FBI Background Check

[sparx]

Where would one go to get an FBI background check done on themselves?

The reason I ask is that, although there is absolutely nothing reported on the Texas DPS or PublicData.com’s background checks, back in I think it was December 1977, I was arrested in Denver, CO, fingerprinted and pled guilty to a misdemeanor charge of “Interference� and was wondering why this doesn’t show up on either of the background checks I’ve done on myself.

At the time, a freshman in college, I was stupid enough to be in the company of another guy, and even more stupid to follow his “lead�. We were outside on school campus and across the street of a Stop and Go convenience store, tossing bits of gravel at the window to get the attention of one of the other dorm residents inside (BTW, we WERE’NT trying to break anything, and didn’t, just so you know... only get the guy’s attention so we wouldn’t have to wait for the crosswalk light to change) when the guy I was with suddenly looked over and yelled “Run!� There was a car coming towards us through the campus parking lot with its headlights off, and when I started running the lights came on, only not only headlights, but “cherries�, too. They had to stop their car and proceed to chase us on foot as we crossed a fenced walkway. Scared stiff and with snow on the ground I wiped out going around a corner to our dorm and lay there as the first officer passed by, ordering me to lay still. The second officer came up, cuffed me and asked how old I was. I said that I was 18, and he said “Good! You get to go to jail!� Both of us were apprehended (the other guy as he was entering the dorm), and were first transported to the local jail, then sent on to the city jail.

To make a long story at least a little short, I spent the night in the band-new Denver city jail, which had just opened that week. When I called my Dad in New Mexico, he just said I got what I deserved, would now have a record, and to “have a good time in jail, idiot�, but at least called my brother (also in Denver at the time) to pay my fine since all I had on me other than ID was a pocket knife and 1 penny. I pled guilty the next morning in front of the Judge and was fined $75, but wasn’t released to my brother until late that afternoon as they had actually lost me in the system (the new computer system said I was on the 5th floor, then later said I wasn’t even there, but I was actually being kept on the 3rd and it took a “manual� search to locate me after many pleas from my brother).

Anyway, I was wondering three things…

1. What class of misdemeanor would “Interference� fall under?
2. How can I find out the exact date that this occurred? I know it would have been after October (my birthday’s in that month), yet before I went home for Christmas break, and figure the FBI background check should have this but don’t know for sure (and figure this will probably be on the CHL application, so I’ll need to know the date).
3. Is it remotely possible that, since the jail was brand-new and I was “lost� in the system for a while, that my “file� was lost too, and that’s why nothing comes up on the Texas DPS/PublicData.com background checks? I doubt it myself, but just thought I’d ask!

Thanks for all your help; as I want to make sure I’ve got all my ducks in a row when going for the CHL training. I’ve never been so stupid since, and aside from an occasional speeding ticket (last one of those was about 3 years ago), haven’t crossed paths with the law on the wrong side again (and don’t plan to!).

[Crossfire]

You need to contact the agency that processed you, probably city of Denver PD. They will tell you how to obtain a certified copy of your disposition, which you will need when you send in your CHL application. In Tarrant county, it costs you a couple of bucks to get that, so expect that they will want a small fee. If they don't have it, then you don't have a record, and I wouldn't worry about it. They can't report to DPS what they don't have.

Good luck!

[txinvestigator]

You need to contact the agency that processed you, probably city of Denver PD. They will tell you how to obtain a certified copy of your disposition, which you will need when you send in your CHL application. In Tarrant county, it costs you a couple of bucks to get that, so expect that they will want a small fee. If they don't have it, then you don't have a record, and I wouldn't worry about it. They can't report to DPS what they don't have.

Good luck!

Good advice.

One CAN do a FBI check on themself. Be aware that many misdemeanors and county charges are not in the FBI records, thats why DPS does state, county and FBI checks.

http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm

[DevilDoc]

. They will tell you how to obtain a certified copy of your disposition, which you will need when you send in your CHL application.

Forgive me since I'm new to this, but why does he need to include a disposition for something that occured in 1977?

[Crossfire]

Every arrest, no matter how old, must be included on the application, along with a certified copy of the disposition.

[DevilDoc]

Thanks for the quick response.

I have more questions, but I'll probably start a new thread to prevent hi-jacking sparx's thread.

[John]

Every arrest, no matter how old, must be included on the application, along with a certified copy of the disposition.

I'm not so sure about this. I've got to confess something to comment on this. I had a DUI when i was 18 or 19 and that was many years ago in Louisiana. I'm 44 now.

I put on the appliation that the DUI existed and that i doubt that there is any record of it, but I recieved a "section 894" or something to that affect saying that it would be removed from my record in 5 years.

Didn't include any official certified copy of the disposition (and i doubt one even exists) and i had no problems getting the CHL. I think if you are honest about it, it's not a problem. If you are not honest, and something shows up, then you've got problems.

[one eyed fatman]

Every arrest, no matter how old, must be included on the application, along with a certified copy of the disposition.

I'm not so sure about this. I've got to confess something to comment on this. I had a DUI when i was 18 or 19 and that was many years ago in Louisiana. I'm 44 now.

I put on the appliation that the DUI existed and that i doubt that there is any record of it, but I recieved a "section 894" or something to that affect saying that it would be removed from my record in 5 years.

Didn't include any official certified copy of the disposition (and i doubt one even exists) and i had no problems getting the CHL. I think if you are honest about it, it's not a problem. If you are not honest, and something shows up, then you've got problems.

Same story with me only I'm 53 now. My CHL instructor said they only go back like 10 or 15 years on the background check but that I should include everything just to be honest. I was honest and it didn't hurt a bit.

