Felony Records

Felony Records

Felony records can be out in the open for anyone to see, whether you gave consent to the search or not. This can be frightening to anyone who might be walking around with felony records in their name. Having a felony carries a large stigma in today’s society, causing many to feel ashamed of it.

We all make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are larger than others. Although felony records can uncover some dark moments in a person’s life, it doesn’t always indicate a bad person. Many people with felony records are working very hard to change their life and turn things around, which is normally a big reason they like to hide that information from us.

Whether they want that information public or not, it’s still worth family and friends knowing -- if they so wish. For that reason, felony records kept by the federal, state, city, and council courts are filed and released to those that ask for it. Likewise, you could even search for your own felony records to confirm the information out there is accurate.

What Are Felony Records?

Felony records will contain the most serious crimes that people can be involved in. Although incarceration time and location of incarceration will vary from state to state, felony records are typically categorized into five different classes:

1. Class A - death penalty or imprisonment for life
2. Class B - 25+ years imprisonment
3. Class C - 10-25 years imprisonment
4. Class D - 5-10 years imprisonment
5. Class E - 1-5 years imprisonment

These can all be included in someone’s felony records, whether they are being convicted of first-degree murder, rape, kidnapping, drug abuse violations, auto theft, larceny, DUI, assault, selling alcohol to minors, or robbery. Felony records contain crimes that are deemed detrimental to society, which is why the sentencing and fines are normally steeper than misdemeanors.

Felony records can be filed at either the federal or state level, depending on the severity of the situation. In some situations, they can be considered both state and federal jurisdiction if they are breaking laws at both levels.

Do Felony Records Show Up on Background Checks?

While felony records will show up on most background checks -- granted it’s a criminal background check -- and will likely be a determining factor in the hiring process, there are federal laws and regulations that prevent felony records from showing up past 7 years. After that time, employers and other companies that are granted access to a criminal background check won’t be able to view those felony records.

This is meant to give the individual a second chance after they have paid the price of waiting 7 years. If they don’t commit another felony during that time, they can walk into job interviews with confidence again.

Can the Public View Your Felony Records?

Although felony records will only remain on a background check for up to 7 years, it doesn’t mean they will be taken off your criminal record entirely. When you have a felony on your criminal record, it’s their for life -- unless you have it expunged. Although expungement can lead to felony records being erased, it’s highly unlikely that you succeed.

You’ll be safe for employment reasons after 7 years, but your felony records will be available to the public for the rest of your life. These can be found online by performing a search on the federal or state government’s database, though it might take longer than expected and cost you some money.

This opens the door for your family, friends, and even strangers to search your name and reveal any felony records linked to you. It also allows you to do the same for anyone you might have your doubts about. All in all, this information is meant to help keep people safe in a world full of secrets.

What Else Can the Public View?

The public can view more than just your felony records. In fact, websites like ours can help you gain access to someone’s entire public record. This can be beneficial in learning more about the person you’re searching for, whether it be events that might’ve caused the felony arrest or the events following the felony arrest.

This information can get very deep and detailed, including some things you won’t be expecting. Public records can display:

• Arrest Records - Not all arrests will lead to a felony, but public records can show you any other times they’ve been arrested
• Misdemeanor Records - In addition to felonies, you can see if anyone has been convicted of any less serious crimes
• Personal Information - If you were wondering their date of birth, astrology sign, and possible photos of the person, public records normally have them
• Contact Information - From phone records to email addresses, social media, and online dating profiles
• Address History - Whether they’ve purchased a home or rent out a house, apartment, or condo, public records will uncover the full address, property history, neighbors, and possible roommates
• Family Members - Public records can help match your person with close and distant relatives, while also revealing potential aliases that person goes by

Public records can show you the real person behind those felony records, allowing you to play full detective when learning more about them. A lot of the information you'll find is the stuff they are too embarrassed or ashamed to bring up.

How to Find Felony Records

For those interested in searching for someone's felony records, or any public record for that matter, it's a much simpler process than you're imagining. If you have the person's first and last name in your possession, you're already halfway there!

Head over to the search engine on our website, type in the first and last name into the corresponding box, add a city and state if you know it, and then hit the 'Search' button. It's that easy!

You can use our search engine to search for a family member, a friend, someone you just met on social media, or even yourself. Many people use public record searches to confirm their own records are accurate and up-to-date -- including felony records.