No-record response
Also called no record · negative response · clean record
Definition
The result issued when the fingerprint search locates no criminal history information at the FBI for the individual.
Context
A no-record response is a substantive result, not an absence of one. It is the outcome most applicants for a visa or residence permit are expecting, and it is issued as a document in the same form as any other summary.
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.
Related terms
- Identity History SummaryThe 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.
- Fingerprint-based searchA search of criminal history records keyed to fingerprints rather than to a name and date of birth.