Free Background Check Services: Top 3 Sites For Background Checks In 2024

Nikhil Goswami

Running a background check might seem like a daunting task; however, checking someone’s background can give you better insight into who you are dealing with. Whether you are checking on a potential date, or just checking yourself up, a background check helps.

 

Background checks are nothing new. They have been a common way to research someone for years. You may even be curious about what your background check might turn up. It is also a fantastic way to monitor what private information is available about you.

 

So how can you do a free background check online? Numerous free online background check ways allow you to background check on someone or you wish to monitor. Let’s take a look at the best free and not-so-free options for running background checks.

Best Site For Public & Social Media Records

5.0
4.9/5

Unlimited Background Check For Free

4.8
4.8/5

Best For Accessing Public Data

4.6
4.7/5

Top 3 Sites For Background Check Free Services In 2023

Overall Best Site For Free Background Check, #1 Pick

truthfinder

Brand Overview

 

If you have searched the web for background checks, you may well know that Truthfinder is one of the most widely used background check services today. This service has glowing recommendations from publications such as CNet and the Huffington Post. The service also has nearly 60,000 positive ratings and reviews from its customers.

 

The Truthfinder service offers a robust background check with some of the most accurate information available, including updated contact information. You can also perform scans of the dark web, which allows you to monitor leaked or stolen data.

 

The Best Thing About Truthfinder

 

This service is excellent for those looking to perform multiple background checks each month, such as employers. For a small monthly fee, you can complete an unlimited amount of reviews.

 

The one thing that really sets Truthfinder apart is that they provide the most up-to-date and recent contact information we have seen. This service is perfect if you are looking for a specific person but can’t find them on a search engine. They also offer a complete and detailed report using the person’s records.

 

Features

 

Since it is a paid service, it does come with numerous features such as multiple modifications and search options to use when you need to filter your searches. It also offers an unlimited amount of services each month with this monthly fee.

 

In addition to the up-to-date information, I will also check the subject for any aliases they may use or relationships they may have. This tool is excellent if you are screening a potential date. Overall, there are many features to make the subscription fee worthwhile.

 

User Friendliness

 

If you ever have any issues using the service, Truthfinder includes a toll-free number you can call at any time. The service itself is also relatively user-friendly, and we had no problems using their service. You will be able to search with ease without ever having used a background service before.

 

Users also have the option to modify their search results to fit their needs. All of the returned information can be compiled into one easy to decipher page. You can also download a PDF version of the result; however, they charge an additional $2 for that service.

Most Recommended Background Check Free Services

Brand Overview

 

Intelius is a widely used background checker since it lets you look up anyone at all. The service also enables you to find out if the person has a criminal record. One of the tool’s best features is that it lets you use a reverse lookup function to find the owner of a number that called you.

 

Intelius operates with complete anonymity and uses over 20 billion public and private records to find the information you are searching for. You will also be able to filter the specific information you are in search of. A widely used function of Intelius is the ability to check for property data and find your personal information.

 

The Best Thing About Intelius

 

One of the most significant advantages of using Intelius is its secure and encrypted connection while performing a search. You will never have to sacrifice your privacy when you are conducting background check services, and the website will never notify the person you are searching for.

 

You can also search by phone number, name, or address while using a secure 256-bit connection. They always take their customer’s privacy seriously.

 

Features

 

You have the option to find a background check using a phone number, name, or address and receive a complete and detailed report, personal details, records. You can also check for property records for any contact you want.

 

When you sign up for the paid subscription, you will get access to an unlimited amount of background checks each month. You can also use an encrypted and secured connection, which is excellent for protecting privacy.

 

User Friendliness

 

The website is straightforward and easy to understand; however, it does take a few minutes to compile your report entirely. The company takes its user’s privacy seriously and never informs subjects you have run a background check. Lastly, users can rest assured using their safe encrypted connection.

Best Site Used To Access Free Background Checks

Brand Overview

 

Instant Checkmate is a fantastic tool if you are specifically interested in someone’s arrest or criminal record. This background check service specialized in running information on criminal, arrest records, and government records.

