STEP 3: START YOUR BACKGROUND CHECK
To begin, simply click on the items relevant to your investigation.
[List of States] PUBLIC
RECORDS PORTAL
(Note: Today, many public records in the
U.S. are still not available online. Generally, your best, most reliable
method of access is to simply call the relevant government office
and request the information you need, as discussed below.
Also, please note that all of the checks listed in this website
are applicable to both male and female subjects.)
Personal Information
Litigation History
Criminal History: Does he have a
criminal record?
Educational
Background: What degree or degrees does he have? Professional/Occupational
Background
Asset Search
Conduct Interviews to Verify Present
and Past Employment & Check His References
Business Background
Military Records
Medical History
Lifestyle Checks
Surveillance
and Other Professional Assistance
PERSONAL
INFORMATION
Geographical Considerations
- VERIFY
HIS NAME AND ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER
You can verify your subject's name, address and phone number in
a variety of ways, as follows:
- Start with a local telephone directory or directory assistance.
- Verify that his name, as listed, corresponds with the address
and/or phone number he gave you.
- If there's any doubt, call the phone number he gave you
and verify that he lives there.
- If he's not listed, look him up in an online criss-cross directory,
like addresses.com or Bigfoot.com
(Many libraries have a print crisscross directory called the Haynes
Directory.)
- Enter his address to verify his name
- Or enter his phone number to verify his address
- Or enter his address or name to verify his phone number
- Run a Social Security Trace or National
Identifier to get his name,present and past addresses, and
social security number. [Requires the services of an information
professional.]
- VERIFY HIS AGE
- Check his birth certificate.
- Check his marriage license.
- Check his Department of Motor Vehicle records.
(Accessibility varies by state.)
- Check his voters registration records.(Accessibility
varies by state.)
- Run a Social Security Trace or National
Identifier [Requires the services of an information
professional.]
Other sources:
- VERIFY MARITAL STATUS
- Check his marriage license.
- Review credit applications. [Requires the services of
an information professional.]
- Run a Social Security Trace or National
Identifier. [Requires the services of an information
professional.]
- Check for a divorce record at the State
Department of Vital Statistics.
- Check for a divorce filing via county
courthouse civil records.
- DETERMINE IF HE
HAS CHILDREN
- Call local schools and daycare centers
- Call the State Child Support Office.
- Conduct an atlas search (interviews of neighbors). [May require
the services of an information professional,
or neighbors’ phone numbers can be gotten from a crisscross directory.]
- DETERMINE
IF HE'S EVER BEEN CHARGED WITH A DWI
- Call the
Department of Motor Vehicles,
or access their website
- DETERMINE
HIS SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Note: Accessing your subject's social security number is
legal and ethical providing your use of the information does not
invade his/her legitimate privacy rights. You should be aware,
for example, that it is illegal under the Fair
Credit Reporting Act to use a social security number to access
a subject's personal credit history except for certain specific
permissible purposes.
- A subject's social security number may be available in voter's
registration records.
- May be obtainable in DMV records.
- Generally found on marriage licenses.
- Can sometimes be gotten through civil
litigation files, especially divorce files, paternity suits,
child support orders, and court summons in a civil action.
- Tax liens may provide this information.
- Can usually be obtained quickly through a National
Identifier Search [Requires the services of an information
professional]. (Signed release required)
Employers: Already have an SSN provided by your applicant and want
to verify that it's valid? Click
here. LITIGATION
HISTORY
Geographical Considerations
HAVE
THERE BEEN ANY CIVIL SUITS FILED AGAINST HIM OR BY HIM?
- Higher and lower county courts: check the county
courthouse.
- Federal litigation: check federal
court records.
IS
HE OR HAS HE EVER BEEN BANKRUPT?
- Check the Federal District Court.
- Check PACER
- Check bankruptcydata.com
for business bankruptcies.
CRIMINAL HISTORY
DOES HE HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD?
Note: There is no publicly-available central repository for
criminal records. Most experts advise that, at a minimum,
you should check the subject's current county of residence, plus
his state of residence.
- Check at the county level.
- Check at the state level.
- Check at the federal level.
- Other
- Is he on the U.S.
Government's Most Wanted List?
- Is he on the World's
Most Wanted List?
- Is he a sexual
predator? (This is a state-by-state search.)
- Is he a deadbeat dad? (This
is a state-by-state search.)
EDUCATIONAL
BACKGROUND
DID
HE GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE? IF SO, WHAT DEGREE OR DEGREES DOES
HE HAVE?
- Check the college registrar's office.
PROFESSIONAL/OCCUPATIONAL
BACKGROUND
- Here's a list of common professional/occupational
associations and licensing authorities
- Check the Encyclopedia of Associations (Gale Publishing
Co.) at your local library to locate an association for members
of his profession or occupation
- Run a check to determine if he's published
anything, has a website, or contributes to online
forums.
ASSET SEARCH
- Locate his real property assets.
- Locate his financial assets.
(Be aware of the illegality of “pretexting” in attempting to locate
bank accounts and other financial assets.)
CONDUCT INTERVIEWS TO VERIFY PRESENT AND PAST
EMPLOYMENT & CHECK HIS REFERENCES
- Interviewing Techniques
- How to get professional help with the
reference-checking task
BUSINESS BACKGROUND
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