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Is There a Totally Free Background Check [2024]

Is There a Totally Free Background Check in 2024?

Background checks have become commonplace in today's environment when ensuring one's safety is of paramount importance. When meeting someone new or shifting to an unfamiliar area, it might be helpful to learn about their background so you can make educated judgments.

Many individuals question whether there is any kind of free background check since the fees for paid background check services may mount up rapidly. Here, we'll investigate the realm of no-cost background checks and see whether you can get the answers you want without shelling out any cash.

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What Is a Background Check?

A person's past background, career history, educational history, and criminal history may all be verified and compiled via a procedure known as a background check. Many businesses and government bodies use it to determine whether or not to hire an applicant or provide a license or lease.

Criminal history checks, credit history checks, work history checks, education history checks, and personal reference checks are all examples of the types of checks that may be included in a background investigation. Other screens like drug tests, driving record checks, and social media reviews may be included in a background check, depending on its intended use.

Is There a Totally Free Background Check Available?

Sites that purport to provide free background checks are either inaccurate or lack important information. Some sites provide free basic information but charge for in-depth reports, while others depend on public documents that might be erroneous or out-of-date.

Although anybody may indeed look up their criminal record online, thorough background checks are still time-consuming and expensive to do. By paying court expenses, fees for direct criminal history checks, and access to more complete databases, paid background checks firms like BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, and TruthFinder are able to deliver more thorough and reliable information.

Can You Get a Free Background Check?

Yes and no are equally accurate answers.

If all you need is some basic information on someone, like their location or contact information, you could be able to locate what you're searching for by doing a free search online. If, on the other hand, you want more in-depth information, such as a criminal record or a history of work, it’s quite probable that you will be required to pay to have access to such data.

Be aware of websites that promise to give entirely free background checks since these sites are often scams. Even though these companies might not charge any up-front costs, they often use deceptive wording and murky words to give the impression that you’re receiving more value than you really are. They may simply supply the most fundamental data that are already accessible via public records.

In the end, the most effective strategy is to comprehend both your requirements and the restrictions imposed by free background checks. If you want information that’s exhaustive and precise, it may be worthwhile to make the financial investment in a professional background check firm or to do your own using public data.

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How to Access Public Records Without Paying Fees?

Public records are a good resource for finding out information about an individual without having to shell out the cash for a background check. Because of their public nature, these documents are not protected information.

Just remember that they might not constantly have what you need. In the state of California, for instance, residents have the option of making their marriage license applications and accompanying information accessible to the public or keeping them private.

The type of information you need might determine whether or not you can access public data for free. Information on an individual's name, address, and social security number are all available in the free form via internet databases maintained by several states.

Basic personal searches are provided by some websites for free, while others require money for access. But you should know that certain free websites overpromise and underdeliver to get you to subscribe to their commercial services.

Finding a person's arrest record online for free is one example. The information included in criminal records isn’t always up-to-date, and there are limitations on what you can see, especially if you have never been charged with a crime or had a past conviction erased.

Overall, it takes time and energy to do a basic public record check, and the data you get may be incomplete or inaccurate. A thorough background check may need the use of a premium service or the assistance of a professional investigator.

How Much Can You Expect to Pay for a Background Check?

As was already said, depending only on websites that perform free background checks could not always be enough for your purposes. In these circumstances, using a premium background search service to get a more thorough report can be necessary.

The Cost of Background Checks

The price of a background check, however, may vary substantially based on the company doing the investigation and the quantity of data that’s needed. Websites offering background checks range in price from as little as $10 to as much as $500. In many cases, the cost of obtaining certain data is directly proportional to the quality of that data.

There is a great deal of variety in the price and payment methods provided by these businesses, which may make comparisons difficult. One-time reports, subscriptions, 24-hour plans, quarterly plans, and even state-by-state pricing are all options for criminal background checks.

The extent and detail of a report's information request may also affect its price.

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Top 6 Background Check Sites

Due to the abundance of possibilities, choosing the best websites for background checks may be a difficult undertaking. It's crucial to choose a website that satisfies your particular needs since each site has its own distinctive qualities.

