Should you wish to obtain an arrest record in California, either your own or that of somebody else’s for background checks, you have to request access for such from the Department of Justice as it is the chief repository for criminal and arrest records in California. Unlike any other states in the US, California is stricter when obtaining arrest and criminal records. Access to such records maintained by the Department of Justice is restricted by law to legitimate law enforcement purposes and authorized applicant agencies. However, individuals have the right to request a copy of their own criminal history record from the Department to review for accuracy and completeness. Requests from third parties are not authorized and will not be processed.
In procuring for your personal criminal history record, you should submit to the Department of Justice an image of your fingerprints and pay the processing fee of $25. All California applicants must submit live scan fingerprints. Additionally, a live scan form must be filled out and submitted together with the fingerprint images. In such form, you have to check “record review” as the “type of application”, enter “record review” on the “reason for application” line. You also have to input all your personal information. Once the live scan form is completed, submit it immediately to any live scan site for fingerprinting services.
In California, doing a background check can be quite difficult as the state has imposed various rules with regard to procuring arrest or criminal records of any individual in the state. Unfortunately, only private citizens are allowed to request information about their own criminal history records, while outstanding warrant information is often made available to the public. A warrant does not mean that an individual is guilty of committing a crime; it means that they are being accused of committing one. Only those with valid reason, such as employment, can request access for such records through courts.
California has many special rules for conducting background checks. In California, all background checks are referred to as “investigative consumer reports” unlike other states and under federal law, where background checks are generally referred to as “consumer reports”. If you are an employer and you wish to perform a background check on an applicant, be informed that a new law in California has changed the requirements for the background check disclosure that employers must provide in order to conduct background investigations in California.
Anyone who wants to obtain an investigative consumer report for employment purposes must provide a written disclosure, in a separate document, to the consumer (applicant or employee) before the report is obtained. The written disclosure must state the fact that a report may be obtained; the permissible purpose of the report; the fact that the disclosure may include information on the consumer’s character, general reputation, personal characteristics, and mode of living; and the name and address, and telephone number of the investigative consumer reporting agency.
Obtaining arrest records in California can quite be a hassle since the state has imposed may special rules in procuring arrest and criminal records especially when conducting background checks. In this case, hiring an online service provider may help you obtain the desired arrest or criminal record you need in an expedited and more convenient way possible. Online service providers are available all throughout the web. Just make sure to perform a background check on the service provider you’re eyeing on to ensure comprehensive and accurate results.
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