A recent disclosure from the Los Angeles Superior Court revealed that roughly 464,000 criminal case results in Los Angeles County were never transmitted to the California Department of Justice. Outdated systems and reporting gaps meant decades of case dispositions, including convictions and dismissals, never reached the state repository.
For housing providers relying on background screening data, this isn’t just a government IT story. It’s a reminder of how decentralized criminal records reporting can affect decision-making, compliance, and risk management.
LA County Is Just One of 3,143 Counties!
The United States has 3,143 counties and county-equivalent entities. Each county:
- Operates its own courts
- Maintains its own records
- Reports criminal case outcomes to the state
If one county, even the largest, can lose track of hundreds of thousands of cases, it raises the question: How many other counties may have incomplete or inaccessible criminal records?
This is not just an LA problem, it’s a systemic challenge across the nation.
Why County-Level Reporting Matters for Housing Providers
Background reports typically rely on:
- State criminal repositories
- Bulk data aggregators
- Automated database feeds
When Counties Fail to Report:
- Convictions may be missing
- Dismissals may be missing
- Arrest-only records may linger
- State repositories may show incomplete data
For housing providers, accuracy isn’t optional, it’s required under laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and local fair-chance ordinances.
Redacted Data Adds Complexity
Some counties, including Los Angeles, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Orange, Ventura, and Riverside, redact dates of birth (DOBs) from court records.
This creates challenges:
- Screening companies cannot reliably match records to applicants without DOBs
- Common names or overlapping identities increase the risk of misattribution
- Automated systems cannot fully verify identity
In these counties, the only way to get complete, verifiable information is through live, in-person investigations at the courthouse.
In-Person Searches Are Essential
Statewide repository searches are helpful, but they cannot guarantee completeness. To truly verify an applicant’s criminal history, housing providers often need:
- Direct county court record review
- In-person or live data retrieval
- Identity verification to match records to applicants
This approach ensures accuracy, compliance, and reduced legal risk, particularly in counties with redacted DOBs or incomplete state reporting.
AOA Civil & Criminal Investigative Search: A Reliable Solution
The AOA Civil & Criminal Investigative Search is designed to bridge these gaps. It provides:
✅ County-level verification of records
✅ Both civil and criminal searches
✅ Identity confirmation for redacted DOBs
✅ Address history tracing across multiple counties
✅ FCRA-compliant reporting for tenant screening
In a decentralized court system, diligence at the record source is critical.
Takeaway:
The Los Angeles County reporting failure illustrates a broader reality: not all criminal records are equally accessible or reportable.
For housing providers, this means:
- County reporting gaps are widespread. LA County is not alone.
- Redacted DOBs and missing dispositions make automated searches incomplete.
- State repository searches alone may not be sufficient
- Complete, verified information often requires deeper county-level investigation
- Tools like AOA Civil & Criminal Investigative Search help ensure accuracy, reduce risk, and support compliance.
In a nation of 3,143 counties and county -equivalents, understanding where data originates and how to verify it is essential for responsible tenant screening. Activate your AOA Tenant
Screening by completing the online End User Agreement found at AOAUSA.com/Tenant- Screening.
[Topic inspired by: 464,000 criminal case results from LA County weren’t reported to state Department of Justice – Daily News]
Jeff Faller is President of the Apartment Owners Association of California, Inc.
Jeff grew up in the apartment industry and currently serves as the President of the Apartment Owners Association of California, Inc. (AOA). He holds a degree in Business Administration and made history as the first American to establish a wholly foreign-owned company in one of the world’s most restricted communist countries. His work abroad focused on empowering local communities through sustainable business practices.
After 16 years overseas, Jeff returned to the U.S. and joined the Entrepreneurship Department at one of America’s leading universities. Today, he continues the legacy of his father, Dan Faller, by leading AOA and advocating for California landlords, property owners, and real estate investors.