SSCHIS Attachments

List of Attachments
Attachment 1 – Crosswalk of Survey Changes from 2020 to 2022 Attachment 2 –
Additions to the 2020 Survey for 2022
Attachment 3 – 2022 Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems
Attachment 4 – Screenshots for web form
Attachment 5 – 2022 Survey cover letter to states
Attachment 6 – Survey telephone and e-mail scripts for follow-up

Attachment 1 - Crosswalk

OMB No. 1121-0312: Approval Expires 03/31/2024

Survey of State Criminal History
Information Systems, 20202022
Since 1989, the Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems has been used to collect the nation’s most complete,
comprehensive and relevant data on the number and status of state-maintained criminal history records and on the increasing
number of operations and services involving noncriminal justice background checks provided by the state repositories. This
data collection is supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2019-RU-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Please note: Completion of the survey is voluntary; however,
doing so is a special condition placed on all National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and NICS Act
Record Improvement Program (NARIP) awards.
If you use the online survey tool, accessible at http://www.searchgroup.org/surveys/repository/, to enter 20202022 data, you
can view previously submitted 20182020 data for comparison purposes. Where applicable, your state’s 2018 2020 responses
are displayed in color within each section of the online survey. It is hoped that this information will help you complete the
survey more accurately and efficiently. The cover letter provides the password to gain access to your state’s online
survey. Direct your questions or comments to SEARCH staff Dennis DeBacco at 775-412-1950 or [email protected].
If it is more convenient, you may request a PDF copy of the survey, complete it manually, and fax (916-392-8440) or e-mail
it to the attention of Dennis DeBacco at [email protected]. The deadline for survey submission is April 14, 2021 [Date].
The survey is divided into five sections. You may submit each section independently and not necessarily in the order
presented. This is done so that different people on your repository’s staff may submit the data for which they are responsible.
Repository directors are responsible to see that the survey is submitted in its entirety. Please note the following:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

All reported data should be for calendar year 20202022, or as of December 31, 20202022.
The term “felony” includes any crime classified as a felony under your state’s laws. These offenses are generally
punishable by a term of incarceration in excess of one year. If your state’s laws do not use the term “felony,” please
substitute functional equivalents, such as class 1, 2, 3 and 4 offenses in New Jersey and class A, B and C offenses in
Maine.
Questions that seek responses based on a “legal requirement” refer only to a state statute or a state administrative
regulation having the force of law.
If additional space is needed, please use the “Additional Comments” area at the end of each section.
Please use the “Additional Comments” area at the end of each section to provide explanatory notes for responses
that require explanation or when “no data is available,” and to describe significant changes between the current
response and data reported in the 20182022 survey.
If a question is not applicable to your repository, please note the question number and indicate “NA” in the
“Additional Comments” area at the end of each section.

Burden Statement
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, we cannot ask you to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The survey will be sent to criminal history repositories in 56 jurisdictions, including
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. The average time required for each agency to complete the survey is estimated at 6.54 hours. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the
Director, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington DC 20531. Do not send your completed form to
this address.

SECTION I: REPOSITORY
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

The following questions relate to descriptions of your state’s criminal history record information
and master name index databases:
1. How many subjects (individual criminal offenders) were in your criminal history file as
of December 31, 20202022? Tables 1 & 2
(a) Automated records

__________________

(b) Manual records

__________________

(c) Total records

__________________

(include subjects whose records
are partially automated)
(a+b)

2. Fingerprints processed in 20202022: 1a
Purpose

Percentage of
Number 20202022 volume

(a) Criminal (retained)

___________ _________%

(b) Criminal (not retained)

___________ _________%

(c) Noncriminal (retained)

___________ _________%

(d) Noncriminal (not retained)

___________ _________%

(e) What was the total number of fingerprint-based
background checks conducted during 2020?

Totals

(a+b)_____________

(c+d)_____________
(a+b+c+d)___________

3. (a) Do you have felony conviction flagging (i.e., does your criminal history record
database include a data field or flag enabling you to quickly determine whether a
given record subject has a felony conviction)?
 Yes, all subjects with felony convictions
 Yes, some subjects with felony convictions
 No
2

(b) Does your state’s criminal history record employ flagging to indicate the following?
(Check all that apply.)
 Sex offender registrant
 Violent offender
 Misdemeanor domestic violence conviction that would exclude someone from
purchasing a firearm
 Active protection order on file with state justice information system and/or
NCIC
 Active warrant on file with state justice information system and/or NCIC
 Mental health adjudication
 DNA available
 IFFS, indicating ineligible for firearms purchase under federal law
 IFFS, indicating ineligible for firearms purchase under state law
 Other (describe) __________________________________________
(c) Does your state’s criminal history repository employ an Interstate Identification Index
(III) multi-state record indicator flag?
 Yes

 No

(d) If yes, as of December 31, 2020, how many subjects in your state’s criminal history
records database have out-of-state records? ____________
The following questions refer to repository administration, procedures and practices.
4. (a) As of December 31, 2020, did your repository conduct “lights out” processing of
fingerprints (an identification decision is made without fingerprint technician
intervention)? If no, skip to question 5.
 Yes

 No

(b) What percentage of fingerprints was
handled with “lights out” processing?

__________ %

(c) What percentage of criminal fingerprints
was handled with “lights out” processing?

__________ %

(d) What percentage of noncriminal applicant
fingerprints was handled with “lights out” processing?

__________ %

5. 3. (a) Does your state maintain a protection order file? If no, skip to question 64. 3
 Yes

 No

3

(b) How many active records were in the state protection order record database as of
December 31, 20202022?
_________________ records
(c) In 2020, what was the average time elapsed between the issuance of a protection
order and entry of the information into the state protection order file?





1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
More than 30 days

(d) Are protection orders entered onto the FBI-NCIC Protection Order File? If no, skip to
question 6.
 Yes

 No

(e) In 2020, what was the average time elapsed between the issuance of a protection
order and entry of the information into the FBI-NCIC Protection Order File?





1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
More than 30 days

6. 4. (a) Does your state maintain a warrant file? If no, skip to question 7Section II. 4
 Yes

 No

(b) In 2020, what was the average time elapsed between the issuance of a warrant and
entry of the information into the state warrant file?






1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
More than 30 days
N/A – State does not maintain a warrant file

(cb) How many records were in the state warrant database as of December 31,
20202022?
_________________ records
(dc)

Of this total, indicate the number of:
Felony warrants ______________________
Misdemeanor warrants ________________
Other (explain) ______________________________________________

4

(e) In 2020, what was the average time elapsed between the issuance of a warrant and
entry of the information into the FBI-NCIC Wanted Person file?





1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
More than 30 days

7. In addition to criminal history information, to what other records does your state’s
repository provide access? (Check all that apply.)








Sex offender registry
Orders of protection
Wanted persons/warrants
Retained applicant prints
Firearm registration
Domestic violence incident reports
Other (specify)

8. (a) Does your repository conduct routine internal data quality audits? If no, skip to
question 9.
 Yes

 No

(b) How frequently?






More than once per year
Annually
Every 2 years
Every 3 years
Other (briefly describe) _______________________

9. (a) Does your repository conduct routine external data quality audits of contributing
agencies? (E.g., inspecting samples of records maintained to determine if they have
been submitted to the repository and/or checking to see if the information housed by
the repository matches that maintained by contributing agencies.) If no, skip to
question 10.
 Yes

 No

(b) How frequently?






More than once per year
Annually
Every 2 years
Every 3 years
Other (briefly describe) _______________________
5

10. (a) Does your agency have any CCH performance reporting tools (dashboards, reports,
etc.) that enable you and your staff to regularly monitor submissions by contributing
agencies (e.g., courts, prosecutors and corrections)?
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, which metrics do you monitor? (Check all that apply.)









Number of arrests reported by agency
Arrests that are missing dispositions
Time from arrest to disposition
Number of dispositions reported by law enforcement agencies
Number of dispositions reported by prosecutors
Number of dispositions reported by courts
Dispositions that cannot be linked to a corresponding arrest
Date of disposition to when it is reported to the state repository

11. (a) Does your agency send reports of missing arrests and/or dispositions to contributing
agencies? (Check all that apply.)
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, which agencies? (Check all that apply.)





Law enforcement agencies
Prosecutors
Courts
Other (briefly describe) _______________________

12. (a) Does your agency make data quality metrics available to contributing agencies (e.g.,
dashboards showing missing arrests and dispositions, number of records submitted
and rejected, etc.)? (Check all that apply.)
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, which agencies? (Check all that apply.)





Law enforcement agencies
Prosecutors
Courts
Other (briefly describe) _______________________

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

6

SECTION II: ARREST/FINGERPRINT
REPORTING, RECORD ENTRY AND
REMOVAL
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

1. How many felony arrests were reported to your repository during calendar year
20202022?
12
____________ arrests
2. How many arrest fingerprints were submitted to your repository during 20202022? (a+b+c
= d)
(a) _________________ via livescan

10

(b) _________________ via cardscan
(c) _________________ hard copy fingerprints
(d) _________________ = total arrest fingerprints
3. (a) As of December 31, 2020, was there a backlog of arrest fingerprint cards to be
entered into the AFIS database (i.e., not entered within 48 hours of receipt at
repository)? If no, skip to question 4.
 Yes

 No

(b) How many arrest fingerprint cards were backlogged?
 Size of arrest fingerprint card backlog as of December 31, 2020, is not
available
(c) What is the age of the backlogged arrest information?
 1 month or less
 2–6 months
 7–12 months
7

 More than 1 year
4. For the year ending on December 31, 2020, what percentage of arrest fingerprint records
received by the repository were rejected for poor quality? ______________ %
5. Mobile technology
(a) Are agencies in your state using mobile technology to transmit fingerprints for
identification purposes?
 Yes

 No

(b) Are agencies in your state using mobile technology to transmit fingerprints for
booking purposes?
 Yes

 No

(c) Do you have plans to implement mobile technology that captures non-fingerprint
biometric information?
 Yes

