ABC / FBI Criminal History Record

FBI Criminal History Record

An FBI Identification Record, often referred to as a Criminal History Record or Rap Sheet, is a listing of certain information taken from fingerprint submissions retained by the FBI in connection with arrests and, in some instances, federal employment, naturalization, or military service. If the fingerprints are related to an arrest, the Identification Record includes name of the agency that submitted the fingerprints to the FBI, the date of arrest, the arrest charge, and the disposition of the arrest, if known to the FBI. All arrest data included in an Identification Record is obtained from fingerprint submissions, disposition reports and other reports submitted by agencies having criminal justice responsibilities.

Reasons for Request

An individual may request a copy of his or her own FBI Identification Record for personal review or to challenge information on the Record. Other reasons an individual may request a copy of his or her own Identification Record may include international adoption or to satisfy a requirement to live or work in a foreign country (i.e., police certificate, letter of good conduct, criminal history background, etc.)

If you are requesting a background check for employment or licensing within the United States , you may be required by state statute or federal law to submit your request through your state identification bureau, requesting federal agency or other authorized channeling agency. You should contact the agency requiring the background check or the appropriate state identification bureau (or state police) for the correct procedures to follow for obtaining an FBI fingerprint background check for employment or licensing purposes.

How to Challenge Your Record

Since the FBI's CJIS Division is not the source of the data appearing on Identification Records, and obtains all data thereon from fingerprint submissions or related identification forms submitted to the FBI by local, state and federal agencies, the responsibility for authentication and correction of such data rests upon the contributing agencies.

Therefore, the rules set forth for changing, correcting or updating such data requires that the subject of an Identification Record make application to the original contributing agency (e.g., police department, county court, etc.).

An individual may challenge the information contained in the FBI Identification Record by contacting the original agency that submitted the information to the FBI or the state central repository in the state in which the arrest occurred. These agencies will be able to furnish the guidelines for correction of the Record. The FBI is not authorized to modify the Record without written notification from the appropriate criminal justice agency.