FBI Database and
File Facts
The FBI
does not keep a file on every citizen of the United States.
The FBI was not established until
1908 and we have very few records prior to the 1920's.
FBI files generally contain reports
of FBI investigations of a wide range of matters, including
counterterrorism, foreign counter-intelligence, organized crime/drugs,
violent crime, white-collar crime, applicants, and civil rights.
The FBI does not issue clearances or
non-clearances for anyone other than its own personnel or persons having
access to FBI facilities.
Background investigations for
security clearances are conducted by many different Government agencies.
Persons who received a clearance while in the military or employed with
some other government agency should write directly to that entity.
An FBI
identification record or "rap sheet" is NOT the same as an
FBI "file"- it is simply a listing of information taken from fingerprint
cards submitted to the FBI in connection with arrests, federal
employment, naturalization, or military service.
The National Name Check Program (NNCP)
conducts a search of the FBI's Universal Index to identify any
information contained in FBI records that may be associated with an
individual and provides the results of that search to the requesting
Federal, State or local agency. For the NNCP, a name is searched in a
multitude of combinations and phonetic spellings to ensure all records
are located. The NNCP also searches for both "main" and "cross
reference" files. A main file is an entry that carries the name
corresponding to the subject of a file while a cross reference is merely
a mention of an individual contained in a file.
The results
from a search of this magnitude can result in several "hits" and
"idents" on an individual. In each instance where UNI has identified a
name variation or reference, information must be reviewed to determine
whether it is applicable to the individual in question. |