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Background Checks

Top Background Check Services

Everything You Need to Know About Searching Online Background Checks and Criminal Records


Welcome to Background Checks — the only free online directory and portal dedicated to helping you find online public records and run an online background check. Start by using the records below to find the information you need.

Purchasing A Background Check Service

Spend a little time on Google and you should be able to find a lot of information about most people. You can find social media accounts, blog posts, even news articles in which they may have been mentioned. A deeper dive can turn up court records and criminal histories, though it you really want to get extensive, well-organized results, you're going to need to contract a paid service and consider costs and pricing.

Paid background searches can help you find out about any skeletons that new neighbors may be hiding, and can also help you find out if there's anything about you that can be unearthed and used against you.

A word of caution though — the Fair Credit Reporting Act prohibits the use of background checks for potential employees or tenants, unless you inform them beforehand and they agree in writing. Most paid background check companies state this on their websites loud and clear.

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What Is A Background Check?

Paid background check services can provide you with a wealth of public information without you ever leaving the house. Previously you would have had to go on your own to the courthouse to get records, whereas with a paid service the information comes to you, all organized neatly in a single report. Paid background checks go beyond just a criminal record — they can dig up credit history, employment history, financial records and other information that show the life someone has lived and also if they are who they say they are.

Why Would You Use A Background Check?

With the permission of the person in question, companies considering someone for employment or a loan often carry out checks in order to cover all their bases and make sure the person won't be a liability for the company. On a more personal level, these days more and more people are using background checks to screen potential childcare professionals. Before trusting someone with the most important thing in their lives (their children), many people opt to do a background screen on the potential babysitter or nanny, even if they've already undergone an agency screening.

There is No Such Thing as an Absolutely Free Background Report

But why? Simply put, time is money.

Consider this — a background report generally consists of criminal records, financial data, contact information, and career details, not to mention a list of relatives, licenses, permits, possible business associations, and political affiliations. To gather this information, you would have to spend hours in line at numerous offices, and likely pay a hefty fee at each.

Instead, Background Check companies do the heavy lifting for you. They cull data from national, state, and municipal databases. Several scour social media sites for social contacts and insights. Then they cultivate all this data and put it into one package for you to easily search and access. Plus, they are consistently updating their records to provide accurate and up-to-date information. All of this costs time and money, hence background checks aren't free.

Now, most companies will let you do a free search. But to see the actual background report, they may charge fees upwards of $30. Our advice is to look for a background check company that offers a low-cost trial. Test it out and if you like what you see, pay the monthly fee and continue the service. If not, just take them up on their hassle free satisfaction guarantee, and cancel before the end of your trial to avoid any further charges.


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Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
We expressly disclaim any and all representations and warranties that any of the providers featured on this site comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15USC 1681 et seq.,("FCRA") and/or any other similarly situated local, state or federal law governing the requisition, performance and/or disclosure of background checks. In addition, use of any background information (whether in connection with credit eligibility reviews or otherwise) must similarly comply with applicable laws and regulations.

Advertising Disclosure
This site is a free online resource that strives to offer helpful content and comparison features to its visitors. Please be advised that the operator of this site accepts advertising compensation from companies that appear on the site, and such compensation impacts the location and order in which the companies (and/or their prducts) are presented, and in some cases may also impact the rating that is assigned to them.

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