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Instant Checkmate
Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
View Records Sponsored partner optionWhat should you know about this search?
Direct answer
To do a criminal background check online, confirm the subject with strong identifiers, identify the relevant state, local, and federal criminal sources, review candidate records, connect arrests or charges to the current court disposition, and document any jurisdictions or records that could not be checked.
Use the source that owns each part of the criminal record
| Question | Source family | Verification target |
|---|---|---|
| Is this the correct person? | Fingerprint or strong biographical identity method | Subject attribution |
| What criminal-history record is held? | Authorized repository or identity-history source | Record entries and identifiers |
| What happened in the case? | Court docket with jurisdiction | Charge, filings, and current disposition |
| Is there a federal case? | Federal court records | Federal case number and docket status |
Follow a criminal hit through its lifecycle
1
Candidate matchUse name-based or other discovery tools to locate possible records without treating them as confirmed.2
Identity confirmationCheck enough identifiers to make the attribution defensible; use a stronger identity route when appropriate.3
Case linkageConnect the event to the responsible court or repository record and capture the record identifier.4
Disposition reviewRead the current outcome and later changes before summarizing the record.Common errors in online criminal checks
Arrest equals guilt
It does not
An arrest is an event, not a conviction or final court finding.
Nationwide equals complete
It does not
Local and state participation, indexing, and update timing can vary.
Same name equals same person
It does not
Use corroborating identity information before attribution.
Old status equals current status
It may not
Dismissal, acquittal, correction, sealing, expungement, or other later events can change the record context.
End the search with a disposition ledger, not a list of alerts
For each confirmed criminal record, record the jurisdiction, source, subject identifiers used, case or repository reference, record stage, and current disposition. That structure prevents a reader from confusing a booking event with a conviction or a pending case with a completed one. It also makes the report easier to refresh later.
A negative result needs the same discipline. Note which repositories and courts were searched, which identifiers were used, and which jurisdictions were outside scope or inaccessible. A criminal background check is strongest when both positive and negative findings are tied to a documented search perimeter.