How to Get a Public Data Check Online

The top public data check services simplify looking for information in public records. You can wish to do such a check for various reasons, including looking for missing relatives or acquaintances. You might also just want to see what information has been made accessible about you.

The finest public data check services seek information on one or more specified individuals using public (or sometimes even private) databases, such as to get in touch with old acquaintances or confirm someone's identification.

To go further, you may use these public data search engines to check for information on companies and real estate, or you can just find out who may have called you when you didn't recognize their number.

8 Best Public Data Check Services On the Market

BeenVerified - Best Public Data Check Service Overall
PeopleLooker - Best for Fast Results
TruthFinder - Best for Public Records Search
Intelius - Best for One-time Public Data Search
Instant Checkmate - Best for Criminal Data Check
US Search – Best for Ease of Use
PeopleFinders – Most Accurate Public Data Check
Spokeo – Best Reverse Phone Lookup

BeenVerified – Best Public Data Check Service Overall

If you need to conduct a public data check on someone, BeenVerified is an excellent online service to use. It provides users with accurate and up-to-date information by searching public records, social media accounts, and other online sources.

BeenVerified’s White Pages lookup is a fast people finder that has four main categories - name, address, phone number, or email address. Using the username search field, you can also search for someone on social media. In addition to personal information, you can access a person’s criminal and arrest records, properties, relationships, and more.

None of BeenVerified's features are free, and no membership trials are available. However, the service is affordable and offers a range of subscription plans to suit different budgets. BeenVerified takes privacy seriously and uses state-of-the-art encryption technology to protect users' personal data. The site doesn’t share or sell any information to third parties.

BeenVerified has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate and search for information. The search results are presented in a clear and organized format.

BeenVerified offers a variety of features, including People Search, Criminal Records Search, Public Records Search, Reverse Phone Lookup, and Email Lookup. These features can help users find contact information, previous addresses, criminal records, education and employment history, and other personal details.

Pros

Multiple search options
Smooth navigation
Excellent customer support

Cons

Some data is expensive
No individual reports

PeopleLooker – Best for Fast Results

PeopleLooker is a public data check website that offers quick, cost-effective, and convenient access to trustworthy public records for individuals. By using PeopleLooker, you can discover information that may not be readily available on Google.

With an array of features including public data check, reverse phone lookup, username search, address lookup, email lookup, B2B search, and unclaimed money lookup all in one place, PeopleLooker is a valuable resource for finding the information you require on a daily basis.

PeopleLooker is generally considered to be easy to use. Its interface is user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for individuals to conduct searches and access public records without much difficulty. Additionally, PeopleLooker provides detailed search reports that are easy to understand and navigate, which can be helpful for those who are not familiar with the process of searching public records. Overall, PeopleLooker is a straightforward and convenient tool for individuals seeking to access reliable public records.

PeopleLooker operates on a monthly subscription model and provides customers with the option to trial the service for $1 for a period of 7 days. If customers wish to continue, they can select from two premium plans: a monthly membership priced at $22.86 per month or a 3-month membership priced at $18.28 per month.

Subscribing to their service offers unlimited access to background reports, contact information, arrest records, phone lookups, and email lookups, as well as more search options and faster searching capabilities. Customers can cancel their subscription at any time by contacting customer service via phone or email. However, we found the customer support team lacking as the agent we spoke with provided only generic information and did not appear overly helpful.

Pros

Simple to use
Comprehensive search reports
Excellent customer service
Includes social media and genealogy search

Cons

Doesn’t offer single reports

TruthFinder – Best for Public Records Search

TruthFinder provides a variety of public data check options that include both public and private databases, as well as tools for self-monitoring so you can see what information others may find out about you.

Many of the capabilities you might anticipate from other public data search services are available with TruthFinder. Along with the ability to find prospective acquaintances and relatives of your search topic, these include searches that include both public and private databases.

The TruthFinder platform also provides tools for self-monitoring, so you can see your record to see what prospective employers or other users of the site who search for you will see. You may even claim ownership of a specific document using TruthFinder.

By doing this, you’ll have the option to either conceal it from other TruthFinder users or rectify factual errors on it. It excels as a person search tool because TruthFinder offers a lot of details about the person you're looking for. The capability to conduct an infinite number of public data checks is another critical attribute.

The primary drawback of TruthFinder is that it costs around $30 per month, but if you use it often, it’ll be well worth the investment. Read this TruthFinder review for a more in-depth look.

Pros

Unlimited searches when you subscribe
Free telephone customer service
Functions on desktop and smartphone
Some fresh info is discovered via deep web and social searches

Cons

Individual reports cost a lot of money
No trial offer

Intelius – Best for one-time Public Data Search

The public data checks Intelius performs are more thorough than others. It provides scholastic background in addition to the standard locations, criminal histories, and financial details if you're attempting to utilize Intelius to contact someone from your past.

