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Background Checks, Background Investigations and Employment Screening

What is a Background Check?

Background checks, also known as background investigations, background screenings, and employment screening are one of the many services offered by private investigators.  Background checks and investigations often involve checking an individual’s criminal history, driving records, academic background, work experience, and more.  Background record checks and background investigations are often done as part of a pre-employment screenings to help a company evaluate an applicant’s background to make informed hiring decisions and reduce negligent hiring liability.

Another popular trend in the dating world is to do a background check on a prospective mate to learn more about their criminal history, employment history or financial history.
 

What Is In A Background Investigation Report? Background checks and investigation services may include the following: Criminal background checks Pre-employment Screening Verification of employment Verification of Education history Driving records or DMV searches Credit history Reports Asset location searches Reference checks Verification of Professional licenses Drug screening / drug testing Civil history Military service history check Tenant screening Sex offender registry search

Common Types of Background Checks / Investigations

Individual Background Check - Background investigations for individuals typically include checking an individual’s former residences, past employers, credit check, criminal record, marital status, liens and judgments, membership in various organizations, political affiliations, professional license search, ethnic background and religion.

Business Background Check – Involves checking into business licenses, OSHA violations, litigation, business credit check, liens and judgments, SEC records if a publicly traded company, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce in the business’s city, consumer complaints, products and services, business reputation, legal status, industry, major competitor and finally a criminal check or the owners or officers of the company.

Background Search / Investigation Software

Many of the companies listed below use background check / investigation software or other online services to conduct public record searches and verification.  Some private investigators purchase their own background check software to conduct background investigations. Learn more about private investigator software.

Background Check Companies / Investigation Companies

In addition to private investigators, many companies specialize in providing background check and investigations services. The following companies provide background check or investigation services to businesses and individuals. 

 Cost of a Background Check

The cost of a background verification varies widely.  Although some public records information is available for free online, don't trust those websites or software tools that suggest you can run background checks for free online.  There will almost always be a cost associated with running criminal records checks, employment history checks, and in-depth public records searches.  Be sure to understand the cost and fees involved before purchasing.

