State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) maintains the statewide criminal record repository for the State of California. In this capacity, sheriff, police and probation departments, district attorney offices, and courts submit arrest and disposition information to the DOJ. The DOJ uses this information to compile records of arrest and prosecution, known as “RAP sheets,” for individuals and disseminates the information for law enforcement and regulatory (employment, licensing, and certification) purposes.
The Los Angeles County Superior Court (LASC) recently identified a backlog of roughly 464,000 dispositions from over the last 60 years, that up until now went unreported to DOJ due to issues associated with the court’s prior criminal case management system. The unreported records span from 1965 to 2023. This means that some individuals who were arrested in Los Angeles County may not have their dismissals or convictions currently reflected in their criminal records in the statewide repository. DOJ is working closely with the LASC to accurately and swiftly process the LASC backlog.
For more information see the Q&A below:
A disposition refers to the outcome of an arrest, for example whether the charges were dismissed, or if the individual was convicted or acquitted.
DOJ maintains state summary criminal history information for the State of California and is solely responsible for the submission of California arrests and dispositions to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In this capacity, DOJ compiles arrest and corresponding disposition information submitted from criminal justice agencies (e.g., law enforcement agencies, prosecuting agencies, and courts). DOJ disseminates state summary criminal history information for criminal justice purposes, as well as regulatory (employment, licensing, and certification) purposes.
There was a technology error within LASC’s system that unintentionally created a backlog of case information. The error was unique to LASC’s internal processes, and DOJ had no visibility into it at the time, nor any way of knowing it had occurred. As soon as DOJ was made aware of the problem, we acted immediately and proactively by working closely with LASC, dedicating additional resources, implementing corrective measures, and prioritizing affected records to resolve the backlog as quickly as possible. DOJ’s focus throughout has been on restoring timely reporting and ensuring that public safety remains fully protected.
The backlog is being processed as quickly as possible, and most records will be handled through an automated process within a six-week timeframe. We anticipate about ten percent of the total backlog requiring additional analysis which may take months to complete, before the corresponding updates will be made to the state summary criminal history information.
Consistent with existing practice, if there is a change to the criminal history of an individual that previously underwent a background check, and if the Applicant Agency that originally requested the background check was set up to receive ongoing arrest updates at the time the applicant was fingerprinted and the applicant type allowed for retained notifications, the Applicant Agency will receive a notification in the Applicant Agency Justice Connection (AAJC) portal. DOJ has proactively notified all Applicant Agencies that an increase in subsequent arrest and disposition notifications may be forthcoming./p>
DOJ maintains the statewide repository for criminal record information forwarded to it by local law enforcement and criminal justice agencies. If your agency was contracted to receive subsequent notifications at the time the applicant was fingerprinted, and the Applicant Type used was retainable, your agency would receive subsequent notifications for that applicant unless a No Longer Interested request is submitted.
Please note that subsequent arrest and disposition notifications are issued by DOJ only after the required information is received from the reporting arresting agency or the courts. In some cases, subsequent notifications may reflect events that occurred several years earlier, because DOJ can only forward arrest and disposition information after it is received from the reporting agency.
If you receive a response for an individual that your agency no longer has an authorizing relationship with, please submit a No Longer Interested request for that individual in the Applicant Agency Justice Connection (AAJC) portal. Please contact AAJCSupport@doj.ca.gov if you have any questions or need further assistance.
Individuals have the right to request a copy of their own criminal history record from DOJ to review for accuracy and completeness. Access to criminal history summary records maintained by DOJ is otherwise restricted by law to legitimate law enforcement purposes and authorized applicant agencies. Requests from third parties are not authorized and will not be processed. You may refer to the Attorney General’s website listed below or call the Record Review Unit at (916) 227-3849 for additional questions to request a copy of your record at Criminal Records - Request Your Own | State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General
To receive a copy of YOUR criminal history record, individuals must submit fingerprint images, pay a $25 processing fee to DOJ, and follow the instructions below. You may be eligible to apply for a fee waiver to cover DOJ processing fees. See Apply for a Fee Waiver.
All California Applicants must submit Live Scan fingerprints. Instructions, pdf | En Español, pdf.
Fingerprinting services are available at most local police departments, sheriff's offices or any public applicant Live Scan site. To find the sites nearest to you, their fingerprint rolling fees, and acceptable methods of payment, see Public Live Scan Sites.
Applicants Living Outside California/United States must submit manual fingerprint cards (Form FD258).
Print out the Application to Obtain copy of State Summary Criminal History Record (Form BCIA 8705, pdf) and follow the instructions on the form. A Spanish version of this form is also available (Form BCIA 8705S, pdf). Please contact your local law enforcement agency for fingerprinting services. PLEASE NOTE: Your fingerprint card must contain your full name, date of birth, sex and return mailing address. If you are having difficulty in obtaining a blank fingerprint card, please contact the Record Review Unit at (916) 227-3849.
Manual submissions must be accompanied by either personal check drawn on a U.S. bank, money order or certified check. The check or money order must be made payable to the “California Department of Justice.” Mail your application, fingerprint card and processing fee to:
California Department of Justice
Bureau of Criminal Identification and Analysis
Record Review & Challenge Section
PO BOX 160207
Sacramento, CA 95816-0207
Once you have received your Record Review response, if you want to challenge the contents of your criminal record, you must complete the "Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness" (form BCIA 8706), which will be included with your Record Review response if there is criminal information on your record. Mail the completed form, along with a copy of your criminal history record, to the address indicated on the form. Your challenge must specifically state the basis for the claim of inaccuracy or incompleteness and include any available proof or corroboration to substantiate your claim.
If you feel the information contained within your criminal history is incorrect, you may submit a formal challenge to DOJ only after you have received a copy of your record from DOJ, pursuant to California Penal Code sections 11120-11127. For more information, please see the information above on how to request your criminal record.
Form BCIA 8706 “Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness” will be mailed to you along with your record. Submit form BCIA 8706 and any supporting documentation to DOJ at the address provided on the form. The challenge will be reviewed and a written response will be provided, along with an amended copy of your criminal history record if appropriate.
It may. As DOJ updates the criminal history summary records, employers, licensing agencies, and agencies issuing certificates, may receive notice of the updates made to your criminal record. The applicant agency will determine whether the criminal history is grounds for any adverse employment, licensing, or certification decision.
It may. Persons convicted of charges with firearms prohibitions whose criminal history information is updated will be required to surrender their firearms.