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The State Bureau of Investigation introduced a system that allows employers and the public to run searches on various criminal databases.

Available Criminal Searches

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation announced the creation of a Criminal History Information Request Portal (CHIRP) to help give the public access to government records. CHIRP allows people to run fingerprint-based criminal searches online. This portal provides three search types:

· Criminal Background Checks – used to find out if an Oklahoma resident has convictions within the state.
· Sex Offender Registry (SOR) - used to find out if someone is registered as an offender in Oklahoma.
· Violent Offender Registry (VOR) – used to find out if a resident has a violent criminal record.

CHIRP visitors can run searches individually or on all three databases. Visit the online portal.

Requirements For Requesting Criminal Records

To run criminal searches, people must first create their own CHIRP account online. Once an account is ready, registered visitors can request a search using the subject’s first and last name plus date of birth. If additional information is known, such as a person’s Social Security Number or maiden name, that can also be included.

Criminal searches are $15 and the database searches are $2 each. There is also an online convenience fee. Users can include up to 3 aliases for the subject of their criminal records search. Results will be available for 30 days.

Potential Limitations

Oklahoma’s online portal appears to provide quick, simple access to criminal records. It is likely, however, to also have certain limitations.

Fingerprints. CHIRP is a “repository for fingerprint-based criminal history information for the state of Oklahoma.” This means that to find a match, the subject must have a record and fingerprints on file. While we haven’t used the CHIRP system, fingerprints are not always added to state databases every time a record is created. Therefore, it is possible that someone who has a criminal record is not included in the database.

In-State Only. CHIRP returns criminal records that were incurred in Oklahoma. However, a resident could have convictions in other states. If so, those records would not be found.

Common Names. CHIRP searches can be run using only a first name, last name and date of birth. Therefore, results could be confusing for people who have the same name and birthdate. A CHIRP user could potentially misidentify a person while using the system.

What Employers Should Know

CHIRP was created because it’s important for people to know if someone with whom they may work or interact has a violent, sexual or other serious criminal conviction. This is especially important for employers. The people you allow to represent your brand are also your responsibility. It is essential to perform due diligence and run comprehensive criminal background checks on any person before bringing them on board.

Backgrounds Online offers criminal searches on county, state and national levels. We also provide searches on multiple sex offender registries. Take advantage of these options to learn if a candidate you are considering incurred a criminal record anywhere in the United States.

Our experienced team can help you build custom background check packages that suit all of your hiring and industry needs. When you’re ready to get started, please contact us for expert assistance. We are available Monday through Friday from 5am to 6pm PT.