Arrest vs. conviction: what is the difference?

Updated September 30, 2026

The words arrest, booking, charge, and conviction describe different stages or concepts. Treating them as interchangeable can create a misleading impression about a person or a case.

Arrest

An arrest occurs when law enforcement takes a person into custody under legal authority. An arrest by itself is not a determination that the person committed a crime.

Booking

Booking is the administrative intake process associated with custody. The resulting record can contain identifying information, a booking time, an agency label, a photograph, and charges or other entries recorded at intake.

Charge

A charge is an allegation that a law was violated. The wording on a booking record reflects the information recorded at that stage. Prosecutors and courts may later use different charges, and charges can be changed or dismissed.

Conviction

A conviction is a legal outcome, generally resulting from a guilty plea or a finding of guilt in court. A booking page on this site is not a conviction record and does not attempt to report the final disposition of every case.

Why the distinction matters

Someone can have a booking record without being convicted of the charge listed at booking. For accurate current case information, readers should use an official court or agency source rather than relying on an old booking entry.

Our methodology page explains how the archive is built, and our free correction/removal process is available when a record should be reviewed.