Identity History Summary
Also called FBI background check · FBI criminal background check · rap sheet · criminal history record · FBI clearance letter · FBI clearance · FBI police clearance certificate · police clearance certificate · PCC · US police clearance certificate · FBI report
Definition
The document the FBI issues to an individual listing the criminal history information maintained about them at the FBI under their fingerprints — or stating that no such information exists.
Context
This is the formal name. Almost nobody uses it. Receiving authorities abroad usually ask for an 'FBI police certificate' or a 'criminal record certificate from the United States', and vendors advertise an 'FBI background check'. All refer to this document.
Government sources
Where this term comes from.
- Identity History Summary Checks
Federal Bureau of Investigation · reviewed 2026-08-01
fbi.gov rejects automated retrieval; reviewed manually in a browser.
- 28 CFR Part 16, Subpart C — Production of FBI Identification Records
Office of the Federal Register (eCFR) · reviewed 2026-08-01
Related terms
- No-record responseThe result issued when the fingerprint search locates no criminal history information at the FBI for the individual.
- Fingerprint-based searchA search of criminal history records keyed to fingerprints rather than to a name and date of birth.
- Police certificateThe generic term immigration authorities use for a document from a national police or records authority evidencing an applicant's criminal history in that country.
Where this term is used
- What Is an FBI Identity History Summary?The Identity History Summary is the FBI's official name for the record of arrest and related fingerprint submissions held on an individual. This article defines the document, explains what it contains, and identifies the legal authority under which a person may obtain their own copy.
- Reading Your Identity History SummaryWhat appears on the document, what a no-record result looks like, and how the process for challenging an inaccurate entry works under federal regulation.