National Federal Criminal Search

Frequently asked questions about national federal criminal searches.

• What's the difference between the National Federal Criminal and National Criminal Plus searches?

  While they may sound the same, these two types of searches are distinct.

  • The National Federal Criminal Search reports information from federal district courts and contains only specific high-level, white-collar crimes and crimes that cross state lines.

  • The National Criminal Plus search reports information database that compiles potential records from thousands of sources at the county, state, and federal levels.

  More about the National Criminal Plus search ›

• What is the difference between a County Criminal and National Federal Criminal Search?

  Federal crimes are tried at the highest level of the government for the commission or omission of an act defined by Federal statute or regulation having legislative authority with Congress. County criminal searches identify crimes against local laws, which include more common criminal offenses.

  More about county criminal history searches ›

• What are "white-collar crimes" and why are they prosecuted in a different court?

  "White-collar crimes" include cases involving capital punishments, fraud, and embezzlement. Crimes such as tax evasion, robbery, kidnapping, illegal sale of firearms, pornographic exploitation of children, and intrastate crimes are also classified as white collar. These types of crimes are typically found only in a National Federal Criminal Search.

• What are the key differences between federal and state criminal record checks?

  The key difference between federal and state criminal record checks is the source of information. Federal criminal record checks investigate Federal District Courts for high-level, white-collar crimes and crimes that cross state lines, while statewide criminal record checks search state- and county-level records for localized results.