Generally, background searches for records of crimes committed against the federal government will not show up in a county or statewide background check. To obtain this information, it will be necessary for you to conduct a search of the U.S. Federal District Court records. People who commit federal crimes have usually been investigated by the I.R.S., D.E.A., or F.B.I. or other federal law enforcement agency. If the person was prosecuted by the United States Attorney General office, it is because they violated the U.S. Criminal Code.

Each U.S. District Court has its own procedures for gathering and distributing its records. The online system for aggregate federal court records is called PACER. However, reliable background check services may have records that are more comprehensive than PACER. Many of these companies go right to the federal courts to get the information. You can search federal records by name, social security number, tax identification number or case number. As with county and state public criminal background checks, the information you receive may be not 100 percent complete. In some cases, it may be necessary to send a written request to the jurisdiction where the case was filed in order to get the information.

If you need a comprehensive picture of a person’s criminal history, which would include misdemeanors or felony convictions that are not federal offenses, you will need to conduct a search of county and statewide databases or courthouse records, along with the federal database. This will ensure that you get the most comprehensive public record available on your subject. To enhance your search of public records, you may want to consider performing a social security number verification and an address history search. These reports will give you a clearer picture of the person’s identity and the locations where they have lived. The reports include addresses, aliases and maiden names that you can use when conducting your background check.