Frequently Asked Questions - Criminal History

A court order is required to have anything completely removed or expunged from the OSBI files.  You should contact an attorney or legal aid to see if you meet the qualifications.

The full name and date of birth (or approximate age) of the person to be searched (mandatory).  All known aliases, which include maiden and previous married names, and the purpose of the request, should also be provided. The person’s race, sex and social security number are optional but providing them will result in a more thorough search.  A signed release is NOT required.

You can go to your local law enforcement agency to be fingerprinted. You need to take photo identification and provide a short statement explaining your situation. The statement should also include your mailing address and daytime telephone number. In order to maintain the integrity of the fingerprints, the law enforcement agency must mail the fingerprint card to the OSBI, along with your statement and a copy of your photo identification. Upon receipt, we will process your prints and mail the results directly to you.

You will need to come to our office to be fingerprinted.  Please bring photo identification.  We will compare your prints against the ones on file under your information; we will also run your fingerprints through our fingerprint system (AFIS).  If it is determined you do not have a record in our files, we will give you documentation stating this.   Your information cannot be removed from the other person’s record.  This is a bone fide alias; the person has used it once and may use it again.   After you have finished the fingerprint process, any future commercial inquiries on your information will still get a copy of the record; however, we will also contact the requestor and explain that you have been a victim of identity theft.

We do not maintain juvenile criminal history information unless the juvenile is certified as an adult by the court.

There are procedures throughout the judicial system to furnish us with the information that shows the outcome of the case.  However, we do not always receive that information.  Ultimately it is the responsibility of the individual to make sure his/her record is complete.

The charges listed on a criminal history record are those the arresting agency indicated on the fingerprint card.  A person can be arrested for one offense, but formally charged with an entirely different offense.  This is common practice.  The final disposition should note what charge(s) were filed and the outcome.  If you still feel the charge at arrest is incorrect, you will need to contact the arresting agency.  

When you have successfully completed a deferred sentence, your original plea of guilt or no contest can be removed from the record and the case is dismissed.  You will need to contact the Court Clerk’s and/or District Attorney’s Offices for a certified copy of your deferred dismissal order.   Your record can then be updated to reflect a disposition of – Pled Not Guilty, Case Dismissed.  The arrest will still be a part of your record; only the original plea is removed/expunged.

The OSBI criminal records are a history of a person’s arrests, not just convictions.  The OSBI maintains records of arrest, meaning that even if a person is not convicted, or even if charges are never filed, the record of the arrest can still exist

A court order is required to have anything completely removed or expunged from the OSBI files.  You should contact an attorney or legal aid to see if you meet the qualifications.

If charges were filed, send the certified document(s) to OSBI, Attn: DSU Unit, 6600 N. Harvey Pl, Oklahoma City, OK 73116.

If charges were not filed, obtain all necessary document(s) and send to OSBI, Attn: CHMU, 6600 N. Harvey Pl, Oklahoma City, OK 73116.

We can accept faxes only from law enforcement agencies and the courts.  A certified hard copy must also be mailed.  We cannot accept faxes from individuals. 

Update Criminal History Form

Many people interpret the “felony” listed below the charge at arrest as a conviction.  (This information appears next to the "severity").  This is the "alleged" charge at the time of arrest and indicates the person was arrested for a felony offense, not necessarily what was filed by the prosecuting attorney. 

All of the information that we receive comes on a fingerprint card from the arresting agency.  If you feel the charge information is wrong, contact the arresting agency.  Upon review of their records, the arresting agency should contact the OSBI with the results. 

Arrest fingerprint cards must be submitted to the OSBI.  If the fingerprint card was not submitted or the fingerprints were not retained because of poor quality, we will not have a record.

If you have ever been arrested and fingerprinted, you will in all probability have an arrest record on file.

Court records are maintained by the court clerk and the OSBI.  This information includes the crimes that a person is charged with, the resolution of the case, and all the pleadings and filings during the case.  Arrest records are maintained by the arresting agencies and the OSBI, this information includes the crimes that a person is arrested for, not necessarily the same crimes that they are charged with by the district attorney.

Searches of the Department of Corrections Sex Offender Database and Violent Offender Database can be obtained for a fee of $2.00 each ($4.00 for both).  Please check with the requesting authority to determine if these additional searches are required.

Complete and submit a Criminal History Record Check Form along with the fee of $19.  One set of inked fingerprints taken on an applicant fingerprint card must accompany the Criminal History Information Request Form or letter.   Cards should not be folded, stapled or altered in any way.  The card must be signed and dated by the printing officer and the person being printed.  All information blocks must be filled in completely and legibly. Printing service should be available through your local police department or sheriff’s office. Fingerprint searches require a minimum of four weeks to complete; replies are made by mail.

Fingerprint-based record checks must be made via mail or in person.  Do not FAX fingerprint cards, we must receive the original card to complete the request.

We provide fingerprint-based arrest and/or conviction data for serious misdemeanors and felonies from the State of Oklahoma only. Un-reported arrests, arrests where fingerprints were not taken or arrests where fingerprints were of insufficient quality will not be a part of the OSBI criminal history record.  We do not provide criminal history information from other states. A national search of records maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation is not available to the public through this agency or by direct contact with the FBI.  We do not provide driving records.

In-person service for a single record check usually requires a wait of ten to fifteen minutes; generally, multiple requests left at the customer window are completed on the same day or by the following day. 

Please allow one to three weeks for processing and return of regular mail requests.

Priority or Overnight Express requests are processed in one to three days from the date they are received.  If Priority or Overnight return service is desired, a pre-paid envelope must be included.  

If requests by mail are not received within thirty days, please contact the Criminal History Reporting Unit at 405-848-6724. 

Faxed requests are generally processed within two to five business days of receipt.  OSBI’s criminal history request form requires customers to provide a dedicated fax number (a line used only for faxing – no phone calls) for the return results.  If your bank or credit card does not show a charge for faxed requests within one business day of faxing or if fax results are not received within five business days of the charge to your bank or credit card, please contact the Criminal History Reporting Unit at 405-848-6724.

Criminal History Record Requests will be returned in the manner received.

Acceptable methods of payment include cash (in-person requests only), money orders, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, cashier’s checks, certified checks, government checks or warrants, and business checks imprinted with the company name and address and made payable to the OSBI. Personal checks are NOT accepted.

There is a $15.00 processing fee for each person searched; the fee is set by state statute and cannot be waived or reduced.

To make a record check request in person, complete and submit a criminal history record check form at our headquarters location.  All requests must be typed or legibly printed in ink. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. We are located in the Broadway Executive Office Park one-half block west of the Broadway Extension on Northwest 63rd  -  our address is 6600 North Harvey Place, Oklahoma City, OK  73116.   Requests can also be faxed or mailed and will be returned in the manner received. You may also obtain a name-based record check at chirp.osbi.ok.gov.  CHIRP is our online system that allows you to request a name-based criminal history record check electronically from anywhere.

That is up to each person or company that checks your criminal history.  The OSBI cannot tell anyone what will happen due to their having a record.

The OSBI cannot advise anyone about whether a specific incident will appear on their criminal record.  The best course of action is to request a copy of your criminal history so that you can see exactly what is on it.