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Information that follows is from the California Department of Justice.
Questions, not answered here, should be directed to the California Department of Justice.
By law, you have the right to request a copy of your own criminal history record from the California Department of Justice to review for accuracy and completeness. No third parties, other than law enforcement agencies and those authorized by law, are allowed to request copies. Requests by anyone other than the specific individual named or an authorized agency will be rejected.
A criminal history record requested for your own review, however, cannot be used for Visa/Immigration applications or transactions with foreign nations. To obtain California criminal history records for Visa/Immigration or foreign nation transaction purposes, see Visa/Immigration.
In addition to submitting your fingerprint images, you must pay a $25 processing fee, payable to the California Department of Justice.
Applications from California residents must include Live Scan fingerprints.
Instructions to obtain a copy of your criminal record, if any, in the files of the California Department of Justice | En Español
Most police departments and sheriff's offices in California will provide Live Scan fingerprinting services. In additional, public applicant Live Scan sites (privately operated) also provide Live Scan fingerprinting services. Typically, all Live Scan fingerprinting services, whether provided by police or private, charge their own “rolling fee,” payable directly to them. This is a fee separate from that payable to the California Department of Justice for your record request. Click here for a directory of Live Scan sites closest to you (including fees, hours and accepted means of payment).
Applications from outside California or outside the United States must include manual fingerprint cards*.
Print out and follow the instructions on the form Application to Obtain copy of State Summary Criminal History Record (Form BCIA 8705) (Form BCIA 8705S in Spanish). Contact your local law enforcement agency for fingerprinting services.
Your fingerprint card MUST contain these four items:
Law enforcement agencies will typically provide blank fingerprint cards.* If you are unable to obtain a blank fingerprint card, contact the California Department of Justice Record Review Unit at (916) 227-3849.
Payment of the (US)$25 processing fee for California criminal history record requests that include manual fingerprint cards must be made by personal check drawn on a U.S. bank, or money order or certified check. Checks/money orders must be payable to the “California Department of Justice.”
Mail your application, fingerprint card and processing fee to:
California Department of Justice
Record Review Unit
P.O. Box 903417
Sacramento, CA 94203-4170
Upon receipt of your Record Review response, you may challenge any of the contents in your criminal record. To do so, you must complete the form "Claim of Alleged Inaccuracy or Incompleteness" (form BCIA 8706). If any criminal information is listed in your record, a copy of this form will be included with your Record Review response. Important to your challenge, you must specifically explain the basis for claiming that any content in your criminal record is inaccurate or incomplete. Include any available proof or corroboration to support your claim. Mail the completed form, along with a copy of your criminal history record, to the address on the form.
* The manual fingerprint card, FD 258, issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, looks like this. Do not download this online form for actaul use. The police agency taking your manual fingerprints should provide copies.
Source: California Department of Justice
Also see how to obtain other records: