What is the difference between Nationwide Criminal, Statewide Criminal, and Countywide reports?
A nationwide criminal report contains over 245 million records in most of the U.S The records are updated monthly to ensure accuracy, however, if clients need up to the minute information on an applicant, a countywide search can provide the most accurate information. A statewide criminal check offers a more cost effective approach to the screening process. In some instances, statewide repositories update their information daily but it may take weeks for the information to appear in a particular index. A countywide search must be performed to assure accuracy. The use of a countywide search enables court researchers to perform a “Hands on Search” of the court index dockets. A countywide criminal search includes a seven-year background search for misdemeanor and felony records. This method is the most preferred for investigating a person’s criminal history. It is best to perform this search in conjunction with a statewide search for best results.