Preferred Background Check Providers

Other Background Check, Employment Screening, and Tenant Screening Companies

Access Background Checks	Provides Pre-employment screening reports for applicants.
Accurint	Accurint is a widely accepted locate-and-research tool available to government, law enforcement and commercial customers. Its proprietary data-linking technology returns search results in seconds to the user’s desktop. Key features include: People Search locates neighbors, associates and possible relatives. Phones Plus - track down phone numbers not typically available to increase your chances of finding your subject. Access over 50,000,000 non-directory assistance records, including cell phone numbers. People at Work - links more than 132 million individuals to businesses and includes information such as business addresses, phone numbers, and possible dates of employment. Link individuals with businesses, addresses, relatives and vehicles. Advanced Person Search helps find individuals when only old or fragmented data is available.
Background America	A background check company that assesses public and released records to develop reports to help employers and investors make informed decisions about hiring employees.
Background Check International	A pre-employment screening company that provides pre-employment screening for applicants of larger companies worldwide.
Business Background Search	Business background checks allow you to learn about companies before doing business with them by performing this comprehensive search on the corporation.  Determine if they have filed for bankruptcy, who has liens against their assets, and if they are a legally operating company.
Clear	CLEAR is an investigative platform designed for professionals who need information about individuals and companies. With fast access to a vast collection of public and proprietary records, CLEAR helps you find out about people and their connections.
Corra Group Background Checks	Offers background investigation services and pre-employment screening for busy HR professionals and hiring managers nationwide.
Criminal Data	Criminal background search, find criminal Records, Background Check, Online Criminal Records.  Criminaldata.com provides criminal records, public criminal records, criminal record checks, criminal record search and instant criminal records. We provide resources to conduct background searches on criminal offenders and sex offenders.
Data-Trac Online Investigative Network	Background searches (residence history, DMV, Social security ,etc.) for licensed private investigators, corporate security departments, attorneys, & human resource departments.
EasyBackgrounds	Criminal Background Check services - Employee Background Check services - Offering criminal background check, employee background check, and pre-employment screening services to help companies hire honest and qualified employees.
Employment Background Checks	Provides background checks and pre-employment screening services for employers.
FreeBackgroundChecksUSA.com	FreeBackgroundChecksUSA.com provides you with free, easy access to state-specific information to help you conduct your free background check; provides additional access to a Free People Search and a National Sex Offender Registry (per state).
Global Information Network	We locate people, background searches, phone information, locate property foreclosures, criminal check and more.
HRplus	Perform pre-employment background reports on professional reference interviews, criminal history, driving record, education verification, drug tests, credit history, and workers' compensation.
Information Resources	Background checks and pre-employment screening.
IntelliCorp Background Checks	A nationwide provider of background screening services and employment screening products.  Provides services such as SSN Verification, Criminal Records, Motor Vehicle Reports, Drug Testing
Intelius	Instant Background Checks includes criminal background check, property value, lawsuits, judgments, bankruptcy, liens and much more.
Interquest Information Services	Providing professional research for employment screening.
KnowX	KnowX is the place to start to find accurate information about businesses, people and assets, and to discover the critical relationships between them. Run a background check, locate assets, verify property value, and more using nationwide public records compiled from official data sources.
Kroll Screening Services	Nationwide pre employment background checks, drug testing and physical exams
LexisNexis - Criminal Background Checks and Background Check Info	A company's most valuable asset is its people. Securing the right people, from employees to contractors to vendors, is a lot easier with the accurate and empowering answers. LexisNexis® is a leading global provider of content-enabled workflow solutions designed specifically for professionals in the legal, risk management, corporate, government, law enforcement, accounting, and academic markets. LexisNexis originally pioneered online information with its Lexis® and Nexis® services.
LexisNexis - Skip Tracing	Billions of dollars in consumer loans are in delinquency at any given time, and credit issuers and debt collection services can only expect to retrieve a fraction of the amount actually owed.
Mignolet Business Research Consultants, Inc.	Background reports on companies and their principals to commercial and investment banks, underwriters, brokerage firms and other financial institutions and individuals.
National Association of Professional Background Screeners	The National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS) is a recently founded, non-profit trade organization representing those companies that offer employment and background screening services. NAPBS exists to promote ethical business practices, compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and foster awareness of issues related to consumer protection and privacy rights within the background screening industry, while giving the industry the ability to effectively demonstrate its competence, reliability, and willingness to adopt standards.
NICS: The National Instant Criminal Background Check System	NICS is used by Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) to instantly determine whether a prospective buyer is eligible to buy firearms or explosives. Before ringing up the sale, cashiers call in a check to the FBI or to other designated agencies to ensure that each customer does not have a criminal record or isn't otherwise ineligible to make a purchase. More than 100 million such checks have been made in the last decade, leading to more than 700,000 denials.
Occuscreen	Occuscreen has been a full-service employment screening provider since 1991.
Pipl	Pipl's query-engine helps you find deep web pages that cannot be found on regular search engines.  Unlike a typical search-engine, Pipl is designed to retrieve information from the deep web. Our robots are set to interact with searchable databases and extract facts, contact details and other relevant information from personal profiles, member directories, scientific publications, court records and numerous other deep-web sources.
SkipMax	SkipMax.com uses state of the art technology and the most up-to-date data available to provide a no frills approach to Skip Tracing and Public Record Research. All searches are $1.00 making this system the most affordable in the industry. Our People Locate information is designed to provide current and accurate addresses and phone numbers for easy locates. This, along with the other searches we provide, will insure the best odds of locating your Skip as well as their relatives, roommates, associates and financial assets.
Sterling InfoSystems	Sterling provides preemployment and background screening services. We offer background checks, drug testing and other key verification and assessment services. Fortune 500 and thousands of other industry-leading companies trust us to select their highest-quality employees.
TLOxp	TLOxp was created by the inventor of AutoTrak andAccurint.  It is a completely new and unique investigative system for finding knowledge and insight.  It combines advanced search capabilities with massive and unique data repositories.  Licensed investigators can use TLOxp for : Skip Tracing Investigating and analyzing asset ownership to identify scams, pattern of fraud, suspicious claims, hidden assets and to authenticate legitimate claims Locate and analyze people, places, businesses and interrelationships over time Research criminal histories and associations Find witnesses, and gather information to support litigation
T-R Information Services	Pre-employment screening, asset searches and background checks.
US SEARCH - Background Check	Search for in-depth information on bankruptcies, small claim civil judgments, tax lien, and criminal history.
VeriCheck	Inexpensive background checks and people searches to individuals and businesses.
Verifications, Inc.	Comprehensive pre-employment background screeing investigations.
ZipReports.com	Obtain a quality, in-depth tenant screening & background search conveniently, easily, and inexpensively! Our online background checks can help you prevent tenant crime, slow rental payments, and costly evictions. We serve clients ranging from property management companies to small landlords.

Free Background Screening or Free Online Background Searches

While searching online for companies that provide public records or background investigation screening services, you will likely come across advertisements promoting the availability of free background record searches.  While some reports and data may be available for free in the form of public records, a true free background check is likely not available, or will likely be incomplete.  Some online detective software packages suggest that you can invest a small amount in their software and then conduct unlimited criminal background searches for free.  While you will get unlimited access to their search tools, it is usually little more than free telephone number and address searches.  Our advice is to ignore the advertisements for free background checks. 

If you truly need to learn about someone's background, criminal history, driving record, or online activity, it is worthwhile to invest the money in obtaining a true background check.

Background Checks, Background Investigation Articles

• Pre-Employment Screening - Article on pre-employment screening
• Advanced Background Reports Can Protect You and Your Family - Article on how to protect your family by conducting background investigations

Background Check Books

Hire a private investigator that specializes in conducting background checks and investigations,  Private Investigator Directory

Discuss Background Screenings in our Private Investigation Discussion Forum.