Federal criminal records across all 94 U.S. district courts.

County and state criminal searches only surface state-law offenses. Federal crimes, including interstate drug trafficking, wire fraud, securities fraud, tax evasion, and most white-collar offenses, are prosecuted in federal district court and never appear on a county or state record. For roles involving finance, healthcare, federal contracting, or interstate commerce, the federal check is not optional.

PACER is the federal judiciary's official electronic access system. Every docket, filing, and disposition flows through it. Database aggregators buy extracts from PACER but often miss recent updates, sealed cases that were later unsealed, and jurisdiction-specific filings. A paralegal on PACER returns what the court actually has on file today.

The standard FCRA lookback is seven years from the date of disposition or release. Some states permit a longer window, and some roles (financial institutions under FDIC Section 19, or positions paying $75K+ under state-specific rules) allow longer lookbacks.

Yes, where the district court publishes pending indictments to PACER. Pending cases are labeled as such in the report and are not treated as convictions for adverse action purposes.

Yes. Certified copies of case files, dispositions, and sentencing documents can be requested and retrieved directly from the clerk of court. This is often requested for legal review, HR file retention, and adverse action defense.