15 Best Public Records Search Engines to Do a Background Check. The uncertainties in our daily lives necessitate the pertinence of security consciousness. We must know who we have around us, who are new acquaintances are, and who we are making employees in our companies.
Running a background check on people is a good way of keeping oneself in the loop regarding a person’s past and present life. Background checks are carried out using legally available information and in compliance with federal and state laws.
People have various legitimate reasons for conducting a background check. An employer can carry out a background check on a prospective employee in order to ascertain trustworthiness, nonviolent behavior, the authenticity of academic qualifications, and past workplaces. It can also be done in order to ascertain that their prospective employee has no criminal history and can adhere to the policies of the company regarding criminal records.
An employer can also run a background check to ensure a safe working environment for all employees and to also mitigate any chance of being legally bound to pay legal fees to an employee that has been hurt by another employee. While it’s fully legal for an employee to run a background check on a prospective employee, it is essential to note that conducting a check to disconcert an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, genetic information, disability, or age is considered illegal.
Most online background checks search engines are not subject to the FCRA and as such, they are not allowed for purpose of qualifying a tenant or employment. Hence, tenant or background check has to go through the Federal Reporting Agency.
Apart from the purpose of employment, background searches can also be done to find the contact information of a long-lost friend or family member.
In this article, 15 of such background check search engines will be discussed.
15 best public records search engines to do a background check
1. TruthFinder
TruthFinder is the best background check service when it comes to conducting an all-round in-depth background check on a person. As the name implies, TruthFinder checks various sources, ranging from social media accounts to criminal/arrest records to find out the truth about the client’s colleagues, neighbors, and even relatives.
TruthFinder can check for a person’s criminal records, juvenile arrests, and criminal records regardless of how long they’ve in the US. The company allows you to check your background history and to also improve your digital imprint, as well as, hide information from other users to improve your online presence.
TruthFinder also helps to protect identity and prevent identity theft, by monitoring the darkweb for any trace of the user’s personal information. They also remove the stress involved with having to constantly check the darkweb for the presence of your personal information, by notifying you as soon as your personal information pops up.
The checking process used by TruthFinder is secure, with full anonymity maintained. The company’s website uses 128-bit encryption to protect communication between a user and the company, hence, all searches done on TruthFinder are private and anonymous.
Pricing
TruthFinder has two subscription plans. You either go for the monthly subscription at $27.78/month or purchase a three-month subscription plan. Both plans guarantee you unlimited background checks.
2. Intelius
Intelius is a background check company based in Seattle. It enjoys wide patronage among Americans and it is considered the best when it comes to reverse address and phone lookup. They conduct both public record checks and criminal background checks.
Intelius provides a comprehensive background check on people and also generates instant search reports. Employers use it to find out information about their prospective employees and also, people on dating sites also use Intelius to carry out a background check on dates they met online.
Intelius is also used to find information about relatives, their phone numbers, and address. They provide a reverse phone lookup service which is often used by people who are interested in finding out more about a property they intend to buy. They provide buyers with a complete and accurate overview of the sales history of a property.
Pricing
Intelius does not display the cost of its services on its website and users don’t receive a price list until they file their request. They also don’t provide the option to request a one-time background check and pay for it. To use Intelius, you will have to purchase a monthly subscription which is priced at $22.86/month. To download a background check report, you will be charged an additional $3.99.
Instant CheckMate was established in 2010. The company provides criminal records, convictions records, drug records, and reports on checks related to criminals, thus making Instant CheckMate the best background check company for criminal checks.
It provides you with many background check options such as: checking if someone has a criminal or an arrest record, searching for the name of a person in the sex offender database, an option to conduct a search on each state, and to also see if a particular person has his/her name on the crime database of that state.
Instant CheckMate will also provide you with a list containing the names of people that have committed a crime in your locality so that you can aptly protect yourself and your family. You can also search to find a person in jail and to also locate any prisoner in the country.
Pricing Plans
Instant CheckMate charges $34.78 per month for basic background check but you can pay for a three-month package priced at $27.82 per month
4. USSearch
USSearch was founded in 1994 and has been serving Americans for more than 20 years now. It is a reliable source for running background checks on people, reconnecting with long-lost friends and high school friends, relatives, etc. USSearch provides about six different search types to conduct a background check with.
It has a people search feature which allows you to quickly run a check on people by entering their basic information such as first and last name. They have a reverse phone lookup feature that searches cell phones, landlines, and VoIP numbers, and provide you with a report containing the caller’s name and address history.
Through social network search, USSearch will go through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc., and then provide you a report containing information about the person on any social media platform. It also has a one-state criminal check, which allows you to check for the public records of a specific individual in a selected state.
Pricing Plans
USSearch charges $19.86 per month.
5.BeenVerified
BeenVerified is a New York-based background check service company established in 2007. They have a reverse address lookup which is useful in running checks on a property that one intends to purchase. It has a relative finder feature that allows you to easily find the roots of your family or long-lost family relative.
Apart from the above, BeenVerified will also provide you with a detailed criminal report of a person including arrest, criminal charges, and convictions. Its reverse phone lookup feature has access to billions of public records, which can help you to track and identify an unknown caller quickly as well as provide you with a report containing the first and last name, social media profiles, email address, associated phone numbers, and current address of the caller.
