Generally, when a person is convicted of a crime, it becomes public record in fact, sometimes searching a person's criminal history is as easy as visiting the courthouse or checking another public database. The best way to determine how your criminal record will affect a certain aspect of your life is to speak with a criminal attorney (preferably one local to your area) or someone directly related to the event (such as a military recruiter). Law enforcement purposes, such as compiling possible suspects for a criminal investigation.Īs you can see, a criminal record can affect many areas of everyday life, but understand that having a criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify you from things you need (for example, having a criminal record doesn't mean you can't go to college at all).Purposes related to visas, immigration, naturalization, and international travel.Not all states allow residents with felonies to vote however, some states restore voting privileges after the person has met all penalty requirements (i.e.Certain types of licenses, such as applying for a CDL.Under federal law, felons can't purchase or own firearms however, depending on the situation, some felons can apply to have their gun rights restored.Most commonly, colleges for law and medical professions check an applicant's criminal record.Usually, privately owned businesses can use their own discretion when deciding whether to run a background check.Companies or organizations where workers handle large amounts of money.Some businesses are required to run background checks on prospective employees, including:.Many agencies and organizations request criminal records or run background checks for a variety of reasons, including: However, criminal records typically don't include Other items on a criminal record may include: Often, the criminal record includes a compilation of local, state, and federal criminal information.Īside from criminal history information, the record also includes the person's:ĭepending on geographic location and the law enforcement or other government agency responsible for the record, a criminal record can include more than just Today's technology makes it easy to find a wealth of information about people however, gaining access to a reliable (or even official) criminal record or criminal background check isn't always as easy as using a search engine.

Free access to public records