Nevada Department of Public Safety’s Records and Technology Division maintains the state’s central database of criminal history. This division’s responsibility is to offer accurate and timely information on public safety issues including criminal occurrences to the various branches of the state police as well as law enforcement communities within the state.
Incorporated into the agency in 2005, the Division was a renewed avatar of the Bureau of Records, previously entrusted with maintaining criminal history records. The Division hosts the Nevada Criminal Justice Information System (NCJIS) which is tapped to find criminal records for civilian applicants as well as justice agencies. This system is the backbone of the state’s criminal justice data warehousing mission and offers information and technical support to law enforcement agencies across the state.
The facilities offered by the NCJIS
At the time of writing this article, the NCJIS offered the following programs:
- Civilian applicant background checks based on fingerprint submissions
- Civil name-based warrant searches for NV State
- Background checks for the purpose of selling firearms
- State sex offender registry
- Dangerous Offender lists and notifications
- Protection order registry
What information can you get through the NCJIS?
According to NRS 179.070, criminal history records are data collected and maintained by criminal justice agencies including the judiciary and law enforcement. Criminal history records typically comprise a description of the subject, indictment, NV arrest warrants, filing of formal criminal charges, arrest records, disposition of charges, acquittals, dismissals, sentencing, the correctional facility where the criminal is held, the current correctional status of the offender including details on probation and parole and information on convicted felons who are required to register with certain programs like the sex offender registry.
Crime history information from Nevada does not include investigative and intelligence reports collected in the course of enforcing the criminal code of the state, information on juvenile offenders, announcements and lists that are meant to identify most wanted persons and fugitives, records of application for the issuance, cancellation or revocation, etc of occupational licenses, details on traffic violations that amount to misdemeanor offenses, announcements made by the parole board and criminal records from justice agencies operating outside the state of Nevada.
Who can access information on arrest warrants in NV?
Because this is a close records state, it is only possible for civilians to request personal crime history records. To gain access to third-party information, an applicant will need to be authorized by the statutes of Nevada. Generally, only non-justice agencies that offer care to the vulnerable segments of society such as the elderly, disabled, and mentally challenged individuals and children are allowed this facility. How can you request warrant searches in Nevada? For a personal background report, you will need to submit the following to the DPS:
- Rolled ten fingerprint cards, not electronically scanned prints
- Completed form DPS-006 available on rccd.nv.gov
- A $21 cashier’s check or money order payable to the Department of Public Safety
You can approach any local law enforcement agency for fingerprinting services; however, this will be charged additionally to the warrant search fees. The documents mentioned above will have to be sent in through mail to the DPS at:
Department of Public Safety Records and Technology 333 West Nye Lane, Suite 100 Carson City, Nevada 89706Telephone number: 775-684-6262
It usually takes 6 to 7 weeks to receive a response from the department. You can expect to find details on outstanding warrants, arrests, and disposition of charges including conviction, acquittal, dismissal, sentencing, and incarceration.