County Specific Criminal Record Search (Hand Search and Index Search)
This search is performed at the county level to identify criminal records in a specific jurisdiction. Criminal searches are available nationwide as well as in U.S. territories. When performing a background check, we recommend criminal searches of all counties of residence identified in the subject’s Social Security number trace. We access the most current information available and report felony and misdemeanor convictions based on applicable federal and state laws. Please keep in mind that searches performed on an Alias (AKA) are considered a separate search.
There are two types of criminal record searches: index searches and hand searches.
An index search is a jurisdiction-specific database search which can be used to quickly find all records associated with a name and date of birth. However, index searches generally provide access to less information about the cases on file – for example, an index search may provide the case number, specify the charges and provide a disposition date for a criminal record, but may not provide sentencing information, which is usually valuable information. Not all index searches are the same; some jurisdictions offer more information than others and not every jurisdiction has an index available. Many counties in several states do not offer index searches, necessitating the use of hand searches in these jurisdictions.
Still, index searches are great for a quick snapshot, identifying how many cases exist which reference your subject. However, they are not always as accurate as a hand search. For example, if a case was filed very recently, a researcher could “miss” the record if the case had not been added to the index prior to the time of the search.
Hand searches are best for finding the specifics of a case: the exact sentencing, probation violations, settlement terms, finding active warrants, etc. However, they are more expensive and time-consuming because someone is physically conducting the search; a 30 year search can take significantly longer to complete than a 7 year search and costs.
We recommend performing an index search to identify all possible cases associated with your subject and then running a hand search to obtain any details that were not available on the index.
Please contact us to inquire on costs for specific jurisdictions as well as turnaround time for results.
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