What Shows Up on a County Criminal Background Check? Your Full Guide

Lily Evans - August 23, 2024

Background checks are a common part of the hiring process, especially if you plan on working for the government or a private company. While many companies work with background check agencies to run more comprehensive background checks, some organizations may want to learn more about a candidate at the county level. 

This becomes even more likely in the event that a background check picks up information about someone’s criminal history, and the employer wants to learn more details. For example, they may reach out to county courthouses and officials for documentation of a specific crime or issue.

This is why it’s important to know exactly what shows up on a county criminal background check, and we’re here to help. Read on to learn everything you need to know about these checks, including what they are and how you can prepare.

What Is a County Criminal Background Check?

The United States is home to more than 3,200 counties across its 50 states. Each county is home to courthouses that hear trials for felony and misdemeanor cases. The purpose of a county criminal background check is to look through criminal records that are available from these courts.

Most county criminal background checks will reveal information about felonies, misdemeanors, and other types of crimes. Since most trials for felonies and misdemeanors are held in county courts, they tend to have the most current and accurate information. 

For this reason, county criminal background checks tend to be more accurate and in-depth at the county level than some other background checks. Furthermore, county background checks can go beyond criminal records. In fact, they can verify someone’s employment history, offer information about housing, and much more.

Due to their accuracy, many companies and government agencies run county criminal background checks to find the most accurate details about someone’s criminal history. However, they tend to be part of a broader background check process.

What Information Is Available Through County Courts?

County courts are home to a lot of information. In fact, you may be able to find more information than you think depending on the person and the case. That said, some states may have laws about who can view this information, so keep that in mind before you begin the process.

Some common information held in county courts across the United States include:

• The name of the people involved in the case, typically the defendant 
• The case number 
• How the defendant was charged (violation, felony, or misdemeanor)
• Whether or not charges were dropped 
• The type of charge 
• The date the case was heard by a judge 
• Information about the defendant’s probation, jail time, or other sentencing information 

Some courts may also hold more information, and it can usually be accessed online or in person.

How Long Does a County Criminal  Background Check Take? 

County criminal background checks take around seven to ten days to be completed. They take a little longer than standard identity verification checks because the information has to be sourced from local courthouses. 

That said, you can find surface-level information about crimes committed in a county in a matter of minutes online using one of our people search tools. However, if there are issues with information on the background check or any red flags on the applicant’s side, a county criminal background check may take a few weeks.

It’s also important to note that the scope of the county criminal background check can influence how long it may take. Some county checks may look at information from every county across a state, and if one county relies on paper documents, it can slow the process down.

How Far Back Does a County Criminal Background Check Go?

County criminal background checks tend to go back about seven years, and this is true for most types of background checks. This is because many states have lookback laws in place that don’t allow companies to use information that’s older than seven years. 

Laws like this were passed due to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which was passed to protect consumer privacy. Many states like New York and California follow similar protocols for credit history and criminal records.

On the other hand, states like Texas don’t follow this rule. According to the Texas State Bar, misdemeanor and felony convictions are permanent unless they’re expunged. Therefore, they can show up on county criminal background checks indefinitely.

Always check with your state to avoid issues with county criminal background checks.

What Shows Up on a County Criminal Background Check?

County criminal background checks reveal a lot of information. You can find everything that’s available from local courthouses, and even information from police stations or other agencies. For these reasons, you can expect to find information that ranges from felonies to issues with someone’s driving records.

Learn more about what shows up on a county criminal background check below.

Warrants 

If someone has a warrant for their arrest in a specific town it will show up at the county level. This is one of the most important reasons to run a county criminal background check because some states might not share warrant or arrest records until the case goes to trial. 

Therefore, if you want to know if someone is the suspect in a case you’ll have to find out at the county level first.

Dispositions 

First and foremost, any dispositions will appear on a county criminal background check. A disposition represents the final outcome of a case, so it can include information about how the case was handled.

County criminal background checks can also provide details about the state of the case, including whether or not it’s pending or if the charges were dropped. In fact, county criminal background checks can also include information about deferred judgments and other specific judgment outcomes.

Felony Convictions 

Felony convictions will show up on county criminal background checks, as long as they’re not sealed. These are the most heinous types of crimes and tend to result in convictions that include jail sentencing that’s greater than one year. 

Felony convictions can also remain on someone’s record indefinitely, so even if a state has lookback laws for misdemeanors they may not apply to violent or sexual felonies.

Misdemeanors 

A step below felonies, misdemeanors are crimes that tend to result in less than one year of jail time. In fact, people can usually serve community service or go through a period of probation for misdemeanor charges. 

Some examples of misdemeanor crimes include vandalism, petty theft, trespassing, and public intoxication. 

Traffic Records 

In some states, a county criminal background check can reveal driving records. For example, if someone has a DUI or a DWI, it might appear on a county criminal background check if it was heard in that court. 

Other traffic records can include moving violations, parking tickets that haven’t been paid, and other traffic issues. 

How to Run a County Background Check 

When it’s time to run a county background check we always recommend working with CheckPeople.com.  Our background check tool is the best tool for you to leverage if you need to run a county criminal background check. 

At CheckPeople.com we take information seriously and will comb through millions of public records databases to compile a full report about someone’s background for you. This applies to all 50 states and the information we provide is compiled into a simple and easy-to-read full report.

Even if we can’t provide you with every detail of a court case, we can at least provide you with information about the court so you can track it down yourself. Furthermore, we’re more affordable than most major background check agencies and even some public databases.

Aside from information we can help you find at the county level, running a search with one of our tools can help you find the following information:

• Full name 
• Date of birth 
• Social media accounts 
• Email addresses 
• Phone number 
• Dating profiles 
• Criminal records
• Court records 
• Marriage and divorce records 
• Address 

Overall, you can find anything that’s publicly available when you run a search with CheckPeople.com.

Still, you can also run a county criminal background check by working with state, private, and federal agencies that handle these background checks. For example, an FBI background check might include information sourced from local courts.

Prepare for a County Criminal Background Check Today 

Whether you’re an employer looking to hire someone or someone who is applying for a position, knowing the ins and outs of a county criminal background check is essential. 

Thankfully, after reading this article you should know exactly what shows up on a county criminal background check. All that’s next is making sure you use the right tools to run one of these background checks in the best way possible.

If you’re someone who’s applying for a job and you’re curious about what might show up on your records, we recommend using our background check tool to check them out before you apply. While it might seem like an unnecessary extra step, it’s the best way to get an idea about the information contained in your public records.