 No

Question 5(d) addresses Rapid ID technology, which enables authorized users to instantly
search local, state and federal AFIS databases to confirm the identity of a person via fingerprints
captured using mobile or tethered fingerprint devices, and to query various criminal justice
databases for additional information about the individual. Rapid ID searches, for example, can
include criminal history record information, outstanding warrants, sex offender status, probation
and parole supervision status, caution indicators, and mugshots.
(d) Does your state employ Rapid ID? If no, skip to question 6.
 Yes

 No

 Number of searches conducted in 2020 _______________
 Number of hits in 2020 _______________
6. Law enforcement agency submissions
(a) Number of law enforcement agencies that submit arrest prints
via livescan (including agencies without livescan devices that
receive livescan services from agencies that do have that
equipment, such as a sheriff that provides booking services
for multiple local police departments)

_____________

(b) Number of agencies that submit arrest fingerprints via cardscan

_____________

(c) Number of agencies that submit hard copy arrest fingerprint cards _____________
(d) Percentage of arrest prints submitted via livescan during 2020
___________ %
3. How many arrestees (i.e., unique individuals) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the
repository in 2022? _____________
8

4. How many first time arrestees (e.g., unique individuals who received a State Identification
Number (SID) for the first time) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the repository in 2022?
_________________
5. Do local law enforcement agencies in your state routinely cite and release individuals
without fingerprinting? This includes issuance of a notice to appear when a person is charged
with a crime, but is not fingerprinted prior to a court appearance.






Yes, only for violations
Yes, for both violations and misdemeanors
Yes, for all criminal offenses, including felonies
No
No (skip to question 9)

7. If local law enforcement agencies in your state routinely cite and release individuals without
fingerprinting, is there a law or policy requiring the courts to order persons who have not
been fingerprinted to do so prior to or after an initial court hearing?
 Yes, by law (Check all that apply.)
o only for violations
o for both violations and misdemeanors
o for all criminal offenses, including felonies
 Yes, by policy or administrative rule (Check all that apply.)
o only for violations
o for both violations and misdemeanors
o for all criminal offenses, including felonies
 No

8. Does your state have a statewide criminal citation file? (Note: this does not include traffic
citation files.)
 Yes
o Number of criminal citations contained in file as of December 31, 2020
_______
o Number of citation records added to file during 2020 ________
 No

10. (a) Upon receiving a Death Certificate from an authorized source, does your repository
remove a decedent’s criminal history record from your state’s criminal history file?
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, how many deceased persons records were removed from your state’s criminal
history records database in 2020? ____________
(c) Are fingerprints of the decedent required before a record can be removed?
9

 Yes

 No

11. (a) Does your state repository purge its criminal history database of records when the
subject of the record reaches a certain age (e.g., 99 years old)?
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, at what age? ____________
(c) Is there a requirement to determine if an age-qualified subject has had new
information recently posted to his/her criminal history record that would cause the
record to remain on file regardless of the record subject’s age? (E.g., new information
posted within 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, etc.)
 Yes

 No

(d) How many records of age-qualified subjects were purged from your criminal history
file in 2020? ____________
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

10

SECTION III: DISPOSITIONS
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

The following questions seek to determine to what extent the records in your criminal history
record database contain final case disposition information. (“Final case disposition” is defined
as the formal or informal conclusion of an arrest or charge at whatever stage it occurs in the
criminal justice process. E.g., release by police after arrest without charging; decline to proceed
by prosecutor; or final trial court disposition.)
1. Does your state collect charge tracking information (sometimes referred to as “interim
disposition information”) on the criminal history record showing the status of a case as it
moves through the justice system? (E.g., reporting of an indictment, charges filed that
are different than arrest charges, etc.)
 Yes

 No

6b

2. (a) How many final case dispositions
did your repository receive during 20202022?____________ dispositions 6 and 6a
(b) Of those, how many were sent to the FBI?

____________ dispositions

Of the dispositions forwarded to the FBI:
(c) What percentage was sent by Machine Readable
Data (MRD), such as tape/CD/DVD?

____________ %

(d) What percentage was sent via hard copy/paper?

____________ %

(e) What percentage was sent by Interstate
Identification Index (III) message key?

____________ %

(f) What percentage was sent via a secure web portal?

____________ %

Note: When calculating the percentage of arrests with final dispositions recorded, some states
consider an arrest to have a disposition if any final disposition can be associated with an arrest
cycle. This is commonly referred to as “cycle matching.” Other states do not consider an arrest to
have a final disposition until all arrest charges are linked to a final disposition. This is commonly

11

referred to as “charge matching.”
3. Does your state perform cycle or charge matching to calculate the percentage of arrests in the
criminal history database with final dispositions?
1

 Cycle matching
 Charge matching
4. What percentage of all arrests in the criminal history database have final case dispositions
recorded?
(a) Arrests entered within past 5 years

____________ %

(b) Arrests in the entire database

____________ %

(c) Felony charges

____________ %

5. (a) Of the dispositions received at the repository during 20202022,
what percentage could not be linked to a specific arrest record,
either because of failed matching criteria or the arrest had not
been reported to the repository? _______________ %

