Can an arrest record not show up on a background check?

[The Doom & Gloom]

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I have an arrest record without conviction.
I thought I'd run a background check on my own before employment, and nothing shows up?
Is this possible?
The arrest happened out of state--not within the county that I am living in.
I had paid for background checks twice already, and nothing shows up.

 

[297point1]

What kind of checks did you run- nationwide, 7 year background checks? Or just state-wide ones? Background checks miss a lot of stuff- even the ones that purport to be quite thorough.

Also: arrest without conviction can mean a lot of things. Were you acquitted? Receive a continuation without official finding? Or flee the area and never showed in court?

Regardless: Don't lie on an application about this if applying for a government job- they will catch you, and there will be hell to pay.

 

[lord999]

I have an arrest record without conviction.
I thought I'd run a background check on my own before employment, and nothing shows up?
Is this possible?
The arrest happened out of state--not within the county that I am living in.
I had paid for background checks twice already, and nothing shows up.

It depends on whether or not a UCR report was filed (and yes, they do on arrests as well). Might be that the arresting officer didn't fill out the paperwork and file it. I'd still disclose that I was arrested for the reasons above. However, I'm surprised that it didn't come up. It possibly went on some other Doom and Gloom name (it's happened before).