How To Background Check Myself

Separate must-have facts from merely interesting records. This is more reliable than assuming one report should contain every public record.

If another jurisdiction is needed, add it explicitly rather than stretching the first source.

For your own review, start with the FBI’s Identity History Summary page and follow its Online link to edo.cjis.gov. Complete the electronic application and payment before visiting a participating U.S. Post Office for electronic fingerprints. Alternatively, mail a current fingerprint card with the confirmation email to the address shown in that email; this remains an electronic request once the card arrives.

The FBI fee is $18 per person, as checked October 2, 2026. Fingerprint collection, Post Office or channeler services may add charges, so compare the complete price before choosing a method. Paying the FBI extra does not buy faster processing. For a fully mailed application, use the FBI’s Applicant Information Form, a current FD-1164 fingerprint card with name, birth date, signature and all ten rolled and flat impressions, and the exact payment method specified on the official page.

The FBI currently lists online requests within 48 hours after visiting a participating Post Office for electronic fingerprints, or approximately 10 days after it receives a mailed fingerprint card; fully mailed requests are listed at up to 15 days. These are published processing estimates checked October 2, 2026, not a deadline guarantee. Allow extra mail-delivery time and do not start the clock merely when you begin an online form.

An electronic request returns an electronic response with an option for a mailed response; mailed requests return by First-Class Mail. Check the identifiers, submitting agency, arrest and disposition details. A record of an arrest is not by itself the final disposition, and a no-record response describes what the FBI has on file rather than every possible state or court record.

If the summary is wrong or incomplete, use the change/correction link on the FBI page to start an Identity History Summary Challenge. Identify the disputed entry and include available proof, such as the court disposition. FBI challenges have no fee. For state-submitted information, use the FBI State Identification Bureau Listing to contact that state’s repository about correction and sending updates to the FBI.

Add only the state or court records needed for your own review. The FBI directs employment/licensing questions to the appropriate State Identification Bureau. For a known federal court case, use PACER’s specific-court search; if the federal court is unknown, use its Case Locator, then retain the case number and request missing documents from the filing court. For state or local cases, locate the owning judiciary and ask its clerk about the record/copy route. Keep each jurisdiction and any unresolved gaps on your list.