California Background Check

Conduct a thorough criminal background check in California by searching criminal history, California court records, find current past addresses, check California prison, jail inmate records, and California department of corrections records. Also check California professional licenses and other credentials.



Free Background Check in California



The California Department of Justice provides an automated service for criminal history background checks that may be required as a condition of employment, licensing, certification, foreign adoptions or VISA/Immigration clearances.

The California Department of Justice (DOJ) provides an automated service for criminal history background checks that may be required as a condition of employment, licensing, certification, foreign adoptions or VISA/Immigration purposes.   During the 2009-10 fiscal year, the DOJ processed almost 1.9 million applicant fingerprint transactions.  Eighty percent of the electronically submitted fingerprint checks are completed within three business days.

Here is basic information for individuals needing to submit fingerprints to the DOJ for background checks.

1. Get the forms

If you are applying for employment, license, certificate or permit with an applicant agency requiring a background check, you must get the instructions and the forms required for fingerprinting services from that agency. The agency will complete its information to ensure accuracy. You will need to add your personal information to the form before getting fingerprinted.

2. Get fingerprinted

Once you have obtained the necessary forms from the applicant agency, go to a local Live Scan site to be fingerprinted. You must present valid photo identification when being fingerprinted. Expired identification information will not be accepted.

A fingerprint-rolling fee may be collected when you get your fingerprints taken. Since this fee varies widely among locations, you will want to review the cost before going to a fingerprinting site. Be sure to check for any restrictions on method of payment, such as cash or money order only. The List of Applicant Live Scan Sites provides information by location on fees, hours of operation and if an appointment is needed.

There also is a criminal history processing fee collected by the DOJ and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for the background checks.




What Is an California Background Check?

A California Background Check offers a comprehensive search in public records for:

  • Vital records, like births, deaths, marriages, and divorces
  • Current contact information and previous addresses
  • Criminal records, convictions and prison records or sex offender registration
  • Civil court filings, like civil judgments
  • Tax liens and bankruptcies
  • Records of real estate ownership and registered assets
  • Professional and business licenses

California background check is available through the state or through premium data aggregation services who conduct public record data searches and provide you with a report.. Each state, and sometimes each county, has different rules on how much information is available and who can access background check data. Therefore a background check may still not contain every record about a person, however in most cases it is very thorough. Most premium background check services use multiple databases of public records in order to provide you with their background reports.


Learn More About Background Checks