What is a background check?
A background check is an investigation into an individual’s criminal record, employment history, driving record, education, finances, or other aspects of their personal history.
Background checks are often performed by an organization or company in order to screen a subject before a significant financial or legal agreement. However, individuals regularly perform background checks on themselves to make sure that the public information on them matches their personal records.
How do I run a criminal background check in Connecticut?
For more general information on background checks, consult our Background Checks FAQS page.
Individuals may obtain a copy of a Connecticut criminal history record through the State of Connecticut State Police Bureau of Identification. The requested record can belong to the person doing the search or anybody else in the state.
This method may only be done manually and requires requesters to mail in a form. There are three types of criminal background searches supported:
- Name/Date of Birth search that verifies that existence of a criminal record but does not provide a copy of the record – $36
- Name/Date of Birth search that provides a copy of a criminal record if it exists – $75
- Fingerprint search that provides a copy of a criminal record if it exists – $75 along with a $15 fingerprinting fee to be paid at a Connecticut State Police location
In order to search for a criminal history record, complete the following steps:
- Print or open the State of Connecticut Criminal History Record Request Form
- Select the Type of Background Search of your choice
- Fill out the rest of the form with the appropriate information
- If you opt to perform a fingerprint-based search, visit a Connecticut State Police location and obtain a Fingerprint card with the fingerprint of the subject of the search for $15
- Prepare a check or money order with the appropriate amount made payable to Treasurer-State of CT. If you are requesting the criminal records of more than one subject, use a single check to pay for the search, rather than multiple checks.
- Mail the form, along with the form of payment and fingerprint card (if applicable) to this address:
DESPP-SPBI
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, CT 06457-2389
If you have any questions regarding the status of the request, contact the State Police Bureau of Investigation at (860) 685-8480.
What can I do if my Arkansas criminal history record has incomplete or inaccurate information?
If your Connecticut criminal history record has inaccurate information, you may challenge the accuracy of the record by giving a written notice to the Connecticut State Police Bureau of Investigation. The notice must contain a sworn statement that the challenge is made in good faith and that any information supporting the challenge is accurate.
Once the State Police Bureau of Investigation receives the written notice, they will conduct an audit of the challenged criminal history information and deliver the results of the audit in writing within 60 days to the individual making the challenge stating whether the challenge was successful or rejected.
For more information on how to submit a challenge to a criminal history record, contact the State Police Bureau of Investigation at (860) 685-8480.
How do I search Connecticut court records?
Individuals can use the Connecticut Judicial Branch Case Look-Up tool to search and view a variety of Connecticut court records.
The following types of records can be found using Case Look-up:
- Supreme Court records
- Appellate Court records
- civil case records
- motor vehicle records
- housing records
- criminal case records
- small claims case records
Where can I find Connecticut driving records online?
The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles does not allow individuals to request and view their driving records online. Requests must be made in-person at a DMV office or through the mail. Furthermore, requesting the driving record of another person can only be done through the mail.
How to request a Connecticut driving record in-person
- Complete a Copy Records Request Form
- Bring the form and your driver’s license to a full-service or limited-service DMV office. Be prepared to pay a $20 fee.
How to request a Connecticut driving record through the mail
- Check the box requesting “Driving History” on the Copy Records Request Form and fill in section one.
- Fill in the “applicant” section of the form.
- Prepare a check for $20 payable to “DMV”
- Make a copy of a valid government-issued photo ID (of the requestor and not the subject if the subject is another individual).
- Mail the form, payment, and copy of the photo ID to:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Copy Records Unit
60 State Street
Wethersfield, CT 06161
Expect to wait 2-3 weeks from the date it was received by the DMV for the certified copy of the driving history to be delivered.
How do I look up Connecticut vital records such as birth certificates and marriage licenses?
Vital records are records of important life events such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces that are kept by government agencies and accessible upon request.
Vital records are not public records that can be viewed by anyone, but the subject(s) of the record and authorized family members can view them in-person or order copies through a number of means. Additionally, one or more vital records may be required to complete a background check.
The Connecticut Department of Health State Vital Records Office enlists the services of the third-party vendor Vital Chek to enable individuals to order copies of vital records online. The government-endorsed service offers vital records from 50 U.S. states and territories.
Available vital records include:
- birth certificates
- death certificates
- marriage records
- divorce records
Click here to place an order with Vital Chek. For more information, contact the Connecticut Department of Health State Vital Records Office at 860-509-7700.
How do I search for a person’s sex offender status in Connecticut?
Those convicted of sex crimes or crimes against children in Connecticut must register in the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry.
In the interest of public safety, the Connecticut State Police makes the registry available online to everyone. Click here to perform a search of the Connecticut Sex Offender Registry.
Users can perform the following types of searches:
- Name search
- Area search
- City search
- Non-compliant offenders search
- Internet names/Email search
- Phone number search
How do I perform a credit history background check in Connecticut?
Performing a credit check in Connecticut follows the same process as in other states. A federal law known as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) grants every American one free annual credit report each from the three main U.S. credit bureaus:
In order to obtain your free credit report from one of these three bureaus, you must provide the following information:
- Full name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Social security number
