How Do I Retrieve My Own Background Check in Tucson?

You'll need to provide a set of fingerprints to get your criminal background check from the state of Arizona.

If you're looking to retrieve your own background check, in the form of a criminal history check, you can get it from the Criminal History Records Section of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. According to their website, they serve as the information center for all the criminal records in Arizona, including those in Tucson.

Instructions

1. Obtain a Record Review Packet from the Arizona Department of Public Safety's Criminal History Records Section. The telephone number for the Criminal History Records Section is at the bottom of the "Records Requests" Web page. Call them and ask for the packet.

2. Record your fingerprints using the blank fingerprint card provided with the Record Review Packet. Fill out the contact information card included with the packet.

3. Mail the Record Review Packet using the pre-addressed envelope included with the Record Review Packet. You should receive a copy of your criminal record in the mail within two weeks. There is no charge for this service from the state.

Tips & Warnings

• You can obtain a more extensive background check on yourself or anyone you wish by using an background check website online. Typically, you can pay a lower amount for a computerized public records search, or a higher fee to have an investigator go through your background manually.

• The local sheriff's department in Tucson, the Pima County Sheriff's Department, will issue clearance letters for the purposes of visas and immigration, but not for employment or housing. So if you're doing a background check for those purposes, just use the state's Record Review packet.

References

• Arizona Department of Public Safety: Criminal History Records

Resources

• Arizona Department of Public Service: Records Requests