A criminal record search is the process of collecting and accessing criminal records, arrest records, and background information on certain persons either through online providers or through local courthouses.

Using online providers is a valuable time saver. If you want to search for a criminal record offline, first of all, you have to submit a request for the record with every jurisdiction where the person has lived as an adult. Later on, you should request records from both the state and federal authorities. Thirdly, you need to pay the required fee, if any, to the state authority. Your request should be as specific as possible about the person, including if available the person's legal name, prior names Social Security Number (SSN), race, date of birth, present and past addresses. The procedure for obtaining a criminal record varies depending upon the jurisdiction that holds the record and the purpose for which you require the record.

Now, online providers offer information about criminal records of the accused. There are two types of online criminal records searches, namely, Instant search and Delayed search. In case of Instant search, one can have access to the records instantly and quickly, but every state jurisdiction may not offer instant access to its criminal records. If we use an authorized agent like Integra Scan for searching, it is called a delayed search, which will take more time to give results. The results given by delayed searches are more complete than those given by instant searches. Even for state criminal records and federal criminal records, there are separate options in websites for searching records. Similarly the methods for searching county criminal records differ from country to country.

All types of people and organizations use criminal record searches. For instance, business organizations need searches for knowing about the criminal background of their potential employees, if any, before offering them employment. A criminal record check is the standard procedure to be followed in the recruitment procedure of almost all of the U.S. firms.