Intelius specifically advises utilizing its service to get in touch with old pals, look into someone's criminal history, and find out what information is available online. You may also check the caller's identity and the property information for your desired home.

The service provides you with the information you need quickly, and all searches are secret and discreet so it won't be evident that you looked for it. Seven distinct background search options, from thorough public data checks to phone book searches, are available from Intelius. You must join up for a long-term subscription to utilize any of them, no matter which one you choose.

Each plan has a comparable monthly membership fee, although the cost of the first trial period varies. In addition to having an extensive database, Intelius is renowned for its user-friendly interface. This is one of the better public data search services, despite somewhat perplexing charging procedures. Additionally, we like how Intelius displays relationships as a graph, making it simple to see how objects are connected.

There is also a monthly membership option available for around $25 per month, which should be reasonable given the quality Intelius is putting out. Read our Intelius review for a more in-depth look at the public data check service.

Pros

Social networking user
Effective visuals
Options for single reports and subscriptions
Include educational tools

Cons

Somewhat pricey in comparison to other options

Instant Checkmate - Best for Criminal Data Check

A persons search engine called Instant Checkmate compiles information from public documents. The program is easy to use and provides a wealth of information, such as contact information and criminal histories.

It might be unpleasant when results take a while to appear and the service asks you several questions and issues cautions before giving a report. You can use Instant Checkmate to find someone using their name, city, and state. A reverse phone lookup tool is also available, albeit it might be challenging to discover it on the Instant Checkmate website.

When you search, you’re given a list of possible matches and can get a comprehensive report on any individual.

There’s no information accessible with Instant Checkmate that you cannot get elsewhere as the program solely examines public data. The site does, however, cast a broad net and includes information on homes, cars, previous addresses, relatives, marriages, and bankruptcies in its reports.

The search engine will also let you know whether the person you're looking for is a registered sex offender if they have a weapons license and whether they have any arrest, criminal, or traffic convictions on their record.

When compared to other search engines, this site offers a large variety of data, which is one of its main features. It may be annoying to use Instant Checkmate since you have to go through more than a dozen pop-up windows to view the final report.

However, if you can overcome this shortcoming, Instant Checkmate is simple. The cost of a monthly membership with unlimited person reports is around $35. Read our Instant Checkmate review for a more in-depth look at the public data check service.

Pros

Timely and accurate data
Reports are unlimited with a subscription
Wonderful search tools
Decent value for the money

Cons

No possibility for single reports

US Search – Best for Ease of Use

US Search offers historical data checks in addition to a website that feels and looks like Yahoo in 1998. However, it seems that US Search has been able to spend more in comprehensive search choices and outstanding pricing points due to a lack of site design money.

You may use US Search to discover the precise person you're searching for by using their name, phone number, address, or email address. US Search will return a long list of search results. US Search doesn't erect a paywall in front of the search results, unlike other search engines.

You only pay to get the whole report for a specific person, but you’ll be allowed to browse the list to locate the proper person. Basic details including family members' names, previous homes, properties owned, and any criminal history are included in the reports. They also helpfully include any available phone numbers, emails, and social media accounts to contact the individual you seek.

Because of this, US Search is very helpful for contacting a former acquaintance or a long-lost family. Pricing choices range from a one-time fee for a report to a monthly membership allowing limitless searches.

Pros

Excellent search options
Results from searches are free
Current information
Reports provide contact details
Inexpensive reporting

Cons

No possibility to purchase a single report

PeopleFinders – Most Accurate Public Data Check

PeopleFinders is a people-finding service, as implied by the name, and it excels in this regard. It's an easy-to-use web tool for researching people using public information, and it searches public databases to identify people using just their name, phone number, email address, or location.

One report may be purchased, or you can purchase unlimited access to do as many searches as you want. PeopleFinders provides a number of methods for finding people. You may input a known address, phone number, email, or the person's name and city.

PeopleFinders provides you with a list of probable matches for name searches with many possible matches, along with age and known family members, to help you focus your search. This is crucial since many comparable search tools show you a paywall before you even know whether your search has turned up any results.

PeopleFinders has a variety of price plans. There are two reports for a single person, a search report with basic contact details and a background report with criminal, property, and judicial records. A monthly membership also gives you access to an infinite number of reports.

We thought their service was thorough and that it turned up some facts that competitors had missed. For instance, PeopleFinders informed us about a business run by one of our targets that other websites omitted to mention.

Although it lacks social media data and the website cannot be viewed outside of the US, it isn't that great for internet-related things. However, if you need to use it for a longer amount of time, it's one of the most cost-effective solutions, with an initial price of $10 for the first month and then less than $25 each month after that.

Pros

Discovers information that competitors lack
Auser-friendly website
Great mobile applications
Reporting that is inexpensive and thorough
Buy individual reports

Cons

Zero social media data

Spokeo – Best Reverse Phone Lookup

You may access what Spokeo refers to as a broad variety of industry-leading sources by searching for a person's name using their email address or other identity verification data.

