Description
What Is a National Criminal Records Search?
A national criminal records search queries ClearCheck’s proprietary criminal database to surface criminal history records associated with an individual across all 50 states, Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. ClearCheck offers this as a standalone purchase for $15.00. No bundle required. No package commitment needed.
Most background checks people encounter are limited. A statewide criminal history check covers only one state. A county court search covers only one county. Neither gives you the full picture of a candidate who has lived, worked, or spent time in multiple jurisdictions. The national criminal records search solves this. It searches a single consolidated database built from thousands of jurisdictions across the country, returning criminal history records regardless of which state they originated from.
This is the search to run when you need true national coverage and a single state-level search is not enough.
What Does ClearCheck’s National Criminal Database Cover?
ClearCheck’s criminal records database has been years in development. It aggregates records from the following source types.
State Departments of Corrections (DOC)
State DOC records capture individuals who have been convicted of offenses serious enough to result in incarceration in state correctional facilities. These records include felony convictions across all 50 states. Sourcing directly from state departments of corrections gives the database a level of conviction record completeness that aggregators relying solely on court data cannot match.
Administrative Offices of Courts (AOC)
Administrative offices of courts maintain statewide court record repositories that consolidate case-level data from courts across an entire state. Sourcing from AOC feeds gives the database both conviction and case disposition records that go beyond what individual county court searches return.
County Court Records
County-level court data fills in the gaps that state-level feeds may not fully capture. Individual county courts hold records for misdemeanors, lower-level felonies, and local criminal matters that may not always be reflected in statewide repositories. By incorporating county court data alongside DOC and AOC feeds, the database covers the full spectrum of criminal court activity.
Offender Registries
The database includes offender registry data from all 50 states. This encompasses sex offender registries and other state-maintained offender classification systems.
Coverage: All 50 States, Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico
The national criminal records search covers all 50 states, Washington DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Coverage is complete at the national level. The result is a database of over 500 million records sourced from thousands of jurisdictions. Records should be treated as reference-level data and verified directly with the originating court or jurisdiction when acting on specific findings.
What the National Criminal Records Search Does Not Cover
Juvenile records are not included. If offenses were committed before the age of 18, those records will not appear in this database or in any other background screening database, even if the subject is now an adult. This is not a limitation unique to ClearCheck. It is a legal protection that applies universally to juvenile criminal records in the United States.
Federal criminal records are also outside the scope of this search. The national criminal records database is built from state-level sources. Cases prosecuted in U.S. District Courts under federal jurisdiction require a separate Federal Criminal Records Search, available on ClearCheck for $7.00.
What Information Is Required to Run a National Criminal Records Search?
To run this search, you will need to provide the subject’s:
First and Last Name
Date of Birth (DOB)
Accurate identifying information improves matching accuracy across the database. Including a middle name or initial where available reduces the risk of false positives on common names and ensures that records associated with the subject are not inadvertently overlooked.
Who Should Use a National Criminal Records Search?
This search is available as a standalone purchase for any individual or organization that needs multi-state criminal record screening without purchasing a broader background check package. No bundle required.
Employers conducting pre-employment screening who need criminal history coverage that goes beyond a single state. Candidates who have lived or worked in multiple states, or who have relocated frequently, require a national search to surface records that a statewide check would miss entirely. The national criminal records search is the most practical single-search solution for employers who need true geographic breadth in their criminal history review.
Employers in industries with elevated safety or compliance requirements, including healthcare, childcare, transportation, security services, financial services, and education. A national criminal records search gives HR departments and hiring managers the broadest possible view of a candidate’s criminal history before making a hiring decision.
Landlords and property managers screening applicants for residential or commercial properties. A prospective tenant who has lived in multiple states may have a criminal record in a state the landlord would never think to check. The national search covers the entire country in a single query.
Staffing agencies and recruitment firms placing candidates across multiple client environments or geographic markets. A national criminal records search is the baseline screening tool for any agency that cannot predict where a placed candidate has previously lived or worked.
Non-profit organizations and volunteer coordinators placing individuals in positions involving vulnerable populations, client-facing roles, or access to program assets. A national search ensures that records from any state a volunteer may have previously resided in are captured in the screening process.
Educational institutions screening employees, contractors, and volunteers where student safety or institutional liability is a concern. A single-state search is inadequate for candidates with multi-state histories.
Individuals conducting due diligence on business partners, contractors, caregivers, or other people entering their personal or professional lives. The national criminal records search is available to individuals for $15.00 with no employer account required.
Individuals running a background check on themselves before a job application, a lease application, or any situation where their criminal record may be reviewed. Knowing what appears in your national record before someone else checks is a practical advantage worth the $15.00 investment.
How to Run a National Criminal Records Search on ClearCheck
Getting your results takes only a few minutes.
Step 1: Add the National Criminal Records Search to your cart and complete your purchase for $15.00. ClearCheck accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.
Step 2: Enter the subject’s first and last name and date of birth. Including a middle name or initial improves accuracy.
Step 3: Access your results through your ClearCheck account. Your report is available digitally and can be reviewed at any time after purchase.
No subscription. No monthly fee. No bundle required.
National Criminal Records Search vs. ClearCheck Bundle Packages
For buyers who need national criminal record screening as part of a broader background check, this search is included in ClearCheck’s Professional Background Check ($39.99) and Elite Background Check ($49.99).
The Professional Background Check ($39.99) combines the national criminal records search with SSN verification, 20-year address history, tax lien records, civil judgments, death index verification, and bankruptcy search. It is the most comprehensive mid-tier package and the one most closely aligned with formal employment screening standards. The Elite Background Check ($49.99) is ClearCheck’s most thorough package for the highest-risk screening situations.
If national criminal record coverage is the specific layer you need and you already have other screening in place, the standalone national criminal records search at $15.00 is the direct, efficient choice. There is no need to purchase a full package to access this search.
About ClearCheck
ClearCheck’s mission is to provide accurate, reliable, and comprehensive background checks that help individuals and organizations make informed decisions. We uphold the highest ethical standards, respect individual privacy rights, and deliver results through an advanced platform backed by extensive research and national database access. Our goal is to be the trusted source for background information that enhances safety, security, and peace of mind for every client we serve.
