Fingerprint Background Checks

The California Department of Justice (DOJ) is mandated to maintain the statewide criminal record repository for the State of California. In this capacity, sheriff, police and probation departments, district attorney offices, and courts submit arrest and corresponding disposition information. The DOJ uses this information to compile records of arrest and prosecution, known as “RAP sheets,” for individuals and disseminates the information for law enforcement and regulatory (employment and licensing) purposes. RAP sheets are based upon fingerprint submissions, and therefore positively identified biometrically; a process by which a person's unique identity is confirmed.

This resource has information on requesting your DOJ record, but if you were recently denied an opportunity based on a background check, ask for a copy from that prospective employer, bank, or landlord first.