). The SSN trace in every package surfaces the counties and aliases worth searching.
What results show
- Each search appears as its own section in the report with its own status
- Records show the source court, offense details, and disposition
- Records are matched to the candidate on multiple identifiers — never name alone
Limitations
- No database is complete: some jurisdictions report slowly or not at all to state and national repositories — which is why county searches matter
- The 7-year and 10-year lookbacks follow the package definition; some states restrict reporting further
- A record in the report is a starting point for your adjudication process, not an automatic disqualification
Turnaround and common delays
- State and federal searches typically return within 1–3 business days
- County searches range from same-day to 3 business days
- Some county courts require in-person clerk research — the most common source of delays
- Common names can require extra record matching; a complete candidate application is the fastest fix
FAQs
If I have Complete, do I still need to add county searches?▼
No — county (7-year), state (7-year), and federal (10-year) are all included in Complete. You're never charged twice for a check your package already includes.
Why did a county search take longer than the rest of the report?▼
Some county courts don't offer electronic access and require a clerk to pull records in person. The rest of the report fills in while that search finishes.
Do these searches cover international records?▼
No — these are US court searches. For international coverage, contact us about international screening options.
Related guides
Criminal searches are the foundation of every package.
- Compare Basic, Essential & Complete
- Global watchlist search
- Continuous criminal monitoring