Criminal Record Check

Checking the criminal register is a legal right in Israel that allows every citizen to get an accurate picture of their legal past. Whether you need to obtain a certificate of good conduct or want to check whether there are open or closed files - in recent years, access to this information has become simple, available and inexpensive.

In this article we will review how to check whether you have a criminal record, whether a check can be done online, what information appears in the register and who may have access to it. Everything you need to know.

Table of contents

• How can I check whether I have a criminal record?
• Online criminal record check
• Criminal record check by ID number
• Finding a criminal record - what information can you find?
• What is the difference between a criminal record and a police record?
• Can you check another person's criminal record?
• Who can receive information about a criminal record?
• Certificate of good conduct
• Criminal Information Section at National Headquarters
• What do you do if the check reveals a criminal or police record?

How can I check whether I have a criminal record?

Anyone who wants to check whether they have a criminal record can go in person to any police station in Israel and view the information held about them. The citizen may review the information and even receive a printout for their personal review only (the law prohibits any outside party from demanding this printout). {#chapter-3}

Online criminal record check

Under Israeli law, a criminal record is confidential, so a full criminal record cannot be checked online. A person who wishes to view their criminal record must go to a police station to do so. However, an online application can be submitted for an official document summarizing the record where it is required by foreign missions. In these cases, the document is sent directly to those bodies.

Criminal record check by ID number

A criminal record check is carried out personally by the record holder by going to a police station in person and viewing the information there. Identification with an ID card is required for this. It is not possible to use an ID number to view the criminal record of the record holder or of another person. In exceptional cases, another person will be allowed to view a criminal record that is not their own – for example, a parent of a minor, a guardian, a relative in special circumstances, or a criminal lawyer for the purpose of representation.

Finding a criminal record - what information can you find?

The criminal register covers three categories - police records (files closed after a police investigation without an indictment), pending files (MBD files) and criminal records (files in which the defendant was tried and convicted).

Pending files

Files in which the investigation has not yet ended or whose outcome has not yet been decided are called MBD files (pending determination). Later on, these files are expected either to be closed without an indictment or to end with an indictment being filed.

Closed files and police records

These are files in which the police investigation has ended and it was decided not to prosecute the suspects. There are three grounds for closing a police file – "lack of guilt", "lack of evidence" and "lack of public interest". If the file was closed on grounds of lack of guilt, it is deleted completely from the police record. If the file was closed on grounds of lack of evidence or lack of public interest, it is closed and recorded in the police databases.

What is the difference between a criminal record and a police record?

The criminal register mainly covers criminal records and police records. A criminal record brings together criminal proceedings involving an indictment, a conviction and a sentence (in certain cases even without a conviction). The police record includes criminal incidents that ended without an indictment (a police investigation only), and these differ in the severity of the offenses (infraction, misdemeanor and felony). A criminal record stays with its holder for a long time, and many years can pass until it is expunged,while a police record is cancelled automatically after 5-7 years (depending on the severity of the offense).

Can you check another person's criminal record?

As a rule, every person is entitled to view only their own criminal record and is also prohibited from passing the information on. However, in special cases, such as parents of minors, a guardian of a vulnerable person, or in certain health/personal circumstances, relatives will also be granted permission to view it. In addition, a criminal defense lawyer can obtain permission to view the criminal record of a suspect/defendant they represent.

Who can receive information about a criminal record?

Israeli law provides that every person has the right to receive information about their own criminal record. Apart from that, in special cases relatives will be granted permission to view it (for example, parents of a minor), and a lawyer can also receive information about a person they represent. Beyond this, the criminal record is available to certain employers and specific bodies defined by law. Over the years that a file remains in the criminal record, the range of bodies with access to it gradually narrows.

Criminal record check of an employee

As a rule, employers are not entitled to receive an employee's criminal record, since by law this information is confidential. There are specific public and government bodies that may receive the information – security bodies, law enforcement authorities and public bodies defined by law. There are special settings (for example, institutions caring for minors, vulnerable people, assisted living, etc.) in which a check is permitted, subject to the employee's consent and an application by the authorized officer to the police.

Criminal record and the Ministry of Education - when can information be obtained?

The Ministry of Education is one of the bodies defined by law that can request and receive data from the criminal register before hiring a job candidate. The Ministry may see information about convictions that have not been expunged, as well as pending files (MBD files), in order to protect children's welfare.

Certificate of good conduct - how does it differ from a criminal record check?

A certificate of good conduct (officially called a criminal information certificate) is essentially an output issued from the police criminal record database. This certificate is an official document provided to authorized authorities abroad upon request, and it can be ordered online. The output itself is sent directly to the foreign mission concerned and not to the applicant. By contrast, a criminal record check is a check carried out in person by the record holder at a police station to find out whether they have a criminal record and what it contains.

When is a certificate of good conduct required?

A certificate of good conduct, attesting to the absence of a criminal record, is issued by the police and is required in various situations where it is necessary to prove that a person has no criminal past. For example, when being hired for sensitive jobs – government, security or work with children – when obtaining a visa or emigrating, adopting children and more.

What information appears in a certificate of good conduct?

A certificate of good conduct reflects a person's legal and criminal status according to police databases. It includes personal details and confirmation that there is no criminal record if the person has no active convictions. If the applicant has a criminal record that has not yet been expunged, it will appear in the output, as will pending investigation files. By contrast, closed police files do not appear on the certificate at all.

How do you obtain a certificate of good conduct?

