Criminal Records Checks

Conducting a criminal records search is far more complicated than it may seem. Contrary to popular belief, there is no publicly-available nationwide database that tracks criminal history across the country.

• Commerical Databases

These databases can provide valuable information about a person’s criminal history. They may, for instance, help employers identify a crime a potential employee has committed in a remote locale. However, despite obvious advantages – these sites deliver results quickly and affordably – such databases are best utilized as supplements to primary-source research. 

Assertions that these databases have the ability to search millions of criminal records instantly or with minimal delay are misleading, if not false. Many commercial databases obtain information from a variety of secondary sources, including companies that publish the results of their own research or re-package and sell data from other online providers.

• Individual Jusrisdictional Public Records Searches

Our analysts are experienced in tracing address histories and in analyzing incomplete or contradictory information. We have cultivated a strong network of court retrievers nationwide. Court searches can return both false positives and false negatives, and our researcher team is savvy about looking for clues that allow us to link a person to a criminal record. We are straightforward with our clients in instances where there is not enough information available in the public record to make that determination. Crucially, our guidance can help protect your company from violating federal employment guidelines – and from civil litigation.

Learn more about Criminal Record Checks