Best Free Background Check Sites for 2024

How To Do a Background Check for Free

Have you ever wondered what details about you are accessible to the general public? If you have, multiple online resources will allow you to do a personal background check for free. We'll show you how to use these tools to get the most detailed personal information report for yourself or others.

Most people are aware that their criminal history is public information, but did you also know that other details about you are also open to the public? Here’s some more publicly available information:

• Home and property ownership records
• Financial records
• Employment history
• Educational history
• Professional licenses and certifications

In some cases, your state's or county's website will offer access to this information online. In other circumstances, you'll have to ask for it from the relevant government agency.

While there are some resources that provide completely free background check services, keep in mind that they may not be comprehensive. If you want a complete picture of someone's background, we recommend using a professional background check service such as the ones we reviewed here.

These firms have access to a wide range of public and private records, and they can often provide a more detailed report than you could. Furthermore, rather than having to visit multiple government institutions, you will save a lot of time and find all of the information

Why Use a Professional Online Background Check Service?

There are several reasons you should use a professional online background check service. A background check can provide you with the information you need to reconnect with a family member you've lost contact with, check out a potential date, find old friends, or simply learn more about someone in your neighborhood.

Even if you can find one, an absolutely free background check is not recommended. More than likely, such services will provide incorrect or sparse information. Most of the services we discuss here will only provide you with partial information and allow you to test out their functionality for a few dollars during a brief trial period. Otherwise, you’ll have to subscribe to get anything useful.

It's crucial to select a professional online background check company with a solid reputation and a proven track record. You should also make sure the service you choose provides the kind of report you need.

For instance, some services only offer criminal history reports, whereas others also offer data on financial transactions, property ownership, etc.

What Details Are Available in a Free Background Check?

These services can provide a wealth of information, including criminal records, bankruptcies, liens, and court verdicts. In addition, many services also offer credit reports and background checks on businesses.

It's important to choose reputable background check websites that use reliable sources. Otherwise, you could end up with inaccurate or outdated information. With a quick search, you can find a reliable online background check service that can give you the peace of mind you need.

FCRA vs. Non-FCRA Background Checks

Both paid and free background checks on people might be subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

FCRA-regulated background checks can only be conducted by a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). CRA companies include credit bureaus, tenant screening services, and companies that collect medical information.

Non-FCRA background checks are not subject to these same restrictions, which means that they can be conducted by anyone for any purpose, except for employment, tenant screening, and verifying eligibility for insurance or credit.

Criminal histories, credit reports, and other details may be included in background checks that are both FCRA-compliant and non-FCRA-compliant. However, only background checks that are subject to FCRA regulation come with certain protections, such as the right to know if the data was used against you and the right to challenge any errors. Such measures can’t be taken when you conduct background checks for free on these websites.

Therefore, if you are renting your property and want to make sure your potential tenant has a clean background, you will need to use a licensed tenant screening service. These companies will provide you with a report that includes criminal history, credit reports, and other information that will help you make a decision about whether or not to rent to the applicant.

Background Check Response Period

Since online queries don't require as much information or verification, turnaround times for background checks are usually much quicker than official investigations.

Search requests can be completed quickly by a paid or free background check service that has access to government data repositories. With a potential match in their records, the providers we tested can take up to 10 minutes to put together a report for you.

Background checks that adhere to FCRA regulations are typically much more thorough and take much longer to complete. To make sure that the information can be used for other purposes, it may be worth the extra time, though.