What is the difference between an arrest record and a court record?

An arrest record is simply a listing of offenses for which the applicant was contacted by law enforcement and subsequently arrested. The applicant would be taken to the appropriate police department, fingerprinted and booked on the charges. Typically, most arrest records do not contain information on the final outcome of the case, only that the person was arrested. A court record would be housed at the appropriate district, county or municipal courthouse. If, after an arrest, a subject is subsequently tried in court, a record of these events is kept on file in the court clerk’s office. The court record will show the final outcome of the case. This could be either that the subject was convicted and sentenced or that the charges were dismissed.