Could You Have a Criminal Record Without Knowing It?

05/12/2020 Many people assume they have a clean criminal record. You’ve never been to jail – so how could you have something on your criminal record?
Unfortunately, criminal records aren’t always that straightforward.

Sometimes, information can mistakenly appear on your criminal record – through a data entry error or stolen identity.

Or, misdemeanors and dropped charges might appear on your record even if you haven’t thought about these incidents in years.

Yes, you could have a criminal record without knowing it. Here are some reasons why:

Dropped Charges Can Appear on Criminal Background Checks: A dropped charge might appear on a criminal background check. You might have successfully dealt with the charges, and the charges were dismissed. Unfortunately, these charges can still pop up years later on a criminal record report.

Traffic and Parking Tickets: Nobody thinks they’re a criminal after getting a parking ticket. However, traffic and parking tickets could appear on criminal background checks in certain jurisdictions.

Criminal Identity Theft: Someone might have used your identity to commit a crime. Have you ever lost your wallet? It’s possible someone used your driver’s license or other identity to commit a crime. You might be a felon and not know it. That’s why it’s crucial to regularly check your own criminal record.

Data Entry Errors: Sometimes, you have a criminal record through no fault of your own. There could have been a data entry error. Maybe there are two John Smiths in your county – and one John Smith has a clean criminal record, while the other has twelve felonies. Data entry errors occur, and they could trigger a criminal record lookup.

Check your criminal record today to ensure you know exactly what employers see.

About This Author

Check Criminal Record

Check Criminal Record is a local company that provides an online service to help you uncover public records information about the people around you. The Dallas, Texas-based website serves customers across the state of Texas and all of America. Whether you’re investigating a colleague, a boss, or a…