Doing background checks and finding public records on an individual has been considered important for hiring people for your business, getting a babysitter, accepting tenants, doing business with an individual, and any other purpose that requires you to establish trust.
Background checks have also become important in online dating since you can never know who you are dealing with on the internet. Negligent hiring lawsuits are also on the rise, and of course, companies and employers are being careful early on from this costly issue later on.
However, before you jump into public records and investigate a person, it’s important to keep a few basic things in mind that will help make your verification easier and avoid problems later. Of course, there are also rules and laws that you must follow and keep in mind that a person’s record may also be protected by laws.
What information are you allowed to obtain in background checks?
Depending on the purpose of your search, you may get a variety of information from your background check report. The most important information that most are probably interested in finding out is sex offender records, criminal records, and drug testing records. Of course, these are of general interest, whether you’re verifying an applicant, a babysitter, or an online friend.
If you are doing business with or making loans to a particular person, you can also check credit reports, as well as bankruptcy and lien records. For landlords, it may also be helpful to include eviction records along with bankruptcy, property, and credit reports.
For employers, it can be helpful to check previous employment records, state license records, criminal records, and driving records along with drug testing and sex offender records. Of course, personal information is almost always necessary.
Most of the information and records that you are allowed to access when conducting background checks are considered public records that are generally prepared by government agencies. However, there is also information to which access may be restricted, also depending on the laws of some states. Some governments can be strict about privacy rights and this should be something you should be aware of when running background checks and finding public records.
Among the data you may not be able to access are bankruptcy records that are older than ten years, as well as criminal convictions that are older than seven years and arrest records after seven years.
Where can you find them? Where can you find them?
This information is public records and to find public records, you must request information from the agencies concerned. You can also find these records online at websites that contain public records databases. One advantage of this is that you can get tons of information in one place.
Important things to keep in mind
Even if you are doing the background check, it is also important that you do not break any rules or laws. Some states and places may have stricter privacy rules and you should be familiar with this. For example, when conducting a pre-employment background check, it is also important and mandatory that you obtain the person’s written permission. Of course, they are also given protection and enough time to dispute any incorrect information they have under their name.