The information on your RAP sheet varies by state. In order to accurately understand your criminal record, you need to know how your state — or the state where you have a criminal record — lists the information.
To find out about how to read your RAP sheet, select the state where your criminal record is located using the drop-down menu below:
Your District of Columbia criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Arrest and Criminal History Section recommends going to the police headquarters office in person to get your record. Make sure to read your record carefully and check for errors before you leave. Ask a clerk to help you interpret your record and get that person's name.
For information on how to interpret your RAP Sheet, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page on the Department of Public Safety, Division of Criminal Investigation website here: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
For helpful information on terminology, review page two on the State of Iowa Criminal History Record Check Request Form. To access the form, visit the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation website here: Criminal History Record Request Form.
The Salt Lake County Expungement Navigator may be able to help you read your RAP sheet. For more information, contact Jake Smith at (385) 226-1729 or email JaSmith@slco.org. You do not need to be a resident of Salt Lake County to use this service.
Your Alabama criminal history record may have words and abbreviations on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency at (334) 517-2450 or 1 (866) 740-4762. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Your Alaska criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what is on your record, call the Criminal Records and Identification Bureau (R & I) at (907) 269-5767 or email dps.criminal.records@alaska.-gov.
For answers to "Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)," visit the Alaska Department of Public Safety website here: Frequently Asked Questions.
Your Arizona criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Criminal History Records Section at (602) 223-2229. The office is open Monday through Friday from 6:00AM to 9:00PM.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Checks. For access to the "Glossary of Public Records Terms," visit: Glossary of Public Records. The information is not specific to Arizona, or any state, but there are some terms that appear on most criminal records.
Your Arkansas criminal history record may have words and abbreviations or codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Arkansas Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) provides helpful information about how to interpret court information. To access this resource, visit the AOC website here: AOC Public CourtConnect Help.
Each incident is identified by a name and a date of birth. These are listed and numbered at the top of the RAP sheet. Sometimes people have several names or dates of birth associated with them, either as a result of typographical errors or incorrect information given.
Dates on Department of Justice RAP sheets are written with the year first, then month then day. For example, 20170630 means June 30, 2017.
Each event (arrest and court hearing information for each case) is separated by asterisks like this: * * * *
An event is organized by first listing the arrest or detention information.
Next is the county in which you were arrested followed by a file number. This is not the case number for the court; it usually is a booking, police or District Attorney file number.
Next comes a list of charges, also called “counts” (CNT). There is a section of the law listed and a code (group of laws) listed. The section is listed before the Code. For example, “484 PC” refers to section 484 of the California Penal Code.
Many encounters with law enforcement do not result in convictions. Often the DA will realize that he or she cannot prove that the person accused committed the offense(s) charged. In those cases, there are arrests or detentions only and no resulting convictions. It is difficult to remove arrests from a RAP sheet. However, the law limits who can see arrests that did not lead to convictions and what effect they have.
When the DA decides to proceed with a case, it goes to court. The portion of the RAP sheet after the arrest or detention information shows what happened in court. Each action (cycle) within a fingerprinting event is separated by dashes, like this: - - - -
Cycles do not necessarily involve fingerprinting, but are connected by law enforcement booking numbers or court case numbers.
You will see the letters “DISPO”; this shows what happened to each charge in court. Under “DISPO” if a person plead guilty or was found guilty at trial, you will see, the word “Convicted” after the count or charge. Usually the sentence is listed as well, showing jail or prison, probation, fines and fees.
Frequently, some of the charges are dropped, usually in exchange for a plea bargain. (A plea is an agreement where a person agrees to a lesser charge to avoid going to trial). If a charge is dismissed, the RAP sheet will note “DISMISSED” after “DISPO.”
Usually the RAP sheet will note the reason or section of the Penal Code that authorized its dismissal. “FOJ” means “in furtherance of justice.” Notes referring to PC 1203.4, PC 1203.4a, and PC 1203.41 all mean the case was dismissed based on those laws. Similarly, if a felony was reduced, a note on the RAP sheet will show the law that permitted the reduction, often PC 17b.
Courtesy of SJSU Record Clearance Project
Your Colorado criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has published definitions to help you interpret the abbreviations for dispositions. To view CBI definitions, visit the Colorado Official State website here: Colorado State Web Portal. Click on "Identification Unit" and scroll down to the "Disposition Update and Sealing of an Arrest Record" for the list and explanations of dispositions.
Your Connecticut criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the Connecticut Criminal Records Department at (860) 685-8480 or email DESPP.Feedback@ct.gov.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to Connecticut or any state, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Delaware criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For more information on how to interpret your criminal record, contact the SBI at (302) 739-5884.
