What is a RAP sheet and why is it important?

A RAP sheet (Record of Arrest and Prosecution) is the government’s official version of your criminal history, as recorded by local, state, and federal government agencies (such as courts, law enforcement, FBI, and other criminal justice agencies). It contains a list of every contact you have had with the criminal justice system, including: arrests, charges, convictions, acquittals, dismissals, pleas, sentences, and open warrants.

Your RAP sheet includes important information like the date of each arrest, which law enforcement agency arrested you, what offense(s) you were charged with, your case number (docket or indictment number), and—most important—the final outcome (disposition) of each case (for example, acquittal, conviction, plea bargain, sentence, or dismissal).[2942] It’s also important to look out for errors (learn about common ones on PG. 939).

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    Cal. Penal Code § 13125; Rap Sheets: Where They Begin and End, National Helping Individuals with Criminal Records Re-Enter through Employment (H.I.R.E.) Network, http://www.hirenetwork.org/content/rap-sheets-where-they-begin-and-end. ↑