Updated 11/3/2025- Court Search Delays
Siskiyou County, California
10/27/2025: Please expect delays for searches in Siskiyou County, California as the clerks in the District Courts have advised that there is limited staff. As a result, turnaround time may be delayed with additional 3-4 weeks. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Hurricane Melissa
10/28/2025: Please expect delays during Hurricane Melissa as, this storm could produce weather related closures. We will provide you with updates as we receive them.
Mclean County, Kentucky
10/29/2025: Mclean County, Kentucky: Please be advised that Mclean County Courts are closed October 30th, and October 31st, due to water damage at the courthouse. Searches cannot be completed during this time.
Orleans, Louisiana
10/30/25: Orleans County, Louisiana Courts have advised that the Public Access Terminal (PAT) is currently down with no ETA as to when it may be back up. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Los Angeles County, California
11/3/2025: Los Angeles, California: Please expect delays as some courts throughout the county will be closed on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, and will reopen on November 4th, 2025.
Election Day
11/3/2025: Please expect delays as various courts throughout the nation will be closed in observance of Election Day, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Please expect slight delays.
San Diego, California
11/3/2025: San Diego, California: The Public Access Terminal Index, as well as the clerk’s system for San Diego, CA Courts is experiencing system issues. Searches cannot be completed at this time. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
10/27/2025: Please expect delays for searches in Siskiyou County, California as the clerks in the District Courts have advised that there is limited staff. As a result, turnaround time may be delayed with additional 3-4 weeks. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Hurricane Melissa
10/28/2025: Please expect delays during Hurricane Melissa as, this storm could produce weather related closures. We will provide you with updates as we receive them.
Mclean County, Kentucky
10/29/2025: Mclean County, Kentucky: Please be advised that Mclean County Courts are closed October 30th, and October 31st, due to water damage at the courthouse. Searches cannot be completed during this time.
Orleans, Louisiana
10/30/25: Orleans County, Louisiana Courts have advised that the Public Access Terminal (PAT) is currently down with no ETA as to when it may be back up. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Los Angeles County, California
11/3/2025: Los Angeles, California: Please expect delays as some courts throughout the county will be closed on Monday, November 3rd, 2025, and will reopen on November 4th, 2025.
Election Day
11/3/2025: Please expect delays as various courts throughout the nation will be closed in observance of Election Day, on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Please expect slight delays.
San Diego, California
11/3/2025: San Diego, California: The Public Access Terminal Index, as well as the clerk’s system for San Diego, CA Courts is experiencing system issues. Searches cannot be completed at this time. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Nevada Statewide Courts Search update
7/2/2025: Nevada Statewide Department of Public Safety has changed what they are returning on a statewide search. Effective immediately,
this search will no longer include dismissed, non-convictions or pending cases. Universal Background is ready to provide an alternative statewide search that will capture all of this information. This search is a county wide sweep of all 17 counties at the district court level.
Please contact your account representative to learn more about this search or to get started!
this search will no longer include dismissed, non-convictions or pending cases. Universal Background is ready to provide an alternative statewide search that will capture all of this information. This search is a county wide sweep of all 17 counties at the district court level.
Please contact your account representative to learn more about this search or to get started!
The National Sex Offender Database
National Sex Offender Registry:
9/16/2025: The National Sex Offender Database (NSOPW) continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. Please expect delays.
9/16/2025: The National Sex Offender Database (NSOPW) continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. Please expect delays.
California Delays caused by DOB Redaction
On June 21, 2021, several CA courts have redacted DOB from their public index and files due to a 4th Appellate District Court, Court of Appeal, Division One, State of CA opinion.
We are still able to conduct name-based searches. Due to the redaction, researchers are having to use alternative methods to obtain DOB, where possible, therefore causing delays. These delays will impact County Criminal searches and Nationwide Database searches.
Counties with redactions: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Merced, Mendocino, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernadino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura
We are still able to conduct name-based searches. Due to the redaction, researchers are having to use alternative methods to obtain DOB, where possible, therefore causing delays. These delays will impact County Criminal searches and Nationwide Database searches.
Counties with redactions: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Merced, Mendocino, Nevada, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Bernadino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Stanislaus, Tulare, Ventura
Clean Slate Initiative
The Clean Slate initiative automatically seals certain non-violent conviction records if a person has remained conviction-free for a period of time (seven years for misdemeanors, 10 years for felonies).
Universal will continue to provide information that is reportable by state and federal laws.
States that are part of this initiate are as follows:
• PA
• UT
• NJ
• MI
• CT
• DE
• VA
• OK
• CO
• CA
• MN
• NY (Effective November 2024)
Please copy and paste the below link for additional information by state.
www.cleanslateinitiative.org/states
States with pending bills:
• Kentucky (HB 588)
• Missouri (HB 753)
• Rhode Island (SB 606)
• Hawaii (SB 1168)
Universal will continue to provide information that is reportable by state and federal laws.
States that are part of this initiate are as follows:
• PA
• UT
• NJ
• MI
• CT
• DE
• VA
• OK
• CO
• CA
• MN
• NY (Effective November 2024)
Please copy and paste the below link for additional information by state.
www.cleanslateinitiative.org/states
States with pending bills:
• Kentucky (HB 588)
• Missouri (HB 753)
• Rhode Island (SB 606)
• Hawaii (SB 1168)
Suspended Services
All verification services out of the following countries are suspended:
• Afghanistan
• Russia
• Sudan
• Ukraine:
Education verifications are being completed in Ukraine.
Employment verifications are not able to be completed in Ukraine.
Criminal searches are currently not available in:
• Afghanistan
• Palestine
We will continue to monitor the situation and notify you when we are able to reinstate services.
• Afghanistan
• Russia
• Sudan
• Ukraine:
Education verifications are being completed in Ukraine.
Employment verifications are not able to be completed in Ukraine.
Criminal searches are currently not available in:
• Afghanistan
• Palestine
We will continue to monitor the situation and notify you when we are able to reinstate services.