7a

(b) When a disposition cannot be matched to an arrest, the following action(s) is taken:
(Check all that apply.)
Placed in a suspense file (no further action)
Placed in a suspense file for further investigation
Disposition information is rejected
Follow-up actions are taken by repository staff
Court is contacted
Court-provided charge(s) and corresponding disposition is posted to the
beginning or end of record
 Other ______________________________________________







6. (a) As of December 31, 20202022, was any court disposition data reported directly to the
repository by automated means? (Note: “automated” refers to a method by which
data is transmitted by the court to the repository where it is matched against criminal
history records and entered on the criminal history record, usually without manual
intervention. This does not include dispositions received via fax or email, which
require manual activity for criminal history record matching and data entry.) 7
 Yes

 No (skip to question 6d7)

(b) How many court disposition records were:
 Received via automated means through a centralized
(statewide) court case management system _______________
 Received via the local courts’ case management systems _______________

12

(c) What percentage of dispositions was reported in 20202022 by automated means?
____________%
(d) How are records matched between the court system and the repository? (Check all
that apply.)
 Process Control Number (PCN) or Transaction Control Number (TCN)
assigned when fingerprints were taken at time of arrest/booking
 PCN or TCN assigned subsequent to arrest/booking
 State Identification Number
 Arrest Number
 Name
 Date of birth
 Charges
 Other (please explain)_____________________________________________
7. In 20202022, what was the average time elapsed between the occurrence of final felony
court case dispositions and receipt of information concerning such dispositions by the
repository?







1 day or less
2–7 days
8–90 days
91–180 days
181–365 days
More than 1 year

8. In 20202022, what was the average time elapsed between receipt of final felony court
disposition information by the repository and entry of that information into the criminal
history record database?








1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
31–90 days
91–180 days
181–365 days
More than 1 year

9. (a) As of December 31, 20202022, was your state using any livescan devices in
courtrooms/courthouses to link positive identifications with dispositions? If no, skip
to question 10.
 Yes

 No

13

(b) How many livescan devices are in courtrooms/courthouses?
____________ devices
10. (a) As of December 31, 20202022, was there a backlog of court disposition data to be
entered into the criminal history record database (i.e., not entered within 48 hours of
receipt at the repository, including dispositions that could not be matched to a
criminal history record within 48 hours of receipt at the repository)? If no, skip to
question 11.
 Yes

 No

(b) How many unprocessed or partially processed court case dispositions did you have?
________________
11. (a) Does the repository receive any final case disposition information (e.g., decline to
proceed) from local prosecutors? If no, skip to question 11c12. 6c
 Yes

 No

(b) This information is: (Check all that apply.)
 Received via automated means through a centralized (statewide) prosecutors’
case management system
 Received via the local prosecutors’ case management system
 Paper-based
 A mix of automated and paper-based
(c) How are records matched between prosecutors and the repository? (Check all that
apply.)
 Process Control Number (PCN) or Transaction Control Number (TCN)
assigned when fingerprints were taken at time of arrest/booking
 PCN or TCN assigned subsequent to arrest/booking
 State Identification Number
 Arrest Number
 Name
 Date of birth
 Charges
 Other (please explain)_____________________________________________
12. Does your state post indictment information to the criminal history record?
 Yes

6b

 No

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

14

SECTION IV: NONCRIMINAL
BACKGROUND CHECKS
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

BACKGROUND CHECKS
1. (a) Does your state charge a fee to conduct a search of the criminal history record
database for noncriminal justice purposes? If no, skip to question 2.
 Yes

 No

(b) How are fees allocated?
 All fees go to the state general fund, with repository
funded by general fund allotment
 A percentage of fees go to support repository operations
__________ %
 All fees go to support repository operations
 Other _______________________________________________________
2. Please indicate which of the following background checks are performed by your state
pursuant to law. (Check all that apply.)
National check

State check only

Daycare providers
Caregivers–residential facilities
School teachers
Non-teaching school personnel (including volunteers)
Volunteers working with children
Prospective foster care parents
Prospective adoptive parents
Relative caregivers
Nurses/Elder caregivers
Legal guardians
Hazardous materials licensees
Medical marijuana (dispensers, caregivers)

15

FINGERPRINT-BASED SEARCHES
3. (a) Has your state privatized the taking of fingerprints for noncriminal justice purposes?
If no, skip to question 4.
 Yes

 No

(b) Is this service provided by?
 A single vendor

 Multiple vendors

(c) Does the vendor(s) assess a fee above what the state charges to perform the
background check?
 Yes, Fee $

 No

(d) Does the vendor provide any additional services besides the fingerprint capture?
(E.g., evaluating responses for the requestor, sending responses back to the requestor,
etc.)

