Determine Location

• 1). Search the individual's name in a database such as the National Open Records Search. This will generate a list of people with that name, along with their birth dates and the states or towns in which records exist.
  
  
• 2). Narrow your search by year of birth, and locate the website for the department of corrections in the state or states that are indicated as having records on file for that individual. Thirty-eight states and the Federal Bureau of Prisons post inmate information in searchable databases online. Information may vary; some states post every instance of incarceration in their prison systems, while others list information only on current inmates.
  
  
• 3). Contact the district attorney or department of corrections in the state in question in writing and request the information if it is not offered on the state's website. Paid background check companies are another option; choose one that consistently gets good reviews from law enforcement sources.