The most popular background check websites at the moment are listed below. These are some samples if you're still unsure of how much a background check will cost.

BeenVerified

BeenVerified isn’t a background check website that’s totally free. You may use the free trial to run simple background checks on people. Nevertheless, you'll need to sign up for one of their expensive plans if you want to access more specific information.

Depending on what amenities you need and the duration of your membership, their prices change. They offer three different subscription plans: a monthly one for $26.89, a quarterly one for $17.48, and an annual one for $13.95 a month.

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PeopleLooker

While PeopleLooker is a reputable background search service, it isn't as thorough as some other choices available. The website for background checks isn’t entirely free. Although it provides a simple search tool that enables you to locate details like contact data and social media accounts, a membership is required to obtain more in-depth reports.

For $1, you may enjoy an extended 5-day trial that includes unlimited searches and in-depth reports. If you don't cancel it, the subscription renews after the trial time at $19.99 per month. The price of the service is determined by the length of the membership and the degree of access to different services you want.

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TruthFinder

When looking for a reliable background check service, we advise using TruthFinder. It has a special function that monitors the dark web and notifies you if any of your data is uncovered there. It also includes a family tree generator that can be used to create a graphical depiction of your family's pedigree.

TruthFinder isn’t offering any complimentary memberships or trials, but the thorough reports it generates are well worth the investment. For $4.99, you may join the site for a month of reverse phone search service, or for $27.78, you can join for a whole year. 

The most basic information on a person may be found here for free, such as their identity, age, location, and probable connections to others.

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Intelius

In the US, Intelius is a well-known information broker with access to a large database of more than 20 billion dollars in public records. The website's identity protection function and thorough reports have helped it gain popularity.

Intelius regrettably does not provide free internet background checks. You must pay a charge in order to obtain their reports. You will be charged $0.95 for a basic individual search report, while a monthly membership with unlimited searches costs $19.95.

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Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate is an easy-to-navigate background check website with several useful features that can't be found elsewhere. 

Among these options is the capability to locate a convicted criminal anywhere in the United States by entering just his or her name and the date and place of their last known whereabouts.

If you’re seeking background check services that don't break the bank, you may be interested in their 1-dollar trial offer that lasts for 5 days and costs nothing more. Users get access to an infinite number of reports while the trial period is active.

Instant Checkmate provides a package that allows users to generate an infinite number of reports for the price of $34.78 per month.

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US Search

Those who are looking to check background information or find persons often use US Search as their go-to online resource. The website provides a variety of functions, such as searching via social networks and looking for information using a reverse phone number lookup.

Even though US Search doesn't do background checks for free, it has prices that are easy on the wallet. You may purchase a basic one-time people-to-search report for just $2.45. For $19.95 a month, you can get a subscription that lets you do as many basic searches as you want.

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Is There a Totally Free Background Check: Final Thoughts

Complimentary background checks can seem like a good deal, but they aren't always the greatest option for getting thorough and reliable information. 

On the contrary, hand-purchased background checks may provide you with the most recent and pertinent available information, making them the best option for many people and businesses.

A simple background check can be all you need if you're searching for a simple and fast solution to confirm someone's identification. This means that you should carefully assess your demands and goals before deciding to invest in a background check.

After all, although the cost of knowledge isn’t always low, it sometimes pays off in the long term. Despite not offering free background checks, US Search has reasonable price alternatives.

A typical one-time people-to-search report costs just $2.45. You may pay $19.95 each month for a membership that allows you to do an endless number of basic searches.

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DISCLAIMER: You may not use the non-FCRA approved services mentioned in this article or the information they provide to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. These services don’t provide consumer reports and are not consumer reporting agencies. (These terms have special meanings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., (“FCRA”), which are incorporated herein by reference.)

The information available on our website may not be 100% accurate, complete, or up to date, so do not use it as a substitute for your own due diligence, especially if you have concerns about a person’s criminal history. The services we mention do not make any representation or warranty about the accuracy of the information available through our website or about the character or integrity of the person about whom you inquire. For more information, please review each service’s Terms of Use.