Emery County Criminal History Records
Emery County criminal history records are kept by the Sheriff's Office, the Seventh District Court, and the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification. Emery County is a rural county in central Utah with a population of around 10,000. The county seat is Castle Dale. Searching criminal history in Emery County means working with local agencies and the statewide BCI database. This page explains the main methods to find Emery County criminal history and how to request records from the right source.
Emery County Quick Facts
Emery County Sheriff and Criminal Records
The Emery County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement agency for the county. The office is located at 1850 North 550 West, Castle Dale, UT 84513. The main phone is (435) 381-2404, and the fax is (435) 381-2200. The Sheriff's Office maintains arrest records, incident reports, and investigation files as public records under Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act. Booking information is also available through Vinelink, an online tool for searching current inmate custody status by offender ID or name.
The Emery County Sheriff's Office handles a wide range of responsibilities for the county. Beyond patrol and arrests, the office runs CERT, Search and Rescue, Fire Protection, and Homeland Security divisions. Emery County's terrain includes canyon country and remote areas, making Search and Rescue a major part of the Sheriff's work. Arrest and incident records from all of these operations are part of the Emery County criminal history record system.
The Emery County official website links to the Sheriff's Office and other county departments that deal with public records.
The Emery County government website serves as the entry point for county offices including the Sheriff and Clerk/Auditor, both of which handle public records requests for criminal history documents.
Seventh District Court Emery County Cases
The Seventh Judicial District Court handles all major criminal cases in Emery County. The court is located at 1850 North Des Bee Dove Road, Castle Dale, UT 84513. You can email the court at castledaledocs@utcourts.gov for general inquiries. The court maintains case files for felonies, gross misdemeanors, and other serious offenses originating in Emery County.
Court records from the Seventh District are part of the statewide Utah Courts system. You can search Emery County case information free at casesearch.utcourts.gov using a name or case number. The search returns basic case information including charges, hearing dates, and case status. For full document access and detailed docket entries, the XChange subscription service is available for $30 per month. XChange covers all Utah district courts, including the Seventh District serving Emery County.
To get copies of specific court documents from Emery County criminal cases, contact the court clerk directly. The clerk can provide certified and uncertified copies of case records. You will need to pay copy fees and may need to present identification depending on the type of record.
Note: Records that have been expunged or sealed by court order in Emery County will not appear in public searches, including the Utah Courts free search and XChange.
Emery County Criminal History and GRAMA
Utah's Government Records Access and Management Act, at Utah Code § 63G-2-201, gives the public the right to access most Emery County government records. Criminal court records that are not sealed or restricted are treated as public records. You can submit a GRAMA request to the Emery County Sheriff's Office, the Seventh District Court, or the County Clerk/Auditor.
To request records, write a description of what you need. Be specific: include the subject's full name, date range, and any case number you have. Submit your request to the agency that holds the records. The Sheriff's Office handles incident reports and arrest logs. The court clerk handles case files and judgments. The County Clerk/Auditor serves as the GRAMA officer for Emery County administrative records.
Agencies must respond within 10 business days under Utah Code § 63G-2-204. Urgent requests may be responded to in five business days if you show a pressing need. Research fees run $20 per hour for staff time. Copy fees are $0.25 per page for black and white copies. You must pay before records are released.
The Government Records Access and Management Act is the legal foundation for accessing Emery County criminal history records held by local government agencies.
Background Checks and Emery County Criminal History
The Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification is the central repository for statewide criminal history records. BCI compiles data from all Utah law enforcement agencies, including the Emery County Sheriff and the Seventh District Court. A BCI check gives a more complete picture of a person's criminal history than a single-county search, because it covers arrests and convictions from across the state.
BCI is located at 4315 South 2700 West, Suite 1300, Taylorsville, UT 84129, phone (801) 965-4445. Their website is at bci.utah.gov. As of July 2025, the fee for a name and date of birth check or a fingerprint-based check is $20 each. Requests for your own criminal history also cost $20. The process involves completing the Criminal History Record Application, getting fingerprinted at a law enforcement agency if required, and mailing the form with payment. Results are mailed back to you.
Under Utah Code Title 53, Chapter 10, the Criminal Identification Act governs BCI's authority and what records it may release. Certain records, including juvenile cases and expunged records, are not released in standard background checks.
Criminal record retention periods vary. Felony arrest records are kept for 75 years. Misdemeanor arrest records are kept for 10 years. Booking photographs are held permanently under current Utah retention rules.
Emery County Offenders and Warrant Information
People convicted of felonies in Emery County who are sentenced to state prison serve their time in Utah Department of Corrections facilities. You can search for current and past inmates at corrections.utah.gov/offender-search/. The search tool covers individuals sentenced after Emery County criminal proceedings and housed in state facilities.
For active warrants in Utah, the statewide warrant search is available at secure.utah.gov/warrants/. This tool is maintained by state agencies and draws from law enforcement databases across Utah, including warrants issued by the Seventh District Court in Emery County.
The Utah Department of Corrections offender search is one of the key online tools for finding records connected to Emery County criminal cases that resulted in state prison sentences.
Sealing and Expunging Emery County Criminal Records
Utah law allows certain Emery County criminal history records to be expunged or sealed. The Utah Clean Slate law, which took effect in February 2022, created an automatic expungement process for qualifying lower-level offenses. For other offenses, you must file a petition with the Seventh District Court in Castle Dale.
Start the process at the Utah Courts expungement page: utcourts.gov/howto/expunge/. A certificate of eligibility from BCI costs $65. The court petition fee is $135. Once the court grants an expungement, it orders all agencies, including the Emery County Sheriff and BCI, to seal the record. Sealed records do not show up in public criminal history searches for Emery County. Not all offenses qualify. Serious felonies and certain sex offenses cannot be sealed under Utah law.
Note: Even after expungement, sealed Emery County criminal history records may still be visible to certain law enforcement agencies and courts in specific legal proceedings.
Nearby Counties
Emery County borders several other central and eastern Utah counties. If a case involves activity in more than one county, records may be split between multiple agencies.