4. (a) Total number of noncriminal justice fingerprints
submitted to the repository via livescan during 2020

____________

(b) Total number of noncriminal justice fingerprints
submitted to the repository via cardscan during 2020

____________

(c) Percentage of noncriminal justice fingerprints
submitted via livescan during 2020

____________%

(d) Percentage of noncriminal justice fingerprints
submitted via cardscan during 2020

____________%

5. What information is contained in the results for fingerprint-based noncriminal justice
background checks? (Check all that apply.)
 Full record
 Convictions only
 Juvenile records
 Arrests without disposition–over 1 year old
 Other _______________________________________________________
6. What percentage of fingerprint-based noncriminal justice transactions are identified
against arrest fingerprints?
_________ %

16

7. Does the repository attempt to locate missing disposition information before responding
to a fingerprint-based noncriminal justice inquiry?
 Yes

 No

NAME-BASED SEARCHES
8. How many name-based noncriminal justice background checks did your repository
perform in 2018? (a+b+c+d = e)
(a) Received via Internet

____________

(b) Received via mail

____________

(c) Received via telephone

____________

(d) Other

____________

(e) Total

____________

INTERNET ACCESS
9. Does your repository provide web-based noncriminal justice background checks to the
public?
 Yes

 No

10. Are fees involved for Internet access for the general public (not including any registration
or account fees)?
 Yes, Fee $

 No

BULK SALE OF CRIMINAL HISTORY DATA
11. (a) Do you provide bulk copies of criminal history records to private background check
companies?
 Yes

 No

(b) If so, how are data provided? (Check all that apply.)
 One-time data extractions
 Subscriptions
 Other (briefly describe) _______________________
(c) If a subscription service is offered, how frequently are subscriptions
updated/validated?
 Annual updates
 Monthly updates
 Weekly Updated
 Other (briefly describe) _______________________
17

12. How are private background check companies notified if records have been
sealed/expunged or are otherwise no longer considered public records? (Check all that
apply.)





Email
Website
Mail
Other (briefly describe) _______________________

13. What are the legal obligations on the part of private background check companies to
update records received from the state CCH repository?
 Updates must be made within 7 days
 Updates must be made with 30 days
 Updates must be made quarterly
 Other (briefly describe) _______________________
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

18

SECTION VIV:
RECORD SEALING AND EXPUNGEMENTS
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

Record sealing and record expungement definitions and practices vary widely across the states.
For the purpose of answering questions in this section, the following definitions apply.
Sealed Record: Record is restricted from public access (if such access is available in your state)
and is generally unavailable for employment and licensing purposes. Sealed records may be
accessed on a limited basis – e.g., criminal justice employment, law enforcement investigations,
research purposes etc.
Expunged Record: All hard copy and electronic information about the arrest is destroyed/
obliterated. No information about the arrest or disposition is retained, and it is therefore
unavailable for any purpose once expunged.
Since all states have some degree of automatic sealing or expungement of juvenile records, the
following questions only apply to adult criminal history records.
1. Do you have statutes and/or policies that define procedures for criminal history record
sealing and/or expungement?
20
 Yes, sealing only
 Yes, expungement only
 Yes, both sealing and expungement
 No
2. If a record is sealed, is it still accessible for research purposes?
 Yes,
 No but access is limited to repository staff
 Yes, repository staff and outside researchers (e.g., Statistical Analysis Centers,
universities, etc.) may use sealed records for purposes authorized by the
repository pursuant to state law or policy
 No
19

3. How are requests to seal/expunge records received? (Check all that apply.)
 In-person
 Mail
 Fax
 Online Portal/Website
 System-to-system request (e.g., courts submit requests from their RMS to the
repository)
 Other (describe)
4. 3. (a) Does your repository track the number of sealing/expungement requests it
received in 2020 records sealed by the repository? 20a
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, how many requests to seal records were received in 2020 records were sealed
by the repository in 2022? _______
(c) If yes, how many requests to expunge records were received in 2020? ________
5. 4. (a) Does your repository track the number of sealing/expungement requests it
approved in 2020 records that are expunged by the repository?
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, how many records were sealed in 2020? _______
(c) (b) If yes, how many records were expungedexpunged in 20202022? _______
6. (a) Does your repository track the number of sealing/expungement requests it denied in
2020?
 Yes

 No

(b) If yes, how many requests to seal records were denied in 2020? ________
(c) If yes, how many requests to expunge records were denied in 2020? ________
7. What are the most common reasons that requests to seal/expunge records are denied?
(Check all that apply.)
 Offense/crime for which the request is made is not eligible for sealing or
expungement
 Individual’s criminal history makes him/her ineligible
20

 Outstanding fines, fees, restitution, etc.
 Insufficient time has passed since the offense/conviction occurred
 Failure to provide necessary documentation to support the request
 Other (describe)
AUTOMATIC SEALING AND EXPUNGEMENT
Some states have adopted laws and/or policies to automatically seal/expunge records — i.e.,
where the subject of the record does not have to file a petition to have the record sealed or
expunged. Questions 8‒10 are only concerned with automatic sealing and expungements.
8. In 2020, were any records automatically sealed/expunged in your state?
 Yes, sealing only
 Yes, expungement only
 Yes, both sealing and expungement
 No
9. How many adult records were automatically sealed in 2020? _______
10. How many adult records were automatically expunged in 2020? _______
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