To obtain a certificate of good conduct, you must apply in person at any police station in the country after identifying yourself with an ID card. You can also apply to have the certificate issued online for specific purposes, such as sending it to a foreign mission or an authorized body abroad.

Criminal Information Section at National Headquarters - when should you contact it?

When a person wishes to apply to cancel or delete a police record of closed files, they must contact the Criminal Information Section at Israel Police National Headquarters. The application to cancel the criminal record is considered by the head of the Investigations and Intelligence Division of the police, who has the authority to cancel the record, depending on various considerations.

What do you do if the check reveals a criminal or police record?

A criminal or police record leaves a stain on a person's past and may be an obstacle in various areas of their life. If the check reveals a criminal or police record, you can apply to the relevant authorities to have the record expunged or cancelled, given the appropriate circumstances.

FAQ about criminal record checks

Does opening a police file mean I have a criminal record?

No, opening a police file does not automatically create a criminal record. Israeli law distinguishes between a criminal record (a record following a criminal conviction in court) and a police record (a pending or closed investigation file). Ifthe police file ends with an indictment and a conviction in court, it will become a criminal record.

Does a closed file remain in police systems?

An investigation file closed on grounds of "lack of guilt" is deleted immediately and completely from police records. Investigation files closed on grounds of lack of evidence or lack of public interest remain as an internal police record (until they are cancelled automatically after 5 to 7 years, or following a proactive application).

Can a criminal record appear even without a conviction?

Yes, in certain cases a criminal record can appear even without a legal conviction – for example, where a probation order or community service order was issued.

What is an application for a criminal information certificate?

A criminal information certificate (also known as a certificate of good conduct) is an official Israel Police document setting out a person's criminal status. This certificate is intended to be presented to embassies or foreign missions abroad, and it includes information about convictions that have not yet reached their limitation period or about open files.

Does every conviction appear in the criminal record?

As a rule, every criminal conviction appears in the criminal record, but there are exceptions. Thus, where the court found that the defendant committed the offense but decided to end the case without a conviction for rehabilitation reasons, the information will not appear as a conviction in the criminal register. In addition, very minor offenses defined as "infractions" (punishable by less than three months' imprisonment) do not lead to a criminal record. Furthermore, convictions that have passed the limitation and expungement periods will not appear in the record except to very limited parties.

Can I get a printed copy of my criminal information?

Israeli law provides that a person may go to a police station and receive a printout of their criminal information for their personal review only. However, the law prohibits the citizen from passing this printout on to an outside party, and prohibits employers or private bodies from demanding it.

Can a lawyer view my criminal record on my behalf?

A lawyer (including an intern employed by them) can receive a printout containing criminal information about a client when this is necessary to represent the client before the court or another body.

Can a private body require me to present criminal information?

Israeli law does not allow an employer or a private body to require a person to provide criminal information about themselves or to present a certificate of good conduct. Under the Criminal Information and Rehabilitation Law, such a demand constitutes a criminal offense.

Does an old criminal record still appear in a check?

Before it is expunged, a criminal record goes through two stages – a limitation period and an expungement period. After the limitation period, the list of bodies authorized to see it is reduced, and it is reduced even further after the expungement period. Essentially, the criminal record is not physically "deleted" from the register; rather, certain bodies' ability to access it is reduced.

Can information that has passed its limitation period still be visible to certain bodies?

Definitely. Information that has passed its limitation period remains visible to certain bodies, such as law enforcement authorities, security bodies and employers with special authorization.

How can you obtain a criminal record check from the Israel Police, and who is authorized to receive this information?

To check your criminal record, you must go to a police station and ask to view the information. The record holder is the only one who can request and receive permission to view it, except in special cases where relatives may see the information (parents of minors, guardians, etc.). In addition, the record holder's lawyer can also ask to view the information in order to represent the client.

What do you do if a file that should have been closed appears in the record?

If a police file that should have been closed appears in the record, it may have been closed on grounds other than "lack of guilt" and therefore remains in the record. It is worth finding out the grounds on which the file was closed and, accordingly, applying to the police to change them. It is advisable to use a criminal lawyer for this.

Does a criminal record check also include traffic offenses?

A regular criminal record check does not include traffic offenses, because the state has a separate system for traffic and driving offenses (called the traffic register). Only in cases of particularly serious traffic offenses that have become criminal proceedings will the record appear in the criminal register.

Can a military record appear in the criminal information?

Yes, a conviction for a criminal offense in a military court appears in the criminal record. For some offenses the record may be defined as "reduced", meaning that the information is available to a limited number of bodies and is expunged more quickly. Some military records, such as disciplinary proceedings, do not appear in the criminal record at all.

Can the result of a criminal record check affect getting a job?

Only certain bodies in Israel can require a criminal record. These include the civil service, the police, the army, sensitive security bodies and institutions caring for children or vulnerable people. Beyond that, private employers are prohibited from requiring a certificate of good conduct or a criminal record check, and such a demand is a criminal offense. For anyone wishing to work for the bodies that are allowed to require a criminal record, the result can certainly affect their chances of being hired.

I found a criminal record in the check - what is the next step?

If the check reveals that there is a criminal record, it is advisable to consult a lawyer specializing in criminal law to find out how the record can be expunged or cancelled. A criminal record is a stain that can affect and weigh on a person's life in every area, so it is important to have it expunged as far as possible. You can submit an application to expunge the criminal record or an application to cancel the criminal record on your own, but a lawyer experienced in the field will know how to frame the application correctly and present the necessary arguments in a way that increases its chances of being accepted.

This information does not replace legal representation or advice.