 

This service also uses a fully encrypted connection to provide you with the utmost privacy. Additionally, they will provide you with photos and social media links for any subject and background checks that you search for. This company is a one-stop shop for all your background check needs.

 

The Best Thing About Instant Checkmate

 

The best overall feature of Instant Checkmate is that it is the best at searching for arrests and criminal records and background checks. This tool also lists all public information and government records for the subject.

 

Features

 

Instant Checkmate has a few features worth mentioning. The fact that they specialize in finding criminal and arrest records is excellent if you are looking for criminal history. Additionally, all of their findings are compiled into one place.

 

Instant Checkmate also utilizes encryption methods that keep your browsing and searching safe and confidential background checks. Lastly, this website has an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.

 

User Friendliness

 

The Instant checkmate is relatively easy to use and gives customers a friendly feel. They also have a customer support team that can be reached at any time, toll-free. When you run a search, all the results are clear and easy to understand.

How To Perform A Free Background Check?

Most of the sites that we have mentioned in our “Best of” section require some sort of monthly subscription to use. But what about genuinely free sites? If you are searching for the best truly free background check sites, here is a complete “buyer’s guide” to help you on your way.

 

There are several methods to run a background check for free, but each takes a bit of time and patience. If that doesn’t sound like you, you might want to look at some of the paid services mentioned above. Here are the different methods available to obtain background checks for no cost to you:

 

Manual Methods

 

Here are some manual methods that will allow you to run a background check for free:

 

  • Google

 

That’s right, and if you are searching for a completely free background check option, Google can be your friend if you know what to search for. “Googling” someone has been an easy and go-to method for finding information and researching people since its inception. The trusty search engine contains an index of most of the information you will be able to find on the internet, which can be highly useful if you are looking for specific information.

 

If you wish to search for a person, but you only have their name, your google search will come back with a million different results, which can be unhelpful. In order to find the information you want, you will need some additional background information to narrow down the results.

 

If you wish to use Google properly for a background check, you might need to spend a bit of time to get it right. When you search for something, the results might seem endless, and filtering through them by yourself will take too much time.

 

To get the best results from Google, you can try the following method:

 

  1. First, put their name and the state of the subject you are searching for in the Google search engine box.
  2. Next, try using Google images to search for them if you know what the person looks like.
  3. Google has a handy feature known as “Google News” that you can check to see if the person you are searching for has ever been the subject of a news article.
  4. Lastly, don’t forget to check Google Videos. There may be some footage of your subject that could be linked to them or their activities.

 

  • Social Media

 

In the age of social media, it seems like most people have some sort of profile that could give you some information that you are looking for. Social media is an excellent way for people to communicate and express themselves, and many people reveal a lot about themselves on these platforms. You can find a great deal of personal information about a person if you can track their personal background check services.

 

Here are a few places you can start searching on social media:

 

  • Their Facebook profile (a great place for information)
  • Their Twitter history
  • Their Instagram photos
  • Their employment profile on LinkedIn
  • Any personal content they post on TikTok
  • Pinterest is an excellent place to find hobbies and interests.
  • Snapchat helps locate their contact information.

 

If you happen to go the social media route, keep in mind that many people are protective of this information (for a good reason) and may make their content private. If this is the case, their profile will only be limited to people they know. The social media method is most helpful if you actually see the person and are friends with them on social media already.

 

  • Public Court Records 

 

A great place to find someone’s records is to check the county clerk of records website. In order to do this, however, you will need to know at least the location or address of the person you are searching for.

 

If you do not know where this person lives, you may have difficulty getting results through this method. The court records will only show the information from government records that person has from the city or state they lived in.

 

If you are looking for the person’s court records on their past addresses, you will have to create a separate search for each individual address, then make a compilation yourself. One final thing to consider is that public court records often do not provide a great deal of information in the first place. Even if you find the person, you might be displeased with the search results.

 

  • State Or Local Prison Records

 

In addition to court records & documents, you might have some luck in searching through the state or local prison records. If you are searching for criminal history, you can check using the “corrections inmate” tag on a google search. In order to do this, you must know the official website of the prison; then, you will be able to enter that person’s information in order to find out if they have ever had a criminal record.