Your Florida criminal record may have words and abbreviations on it that you need to define or interpret. For example, if you need to find out what "disposition" means, go to any online Florida State Attorney's Office "Glossary of Legal Terms," such as this one from the 19th judicial district: Florida State Attorney's Office-19th Judicial District.
To find out what an abbreviation on your record means, visit: Florida Department of Law Enforcement Criminal History Information.
You may see a sample Georgia RAP sheet on the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) website, which runs the online felony record database. To view the sample Georgia RAP Sheet, visit: Georgia Technology Authority.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to "Related Files." Click on the sample RAP sheet here: Information Included in a RAP Sheet.
Page one provides important information about Georgia law. For example, an employer or licensing agency that denies you a job or a license because of a criminal record must disclose that record to you.
Pages two to four shows what is included in a RAP sheet: a physical description; photos; employment and residence records; fingerprints; and arrests, court dispositions, sentencing records, and custodial information if you were incarcerated in a Georgia correctional facility.
If you have any questions about the information on your RAP sheet, contact the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, a division of the Georgia Crime Information Center.
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Crime Information Center
Phone: (404) 244-2639, then press option #1
Email: gacriminalhistory@gbi.state.ga.us.
Your criminal history record may have words and abbreviations that are difficult to understand. If you have questions on how to interpret your record, contact the Criminal Justice Agency at (808) 586-2547 or email ag.hcjdc.helpdesk@hawaii.gov.
Your Idaho criminal history record may have words and abbreviations that are difficult to understand. To help you interpret your record, the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification (BCI) has a brochure titled "Understanding Your Criminal History." To access the brochure, visit the BCI website here: Understanding Your Criminal History.
To learn how to read your RAP sheet, visit: Illinois State Police.
To watch the video "How to read your Chicago RAP Sheet," visit: Illinois Legal Aid Online.
Your full Indiana criminal history record includes Indiana arrests, detentions, criminal charges, dispositions, parole and probation status, and correctional supervision information. It may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand.
If you have questions about what is on your record or how to read it, call the Indiana State Police (ISP) Central Records Division at (317) 232-8262 or email CriminalHistory@isp.IN.gov
Your Kansas criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For a list of acronyms and terms commonly used in the Kansas criminal justice system, visit the Kansas Bureau of Investigation website here: Glossary of Criminal Justice Terms.
Your Kentucky Administration of Courts criminal history record may have words and abbreviations or codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Kentucky Court of Justice provides a fact sheet that has information on how to interpret your criminal history. To view the fact sheet, visit the Kentucky Court of Justice website here: Kentucky Court of Justice – Fact Sheet.
Your Louisiana criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. Here is a list of some words and abbreviations and their meanings:
Offender Class 01: First-time offender
Detainer: You may be under a "detainer" if you committed a crime in another state or parish.
FTD: Full Term Date (release date without GT)
GT: Good Time
PB Action: Parole-Board Action
PED: Parole Eligibility Date
WRED: Work-Release Earliest Date
If you have questions about what appears on your Louisiana criminal history record, contact the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information at (225) 925-6096 or criminalrecordsapps@dps.la.gov.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal records, visit these terminology resources here: Background Checks or Glossary of Public Records. The information is not specific to Louisiana, or any state, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your criminal history record may have words and abbreviations on it that are difficult to understand. For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to Maine or any state, but the definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Maryland record includes what the state calls "reportable events." Reportable events include all arrests and citations, no matter the disposition or outcome. The record may have words, abbreviations, or codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about reading your record, contact the Criminal Justice Information System's Customer Service Division at (410) 764-4501.
Your Massachusetts criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For more information on how to interpret the abbreviations for dispositions, visit the Massachusetts Legal Help website here: Mass Legal Help.
To access a sample of the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), visit the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS) website here: Massachusetts CORI SAMPLE.
The State of Michigan has an online tutorial to help you read and understand your Michigan State Police (MSP) Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) criminal record. To view the online tutorial, visit the State of Michigan website here: How to Read a Michigan Criminal History.
Your Minnesota private criminal history record may have words and abbreviations or codes on it that are difficult to understand. To view a sample RAP sheet, visit the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) website here: CHS Layout.
Your Mississippi criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions, call the Criminal Information Center at (601) 987-1212.
Your Missouri record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. Call the Missouri State Highway Patrol's Criminal Justice Information Services division at (573) 526-6153 if you have questions about what appears on your record.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to the state of Missouri, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Montana criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For more information on how to interpret your record, call the Montana Department of Justice Criminal Records and Identification Services Section (CRISS) office at (406) 444-3625 or email dojcriss@mt.gov.
Your Nebraska criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) Criminal Identification Division can help interpret the codes. For more information, contact the NSP Criminal Identification Division at (402) 479-4971 or email nsp.criminalidentification@nebraska.gov.
