Background Check Services
For most people, background checks are only thought of when applying for a new job or screening a prospective employee. While these types of background checks are shared, we’re not here to discuss that process. We’re here to discuss the best background checks or search for information about someone in your life for various reasons.
Chances are you’ve probably thought of or had to request a background check before. It could have been you requesting one for someone else or asking for one for you. There are several reasons to request a background check that gives you peace of mind and helpful information on the people around you. Contrary to what many may think, running a background check is a pretty standard process that can be very useful.
Here are the best background check services if you’re looking to run a report.
Background Check F.A.Q.
What is a background check? A background check is a routine process that compiles a person’s criminal, work, and financial history. Background reports can be requested by anyone who wants to find out information on another person. These are usually done by third-party companies that search by compiling all of the information for you.
There are many types of background checks and many reasons to request one. Perhaps you’re trying to look into the criminal history of someone else. Finding the right company to pull information for you is a vital part of the background check process.
How long does a Background Check take?
There are three ways to run a background check, each depending on the purpose. If you are a company looking to hire someone, you must go through an FCRA-accredited agency to retrieve the data with written consent.
Another way to search for information is through a free online search of public records. This method, although complementary, is time-consuming and requires a lot of legwork. Most usually opt for a third-party service to compile a comprehensive background check for them.
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Third Party Sites
Remember that each website is slightly different when using third-party websites like CheckPeople, Truthfinder, and our other top 5 background check services. While all websites generally give the same information, some sites specialize in certain features that set them apart.
Some sites specialize in one-time reports; others are good for bulk messages. Some third-party sites specialize in deep web or social media reports, while others emphasize criminal or court records. You can read our total background check reviews to determine the features that best suit you.
How Long Does a Background Check Take?
When requesting a background check for anything other than hiring, how long does it take? You can retrieve the information in no more than a few minutes. Most third-party websites can compile a detailed report in no more than five minutes.
What Does a Background Check Show?
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Think of a background check as an umbrella term for several records through a person’s history. This could include information depending on the person you’re searching. Everyone is different, so everyone’s report will pull up other things. Here are some of the most critical aspects most background checks show in a statement.
The collection could include
- arrest records
- sex offender records
- driving records and
- other forms of criminal search
Background check reviews can also show you if the particular service you’re interested in will show you information like
- social media profiles
- deep web searches
- reverse email lookup
- phone searches
- personal data and any other public information that will give you insight into the person.
Criminal History
Looking at someone’s criminal history may seem like looking through someone’s private information. However, almost all criminal records are considered public information and can be found online. Background check services work to search this general information for you and pull it together in one comprehensive report.
Depending on the type of criminal history, you can see the following records:
- Felonies
- Incarceration records
- Misdemeanors
- Previous arrests
- Sex Offenses
Running a routine criminal background check on someone will pull up any relevant information on its site.
Sex Offender Registry
Let’s say you’re moving into a new neighborhood and want to see the demographic. Knowing about your surroundings is essential if you have a family. It’s always important to verify who you bring around your family, so looking at a sex offender registry is crucial. With our top 5 background check services, you can run a sex offender registry search by name or by address.
Employee and Education History
This information may be pertinent depending on the type of background check you’re running. Employers can pull up your work and educational history when they run background checks with your consent. If you’re not honest about something on your resume, this is where issues can arise.
With background checks that are not FCRA compliant, past work and education information may or may not be available. In this case, one of our top 5 background check services can be used to see if someone is trustworthy about where they’ve worked or studied.
Social Media
An online presence can say a lot about a person. While searching someone’s social media profiles is controversial at the professional level, it is expected to look at them in a more social setting. Most of the top 5 background check sites can search through social media profiles and deep web searches to find accounts associated with a person (look at background check reviews to ensure that the service you’re looking at offers this option). If you’re looking to get a gauge on someone, their interests, and the people in their lives, a social media search could be useful.
Additional Public Records
The truth is, the list of what a background check shows is endless. So many kinds of public records could show up, and it all depends on the individual. In all of the top background check service sites we reviewed, you can also find:
- Driving records
- Special licenses related to a specific field at the state and federal level.
- University degrees at the Bachelor, Masters, or Ph.D. level
Why Would You Run a Background Check?
