Once an individual has been arrested, an arrest record is automatically generated. It is one of the documents that can be accessed by the general public except for those files that have been kept away from the public view.Arrest records can be made confidential and it can also be removed from the database. Removed records are usually termed as expunged records. There are several guidelines that have to be followed when you want to seal or expunge an arrest file. A murder case has les possibility that it can be expunged. One has to be specific in their request because, there are states that only seal the files but not remove it.An arrest record can contain useful information on it. Information about the date, place and how the arrest has been carried out are found on the file. Schedule for the court hearing along with the arrested individual’s fingerprints and mug shots are also visible. The names of the people behind the arrest along with their notes are also included on the file.Arrest records are being used by both private and public individuals and agencies. Newspaper companies would regularly check out arrest reports in order to create a story or to update and to clarify a certain story that they already have. The arrest files of a candidate of a position in the government are also being scanned and checked in order to qualify him/her to the applied position. Tracking an individual is also made easy by checking out the arrest records.Certain guidelines have to be followed when accessing an arrest records. These guidelines may not be the same for all states. In most states, authorized individuals are the only ones who can access such files. Generally, the office of the county court manages the arrest files of a state. When requesting for an arrest record, one has to be able to provide the primary information about the arrest in order to retrieve the file. Private companies can make the retrieval of the record easier for you for a certain charge. The search can be done on your own but the results may not be as accurate. This is where online retrieval comes in.Most places in the country now utilize the Internet for the retrieval of public documents including arrest records. This method is far more convenient and cheaper because the search can be done even without leaving your own homes. The results of the search also obtained faster than any other methods. One can even conduct a free arrest records search over the Internet, however, a paid search is still the best option for many because it can give more accurate results that the free search.