Iowa Criminal Records

Iowa criminal records are documents that contain the arrest history, charges, and convictions of citizens within the state. These records are publicly available to everyone unless sealed or expunged. Although criminal records are essential for documenting individuals' criminal history, they are also useful in other ways; they help give citizens insight into their state's justice system and provide information to help citizens make more informed hiring, licensing, or leasing decisions.

The content of an Iowa criminal record typically includes the following:

• Full name of the subject
• Subject's date of birth
• State of residence
• Number of charges, arrests, convictions, and outstanding warrants
• Details of outstanding warrants
• Detailed arrest records
• Court dispositions
• Details of the sentence or penalty
• Facility of incarceration.

Are Criminal Records Public in Iowa?

Yes, criminal records are public in Iowa. According to the Iowa Open Records law, government bodies must provide official records to the public upon request. Criminal records are classified as public records, so they are accessible to the public unless otherwise restricted from public view. The Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) under the Department of Public Safety maintains criminal records in Iowa and makes them available to anyone who requests them.

Some criminal records that are restricted from public view because of the law include:

• Juvenile records: In Iowa, juvenile criminal records are restricted from public view and then permanently sealed when the offender turns 21 years old. Under exceptional circumstances, juveniles can petition to have their record sealed at 18 years old, provided they have not committed an aggravated offense.
• Sealed and expunged records: Records sealed by law or expunged by the courts are no longer publicly available. Sealed or expunged records are not included in the results of criminal background checks.
• Investigative reports: Information on cases with ongoing investigations is restricted from public view to protect the integrity of the evidence and the parties' identities.
• Confidential records: Criminal records containing witness information, informant data, or addresses of law enforcement officers are restricted from public view.
• Personal records: Criminal records containing identifying personal information or health information are not publicly accessible.

Iowa Crime Records by County

Iowa crime data and arrest records are collected and stored in a single Crime data tool maintained by the Department of Public Safety. The agency collects and categorizes crime data by county as permitted in Chapter 692.15 of the Code of Iowa. This county crime data is used to generate annual statistics that are published nationally.

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) submits data to the Crime Data Explorer run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Also, it helps to make crime records available by county.

Iowa Criminal Record Check

An interested person can conduct a legal Iowa criminal records check by contacting the Division of Criminal Investigation. The agency performs official background checks, which can be used for official purposes (by social workers and law enforcement agencies). The steps for requesting a background check include the following:

• Have the details necessary to facilitate the search, including the subject's full name, gender, and date of birth;
• Pay the mandatory $15 (per background check) by MasterCard, Visa, or Discover credit card. Businesses can also set up pre-paid payment accounts;
• Complete and submit both the DCI record check form and the DCI billing form.

Individuals can complete their records request either online or in person. If requesting a record online, complete the records check form and the billing form, and make the necessary payment. The request form and billing form can be printed and physically submitted for in-person requests. Persons making an in-person request must possess a state-issued ID card. The contact information for the DCI is as follows:

Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation

Support Operations Bureau 1st Floor

215 East 7th Street

Des Moines IA 50319

Fax: (515) 725-6080.

Background checks for employment purposes must come with an embossed seal, which can only be obtained by mail or in person. Unofficial background checks can be conducted by searching county court records for names or case numbers. Search tools to obtain these records are usually publicly available through the county's court website.

Find Criminal Records Online in Iowa

Some online resources to find criminal records in Iowa include the following:

• Department of Criminal Investigation Online Records Request: It is an online interactive form that can be filled out and submitted to request criminal information from the Iowa DCI.
• Iowa Courts Online: This is an online search tool that can be used to retrieve records of cases that occurred within the Iowa Judicial Branch, including criminal cases.
• Iowa sex offender registry: Chapter 692A Code of Iowa (Megan's law) mandates the publicization of sexual offender information in Iowa. As a result, anyone can look up offenders' criminal records by location or name through this portal.
• Iowa Offender Search: Criminal records of inmates can be obtained from this website by conducting a name, birth date, or offender search.
• Third-Party Databases: Criminal records can be obtained from third-party websites by conducting name or date of birth searches.

Free Criminal Record Search in Iowa

Iowa DCI requires a fee of $15 to make a criminal record available and makes no provision for individuals to obtain documents for free. According to Chapter 692.2 of the Code of Iowa, employers who require a background check are mandated to pay for it on behalf of the requester. However, interested individuals can conduct free criminal record searches in Iowa through third-party aggregator websites. The key details needed to facilitate the search include the first and last name of the offender.

What Does it Mean if You Have a Criminal Record in Iowa?

Iowa criminal records remain permanently on an individual's record and can only be eradicated through deferred judgment, a governor's pardon, sealing, or expungement. As criminal records are public information in Iowa, a criminal background check about any individual can be requested and obtained by members of the public. The ease of obtaining these records can affect individuals socially and economically, such as the following:

• Rejection of applications such as leases, immigration, and gun permits
• Prejudice within the community
• Difficulty in pursuing certain employment options.

Does Your Criminal Record Clear After 7 Years in Iowa?

No, criminal records are not automatically cleared after seven years in Iowa. However, the record subject can apply for an expungement under certain circumstances. Expunged records are restricted from public view but are not destroyed in Iowa. In Iowa, only one misdemeanor per person can be expunged. The time required for an individual to be crime-free before becoming eligible for expungement is called a waiting period.

Generally, the waiting period for cases to be eligible for expungement is as follows:

• Six months for vases with a non-guilty verdict;
• Two years for public intoxication cases;
• Eight years for misdemeanor offenses, provided all sentences have been completed.

Arrest Record Vs Criminal Record

Arrest records contain information about a person charged with a crime and taken into custody by law enforcement. It contains details of the arrest, the reason for the arrest, the holding facility, and the expected release date. However, it does not contain the disposition of the case.

Criminal records are constituted of everything that can be found in an arrest record and the case's verdict after it was presented in court. Criminal records differ from arrest records by showing sentencing information (whether the arrested person is guilty).

In the legal system, arrest records show the beginning of the case, while criminal records show the case from the beginning to the end, which is its court verdict. Due to their public accessibility, both records can affect an individual socially and economically.

Iowa Police Records

Iowa police records contain information about arrests, warrants, complaints, and other reports created during law enforcement activities. They are kept by state police and made available during background checks. Police records differ from criminal records as they do not contain conviction information. Iowa police records are publicly available, and interested persons may obtain them by contacting the law enforcement agency that created the record of interest.