Statewide Criminal Search

A statewide criminal search gives your organization an overview of a candidate’s criminal history in a specific state. It can help you identify crimes you might overlook by concentrating on a few county criminal searches.

Some states have up-to-date county-level records available, and most maintain a database periodically updated by county sources. The types of records maintained and the details available vary by state.

You can supplement state searches with our county-level searches so you can identify records near places of residence, employers, and academic institutions.

State searches available:

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, and WI

Statewide searches can provide records potentially missed with other searches.

Adding a Statewide Criminal Search to your background checks can help:

Identify records for a candidate who has lived and worked primarily in a given state
Meet state requirements for certain industries (eg: health care workers)

The importance of statewide criminal searches.

Obtaining statewide criminal search services allows you to benefit in the following ways:

Minimizing liabilities: Recruiting and retaining trustworthy employees helps protect your company from liabilities, saving time and money.
Protecting company reputation: Statewide criminal record screening can help you identify prospective hires whose values align with the company culture.
Maintaining a safe work environment: Building a credible staff helps maintain a safe workplace for everyone.

Benefits of choosing our statewide criminal search services.

Here are the benefits of working with us:

Credibility: We're TRUSTe and Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) certified, meaning you can trust us to perform compliant background screenings. We also participate in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recertification program.
Top-notch client dashboard: Our dashboard offers a wide range of features that help you order background checks, track progress, view reports, store and sign documents, and customize settings to your preferences.
Access to an account manager: Your account manager is your main point of contact and provides all the support you need.
Readable reports: We present background check data in a clear and readable format to help you make prompt decisions.
Prompt technical support: Access fast resolutions from our in-house customer support team, which delivers a three-to-five-second median response rate.
Competitive rates: We combine result accuracy and speed with competitive pricing so you can build a credible workforce that can help your organization achieve its business goals.
Easy account setup and integration: Our account setup team streamlines onboarding by assisting you with account setup and integration so you can manage all your background checks in one place. We can integrate our platform with leading human capital management (HCM) and applicant tracking system (ATS) tools.
A wealth of industry experience: We've been in business since 1984, so we understand what organizations seek from background check providers. As a result, we have invested in innovative tools and established dependable contact networks to deliver quality and timely statewide criminal search services.
Scalable tools: Our platform can scale as your business expands, allowing you to continue enjoying our reliable background screening services.
Fast turnaround times: Since we understand that time is of the essence, we aim to provide screening results quickly while maintaining high accuracy.

What sources do you use? I am legally required to use a specific state source.
How do I know I have the most up-to-date, complete information from my statewide criminal search?
What are the best statewide criminal search services?
How far back does a statewide criminal search go?
What are the key differences between federal and state criminal record checks?
How long do statewide criminal searches take to complete?
What information is provided in a complete Statewide Criminal History search?
While record types and details available vary by state, statewide criminal history searches can return information such as:
- How many years were searched
- Jurisdiction(s) searched
- Case ID numbers and disposition dates
- Charges and sentencing information
Are statewide searches available in all states?

All 50 states have a statewide criminal history repository, but their accessibility, type of data, and county reporting requirements vary widely. For example, the government’s Office of Justice Programs reported that as of year’s end 2022, only 27% of Louisiana’s arrests within their state database had final dispositions attached. Compare that to a 95% disposition inclusion rate in Hawaii and you can start to understand the discrepancies inherit to state criminal history databases.
Can statewide searches be configured based on job role or risk level?
Statewide searches can be configured by:
- The number of names searched. Employers screening for high-risk roles might consider searching more aliases, where a lower-level job may only require the candidate’s current name.
- The timeframe searched. Employers may choose to search a shorter or more extensive history than the standard seven years. This option can vary depending on state laws and what information is available.
Employers may also consider if multiple states should be searched. For example, if the candidate moved to their current state in the past few years, running searches the prior state of residence might be needed for high-risk jobs. Additionally, running a state search in conjunction with county criminal history searches can also help with locating more current records.