[sparx]

Thanks to everyone for all the input so far!

llwatson: "You need to contact the agency that processed you, probably city of Denver PD. They will tell you how to obtain a certified copy of your disposition, which you will need when you send in your CHL application. In Tarrant county, it costs you a couple of bucks to get that, so expect that they will want a small fee. If they don't have it, then you don't have a record, and I wouldn't worry about it. They can't report to DPS what they don't have."

Good information, as I was wondering exactly how I would go about confirming that, let alone seeing if I was still "in the system" as PublicData.com didn't bring up anything on me. I had checked Texas DPS records, too, since I wasn't sure if records were pulled from some "central" database or not, but seeing as nothing was reported there, either, I figured the only other place that might have it on file was the FBI. I hadn't even thought of going directly to the city of Denver, CO.

On a side note, do I really need to have a certified disposition that I turn in with the CHL application, or will, as John and one eyed fatman seem to suggest, just including the information to the best of my recollection on the application be satisfactory?

txinvestigator: "One CAN do a FBI check on themself. Be aware that many misdemeanors and county charges are not in the FBI records, thats why DPS does state, county and FBI checks."

More good info, and have visited that link and printed out the forms. Now I need to visit a place that will do good fingerprints (so there's less chance of them being rejected and returned). I was shooting for an April 15th CHL class (no pun intended!), but may move it into May so I can get all this completed before then.

Question... if there's nothing that the state, county and FBI report back, yet I request and send in the certified disposition from the city of Denver, CO, will that information then make it into the records of the state and/or FBI? I would really hate to incriminate myself so to speak if that were the case (I really am a good guy! ), but know that if I want a CHL (or at least not run the risk of losing it), I need to do everything right and on the "up-and-up".

DevilDoc: "I have more questions, but I'll probably start a new thread to prevent hi-jacking sparx's thread."

No problem there, DevilDoc, and if it applies to background checks I'm all ears, too!

Thanks again for the feedback I've received from everyone! As always, TCHLF is a goldmine!

[Crossfire]

I am only passing along what the DPS tells instructors - that a certified copy of the disposition is required. However... you guys who have misdemeanor charges from years ago that might have been removed from your record - well, if you can't find them, then use your best judgement. I still say, contact the agency that processed you to see if they still have anything on you.

Having been convicted of a misdemeanor more than 5 years ago is not going to prevent you from getting your CHL, BUT failure to disclose it on the application WILL (if the DPS finds out about it).

And a note to SPARX, I have a class scheduled in Fort Worth for April 15, and we have a WAY below average rate of rejection on prints.

[one eyed fatman]

You can go to the city of Houston courthouse and have a background check done on yourself. Cost is like $6.00. Parking fees are a scam though.

[sparx]

And a note to SPARX, I have a class scheduled in Fort Worth for April 15, and we have a WAY below average rate of rejection on prints.

Thanks again llwatson for the info. Are you part of the Safe Shot Concealed Handgun group that gives CHL training in Fort Worth? If so, that’s where we (my wife and I) plan to take our class. She wants to get her CHL, too, and is eager to get back into shooting. She’s not shot anything more than a .22 rifle and .22 Ruger Single Six pistol before, and with all of our many relocations around the Midwest with a previous company, it’s been a long while at that.

However, I’ve not got her shooting a defensive handgun yet, and with her family coming in for Easter I don’t think we’ll be able to hit my initial class target date of April 15th, so will be letting that slide to May 20th. She went with me to the range last weekend and felt timid with a 9mm, and even with me having my arms around her and gripping the gun over her hands, she bailed-out half way through trigger pull. She’s dry-fired it quite a bit (it’s a GLOCK 19), and says she wouldn’t hesitate to use it in a New York second if she had to for self-defense, but she just doesn’t know what a slight muzzle flip feels like yet. I don’t ever want that to happen (a need to use it for self-defense), but should one ever come along, I definitely want her to have shot it before... many times.

This weekend I’m going to start her back on a .22, then move her up to a .380 and let her work with that a while until she wants to move up to the 9mm. I would like her to progress to the 9mm at least, as I know that a .380 is generally sub-par for self-defense. I don’t want to put any pressure on her, as I want it to be nothing but 100% fun getting there. For anyone that has any helpful insight or suggestions on working her up through the calibers, I’m all ears! I enjoyed shooting my DW .44 Mag. back when I had it, but I wouldn’t expect her to... at least for a while!

Since she’s always enjoyed the thought of firing at clays with my 16 Ga. shotgun, and especially now that I’ve inherited another 16 Ga., I definitely plan to get her out on a range with those this year, too. If necessary I’ll pick up a .410 to start her off on first, but know that as much as she enjoys fishing (she usually catches more than I do), she’ll definitely have just as much fun on the range.

[Crossfire]

Sparx -

I teach at The Shooter's Club http://www.theshootersclub.com on NE 28th, just east of the Fort Worth Stockyards area and Billy Bob's.

For your wife, yes, definitely start her off with a 22 pistol and work her up as SHE feels comfortable. When you get to 9mm, don't start with the Glock 19 - it's too light. Go with a 17 (full size), and compensated, if you have access to one. Most ranges have Glocks to rent - The Shooter's Club has a full line. Last time I checked, Winchester Gallery on Lancaster did too.

Wherever you go, you might want to consider letting someone else work with her. That is, unless you have a REALLY good relationship! My husband wouldn't teach me how to shoot, and that's probably one of the reasons we are still married. Just something to ponder...

[bauerdj]

All good points by llwatson. In addittion to the other possible difficulties involved with teaching a family member, your wife might do better with a female instructor. I would also skipt the 380 in the progression - most of them are pretty small and light and the precieved recoil can be quite snappish.

Dave B.