Once you familiarize yourself with the background check process, you will see that it can be more helpful than just employee screening. We typically associate background checks as a part of the process of applying for a new position. However, background checks can be used for much more than just that.
Most people don’t think that much information is public and available online for anyone to see. The information may require a little digging, but with the help of these top 5 background check services, it’s a lot easier to find these details.
Some Scenarios Where a Background Check Service May Help You
If you’re wondering what would make you search someone’s history online or how a background check would help you, consider reading some reviews online. Here are some scenarios of when a background check could benefit you.
- Checking yourself: Believe it or not, you may want to run a background check on yourself. You may just be curious or want to see what information is shown. Maybe you’re applying for a job and want to see what prospective employees may see. Running a personal background could be helpful for you. You could also dispute any information that you find isn’t accurate.
- Dating and personal relationships: Online dating has skyrocketed, and its risks come with that. While we want to trust that everything someone says is true, there are more cases of catfishing or false identities daily. Run a background check on someone you may have met online to ensure they are who they say they are. Most of the time, you only need a name and the city of residence.
- Finding family and friends– The People Search function is one of the most underrated uses for background check sites. Besides looking into someone’s history for safety reasons, you can also use it to find information on someone you may have lost contact with. Whether it’s a family member or a long-lost friend from the past, a background check could potentially connect you to them.
- Getting childcare: Running a background check on someone who is a potential hire is tricky because of the Federal Credit Report Act regulations. However, most families who hire childcare tend to run a quick background check on potential employment. Parents need to know who their children will spend a lot of time around, and a round of interviews won’t give the whole picture. You could run a quick background check on your potential childcare professional for an extra screening layer to provide peace of mind. However, before you run a background check on anyone, check the FCRA regulations to see if you’re compliant.
- Learning about the neighborhood: Maybe you want to run a background check on some new neighbors who moved in. It’s always good to familiarize yourself with the people around you and your family. You may also want to run a check on a specific neighborhood. Some background check services allow you to run a screening by using a zip code. You can find out information about crime statistics and other information about an area.
Real-Life Cases
Here are some real-life background check reviews of customers who’ve used some of our top 5 background check services picks:
- “I will strongly recommend the site for people working on class reunions. My 60-year reunion is coming up, and I am excited to know that there is now contact with long-lost classmates.” – Gregory on BeenVerified
- “BeenVerified was an absolute lifesaver for me. I met this gentleman on an online dating service. I would ask him things about his past, but he was evasive. So, I joined BeenVerified because I felt uneasy. After all, my questions were not getting answered. When I used BeenVerified to do a background check, I found that he had criminal records in three states. That helped me make a decision not to date him.” Constance on BeenVerified
- “I couldn’t recommend Instant Checkmate highly enough for background searches. My son was recently assigned a new college roommate he suspected was stealing from him. After looking up his name on your site, I found that he had a history of run-ins with the law, including theft. I will be using Instant Checkmate in the future.” Ryan S. on Instant Checkmate
What Do You Need to Know About Background Checks?
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When searching for people on these websites, we must mention that using these sites for certain activities is illegal. The FCRA lays out clear do’s and don’ts when it comes to using these sites.
Things Not to Use Background Checks For
- Credit eligibility: It is illegal to search for someone’s credit score for any reason, especially for mortgages or other business relations.
- Employee screening: Any hiring organization must use FCRA-regulated bureaus to screen prospective employees with written consent.
- Identity theft: This may seem obvious, but you should know that using any service to steal someone’s identity is illegal.
- Insurance programs: You cannot use these websites to determine if someone is eligible for insurance programs.
- Invading privacy or stalking people: We hope you know that these websites must be used responsibly. It is never okay to spy on or stalk someone. So, if you are using one of these top 5 background check services to find out information on someone to stalk, blackmail, or threaten someone, know that this behavior is illegal.
- Tenant screening: Federal law prohibits using third-party sites for a background check if you are screening a prospective tenant for a property.
To emphasize, users cannot use ANY of the listed top five background check sites or other third-party websites to do anything related to employment.
Even if you see individual background check reviews that have broken these rules, stay on the right side of the law in your searches.
As we mentioned, background checks can be valuable tools in certain situations. However, be careful not to break any laws, mainly if you are an employer or trying to find information on a particular person.
You can learn more about our top 5 picks for background check websites if you need a background check. Read our total background check reviews to see which service suits your needs best.
