There are many reasons to get a criminal record check. Criminal arrest record checks are safety indicators for the whole United States. The usual procedure that is followed when individuals and firms request for the criminal arrest records of a person is that after making the formal request for the criminal record, the party requesting it would pay a fee. Among them, one of the most common reasons is for firms to be able to screen the employees that they would hire because doing a criminal record search on an applicant can help them gain knowledge on the background of the person. When getting a job, many employers require a background check, proving that you are not a felon. Adoption agencies require record checks on potential adopters to prove they can properly care for a child. However, in recent years, individuals and firms are now being given access to the criminal arrest records of people for free. This is because recently, there have been some courts, and a number of state and federal agencies that do not charge anything for the access that they give the public to the criminal arrest records of people. The Criminal Justice Information Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of getting all convict information out to the different law enforcement and government agencies. The FBI criminal records are linked with the state and county criminal arrest records. These arrest records are used when conducting such records background check. As mentioned, there are now a number of sources from which people can get free access to the criminal records of individuals online where some web sites even contain defendant identifiers, which help people know if a person has an ongoing criminal case against an individual. There are also equally important reasons why people access criminal arrest records especially with regard to enforcing the law and in trying various cases.