Offense Guide and Examples
CATEGORY | CLASS | SOURCE | TYPE |
---|---|---|---|
Financial Offenses | Financial | Court | Court record offenses associated with financial fraud, identity theft, forgery, or embezzlement. |
Justice System Offenses | Justice System | Court | Court record offenses associated with the obstruction of justice, interference. |
Property & Theft Offenses | Property | Court | Court record offenses associated with vandalism and damage to property, trespassing, burglary, larceny, shoplifting, petty, or grand theft. |
Public Conduct Offenses | Public Conduct | Court | Court record offenses associated with public behavior deemed by a state to be offensive, disruptive, or dangerous. |
Registered Sex Offenders | Sex or Violence | Sex Offender List | Presence on a sex offender registry. |
Sex Offenses | Sex | Court | Court record offenses associated with sexual assault, child pornography, molestation, or lewd and lascivious acts. |
Substance Abuse Offenses | Substance Abuse | Court | Court record offenses associated with illegal possession, distribution, or abuse of controlled and regulated substances. |
Traffic Offenses | Traffic | Court | Court record offenses associated with driving misdemeanors, infractions, or violations. |
Violence & Threat Offenses | Violence | Court | Court record offenses associated with murder, acts of assault, kidnapping, harassment, armed robbery, weapons, or battery. |
Watchlists | Any of the above classes | Watchlists | Watchlist records associated with threats to national security, foreign policy, health and human services, or the economy. |
Other Offenses | Other | Court | Court record offenses that were not automatically categorized by our classifier based on their descriptions. |
Unspecified Offenses | Unspecified | Court | Unspecified court record offenses. |

SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Bribery & Corruption | Attempts to illegally influence the actions of third parties, the unlawful use of one’s position to evade the law, etc. |
Embezzlement | Misuse of funds or property entrusted to someone, resulting in personal gain. |
Forgery | The false making or altering of a writing that would regularly have legal effect. Includes counterfeiting. |
Fraud | The use of deceitful practices to deprive another of his rights or to cause injury. Includes writing bad checks, using a stolen credit card. |
Gambling | Illegal betting or wagering. |
Identity Theft | Illegally obtaining and using another’s personal information. |
Other Financial | Other financial offenses not falling into a specific category. This category includes money laundering, insider trading, tax crimes, etc. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
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Arrest | Offenses involving the apprehension of an individual by law enforcement. Ex: Resisting arrest, delaying arrest, hindering arrest, fleeing and eluding arrest, providing false identification to law enforcement, etc. |
Court Administration | Acts or omissions by a person that interfere with the administration of judicial proceedings. Ex: Failure to appear (FTA), failure to pay (FTP), failure to comply (FTC), obstruction of justice, violations of sentencing terms or probation, etc. |
Escape | Attempts to escape the custody of a jail or prison. Ex: Escape from jail or prison, attempted jailbreak, evading custody, etc. |
Failure to Register | Failure to register as required, either as a sex offender, sexually violent predator, or felon. Ex: Failure to register as a sex offender when required by law, failure to register as a sexually violent predator when required, failure to register as a felon when required, etc. |
Forfeiture | Confiscation of property by authorities, typically when the property was used in the commission of a crime. Ex: Forfeiture of assets, property, or funds related to criminal activities, asset forfeiture in drug trafficking cases, etc. |
Warrants | Records of warrants, extradition orders, and holds. Ex: Arrest warrants, search warrants, extradition orders, holds for immigration or other legal purposes, etc. |
Other Justice System | Other justice system crimes not falling into a specific category. Ex: Offenses committed during incarceration, including contraband crimes, inmate-on-inmate violence, prison riots, etc. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Arson | Setting fire to a structure. |
Burglary | Illegal entry into another’s property with the intent to commit a crime therein. This category includes breaking and entering. |
Robbery | The use of force to deprive another of their property. |
Theft & Possession of Stolen Goods | The illegal carrying away of another’s property or the possession of stolen goods. |
Theft of Intellectual Property | The misuse of another’s intellectual property, including trademarks, copyrights, and patents. |
Trespassing | Entry into another’s property without lawful authority to do so. |
Vandalism & Mischief | The alteration of, or damage to, another’s property. |
Other Property | Other offenses involving another’s property that do not fall into a specific category. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Cybercrime | Offenses committed through, or with the assistance of, a computer or computer network. |
Disturbing the Peace | Disorderly conduct that deprives others of their right to peace and tranquility. |
Incitement | Attempts to motivate others to act illegally. |
Loitering & Vagrancy | Consistent presence in a location without legal reason. |
Obscenity | Conduct considered to be offensive or indecent which has the effect of corrupting public morals. This category includes obscene gestures, obscene language, etc. |
Prostitution | The illegal sale of sex. |
Public Intoxication | Being intoxicated in a public space. |
Other Public Conduct | Other offenses involving public conduct that do not fall into a specific category. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Child Pornography | Possession, use, distribution, sale, or creation of child pornography. |
Exposure & Lewdness | Public sexual indecency. |
Rape | Sexual acts performed against a victim’s will. |
Sexual Assault | Sexual physical advances against a victim. |
Sexual Exploitation | Non-consensual acts of abuse or exploitation against another person for the purpose of sexual gratification, financial gain, personal benefit or advantage, or any other non-legitimate purpose. |
Sexual Solicitation | Soliciting non-consensual sexual activity. Does not include prostitution. |
Other Sex | Other offenses of a sexual nature that do not fall into a specific category, such as incest. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Alcohol Use | Offenses in which the consumption or use of alcohol is a main factor. This category includes minor in possession charges and habitual offender charges, but does not include DUI/DWI. Ex: Minor in possession charges, habitual offender charges related to alcohol. |
Impaired Driving | Alcohol and substance-related offenses committed while operating a motor vehicle. This category includes DUI and DWI. Ex: DUI (Driving Under the Influence), DWI (Driving While Intoxicated). |
Marijuana Use | Personal use and possession of marijuana. Trafficking is not included in this category. Ex: Possession of marijuana for personal use. |
Schedule I & II Drug Use | The use and possession of drugs classified as Schedule I or II drugs. This category includes cocaine, LSD, heroin, meth, morphine, codeine, opium, etc. Ex: Possession or use of cocaine, LSD, heroin, methamphetamine, morphine, codeine, opium, etc. |
Schedule III to V Drug Use | The use and possession of drugs classified as Schedule III, IV, or V drugs. This category includes common prescription drugs such as Xanax, Valium, or Robitussin AC. Ex: Possession or use of prescription drugs like Xanax, Valium, Robitussin AC, etc. |
Trafficking | Controlled substance distribution crimes, including sale, smuggling, trafficking possession with intent to distribute, etc. Ex: Sale of controlled substances, smuggling drugs, possession with intent to distribute, etc. |
Other Substance | Other offenses involving controlled substances that do not fall into a specific category. Ex: Manufacturing drugs, cultivating controlled substances, drug-related paraphernalia possession, etc. |
SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Accident | Motor vehicle offenses involving collision, including accidents, hit and run, leaving the scene of an accident. |
Equipment | Motor vehicle offenses related to vehicle equipment. |
Impairment | Offenses involving the testing for and evidence of driver impairment. This category includes open container charges, chemical test refusals, etc. |
License & Documentation | Offenses related to drivers’ administrative obligations, including registration, insurance, expired and suspended driver's license, etc. |
Non-Motor | Traffic offenses that do not involve the use of a motor vehicle. This category includes offenses related to jaywalking, bicycling, etc. |
Parking | Parking offenses. |
Restraint | Offenses related to the misuse or failure to use safety devices in a motor vehicle. This category includes failure to use restraint devices, failure to wear head protection, etc. |
Speed | Speeding offenses. |
Tolls | Toll-related offenses. |
Vehicular Endangerment | Negligent or reckless use of a motor vehicle, including street racing, negligent driving, reckless driving, etc. |
Water | Boat-related offenses. |
Other Traffic | Other traffic offenses that do not fall into a specific category. |

SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Child Neglect | Passive harmful offenses against minors. |
Elder Neglect | Passive harmful offenses against the elderly. |
Child Abuse | Active harmful offenses against minors. |
Elder Abuse | Active harmful offenses against the elderly. |
Coercion | Compelling, forcing, or requiring another to perform a certain action. Crimes in this category include blackmail, extortion, etc. |
Homicide with Intent | The intentional death of another person. This category includes murder. |
Homicide without Intent | The unintentional death of another person. This category includes unintentional manslaughter and vehicular manslaughter. |
Other Homicide | The death of another person. This category includes assisting suicide, euthanasia, illegal feticide, and homicides where the intent is not specified. |
Deprivation of Liberty | The physical restraint or forced movement of another person. Crimes in this category include kidnapping, exploitation, abduction, forced labor, restraint, hijacking, etc. |
Emotional Distress | Invasion of one’s privacy, actions causing another person to feel emotional anguish, and actions that lead a person to fear for his/her safety. This category includes harassment, stalking, threats, invasion of privacy, etc. |
Endangerment | Behavior which puts the life or safety of another person at risk. This category includes negligent supervision. |
Physical Violence | Offenses involving an element of physical violence, including assault, battery, trafficking in people, etc. |
Simple Assault | Simple assault. |
Aggravated Assault | Aggravated assault. |
Other Violence | Other offenses of a violent nature that do not fall into a specific category, or are not more specifically categorizable, such as assault with no other information. |

SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
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Accessory | Offenses related to a person’s assistance in the commission of an offense, when the offense is otherwise unspecified. |
Animals | Offenses against animals, including cruelty, neglect, abuse, etc. |
Attempt | The attempt of a crime, when the offense is otherwise unspecified. |
Conspiracy | The joint-planning and carrying out of an offense, when the offense is otherwise unspecified. |
Environmental Degradation | Harming the environment, including littering, pollution, and illegal dumping, logging, hunting, mining, fishing, etc. |
Injury to Character | Defamation, including libel and slander. |
Protected Species & Objects | Offenses involving protected animals and plants. This category includes the movement, sale, or possession of protected flora, fauna, and archaeological ruins/objects, as well as offenses that degrade government-owned parks and sites. |
Weapons | Offenses involving objects and materials that have the propensity to injure. This category includes explosives, deadly weapons, illegal possession/sale/construction of firearms or other devices, etc. |
Welfare of Minors | Negatively impacting the welfare of youth. This category includes giving alcohol to minors, giving pornographic material to minors, truancy, etc. |
Other | Other offenses that could not be categorized. This category includes offenses related to maritime law, piracy, labor law, immigration, election crimes, etc. |

SUBCATEGORY | EXAMPLES |
---|---|
Unspecified | These offenses do not provide sufficient data to be categorized. |