Updated California Arrest Records Online

Should you wish to obtain an Arrest Records in California, either your own or that of somebody else’s for background checks, you have to request access for such from the Department of Justice as it is the chief repository for criminal and arrest records in California. Unlike any other states in the US, California is stricter when obtaining arrest and criminal records. Access to such records maintained by the Department of Justice is restricted by law to legitimate law enforcement purposes and authorized applicant agencies. However, individuals have the right to request a copy of their own criminal history record from the Department to review for accuracy and completeness. Requests from third parties are not authorized and will not be processed. To receive a copy of your arrest or criminal history record, you must submit fingerprint images and pay a $25 processing fee to the Department of Justice. All California applicants should provide Live Scan fingerprints. You have to use the Live Scan form, check the record review as the “Type of Application”, enter “record review” on the “reason for application” line, fill out all your personal information, and take the complete form to any Live Scan site for fingerprinting services. Fingerprinting services are available to most local police departments, sheriff’s offices, or any public applicant Live Scan site. Unfortunately, not just anyone can look at an individual’s criminal history record. Only people with a valid reason, such as employment, can access arrest or criminal records through the courts. When requesting for an arrest record, you must fill out an application form which you can get from the California Attorney General’s office or website. This agency also maintains criminal history records under the California Penal Code.California has many special rules for conducting background checks. In California, all background checks are referred to as “investigative consumer reports” unlike other states and under federal law, where background checks are generally referred to as “consumer reports”. If you are an employer and you wish to perform a background check on an applicant, be informed that a new law in California has changed the requirements for the background check disclosure that employers must provide in order to conduct background investigations in California. Anyone who wants to obtain an investigative consumer report for employment purposes must provide a written disclosure, in a separate document, to the consumer (applicant or employee) before the report is obtained. The written disclosure must state the fact that a report may be obtained; the permissible purpose of the report; the fact that the disclosure may include information on the consumer’s character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living; and the name and address, and telephone number of the investigative consumer reporting agency. Obtaining arrest records in California can quite be a hassle since the state has imposed may special rules in procuring arrest and criminal records especially when conducting background checks. In this case, hiring an online service provider may help you obtain the desired arrest or criminal record you need in an expedited and more convenient way possible. Online service providers are available all throughout the web. Just make sure to perform a background check on the service provider you’re eyeing on to ensure comprehensive and accurate results.