Misdemeanor Records

Misdemeanor Records

If you’ve ever been convicted of a misdemeanor offense, it’s likely something you wish to keep to yourself. It can be nerve-wracking and embarrassing when bringing it up with friends, family, or even people we meet on a daily basis. Although many people don’t even think to check someone’s misdemeanor records, doing so can help give insight to who that person really is.

If you’re wondering whether these misdemeanor records can be viewed by anyone, the easy answer is yes. Despite many people believing a trip to a clerk’s office would be necessary to retrieve misdemeanor records, it’s actually much simpler than that -- although it’s still a reliable way to do things.

With today’s technology, these records are available online and can be searched by anyone at any time. While this does mean your information is out in the open, there are certain state or federal rules and regulations in place to prevent unlawful discrimination. Misdemeanor records are available to promote transparency and protection when people are faced with serious convictions and other situations.

What Are Misdemeanor Records?

Misdemeanor records, which can appear on your criminal record, detail any misdemeanor offense you were charged or convicted of. Where arrest records will detail moments you were arrested, misdemeanor records will show whether they were convicted of a misdemeanor or not.

A misdemeanor, by definition, is “a criminal offense that is less serious than a felony and more serious than an infraction.” If you were ever asked on a job or lending application whether or not you have been convicted of a crime, a misdemeanor would constitute a ‘yes’ answer.

The punishment for a misdemeanor can include probation, community service, fines, and even incarceration lasting up to 12 months for more serious misdemeanors. Misdemeanor records will detail all of this information for those wondering about prior convictions someone was handed.

Do Misdemeanor Records Show Up on Background Checks?

Misdemeanor records are included in a criminal record, so anyone performing a criminal background check will be able to view your past misdemeanors. Although misdemeanors are less of an offense than a felony, they will still remain on your criminal record for life -- unless you petition to have it removed, which is a grueling process in itself.

If your employer was given access to your criminal record, it’s likely that they will view your misdemeanor records. This can also be true for any application you sign that gives them consent to view it.

Can the Public View Your Misdemeanor Records?

While certain regulations might make it illegal for your criminal record to be viewed in certain situations, it doesn’t prevent the average joe from performing a public record search. These searches can be found online or by physically going to the clerk’s office.

Since many court documents and misdemeanor records are filed by the specific county it occurred in, you would have to visit the clerk’s office in the right county in order to reveal the information you’re looking for. This can make it difficult to find a brief overview of all their misdemeanor records, especially if they have them in different cities.

Misdemeanor records can contain your full name, a photo if available, when the charges were filed, the source of the misdemeanor, as well as a full list of the charges and offenses. Some of the most common misdemeanors in the United States are traffic offenses, assault, battery, theft, larceny, drug possession, perjury crimes, obscenity, and unlawful gun possession.

If you’ve been convicted of any of these, they will likely show up on your misdemeanor records for life.

What Else Can the Public View?

When the public accesses your public record, they will most likely come across your misdemeanor records. This isn’t all they’ll find, though. Public records can contain a variety of sensitive information regarding your life, stuff you didn’t think would be available to the public.

If you’re wondering what else can be seen online, let’s break down some of the more important things:

• Personal Information - This can include more than just your full name. People can see your date of birth, known aliases, and a possible photo of yourself.
• Address History - Your public record will contain a list of all previous and current addresses you’ve resided at. This will include apartments, condos, rentals, and home purchases.
• Phone Records - If you’ve ever owned a phone and had to sign a contract, chances are those phone numbers are linked to your public record. This can be true even if you bought the phone under a different alias.
• Social Media - Public records can give links to many of the major social media platforms and can even list out any possible email addresses you’ve had.
• Arrest Records - In addition to felony and misdemeanor records, public records will normally list any arrests whether you were convicted or not.
• public History - If you’ve been involved in any lawsuits, had a lien placed on your property, filed for bankruptcy, or have expensive assets, people can view this in your public record too!

Public records contain a lot of information, not just misdemeanor records. This can be frightening to think about, especially considering anyone can view them in the comfort of their own home.

How to Find Misdemeanor Records

That’s right, you don’t necessarily need to take a trip to a county clerk’s office to retrieve someone’s misdemeanor records -- or public records for that matter. These can be found online and are similar to a Google search, requiring very little information. You don’t need special government access or illegal action, just internet access.

If you’re looking to get started, you can do so by locating the search engine we have right on this website! All you need is the first and last name of the person you’re searching for -- even yourself! If you don’t know their entire last name, the first initial will be enough. Adding the last known city and state will help, but is not required.

Once you hit the ‘Search’ button, you will be directed to a list of possible matches. Since many people share the same name, some further digging might be required. Once you confirm you have the right person, you can view their easy-to-read report.