Additionally, as new information is received, regular revisions to reports are to be expected. A person's interests, education level, financial situation, dating profile information, and even certain music and gaming accounts may all be found via Spokeo.

However, not all searches were successful since some names were misspelled, indicating a lack of human intervention. However, Spokeo gets a bonus point for its capability to do a reverse phone number search on annoying spam calls.

Pros

Comprehensive online searches
Periodic updates to reports
Reverse phone lookups

Cons

Online name matching may not be accurate

Best Public Data Search Sites – Ranking Methodology

The finest public data search services have been put to the test in a variety of ways, including the types of public data checks they do, the length of time it takes to complete a check, and the user-friendliness of their interface.

We assessed the services' ability to provide inspections for the particular needs of sectors including education, healthcare, retail, and more. We looked assessed the service's usability on mobile platforms and any human guiding elements that could be present.

Along with other things, we examined their pricing strategies and how flexible they were with their goods and costs.

How to choose the best Public Data Search Services for you?

You should first define your requirements and the kinds of public data checks you need to undertake before choosing the finest public data search provider. Driving histories, criminal histories, employment histories, and credit reports are a few examples of public data checks.

However, if you merely need to confirm more straightforward details, such as the candidate's educational background or social media use, you may choose to do it internally or use a straightforward public data search engine.

Next, you should gauge how long it takes for the service's checks to be finished. The best course of action is to choose a service that won't take more than a few days, even if more complicated checks could take longer to complete. Finally, pay attention to the service's simplicity of use and membership options.

What is a Public Data Check Service?

A public data check service searches the whole internet painstakingly to find information on the individual you're looking for. Although you could potentially obtain the majority of the data the services have access to on your own, it would take you weeks or even months to get the information you want.

Background check services may quickly and thoroughly provide a report for you after searching through millions of documents. Online public data searches may uncover information such as credit history, job history, bank records, and other details about a person's life that both confirm their identification and sheds light on their criminal past.

Information Included in Different Types of Public Data Checks

You may do public data checks on a variety of levels, from very basic information to quite extensive criminal public data checks.

The level of detail you provide in your reporting often depends on the purpose of your public data search. If you are just attempting to spy on an ex-boyfriend, for instance, you may not look into things as thoroughly as if you were, say, doing a public data search for a job at a high-level security business.

The most typical public data checks that businesses do nowadays include

Public data checks and professional licenses
Trace of social security number
Verify references
Public data checks for crimes
Public data checks for E-Verify
Public data checks that are universal
Checks on OIG public data
Personal data searches
Verification of education
Scans of social media
Credit checks for public data
International data verifications

The majority will include the person's age and date of birth as well as basic information about them, such as contact information like addresses and phone numbers. Additionally, it will include more specific data, including educational background, career history, and criminal and arrest histories.

A public data search may also contain the following additional items:

Marriage certificates
Individual webpages
Bankruptcies
References
Civil documents
Listings on the sexual offender register
Military history
Photographs
Using social media
Driving background
Various other licenses (professional)
Wikipedia articles
Weapons licenses
Credit
Liens
Aliases
Blogs
Family members

And maybe more, depending on the firm and rules you use to examine public records.

Where Does Public Data Check Information Come From?

Depending on the report type you requested, the public data check information may originate from a variety of different places. For criminal background checks, the public has no one place to go. Records from the following sources make up the national criminal database:

Departments of corrections
Case files from federal security agencies
Organizations that help state courts
District courts
Statewide sex offender databases

In order to compile results, database searches like reverse phone lookups rely on readily available public information like phone books and public records. Sometimes this data is incorrect or out of date. Generally speaking, searches of public records are more reliable and cost-effective when conducted at the state or police agency level.

Is There a Public Data Check Free?

If you are wondering if there is public data check free, then the answer is no. Numerous outcomes from public data check free might be out-of-date and could even be confusing for certain individuals because of similar-sounding names.

Recognize that public data check free are sometimes assembled from datasets that are gathered by for-profit organizations.

The information in public data check free sites is sometimes obtained from questionable sources, including opt-in lists from (snooping) businesses that exchange your data, contest and coupon registration databases, and magazine subscription databases.

Many of these entries are also out-of-date or derived from residential databases or obsolete phone book data. Additionally, public data check free sometimes lack access to state records (criminal, civil, and motor vehicle) and credit headers (latest contact information).

Best Public Data Check Services: The Takeaway

We have to take both the price effectiveness and the sorts of background checks available into account while coming up with our final list.

Overall, we were most impressed with TruthFinder since it not only contained criminal history and sex offender searches but also searches for surface web, dark web, deep web, and other data that were not included in the public data check free WhitePages types we are used to performing on our own.

If you have even the least question about a new buddy, date, acquaintance, talkative coworker, family friend, or anybody who is hanging around at your house, why not conduct a public data check today?