The criminal record is a report obtained from county courthouses listing all criminal offenses committed by an individual during a given period of time. Offenses which are found on the criminal record fall into the following three categories:

• Traffic Offenses: Normally, the only traffic offenses that show on a criminal record would be serious offenses such as "driving under the influence" or "hit and run" violations.
   
• Misdemeanors: Usually considered a less serious or minor offense, the misdemeanor is a crime punishable by incarceration, fines and probation and is typically in a local confinement facility. The maximum incarceration period is usually limited to one year or less. (A few states classify a misdemeanor as an offense carrying a sentence of two or even five years)
   
• Felonies: These offenses are considered more serious than the previous two categories. Typically, a felony carries a penalty of incarceration from one year to life in a state prison, to the death penalty.

(It should be noted that different states classify crimes differently. One state's misdemeanor may be another state's felony. Civil cases, such as lawsuits between individuals or corporations and bankruptcies, are not included on the criminal record.)

There are 2 methods of County Criminal Searches; manual and database searches.

SearchFirst "hand pulls" county criminal records. Agents physically visit the courthouse and research the request. There are some counties however, that do not allow this. SearchFirst must fill out a request form and turn it into the clerk of the court who performs the search. In these cases SearchFirst is at the mercy of the clerk of the court. SearchFirst follows up on these request daily. There possibly could be a delay on clerk searches.