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Arrest Records Search by Name and State

Arrest records are public records created when a law enforcement agency takes a person into custody. To find one you need the name of the person and the state, and it helps to know the county. MugshotLookup searches by name and state and returns each arrest record with its agency, date and source.

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Searches are private. The person you search is not notified.

What public arrest records show

Clerk handing a court record folder across a county courthouse counter

A public arrest record is the entry an agency makes at booking. It identifies the person, the agency and the reason for the arrest. It does not show whether the person was convicted.

Field What it means
Name and identifiers Full name, date of birth or age, and physical description
Arresting agency The sheriff's office or police department that made the arrest
Booking date When the person was booked into the jail
Charges The offenses listed at booking, which can change when a prosecutor files the case
Bond The bond amount set, if any
Custody status Whether the person is still held or was released

An arrest is not a conviction. Charges may have been dropped, dismissed or resulted in acquittal.

How to look up arrest records

Start with the county where the arrest happened, because arrests are recorded by local agencies. If you do not know the county, a search by name and state covers the sources for the whole state.

  1. Enter the first name, the last name and the state in the search form.

  2. Add the city to narrow the search to one county.

  3. Review the official sources that cover the jurisdiction.

  4. Open the full report to see arrest and booking records with their sources and dates.

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Where an arrest search looks

An arrest search draws on the agencies that create and keep the records. Each one holds a different part of the story.

  • County sheriff's offices and jails: booking records, jail rosters and arrest inquiries.
  • City police departments: arrest logs for arrests made inside the city.
  • Court clerks: the charges filed after the arrest and the outcome of the case. See court case lookup.
  • State repositories: statewide criminal history files, where the state opens them to the public.

The official search page of each agency is listed in the Source Directory.

What an arrest lookup can miss

Public records reading room with microfilm readers

No arrest lookup is complete. Juvenile records are confidential, sealed and expunged records are removed from public view, and some agencies publish only current inmates or the most recent bookings. A report shows what the sources return, with the date of each record, so you can judge how current it is.

Booking photos appear only where state law allows commercial display and the source provides them.

How you may use an arrest record

Open file drawer with rows of record folders in a county records office

MugshotLookup is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). You may not use this site or any information from it to make decisions about employment, tenant screening, consumer credit, insurance or any other purpose covered by the FCRA.

Questions and answers

Are arrest records public?

Yes, in general. Arrest records are created by public agencies and are open under state public records laws. Juvenile records, sealed records and expunged records are not public.

How long does an arrest stay on record?

An arrest record stays in the files of the agency unless a court orders it sealed or expunged. Each state sets its own rules on who qualifies and when.

Is an arrest record the same as a criminal record?

No. An arrest record shows that a person was taken into custody. A criminal record usually refers to convictions. Many arrests end without a conviction. See criminal records.