Kansas criminal records can be accessible in some situations. In the state, local and county authorities create a criminal file on an individual when that person is arrested and charged with a crime. All arrests, charges and convictions are maintained in a file for that individual. By doing this, law enforcement, as well as other sources, is able to access the information as it is needed. Criminal records are not available for all individuals, then. They are not available for anyone who did not commit any crimes or was never arrested for them. There are other restrictions in place as well.
 

In Kansas, criminal records are mostly available to the public. The state does not keep on file any record of a person's actions outside of the state or any federal charges. Individuals may have additional criminal history, then, in other states or charged through the federal courts. It is also important to note that information related to those under the age of 18 is not accessible to the public through any measure. Though a court can unblock this information, it will rarely do so. Some individuals have restrictions on access to their criminal records as well, due to a judge's order.
 

The state of Kansas is an open records state, but finding criminal records can take several steps. The Kansas Bureau of Investigation is responsible for a gathering data from local jurisdictions and compiling it into one record for the individual. Just a few decades ago, this information was in a paper record but town the state maintains a computerized listing of all notations or criminal records. Individuals can access this information through a search of the database. There are two forms available. The most accurate is a fingerprint search and it is conducted using the individual's fingerprint gathered in person or through a fingerprint card. The second option is a name search, which may or may not be accurate. To conduct either search, individuals must pay a fine of $20 per name for the record and contact the agency at the following address:
 

Kansas State Criminal Records

Kansas Bureau of Investigations

1620 SW Tyler

Topeka, Kansas 66612
 

To request a copy of the report, gather additional information, get a waiver form or to get a fingerprint kit, the agency requests that individuals contact the agency at 785 296-8200.

Records for public viewing do have certain restrictions. For employment verification, the employer must state to the individual it is conducting a criminal records search and present a waiver to the individuals to gather consent. Secondly, there are restrictions on access in other cases based on the information contained in the file. Most Kansas criminal records will not provide personal information regarding the individual to the public including financial information, Social Security records or other data. To obtain records, individuals should use the phone numbers above, even when accessing information on oneself. This information should be accurate or, if it is not, individuals should request additional information from the agency for appeals.

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