When state can replace county
In states with comprehensive, well-maintained repositories, a state search may equal running multiple county searches. Florida's database aggregates all 67 counties, so PSBI doesn't run county searches redundantly.
Court Records
Statewide repository searches providing broader coverage where centralized criminal databases are available.
PSBI's compliance engine selects state, county, or both, based on where each state's data actually lives.
What's covered
State searches query a state's centralized criminal record repository, which aggregates data from county courts, state agencies, and correctional facilities. Coverage depends on the state's infrastructure.
Felony and misdemeanor records reported to the state's centralized criminal history repository from counties across the state.
Incarceration records from state correctional facilities, including current and historical imprisonment data.
State-level sex offender registry records, including registration status, offense details, and compliance history.
State-supervised parole and probation records where available through the state repository (availability varies by state).
Active warrants issued across the state and reported to the central database, where state infrastructure supports warrant tracking.
Cases adjudicated in state appellate and supreme courts, which may not appear in county-level searches.
Coverage varies
State criminal databases vary widely. Some provide comprehensive coverage, some maintain limited databases, and some have no centralized repository accessible for employment screening at all.
States like Florida, Texas, and Virginia maintain comprehensive statewide databases aggregating county records. A state search often provides coverage comparable to multiple county searches. Examples: FL, TX, VA, NC, OH.
States like New York, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky don't maintain centralized databases accessible for screening. County-level searches are required. Examples: NY, PA, KY.
Some states cover only certain record types (felonies only, certain counties, or a limited time range). These supplement, but don't replace, county searches. Examples: CA, IL, MI.
Supplement or replace
Whether a state search can replace county searches or should supplement them depends on the state's database completeness and the position's compliance requirements.
In states with comprehensive, well-maintained repositories, a state search may equal running multiple county searches. Florida's database aggregates all 67 counties, so PSBI doesn't run county searches redundantly.
In states with incomplete repositories or reporting delays, state searches run alongside county searches to fill gaps. California's repository includes felonies but not all misdemeanors, so both are run.
If a state search returns a record from a county outside the original scope, PSBI triggers a follow-up county search there to retrieve full case details, verified at the source court.
Related searches
Direct searches of county-level criminal and civil courts, the primary source for comprehensive criminal record coverage.
Learn more →State-mandated background checks required by statute for roles involving children, vulnerable adults, or regulated professions.
Learn more →Real people
PSBI is owner-operated and US-based, screening organizations since 1995. The compliance engine picks the method, and a real specialist is there when a state's quirks need judgment, not a ticket queue.
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