When an individual is arrested and fingerprinted the record goes to the state to be entered into the system. If the individual was arrested but not fingerprinted then the state will not have a record of the crime. This is the second gap in the system. Next the Federal criminal records are searched. The Federal records do not commingle their criminal records with the states, there could be no record in the state but the Federal would pull one because of the nature of the crime.
Federal charges are interstate, kidnapping, drug related crimes and white collar.
This is the third gap in the system. Next the Department of Corrections records are searched. This is even a more in depth disposition as far as the sentence the parole or probation and if the individual is or was released to a half way house at any time. This is the fourth gap in the system. A data base is an accumulation of information a company has compiled and is re-sold to the consumer.