Is It Possible to Find Police Reports Through Background Checks?

Running background checks isn’t new anymore because people want revelation about others for one reason or another. For instance, an employer or landlord could decide to find a background report to know if such a person has been convicted of a crime or has a bad record. However, one question most people have commonly asked is: “Do police reports show up on background checks?” If arrests show up on background checks, it changes everything – regardless of how minor the offense was. Well, you are about to find out if it is possible in this article.

Do Arrests Show Up on Background Checks?

Yes, background checks show arrests. However, this screening only shows certain types of arrest records. So, if you want to know what someone is likely to find, here they are:

Convictions or Arrest Records 

One of the reports on background screening is convictions or arrest records. It shows someone’s criminal record after they have been arrested, prosecuted, and charged. The cases leading to this include misdemeanors, felonies, etc. The background report provides information such as the warrant issued, offense date, case disposition, the presiding judge and the attorney, and the court’s decision.

Non-Convictions 

Arrest records show on background checks if you’ve been arrested but not prosecuted and charged. If you were found innocent of a crime, this information would remain available to everyone else. So, this might look bad on your personal record, but it takes the other person running the background screening to make a good judgment.

Pending Cases

Anyone with a pending case definitely has a record with the police, and unfortunately, this will be available to the public. So, if you have been arrested and charged with an offense but have not been prosecuted, it will be provided on your background check. Details about your arrest and actions that follow, such as a plea or trial, will be provided in the report.

How to Find Out If Arrests Show on Background Screening?

If you want to be sure whether police reports show up on background checks, you can do any of the following:

Check Out a Federal Database

One of the easiest ways to find out if an arrest will show on a screening report is through a federal database. The United States keeps the information about its citizens so that it becomes easy to run background checks whenever necessary. However, the Federal Bureau of Prisons handles arrest records, so it would be reasonable to go through them. You will be asked to provide important details such as a DCDC number, an INS number, and even an FBI number to access this info.

Check Out a State’s or County’s Database

Another easy way to find out if police reports come up on background checks is through a state or county database. Most counties or states provide this information to the public, making it easy to run a background check on anyone. However, depending on the state or country, there are different means of accessing this information. For instance, some states or counties allow you to request public records offline or online. You can visit the state’s site or the public records clerk’s office for arrest record information.

Run a Personal Background Check

Also, you could run a personal background screening yourself. If you know you have been arrested in the past but would like to know if you have a clean record, you can check out your public profile using online search tools or a background checker. These websites have been designed to source the internet for available information about anyone. Whatever these websites provide, however, is definitely what other people interested in running a background check on you would find. This service can be free or offered at a price. 

Conclusion:

Undoubtedly, arrests show up on background checks, and there is hardly a thing to do about it. However, an expungement could be considered, but there are terms around it – not all crimes can be expunged. But if an expungement is granted, your criminal history won’t appear on a screening report. Most importantly, you should run a background report on yourself first to know what people will likely find about you.