21

Attachment 2 – Additions to the 2020 Survey for 2022
SECTION I: REPOSITORY
3. How many arrestees (i.e., unique individuals) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the
repository in 2022? _____________
4. How many first-time arrestees (e.g., unique individuals who received a State
Identification Number (SID) for the first time) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the
repository in 2022? _________________

Attachment 3 - 2022 Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems

Survey of State Criminal History
Information Systems, 2022
Since 1989, the Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems has been used to collect the nation’s most complete,
comprehensive and relevant data on the number and status of state-maintained criminal history records and on the increasing
number of operations and services involving noncriminal justice background checks provided by the state repositories. This
data collection is supported by Cooperative Agreement No. 2019-RU-BX-K001 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Please note: Completion of the survey is voluntary; however,
doing so is a special condition placed on all National Criminal History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and NICS Act
Record Improvement Program (NARIP) awards.
If you use the online survey tool, accessible at http://www.searchgroup.org/surveys/repository/, to enter 2022 data, you can
view previously submitted 2020 data for comparison purposes. Where applicable, your state’s 2020 responses are displayed
in color within each section of the online survey. It is hoped that this information will help you complete the survey more
accurately and efficiently. The cover letter provides the password to gain access to your state’s online survey. Direct
your questions or comments to SEARCH staff Dennis DeBacco at 775-412-1950 or [email protected].
If it is more convenient, you may request a PDF copy of the survey, complete it manually, and fax (916-392-8440) or e-mail
it to the attention of Dennis DeBacco at [email protected]. The deadline for survey submission is [Date].
The survey is divided into five sections. You may submit each section independently and not necessarily in the order
presented. This is done so that different people on your repository’s staff may submit the data for which they are responsible.
Repository directors are responsible to see that the survey is submitted in its entirety. Please note the following:
1.
2.

3.
4.
5.
6.

All reported data should be for calendar year 2022, or as of December 31, 2022.
The term “felony” includes any crime classified as a felony under your state’s laws. These offenses are generally
punishable by a term of incarceration in excess of one year. If your state’s laws do not use the term “felony,” please
substitute functional equivalents, such as class 1, 2, 3 and 4 offenses in New Jersey and class A, B and C offenses in
Maine.
Questions that seek responses based on a “legal requirement” refer only to a state statute or a state administrative
regulation having the force of law.
If additional space is needed, please use the “Additional Comments” area at the end of each section.
Please use the “Additional Comments” area at the end of each section to provide explanatory notes for responses
that require explanation or when “no data is available,” and to describe significant changes between the current
response and data reported in the 2020 survey.
If a question is not applicable to your repository, please note the question number and indicate “NA” in the
“Additional Comments” area at the end of each section.

Burden Statement
Under the Paperwork Reduction Act, we cannot ask you to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number. The survey will be sent to criminal history repositories in 56 jurisdictions, including
the 50 States, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands. The average time required for each agency to complete the survey is estimated at 4 hours. Send comments
regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this survey, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Director,
Bureau of Justice Statistics, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington DC 20531. Do not send your completed form to this
address.

SECTION I: REPOSITORY
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

The following questions relate to descriptions of your state’s criminal history record information
and master name index databases:
1. How many subjects (individual criminal offenders) were in your criminal history file as
of December 31, 2022?
(a) Automated records

__________________

(b) Manual records

__________________

(c) Total records

__________________

2. Fingerprints processed in 2022:
Purpose

Number

(include subjects whose records
are partially automated)
(a+b)
Percentage of
2022 volume

(a) Criminal (retained)

___________ _________%

(b) Criminal (not retained)

___________ _________%

(c) Noncriminal (retained)

___________ _________%

(d) Noncriminal (not retained)

___________ _________%

(e) What was the total number of fingerprint-based
background checks conducted during 2022?

Totals

(a+b)_____________

(c+d)_____________
(a+b+c+d)___________

The following questions refer to repository administration, procedures and practices.
3. (a) Does your state maintain a protection order file? If no, skip to question 4.
 Yes

 No

2

(b) How many active records were in the state protection order record database as of
December 31, 2022?
_________________ records
4. (a) Does your state maintain a warrant file? If no, skip to Section II.
 Yes

 No

(b) How many records were in the state warrant database as of December 31, 2022?
_________________ records
(c) Of this total, indicate the number of:
Felony warrants ______________________
Misdemeanor warrants ________________
Other (explain) ______________________________________________
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

3

SECTION II: ARREST/FINGERPRINT
REPORTING, RECORD ENTRY AND
REMOVAL
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

1. How many felony arrests were reported to your repository during calendar year 2022?
____________ arrests
2. How many arrest fingerprints were submitted to your repository during 2022? (a+b+c = d)
(a) _________________ via livescan
(b) _________________ via cardscan
(c) _________________ hard copy fingerprints
(d) _________________ = total arrest fingerprints
3. How many arrestees (i.e., unique individuals) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the
repository in 2022? _____________
4. How many first time arrestees (e.g., unique individuals who received a State Identification
Number (SID) for the first time) had arrest fingerprints submitted to the repository in 2022?
_________________
5. Do local law enforcement agencies in your state routinely cite and release individuals
without fingerprinting? This includes issuance of a notice to appear when a person is
charged with a crime but is not fingerprinted prior to a court appearance.