Your Nevada criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The record includes arrests, detentions, criminal charges, dispositions, parole and probation status, and correctional supervision in Nevada.
If you have questions about your official criminal history record from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), call DPS at (775) 684-6262.
Your New Jersey criminal record may have words, abbreviations, or codes that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the New Jersey State Police, Criminal Information Unit, at 609-882-2000 ext 2918.
To find a list of New Jersey disposition codes, visit this resource here: How to Read a New Jersey Disposition. To find list of terms that appear in most criminal records, although not specific to New Jersey, visit: Background Check Terminology.
Your New Mexico criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For information on interpreting your record, contact the New Mexico Department of Public Safety (DPS) Law Enforcement Records Bureau at (505) 827-9181.
If you were fingerprinted in New York, the information from each arrest/event is listed together. There are two formats for RAP sheets—the Old Format and the New Format.
Old Format (pre-1984): Information from each arrest is separated into three columns. The first column contains information from the arrest including dates, times, places, and the charges against you. The second column lists the official charge from the District Attorney’s office. The third column has information from the court appearance(s) including the outcome.
New Format (post-1985): In this format, arrest information is at the top of the section for each incident. This includes dates, times, places, and the charges against you. Below the arrest is the information from the court dates including the outcomes. Underneath this is any incarceration information. At the end of the entire section for any given incident, there is information about a job, warrant(s) status, and probation/parole information.
Your North Carolina record may have words, abbreviations, or codes that are difficult to understand. For help interpreting the abbreviations or codes, view the second page of the record request form here: Request for Certified Criminal Record Search. The "System Code Definitions" lists the codes and abbreviations and their meaning.
If you have questions, contact the State Bureau of Investigation at (919) 582-8600.
Your Ohio criminal record may have words and abbreviations on it that may be difficult to understand. To get help reading and interpreting your RAP sheet from BCI, contact:
Ohio Attorney General's Office Help Center
30 E. Broad St., 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Phone: (800) 282-0515
Ohio Legal Aid
Phone: (866) 529-6446
Your Oklahoma criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) has a helpful guide to help you interpret the codes. To access the guide, visit the OSBI website here: How to Read an OSBI RAP Sheet.
Your Oregon criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For information on how to read your RAP sheet, view the second page of the open records request form. To access the form, visit the Oregon State Police website here: Request Open Records.
Your Pennsylvania record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. To help you interpret the record, a private investigative company has posted a brochure about Pennsylvania criminal records on their website here: General Understanding of Criminal Records in Pennsylvania. For a list of abbreviations and their meanings scroll down to the bottom of page 5 of this document.
Your Puerto Rico criminal record certificate may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you get your criminal record certificate in person from the police department, ask the clerk there to help you read your record. If you get your certificate online, call the police department with questions at (787) 793-1234.
Your South Carolina criminal record may have words and abbreviations on it that are difficult to understand. To get help reading and interpreting your RAP sheet from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), call the SLED Records Department at (803) 896-1443.
Your Tennessee record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) at (615) 744-4057.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to Tennessee, or any state, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Texas criminal record may have words, abbreviations, or codes that are hard to understand.
For help reading and interpreting your Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) RAP sheet, visit: Texas Department of Public Safety.
You can also call DPS at (512) 424-2478.
Your criminal history record may have words and abbreviations that are difficult to understand. For information on how to interpret your record, call the Vermont Criminal Information Center (VCIC) at (802) 241-5320.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to the state of Vermont, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Virginia criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions about what appears on your record, call the Virginia State Police Headquarters at (804) 674-2131 or email Background_Checks@vsp.virginia.gov.
For a list of acronyms and terms commonly found on criminal history records, visit this terminology resource here: Background Check Terminology. The information is not specific to Virginia or any state, but the explanations and definitions apply to most criminal records.
Your Washington criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For information on how to interpret your record, view the "Getting and Reading Criminal History Reports in Washington" guide on the Washington American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) website here: Getting and Reading Criminal History Reports in Washington.
For additional information, view the "Resources on How to Read a RAP Sheet" guide on the Washington Department of Social and Health Services website here: Resources on How to Read a RAP Sheet.
Your West Virginia criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. If you have questions interpreting your record, call the Criminal Identification Bureau at (340) 746-2170.
Your Wisconsin criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has a brochure called "Interpreting Responses" that includes a section titled "Reading a Criminal Record" to help you interpret the codes. To access the brochure, visit Wisconsin's DOJ website here: Interpreting Responses.
Your Wyoming criminal history record may have words and abbreviations such as acronyms and codes on it that are difficult to understand. For more information on how to interpret your record, visit the Wyoming Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) website here: Background Check Instructions - Please Read Carefully.