A criminal record is a record that details a person's history in terms of criminal convictions. Essentially, a criminal record reveals which crimes a person has been found guilty of committing in a court of law.
Criminal records are different from arrest records because arrest records only show a person's arrest history, and not their conviction history.
There are many different types of crimes that could appear on a criminal record. Both felonies and misdemeanors can appear on these records. For example, a criminal record could reveal that a person has been convicted of petty larceny as well as armed robbery.
Criminal records are often used in employment, housing, firearm sales, loans and other areas of life. So, a person who has a significant criminal record can face difficulties in these areas, because many people view having a criminal history as an undesirable trait.