Yes, only for violations
Yes, for both violations and misdemeanors
Yes, for all criminal offenses, including felonies
No (skip to question 9)

4

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

5

SECTION III: DISPOSITIONS
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

The following questions seek to determine to what extent the records in your criminal history
record database contain final case disposition information. (“Final case disposition” is defined
as the formal or informal conclusion of an arrest or charge at whatever stage it occurs in the
criminal justice process (e.g., release by police after arrest without charging; decline to proceed
by prosecutor; or final trial court disposition).)
1. Does your state collect charge tracking information (sometimes referred to as “interim
disposition information”) on the criminal history record showing the status of a case as it
moves through the justice system? (e.g., reporting of an indictment, charges filed that are
different than arrest charges, etc.)
 Yes

 No

2. (a) How many final case dispositions
did your repository receive during 2022?
(b) Of those, how many were sent to the FBI?

____________ dispositions
____________ dispositions

Note: When calculating the percentage of arrests with final dispositions recorded, some states
consider an arrest to have a disposition if any final disposition can be associated with an arrest
cycle. This is commonly referred to as “cycle matching.” Other states do not consider an arrest to
have a final disposition until all arrest charges are linked to a final disposition. This is commonly
referred to as “charge matching.”
3. Does your state perform cycle or charge matching to calculate the percentage of arrests in the
criminal history database with final dispositions?

 Cycle matching
 Charge matching
4. What percentage of all arrests in the criminal history database have final case dispositions
recorded?
(a) Arrests entered within past 5 years

____________ %
6

(b) Arrests in the entire database

____________ %

(c) Felony charges

____________ %

5. (a) Of the dispositions received at the repository during 2022, what percentage could not
be linked to a specific arrest record, either because of failed matching criteria or the
arrest had not been reported to the repository?
_______________
(b) When a disposition cannot be matched to an arrest, the following action(s) is taken:
(Check all that apply.)
Placed in a suspense file (no further action)
Placed in a suspense file for further investigation
Disposition information is rejected
Follow-up actions are taken by repository staff
Court is contacted
Court-provided charge(s) and corresponding disposition is posted to the
beginning or end of record
 Other ______________________________________________







6. (a) As of December 31, 2022, was any court disposition data reported directly to the
repository by automated means? (Note: “automated” refers to a method by which
data is transmitted by the court to the repository where it is matched against criminal
history records and entered on the criminal history record, usually without manual
intervention. This does not include dispositions received via fax or email, which
require manual activity for criminal history record matching and data entry.)
 Yes

 No (skip to question 7)

(c) What percentage of dispositions was reported in 2022 by automated means?
____________%
7. In 2022, what was the average time elapsed between the occurrence of final felony court case
dispositions and receipt of information concerning such dispositions by the repository?







1 day or less
2–7 days
8–90 days
91–180 days
181–365 days
More than 1 year

7

8. In 2022, what was the average time elapsed between receipt of final felony court
disposition information by the repository and entry of that information into the criminal
history record database?








1 day or less
2–7 days
8–30 days
31–90 days
91–180 days
181–365 days
More than 1 year

9. (a) As of December 31, 2022, was your state using any livescan devices in
courtrooms/courthouses to link positive identifications with dispositions? If no, skip
to question 10.
 Yes

 No

(b) How many livescan devices are in courtrooms/courthouses?
____________ devices
10. (a) As of December 31, 2022, was there a backlog of court disposition data to be entered
into the criminal history record database (i.e., not entered within 48 hours of receipt at
the repository, including dispositions that could not be matched to a criminal history
record within 48 hours of receipt at the repository)? If no, skip to question 11.
 Yes

 No

(b) How many unprocessed or partially processed court case dispositions did you have?
________________
11. Does the repository receive any final case disposition information (e.g., decline to
proceed) from local prosecutors? If no, skip to question 12.
 Yes

 No

12. Does your state post indictment information to the criminal history record?
 Yes

 No

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

8

SECTION IV:
RECORD SEALING AND EXPUNGEMENTS
This section completed by
Name ________________________________

Title ________________________________

Agency _____________________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________ Email _______________________________
Date completed ________________________

Record sealing and record expungement definitions and practices vary widely across the states.
For the purpose of answering questions in this section, the following definitions apply.
Sealed Record: Record is restricted from public access (if such access is available in your state)
and is generally unavailable for employment and licensing purposes. Sealed records may be
accessed on a limited basis – e.g., criminal justice employment, law enforcement investigations,
research purposes etc.
Expunged Record: All hard copy and electronic information about the arrest is destroyed/
obliterated. No information about the arrest or disposition is retained, and it is therefore
unavailable for any purpose once expunged.
Since all states have some degree of automatic sealing or expungement of juvenile records, the
following questions only apply to adult criminal history records.
1. Do you have statutes and/or policies that define procedures for criminal history record
sealing and/or expungement?
 Yes, sealing only
 Yes, expungement only
 Yes, both sealing and expungement
 No
2. If a record is sealed, is it still accessible for research purposes?
 Yes, but access is limited to repository staff
 Yes, outside researchers (e.g., Statistical Analysis Centers, universities, etc.)
may use sealed records for purposes authorized by the repository pursuant to
state law or policy
 No
9

