OPENonline provides access to an impressive array of criminal records from all 50 US states. The ever-growing menu of information available at your fingertips is a boon to your business, but it can also be daunting because of the wide variety of choices and discrepancies in what is available from state to state. Criminal records vary by jurisdiction, and each state has its own rules that control the release and use of criminal history information. If you understand the different sources of criminal records, you will navigate the menu of criminal offerings with ease.
Criminal Record Sources
Local and County Records
Most criminal information is initially gathered, recorded and stored by local, state, county, or city law enforcement authorities. Local agencies are some of the best sources for criminal records. Some agencies make portions of those records available to OPENonline in an electronic format. When available, OPENonline gathers the criminal records from local county courts and county jails and makes them available to our customers electronically, in an instant database search.
Many of OPENonline's instant criminal reports include local information at the county level in key states like Ohio, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, Texas, and Florida. Much of this information is felony conviction information, but it may also include arrest information from local jails, and information from special branches of the court system such as county prosecutors. Local and county level information is constantly being added to the system as it becomes available. Check product information for coverage dates and the list of reporting counties.
Statewide Systems
In addition to county and municipal sources such as jails and courts, many states, such as Washington and Oregon, have developed statewide systems consisting of either criminal history gathered for law enforcement, court information, or inmate information. When these systems are made available, OPENonline acquires the information and makes it available in our instant criminal reports. Unfortunately, not all states maintain or make the information available. When statewide criminal records are assembled primarily as a law enforcement tool, use may be restricted to law enforcement. Some states, by definition, classify their state-wide criminal history data repositories as non-public. But when available, (i.e. the data from the Texas Department of Public Safety) OPENonline gives you access.
One additional source for statewide criminal records is information from state correctional facilities. State departments of corrections often maintain statewide databases of the records of inmates. OPENonline makes those sources available through our criminal reports.
The advantage of obtaining records from a statewide record system is that it pulls information from a variety of sources into one data repository with consistent formatting. But because counties are not always consistent & timely in reporting both case information and disposition information to the repository, the records may not provide complete information, and depending on your purpose for the use of the information, verification with an on-site county record search is recommended in most instances (see below).
Combining Local and Statewide Records
OPENonline takes the best criminal database records available from all of the statewide and local sources described above, and makes them available in our national criminal reports. OPENonline will be streamlining its criminal report menu in the next few months and you will soon have even more sources available from which to search. We are consolidating the multi-state searches and adding National Sex Offender information as well as National Security information, for a one-stop comprehensive search. Single state and multi-state options will be available as well. Look for more information in these exciting updates in the weeks ahead.
Onsite Search Results of Criminal Record Sources
Instant searches of compiled data give users expansive coverage and a great snapshot of information over time with immediate turnaround. However, when the county or municipal information is not available in an instant search, or when you need to verify the currency or final outcome of a record that you found in an instant database report, the information is available through OPENonline in an on-site county or municipal court search. When a customer places an order for an on-site search, our researcher goes directly to the jurisdiction the customer has chosen and searches for the most current and up-to-date criminal information. The report is returned electronically through the system, where the customer can retrieve and/ or save the information. Since our researcher is going directly to the source, an onsite search will confirm record hits on the instant report systems used in employment screenings. We recommend an on-site report as a follow up to an instant report for pre-employment purposes, especially if the instant report does not show a final disposition of a case, is an arrest record, or if the database has not been recently updated.