How to get your own California criminal record
This is the first thing we tell people to do, and it is the one step that can make the rest of this unnecessary. It costs $25 and it is the only way to find out what the State has already done.
Why this matters more than anything else on this site
Since October 2024 the Department of Justice reviews California records every month and grants relief automatically to a large class of convictions. It does not notify anybody when it does. Your own record is the only place that note appears. Until you have looked at it, neither you nor we can know whether you need to file anything at all.
How to request it
- Fill out the Department of Justice's application for your own record — the request form is on the Attorney General's site.
- Take it to a Live Scan location. Most police departments, many shipping shops and dedicated Live Scan providers offer this.
- Pay the $25 Department of Justice processing fee. The Live Scan operator usually charges a separate rolling fee of their own, typically $20 to $30.
- If the $25 fee is a problem, there is a fee waiver application for people who cannot afford it.
- Wait. Processing commonly takes a few weeks.
What to look for when it arrives
- Next to a conviction entry, a note reading 'relief granted'. That is automatic relief under Penal Code 1203.425.
- Next to an arrest entry, a note reading 'arrest relief granted'. That is Penal Code 851.93.
- Entries you do not recognise. People routinely find cases they had forgotten, cases under a former name, and occasionally cases that are not theirs at all.
- The disposition of each case — what actually happened. This is the part people most often misremember.
This is not the same as a background check
Your DOJ record is what the State holds. It is not what a commercial background check company holds, and the two frequently disagree. Private databases buy records periodically, are not required to refresh them, and routinely report cases that have since been dismissed. That gap is one of the main reasons a court order is worth having: it is a document you can produce when a screening report is out of date.
What an FBI record is, and when you need one
The California record covers California. If you have cases in other states, or you need a national picture, that is a separate FBI identity history summary request with its own process and fee. For clearing a California conviction, the California record is the one that matters.
Common questions
Can you get my record for me?
As part of a case, yes — obtaining your court and Department of Justice records is the first thing we do and it is included in the flat fee. But if you have not engaged us yet, requesting it yourself is cheaper and tells you whether you need us.
Will requesting my own record flag me to anyone?
No. You are entitled to your own criminal history, and requesting it is routine. It does not notify law enforcement or an employer, and it does not create a record of the request that anyone else sees.
What if I cannot afford the $25?
There is a fee waiver application for people who cannot afford the processing fee. The Live Scan operator's own rolling fee is separate and is not covered by it, though some public agencies charge little or nothing.
How long does it take?
Commonly a few weeks. It is worth starting now rather than waiting until you need it.
Legal information on this page was last checked against primary sources in October 2026. California law changes; if you are reading this long after that date, confirm before you rely on it.