4. (a) Does your repository track the number of records that are sealed by the repository?
 Yes



No

(b) If yes, how many records were sealed by the repository in 2022? _______
5. (a) Does your repository track the number of records that are expunged by the
repository?
 Yes

 No

(c) If yes, how many records were expunged by the repository in 2022? _______

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

10

Attachment 4 – Screenshots for 2020 web form (2022 not yet developed)

1

2

3

4

Attachment 5 – 2022 Survey Cover Letter to States

MEMORANDUM
Date:

TBD

To:

Directors, State Criminal Record Repositories

From:

Devon B. Adams
Deputy Director, Policy Division, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Subject:

Survey of Criminal History Information Systems

I am writing to seek your assistance in providing information to the Bureau of Justice Statistics
(BJS), U.S. Department of Justice, on the status of state-held criminal records. Approximately
every two years since 1989, the Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems has
captured a snapshot of the continuing growth, ongoing improvements, and practices associated
with initiating and updating state criminal records. As in previous years, your response to this
survey is voluntary; however, doing so is a special condition placed on all National Criminal
History Improvement Program (NCHIP) and NICS Act Record Improvement Program (NARIP)
awards.
Survey responses will be compiled by SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice
Information and Statistics. A copy of the 2022 survey questionnaire is attached. A passwordprotected section of the SEARCH Web site is available for those states that wish to provide their
survey responses online. Responses should reflect conditions as of December 31, 2022. Those
wishing to use the online response option to fill out the survey are urged to visit
http://www.searchgroup.org/surveys/repository/ and use your state’s assigned password XXXX
to gain access. The online survey allows each section to be completed independently by the
appropriate staff person. Respondents using the online survey tool to enter 2022 data can view
previously submitted 2020 data for comparison purposes. Where applicable, your state’s 2020
responses are displayed in color within each section of the online survey.
Statistical data presented in past surveys has supported and provided insight to both State and
Federal legislative efforts that involve the use of criminal history records. Prominent among
these is the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, which mandated the development of the
National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Further, the survey provides trend
data demonstrating the correlation between continuing federal funding incentives such as the
BJS-administered NCHIP and NARIP Program awards and documented results.

Your past cooperation and assistance with this effort has provided a wealth of useful data for law
and policymakers, researchers, justice practitioners, and others who depend on survey data to
craft responsible laws, policies, and procedures, and to prepare informative reports and
educational materials. The published 2020 survey is available at
https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/305602.pdf.
Your contributions to the Web-enabled Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems
make it a useful resource to users both within and outside of the criminal justice community.
Please contact SEARCH staff Dennis DeBacco at 775-412-1950 (email: [email protected]) if
you have any questions or comments about the survey, or if you would like details on how to
submit the survey via fax or mail. We ask that you submit your survey responses by [Date].
Thank you in advance for your assistance and cooperation with this important effort.
DBA/bg

Attachment 6 – 2020 Survey Telephone and Email scripts for follow-up
Telephone Script
Hello, this is Dennis DeBacco from SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information
and Statistics. I am calling today to advise that we did not receive your state’s completed
criminal history information systems survey for 2022. The questionnaire and cover letter
instructions were emailed to you on [Date] wherein online entry into a password-protected
section of the SEARCH Web site was requested by close of business [Date].
•
•
•
•
•

Did you receive this information, and will your state be responding to the request?
Was the material sent to the proper location or should it be redirected?
Do you have any questions about the survey, or do you need assistance to access the
SEARCH Web site?
Do you prefer to submit your response via fax?
Can you provide this information by [Date]?

Your assistance in responding to this request is greatly appreciated. Thank you and have a
pleasant day.
Email Script
From: Dennis DeBacco
Sent: [Date]
To: [SEARCH Members and Repository Directors who did not respond to our initial request for
information]
Cc:
Subject: Survey of State Criminal History Information Systems, 2022
Attachments: Survey Cover Letter [version], Survey Questionnaire [version]
Greetings,
By email dated [Date], the attached cover letter and Survey of State Criminal History
Information Systems, 2022 was sent to you for completion and online entry into a passwordprotected section of the SEARCH Web site by close of business [Date]. If you are receiving this
email today, SEARCH is not in receipt of your state’s information. If you have difficulties
submitting your response via the website, you may fax your completed form to me at the number
provided below.
At your earliest convenience or by close of business [Date], please review the attachments to this
email and respond as indicated.
Your assistance in responding to this request is greatly appreciated. Should you or any member
of your staff have questions regarding the survey or if additional information is needed, please
contact me.

Thank you.
Dennis DeBacco
Justice Information Services Specialist
SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice
Information and Statistics
1900 Point West Way, Suite 161
Sacramento, CA 958315
(775) 412-1950 (Cell)
(916) 392-8440 (Fax)
Email to: [email protected]