Learn all about federal criminal record searches. Explore the intricacies of U.S. federal court records.
Federal criminal background checks are extensive searches for high-level crimes through one or all federal district courts. These records highlight violations of federal law like white-collar crimes and other serious offenses.
Federal criminal record searches find federal offenses, including those labeled as “white collar,” nonviolent crimes of deception, concealment, or breach of trust.
Offenses in this category are wide-ranging, from financial crimes to terrorism charges.
Regulated industries, such as healthcare and government, are often required to screen employees, volunteers, and more for a history of federal records.
Federal criminal records include white-collar crimes and other major offenses. The chart below provides examples of federal offenses that appear on final background check reports:
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Crimes of this caliber cannot be found with county or statewide searches due to their federal nature.
Federal criminal history data is sourced from 94 district courts across the nation. Each court belongs to one of 12 regional circuits that review cases within that jurisdiction.
Federal law requires redaction of certain personal identifier information (PII) from public filings, which can make these searches more challenging to perform and validate. The specific information redacted in criminal filings include:
Social Security numbers
Names of minor children
Financial account numbers
Dates of birth
Industries that require federal background checks are often those where staff regularly interface with the public, manage vulnerable populations, or handle sensitive or secure data. A few examples of industries with requirements include governmental agencies, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and educational institutions.