How to Read a Rap Sheet

The Basic Structure of a Rap Sheet

A rap sheet — formally called a Record of Arrest and Prosecution, or a criminal history transcript — is organized chronologically by event. Each entry corresponds to a law enforcement encounter and typically includes:

• Arrest date and arresting agency (the police department or sheriff's office)
• Charges at booking (the initial accusations, which may differ from what the prosecutor actually files)
• Court actions (arraignment, plea, trial disposition)
• Final disposition (conviction, dismissal, acquittal, or pending)
• Sentence (if convicted — probation, fine, incarceration, community service)

Your rap sheet is not a verdict. It's a chronological log of events, including arrests that went nowhere. An entry showing an arrest followed by "DISM" or "NP" means the case was dropped — but the arrest itself still appears in the record.

Common Abbreviations and What They Mean

Rap sheet codes vary by state, but these appear across most jurisdictions:

Disposition codes:

• CONV — Convicted
• DISM or DISMISSED — Charges dismissed by the court
• NP or NOLLE PROSEQUI — Prosecutor declined to pursue charges (Latin for "we shall not prosecute"). This is not an acquittal but means the case was effectively dropped. In some states, the prosecutor can refile later.
• ACD or ACOD — Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal. Common in New York. The case is adjourned while the defendant meets conditions; if those conditions are met, it can be dismissed and sealed under the applicable rules. An ACD is not a conviction.
• ACQ — Acquitted (found not guilty at trial)
• NOL — No information / no disposition on file

Identification codes:

• SID — State Identification Number. A unique number assigned to you by the state repository when your fingerprints first enter their system. Every subsequent arrest in that state links to the same SID.
• FBI# or UCN — Your Universal Control Number in the FBI's national database
• DOB — Date of birth
• SSN — Last four digits of Social Security number (varies by state whether this appears)
• AKA — Also Known As (aliases, maiden names, spelling variations)

Charge classifications:

• F or FEL — Felony
• M or MIS — Misdemeanor
• V or VIOL — Violation (non-criminal in many states)
• I or INF — Infraction

How to Spot Errors

The most common problems on rap sheets:

Missing dispositions. An arrest appears with no final outcome listed — the record just stops. This is a common data quality issue. It happens when the court clerk fails to transmit the final judgment to the state repository. To someone reading your rap sheet without context, an arrest with no recorded disposition looks like an open case.

Wrong charge level. A misdemeanor might be listed as a felony because the original booking charge was upgraded or the disposition downgrade was never recorded. Compare the charge code against the actual court outcome.

Someone else's record. Name-based databases are especially prone to "mixed file" errors where another person with a similar name and birthdate has their record attached to yours. SID numbers and FBI numbers help distinguish, but errors in the underlying data cascade through the system.

Sealed or expunged records still appearing. If a court issued a sealing order but the repository wasn't updated, the entry persists. This is particularly common with recent Clean Slate automation — database synchronization can lag by months.

What to Do About Errors

For each error, the correction path depends on where the record lives:

• State repository error: File a formal record challenge with the state agency. Include a certified Certificate of Disposition from the court (with raised seal) showing the correct outcome.
• FBI record error: The FBI doesn't modify records directly — they store what agencies report. Contact the original arresting or prosecuting agency and have them transmit the correction to the state repository, which forwards it to the FBI.
• Commercial screening error: If a background check company reported wrong information, file a dispute under FCRA Section 611. They have 30 days, or up to 45 days in certain circumstances, to investigate and correct.

The Get Your Own Criminal Record toolkit includes the complete process for reading your rap sheet, identifying discrepancies, and filing corrections at every level.