How to Find Out if Someone Has Been Arrested: Your Expert Guide

Cindy Ellis - February 1, 2023

Arrest records are often something that many individuals want to know about, and there are many different reasons as to why this information is important. Whether you’re vetting potential dates, looking for a family member, or double-checking the background information of someone, it’s important to understand how to find out if someone has been arrested so you can be fully informed of their history and your next steps.

Our article gives you a rundown of the main reasons you might want to figure out if someone has been arrested and a detailed explanation of some of the main methods you can use to find out this information. We also give you some helpful tips on what your next steps should be after finding out if someone has been arrested.

Reasons for Figuring Out if Someone Has Been Arrested

Many reasons might inspire someone to start researching if someone in their life has been arrested. We list the most common reasons for this search below.

• If you have a close friend, family member, or even an employee that seems to have disappeared without a trace or is otherwise unreachable, you may be wondering if they have been arrested. Searching arrest records, hospitals, and other public facilities are always the first step in tracking down a missing person.
• You want to make sure a potential date is safe to be around, and arrest records are a great way to do this. With the information on an arrest record, you can determine if the person you are attempting to form a relationship with is safe to be around.
• You need to double-check on someone’s identity. Reviewing arrest records is a great way to determine if someone is telling the truth about their history and make sure that they are someone you want to get to know better or an employee. Keep in mind that employers will need to obtain authorization for background checks that include a review of arrest records according to most state and federal laws.

It’s important to note that the reasons for finding out whether or not someone has been arrested are very subjective. You may not see your reason on this list, and that’s ok – as long as you aren’t researching this information with the intents to use it for illegal purposes, like harassment or stalking, you are free to look up public records as much as you want, for any reason.

The Best Methods for Finding Out if Someone Has Been Arrested

Below, we give you details on the best methods for discovering if someone has been arrested or not. Review each method and don’t hesitate to try them all if just one isn’t giving you the answers that you need.

Locating an Individual

When you are concerned that a family member, friend, employee, or other close individual has been arrested, you should follow the below steps for locating that individual and figuring out if they are arrested.

• Speak to the people who were last seen with the person you are searching for. Reach out to them by visiting their workplace or home in person, or by calling emergency contacts and the numbers of the person’s close friends.
• Try to figure out the person’s last known location. This can be done by looking through their Google maps history, checking their location via the iPhone location sharing services, or otherwise tracking their phone. Keep in mind the person will have to have previously shared their Google account or iPhone location data with you for you to track down this information.
• Call local police precincts and inquire about the person you are looking for. Most stations will have a dedicated number for this type of information you can locate on their website. If you can’t find this number, call the generic non-emergency information number and allow the officer to properly direct your search.
• Go in person to the police precinct or county jail closest to where the person you are looking for was last seen. If they were arrested in that area, the officers would have taken them to the closest jail in the jurisdiction. You may have to visit a few different precincts, as police officers might not always have information about individuals arrested across your state at their specific jurisdiction.

You should keep in mind that when individuals are arrested it can take between 24 and 48 hours for their information to be uploaded into the system. If you don’t find information about the person immediately, check back the next day just to be sure.

You will also need to make sure that you are using the person’s full legal name to conduct your search, as this is the name on their ID and the name that they will be booked into the police precinct’s system with.

Checking Arrest Records

Checking arrest records and background information is the best search method if you want to find out if someone has a history of arrests, if they are actively being deceitful about their arrest history, or if you want to double-check their information. This type of search may not be the most helpful if someone is actively missing and you want to find out if they are currently in jail or were arrested within the past 24 hours.

For this method of checking arrest records, you can utilize an online public record search tool or visit your County Clerk’s office. Online searches will pull up available criminal records that belong to the person you are searching for and compile them into an easy-to-read report, while visiting a County Clerk’s office is helpful if you can’t find any records online or you want to view criminal records in person.

You will also need to have the person’s correct legal name to conduct these searches, and if you are planning to visit a County Clerk’s office for criminal record access, it will need to be located in the same jurisdiction that you believe the person may have been arrested in.

Hiring Private Investigative Help

Hiring a private investigator is a good option when you can’t figure out any information about whether or not someone has been arrested, and you aren’t too sure what your options are. A private investigator will charge by the hour to track down the background information about the person and provide you with evidence of arrests, if any have been made.

One great thing about private investigators is that they often have access to court records and other arrest information that might not be visible to the public.

Keep in mind that a private investigator will cost between $50 and $250 an hour, so you may only want to rely on this search method if you absolutely need arrest information on someone and can’t find it anywhere else.

What Do Arrest Records Show?

The type of information available to be reviewed on an arrest record depends on the state you live in and specific disclosure laws. General information about the arrest and most likely the offense that the person was arrested for will be shown on their criminal record.

However, any information about active warrants, information that might be used as part of an investigation, or information that law enforcement or a court deems important may be left off of a public arrest record. It’s vital to check with your state’s specific disclosure laws to see what might be included on an arrest record.

What Should You Do if You Find Out Someone Has Been Arrested?

If you manage to discover that someone you know has been arrested, there are a couple of next steps depending on if the person has been arrested within the last 24 hours or if you are researching a historical arrest record.

For active arrests, you will most likely need to contact a bond agent about bailing the person out of jail. The bond agent will be able to help you find out what the bond of a person is and any conditions on their release from jail.

If the person in jail has special needs, requires medications, or there are other circumstances surrounding their well-being while being held in jail, you will need to speak directly to the police precinct or county jail holding them regarding accommodations.

In the case of a background check that turns up arrest records or criminal convictions, your next step is to decide whether or not you want to continue associating with that person. If you were double-checking their identity or their history and discovered a lie, it’s up to you and the specific situation to determine if you want to confront the person.

If you were researching a potential date and are uncomfortable with their arrest history, call off the date or relationship in a safe and respectful manner.

Finding Out the Information You Need to Know

Finding out if someone was arrested is an essential part of tracking down a missing person or researching someone that you need to know the background of. Most arrest records are available publicly and can be accessed with research tools online or visits to county record offices. If an arrest was more recent, information on whether or not someone has been arrested will be available through local police precincts or county jails.

Make sure to thoroughly conduct your research, and you will be able to find out if someone was arrested in no time.