 

The information that is available to the public from the prison system is quite limited, and they are only able to show data for that specific state. If the person has lived in different states before, you will have to search in each of those states individually. Using this method could be time-consuming but rewarding if you know this information about the person.

 

  • Credit Reports

 

It is impossible to access the credit report of another person legally. However, if one of the reasons you are requesting a background check is to check your own identity for fraud, you will be able to check with several credit bureaus and request a report for yourself.

 

The government-mandated annual check is only available for free, once each year. If you wish to request an additional report later in the year, you will need to pay the required fees. Other credit bureaus will provide identity verification as well.

Is There A Totally Free Background Check Legit & Effective?

Many sites offer the best background check for free, but it is essential to check the site to make sure the information can be trusted. You can perform a background check by yourself by combing through someone’s social account and public record. However, much of this information will be hidden, even if you know the person.

 

Several background check sites offer a free check option, but you might find that the information is less than accurate and only pulls from publicly available information. You may even come across outdated contact information.

 

If you want to perform background checks on yourself or someone you know personally, bear in mind that it takes a lot of time, research, and know-how to succeed.

 

Legit Free Background Check

 

If you are looking to do a background check, you might be wondering if it is even legal to perform. In fact, there is a specific law that pertains to performing a background check known as the Fair Credit Report Act. This law requires that you utilize an officially licensed Consumer Reporting Agency in order to procure a credit report.

 

These official Consumer Reporting Agencies are responsible for collecting, providing, and curating accurate information about consumers while adhering to the legal procedures set in place to protect privacy. Additionally, the Fair Credit Report Act makes sure consumers are protected and treated fairly.

How We Made Our List Of Top Sites For Free Background Check

To accurately compose our article, we began by laying out all of the background check services that are popular in the current market. Because of the rise in demand for background checks, we had to be very particular to ensure that our list did not include any companies that were not legitimate.

 

Based on our findings, we began excluding background check online companies that didn’t make the cut until we were left with only the companies that met the highest review standards.

 

After that, we carved down the list even further until we were left with only ten companies worthy of our recommendations.

 

It is important to note that there are seemingly hundreds of companies with similar names to those in this report. Be careful when you are searching for a recommended company that you are looking at, the same one that is recommended in this article.

 

What We Looked For?

 

When we were trimming down the list of background check companies, several things helped us make the cut. Here are the things we looked for when performing our research:

 

  • How effective is the company performing their check, and which agencies/sources do they pull information from.
  • Whether or not these sources were reputable or officially licensed.
  • How the company presents itself through advertising, media, etc. If they felt suspicious, they were most likely cut from the list.
  • Whether the company received primarily positive reviews or not, we looked at why they received a significant amount of negative reviews.
  • Whether the company gave details about the legality of running a report and what these reports can be used for.
  • Whether the company was certified to run official reports or whether they pulled from third-party sources.

In carefully examining all of these factors, we present you with our list above.

FAQs About Background Checks For Free

It is impossible to answer this question accurately because it really depends on the reason you are requesting a background check. Free background check services are infrequent, and even PeekYou will give you limited results. If you are looking for a genuinely free check, the only way to do that is manually. Manual searches can be time-consuming and are often unsuccessful. For that reason, many people opt to pay for this service instead.

Background check websites such as Truthfinder will provide you with all the information you can find online with the click of a button. They also offer unlimited checks for a monthly fee.

Background check services such as Instant Checkmate will offer a free trial for a limited time. These trials are suitable for a single background check, which should be able to accommodate your needs. Using a professional tool can save you time, money, and heartache, but most of these sites are not 100% free.

Concluding On The Best Free Background Check Services In 2023

We researched each company by looking at customer reviews on their accuracy, services, and how they performed their background check on someone.

 

We tried to be as thorough as possible and looked at both positive and negative customer feedback seriously. 

 

After extensive research, we come to this point that Truthfinder is the best free background check site method to find criminal records online.

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