I was arrested for a crime but the charges were dropped. Is the Record Permanent?

Unfortunately yes, once you have been arrested, booked and fingerprinted, this record is permanent. The good thing is that only law enforcement and the courts have access to this record. That is, if you were applying for a job and an employer asked you if you have been arrested for a crime of if you have been in trouble for a crime, that employer is not going to have access to your arrest record. It is a permanent record, but it is not something that can necessarily be used against you in the future.