Find the right background check for your situation
Checking out a date, screening a tenant or hiring someone? Each situation follows different rules under US law. BackgroundChecker.com is an independent guide: answer four quick questions and we'll show you which type of check fits, what the law expects from you and what to look for in a provider.
Three situations, three sets of rules
The right check depends less on what you want to find than on why you need it.
Personal use
Checking out someone you met online, reconnecting with an old friend, identifying an unknown caller or seeing what is public about you.
- Fits: a people-search service
- Typical results: public records, contact details, address history
- Not for: hiring, renting, credit or insurance decisions
Landlords & property managers
Screening a rental applicant before you sign a lease.
- Fits: an FCRA tenant-screening service
- How it works: the applicant consents online
- If you decline because of the report: send an adverse action notice
Employers & HR
Pre-hire screening for job candidates, including a nanny or caregiver you hire at home.
- Fits: an FCRA employment-screening provider
- Before the check: a standalone disclosure and written authorization
- If you decide not to hire: pre-adverse and adverse action notices
How BackgroundChecker.com works
We don't run checks or sell reports. We help you choose the right kind of check, then show you where it can be run.
Tell us your situation
Four quick questions: who you are, why you need a check, what you want to know and where. We never ask for the name or details of the person you're checking.
See which check fits
We explain which type of report matches your purpose and what the law expects from you before and after you use it.
Choose a provider built for it
We point you to services designed for your use case. If you sign up through one of our links, we may earn a commission. You never pay more.
What a background check can cover
Coverage depends on the type of service and on how each county and state publishes its records.
Identity
Name, aliases, age and address history. FCRA screening providers can add an SSN trace and ID verification.
Criminal & court records
County, state and federal court records plus sex offender registries. Depth varies by provider and by jurisdiction.
Employment & education
Verification of past jobs, degrees and professional licenses, run by FCRA providers with the candidate's consent.
Rental history
Eviction records, credit and rental history, through tenant-screening services with the applicant's consent.
No database is complete, and people-search results can mix up people with similar names. Double-check anything important before you act on it.
People search or FCRA background check?
They can look alike, but the law treats them very differently.
People-search service
- Who uses it: individuals, usually on a monthly subscription
- What you get: public records and online data compiled from many sources
- Fine for: personal safety, curiosity and reconnecting with people
- Not allowed for: hiring, renting, credit or insurance decisions
FCRA background check
- Who runs it: a consumer reporting agency bound by accuracy and dispute rules
- When it's required: hiring, renting, credit and insurance decisions
- For employers: a standalone disclosure and written authorization first
- After the report: adverse action notices if you decide against someone because of it
Why start here
An independent starting point, with no account to create and nothing to hand over.
Independent
We're not a screening company and we don't sell reports.
Purpose first
We ask why you need a check before anything else, so you don't end up with the wrong kind of report.
Private by design
We never ask for the name, date of birth or address of the person you want to check.
Transparent
Some links are affiliate links. We say so, and commissions never change your price.
Frequently asked questions
The short answers. Our guides go deeper.
Does BackgroundChecker.com run background checks?
No. BackgroundChecker.com is an independent information and comparison service. We are not a consumer reporting agency, and we don't sell reports or run searches. We help you work out which type of check fits your situation and point you to services that provide it.
Can I use a people-search site to screen a tenant or a job candidate?
No. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a report used to decide on a job, a lease, credit or insurance must come from a consumer reporting agency that follows FCRA rules. People-search services forbid those uses in their terms. Use a tenant-screening or employment-screening service instead.
How much does a background check cost?
It depends on the type. People-search services usually charge a monthly subscription, tenant screening is typically paid per applicant, and employment checks are priced per report or package. Our cost guide breaks it down.
Is it legal to look someone up online?
Searching public records for personal reasons is generally legal in the US. What the law restricts is how you use the results: never for hiring, renting, credit or insurance decisions, and never to harass, stalk or intimidate anyone.
Can I run a background check on myself?
Yes. A people-search service shows what is publicly listed about you. You can also get free copies of your credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and request your file from consumer reporting agencies, so you can dispute errors before an employer or landlord sees them.
How does BackgroundChecker.com make money?
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you sign up with a provider through one of them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change which type of check we tell you fits your situation.
Why don't you ask for the name of the person I want to check?
Because we don't need it. We don't run searches, so we never collect details about the person you're checking. You enter them only on the provider's site, if you decide to go ahead.
Not sure which check you need?
Answer four quick questions. It takes under a minute, and you won't share anything about the person you're checking.
Find my background checkFree · No sign-up · Affiliate links disclosed
BackgroundChecker.com is an independent information service. We are not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and we do not provide consumer reports or run background checks. Some links on this site are affiliate links: we may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. This site provides general information, not legal advice.