To request your Connecticut criminal history record, complete Form DPS-0846-C from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) and submit it to the State Police Bureau of Identification with a $75 fee. Mail handles both name-based and fingerprint-based searches; an online portal handles name-based requests only. The report you receive covers Connecticut convictions and nothing else.
Name-Based or Fingerprint-Based: Decide First
The form asks which type of search you want, so settle this before you start filling it out. A name-based search matches the name and date of birth you provide against the state’s criminal history database. A fingerprint-based search compares submitted prints against stored records, which removes the risk of a mix-up with someone who shares your name and birthdate.
Fingerprint searches are the more reliable option, and some licensing boards and employers require them. If no one has told you fingerprints are mandatory and you just need a personal review, the name-and-date-of-birth check is simpler and can be done entirely online. Fingerprint requests must go by mail.
Filling Out Form DPS-0846-C
The form is one page and available on the DESPP website. Print the full legal name and date of birth of the person being searched, and list any maiden names or aliases that person has used. The state runs its search against exactly what you provide, so an omitted former name can mean the report misses records filed under it.1Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Connecticut Criminal History Record Request Form
The form does not ask for a Social Security number. Name-based checks rely on name and date of birth; fingerprint checks rely on a submitted fingerprint card attached to the form. The form does not specify a particular card format by name, but the standard FBI FD-258 card is widely accepted and available at most law enforcement agencies that offer fingerprinting.
Sign and date the form before you mail it. An unsigned form is the kind of small oversight that creates a weeks-long delay.
Submitting Online (Name-Based Only)
Connecticut operates the Criminal History Request System (CCHRS), an online portal that accepts name-and-date-of-birth searches without mailing anything. Payment goes through Visa, MasterCard, or Discover.2Connecticut Criminal History Request System. Name and DOB
The portal handles two scenarios. If you’re running a search on yourself or on someone else and want the results sent back to you, submit the request directly without a service code. If an employer or agency told you to get a background check and gave you an eight-digit service code, enter that code during submission so the results route to that agency. A request submitted without the required code will come back to you personally, and the agency won’t accept it.
Fingerprint-based searches cannot be filed online. If yours needs prints, go by mail.
Submitting by Mail
Assemble three items: the completed DPS-0846-C form, your payment, and a fingerprint card if you chose a fingerprint-based search. The fee is $75 per search, set by Connecticut General Statutes § 29-11.3Justia. Connecticut Code 29-11 – State Police Bureau of Identification Fees Agreements Re Fingerprinting Regulations Send a check or money order payable to the Treasurer, State of Connecticut. The Bureau does not accept cash, and mailed requests cannot be paid by credit card.
Mail the packet to:4Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State Police Bureau of Identification
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
State Police Bureau of Identification
1111 Country Club Road
Middletown, CT 06457
Do not email or fax the request. The Bureau accepts U.S. mail only and is not currently accepting in-person drop-offs or pickups. Confirm the check is signed and the form is dated before sealing the envelope.
Getting Fingerprints Taken
Fingerprint searches require professionally taken prints before you can mail the request. The State Police Bureau of Identification offers fingerprinting by appointment only, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding state holidays.4Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. State Police Bureau of Identification Local police departments also take prints, though availability and hours vary. Call ahead.
The statutory fee for fingerprinting at the Bureau is $15.3Justia. Connecticut Code 29-11 – State Police Bureau of Identification Fees Agreements Re Fingerprinting Regulations Local departments may charge their own administrative fee, which varies by municipality. Either way, the fingerprinting cost is separate from the $75 search fee.
What the Report Covers
The report lists Connecticut criminal conviction history only. It does not include arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction, federal convictions, or records from other states.1Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Connecticut Criminal History Record Request Form If no Connecticut convictions exist, you’ll get a letter stating that no record was found.
This is the single most misunderstood part of the state check. A clean Connecticut report does not mean a clean record everywhere. Someone with no Connecticut convictions could still have convictions in another state or in the federal system. If you need a full national picture, or if a licensing board requires one, you’ll have to go through the FBI separately.
Reports are mailed back to the address on the form, or delivered electronically for online submissions. DESPP does not publish a processing timeline, so plan for several weeks on mailed requests, especially during high-volume periods.
Records That Won’t Appear
Connecticut began automatically erasing certain criminal records in January 2024 under the Clean Slate law. An erased conviction will not appear on your report.5Connecticut General Assembly. Public Act No. 21-32
Automatic erasure applies to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2000, with waiting periods measured from the most recent conviction:
- Misdemeanors, classified and unclassified: erased after seven years.
- Class D and E felonies, and unclassified felonies carrying five years or less of imprisonment: erased after ten years.
Two categories are excluded from automatic erasure: family violence crimes and sexual offenses. For offenses before January 1, 2000, erasure is not automatic; you must petition the court.
Separately from Clean Slate, Connecticut has long erased records for charges that ended in a not-guilty finding, a dismissal, or a nolle. Those records are erased by operation of law and should not appear on any report.6Connecticut General Assembly. Chapter 961a – Criminal Records If an erased record does show up on yours, that’s an error worth challenging. Call the Bureau of Identification at (860) 685-8480 to start a correction.
If You Need a Nationwide Check
A Connecticut report tells you nothing about what happened outside the state. For a national search, request an Identity History Summary from the FBI. The fee is $18, whether you submit by mail or electronically.7Federal Bureau of Investigation. Identity History Summary Checks Frequently Asked Questions The FBI check is fingerprint-based only and draws from the national database maintained by the Criminal Justice Information Services division.
Fee waivers are available for people who can’t afford the $18. Contact the FBI at (304) 625-5590 or identity@fbi.gov before submitting. If you use a participating U.S. Post Office location to submit fingerprints electronically, expect additional fees beyond the FBI’s processing charge.
Some licensing boards and employers require both a state and a federal check. If that’s your situation, submit them separately. The Connecticut report and the FBI report are independent processes run by different agencies, and one does not substitute for the other.