Federal Criminal Records Search
For Crimes Breaching Federal Law
There is often some confusion when it comes to federal crimes. In the United States, citizens must ultimately abide by the laws of two regulatory bodies, the federal government and that of the state in which they reside. Federal crimes are committed either when a federal law is broken, or the laws of multiple states are broken following a single crime. Federal crimes are processed in federal courthouses. Currently, there are 94 district courts (representing each federal district), 13 circuit courts, and one supreme court.
Common Questions
Yes and no. Not every felony is a federal crime and not every federal crime is a felony. Most felonies that breach local laws are processed in local courts and are not considered federal crimes. There are also a number of misdemeanor crimes that breach federal law and, therefore, are federal crimes.
There are also times when actions break both state and federal law and can be considered both a local and federal crime.
Federal crimes include mail fraud, tax evasion, counterfeiting bills, drug trafficking, copyright infringements, certain internet crimes, and more.
No. In many instances, information surrounding federal crimes will not be found in a county courthouse.
No. Crimes such as carrying a firearm (without proper authorization) on a military base, or possessing a certain amount of marijuana (regardless of your state of residence) are examples of federal misdemeanors.
Federal criminal information is found at the federal courthouses.
A federal criminal search is usually completed within one business day.
Add Federal for a More Comprehensive Check
Again, it’s important for employers to understand that federal and local courts are different. It is not at all unusual for federal criminal information to be entirely absent from county courthouses and state repositories. For this reason, we recommend that employers incorporate a federal criminal search into their background screening processes. This helps to paint a more comprehensive picture when hiring for key positions.