Pricing Plans
BeenVerified has two pricing plans: the one-month plan priced at $26.89 per month, and the three-month plan priced at $17.48 per month.
6.PeopleFinders
PeopleFinders was established in 1999 and it specializes in finding people from your past. The site can be accessed directly from the browser or through the use of their mobile app. Searches can be conducted by entering the full name and address of the target and then using their wide range of features to narrow the search.
PeopleFinders allows you to do an email lookup which helps to identify the sender of an email hence providing you protection from scams like email phishing. The reverse phone lookup feature can help you identify an unknown caller by name and address.
Pricing plan
You can get a basic background search for just $1.95 or opt for a premium membership which is priced at $29.95 per month.
7. GoodHire
GoodHire was established in 2013 and is considered the best when it comes to conducting an employment background check. To satisfy your curiosity about who your employee is or who your co-worker is, you can head over to their website and enter the first and last name of such person in the search engine and GoodHire will provide you with comprehensive details from personal data through to Social Security Number and motor vehicle records.
GoodHire has an international background check that screens prospective employees or candidates who previously worked, lived, or studied in countries other than the USA. It can verify details such as names, Social Security Number, aliases, education, previous employment, and motor vehicle records.
Pricing Plans
Goodhire has three different types of pricing plans namely: basic, standard, and premium plans. The basic plan is priced at $29.99 per month. The standard plan is priced at $54.99 per month. While the premium plan is priced at $79.99 per month.
8. People Smart
People Smart which started locally in 1997 turned into a corporation in 2001 and has been providing good background checks services ever since then. The company has the basic people search feature which you can use to conduct a background check with a person’s first and last name. They also have a reverse phone lookup which you can use to track and identify a caller.
The company also has the reverse email lookup for running checks on emails and email senders, to prevent scams. The reverse address lookup or property search feature allows you to get a detailed report on a property and sale price.
Pricing Plans
You can pay $1 for a 7-day trial or $29.99 per month plus applicable sales tax.
9. Verispy
Verispy is a Boston-based background check company, operational since 2012. It is considered the best for marriage and divorce records. The company provides reports on arrests and warrants, sex offenses, criminal records, liens and judgments, past and ongoing lawsuits, bankruptcies, as well as marriage and divorces.
Verispy also allows you to carry out a reverse phone search as well as check for an individual by searching their vehicle identification number (VIN).
Pricing
Verispy charges $19.95 as a fee for one-time fee background check. Their One-Week Access Pass plan costs $24.95 while $29.95 will grant you access to their 30 Days Unlimited Access Pass plan.
10. PeopleLooker
PeopleLooker can search social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin and is considered the best when it comes to running dating checks. It provides information such as personal name and aliases, phone number and address, social media information and public photos, as well as known relatives.
PeopleLooker does not employment background checks because it is not FCRA accredited for such checks.
Pricing
Their monthly subscription is priced at $22.86, while their three-month membership plan is priced at $18.28 per month.
11. UniCourt– Best for legal data.
Unicourt is a renowned and trusted partner that is known for being the core infrastructural provider that AmLaw 50 firms and certain Fortune 500 companies rely on for legal data API, tracking of case and case research. They serve as a single portal that grants real-time access to state and federal (PACER) court data to satisfy all research needs.
Unicourt also allows you to update cases and download court documents on-demand without having to login to PACER or state court databases. They also automatically track cases, streamline litigation and notify users whenever clients are involved in new litigations.
Pricing
Unicourt has 3 plans. Their Personal plan which is ideal for personal use, is priced at $49 per month. Their Professional Plan which is ideal for small law firms and businesses is priced at $149 per month while their premium plan cost $299 per month.
12. Publicseek
Good for social media background checks
Publicseek is a background check software that is limited to only US based users. The software allows users to search public records by names, check criminal records and outstanding legal actions. Publicseek searches through social media platforms as well as public recorfds for information that will help identify and locate a family member, a lost friend, acquaintance or military personnel.
The software also carries out address search, reverse phone and email lookup.
Pricing
Publicseek charges $1.00 for a one-day free trial, $26.87 for monthly subscription and $46.96 for two months subscription.
13. SpyFly
Good for criminal background checks.
SpyFly allows you to find information about people which a normal google search can’t get you. This is because the website obtains their information directly from state, federal, and municipal public databases. You can retrieve these information easily by searching with a name, phone number or email address.
People use SpyFly mostly for criminal background checks, by searching for warrants, judgments, arrests, bankruptcies etc. the website allows users to conduct a free background check but to get an in-depth report, you will have to pay a fee.
14. 411 Background Check
Best for reverse phone lookup.
This website allows you to search for names of people, their phone number as well as email address. Other services include crimebuster where you check for criminal history, sex offender records etc. 411 Background check provides free instant background checks for its users but the free search results are usually limited thus necessitating the need to pay to get a full report.
15. CocoFinder
Good for background checks.
CocoFinder is a California-based company that helps you find phone number identity, age and date of birth, court records, relatives, background checks, contact numbers, current address, traffic tickets, sex offender data, arrest records, criminal records and other vital records.
Pricing
CocoFinder does not provide the prices for their services on their website. Some services are free of charge while they also give out personal information for $5.00