The Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2006 was passed by the Council of the District of Columbia, allowing individuals with eligible arrests and convictions to file a petition to the Court to have some or all of their criminal records sealed. The individuals with criminal records can try to have their records sealed, whether or not they are innocent, or they cannot find proof that they are innocent, subject to the conditions under the Criminal Record Sealing Act of 2006.
The sex offender registry for the District of Columbia is available at the Metropolitan Police Department. The web page contains information on how to use the registry, what to expect with specific links to the definition of terms, the classification of offenders, safety tips, the District of Columbia official code, and an FAQ.
The Arrest and Criminal Section of the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department is the one in charge of releasing police clearances that can be used when you need proof for employment, adoption, licensing, apartment rental, overseas travel and applying as taxicab driver. The clearance is issued after you have made a proper request. The District of Columbia Police Department form PD 70 or Criminal History Request form should be completed. It is not currently available online and you have to personally visit the Arrest and Criminal History Section at the third floor of the police headquarters to get a copy. The waiting period for the request to be processed is usually 24 hours.
It will take a while for you to be able to get your clearance if you are a job applicant who needs to submit a fingerprint result. It can take 6 to 8 business weeks before you can get the document and the fingerprint results as these will be processed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. You may have to check with the employer if there are other documents that you can submit in lieu of the fingerprint result.
Services available from the Metropolitan Police website include:
1. Alert DC rapid Text Notification
2. Complaints / Commendations
3. Unsolved Crimes / Missing Persons
4. Firearms Registration
5. Online Auctions
6. Police Reports
7. Parking Tickets Payment
8. Towed Vehicle Locator
9. Sex Offender Registry
10. Special Events Permits
11. Victim Assistance
Public documents such as copies of incidents and offense reports are available from the Metropolitan police force website. You can request a free copy of this report if you are the parent or guardian of a juvenile complainant, or you are the complainant or the complainant's spouse, provided you can appear personally and show a photo identification issued by the government of the District of Columbia. Other requesters will have to pay $3 for a copy of the clearance together with a duly completed PD Form 251, your name, time of incident, accident or offense and the date and location of the offense including the 6-digit accident or incident number, plus the money order or check for $3, mailed or submitted to this address:
Henry J Daly Building
MPDC Headquarters
300 Indiana Avenue, NW
Room 3075
Sometimes, understanding criminal backgrounds is essential to one's safety. In Washington D.C., criminal records are housed by the Superior Court of D.C. The Criminal Records Sealing Act of 2006, however, makes some individual's records harder to obtain. Should an individual not have been convicted of an offense or in the case that the offense was a misdemeanor that is at least two years old, they can apply to have their records sealed, and that ensures that you will not be able to gain access to them. If, however, a record has not been sealed, in most cases, you can gain access to it through the Metropolitan Police Department and their Criminal Records Section.
In the case of sex offenders, there is an online registry available that you can search after you have agreed to and accepted their posted terms for the use of that particular site feature.
Public Records
Court Records
Criminal Records
Birth Records
Death Records
Marriage Records
Divorce Records
Genealogy Records