Legal advice and support

If you want to perform a background check or criminal check on another person, you have three primary options available to you: you can hire an investigation agency, you can avail yourself of the local records rooms, or your can query an all-in-one nationwide database. 
 
Hiring an Investigation Agency
 
While this sounds cloak and dagger, it’s actually very simple. You don’t necessarily need to hire a private investigator, because most large agencies will be plugged into a network where they can quickly perform these searches for you. Due to the personal attention and overhead of the business, this option is usually not inexpensive, with entry-level plans running anywhere from $75 to $250, but it’s not out of reach either.
 
Research what Your Municipality or County has Available
 
Most court proceedings — and lots of things make it to court in one way or another — are available via public records offices. Different localities have differing levels of technological advancement, but you can usually request individual records online, via fax, or via the mail. In person is another option, but because you’ll likely need to request several different types of records, it’s far easier to let your fingers do the walking.
 
After paying a statutory records fee of anywhere from $10 to $25 for each filing, you will be able to receive a printed copy of the records in question.
 
Perform an All-in-One Search with a Nationwide Database
 
There are several providers of large all-in-one databases that aggregate and cross reference hundreds of millions of public records from all across the country. Often, these are the same databases used by investigation agencies, and some are administered by those very same agencies.
 
With these all-in-one databases, you usually pay a flat fee for access, which lasts anywhere from a one-time pass to several years. The advantage here is that it’s very easy and fast to perform a complete nationwide search in minutes, and the cost is usually similar to the cost of requesting one or two records from the county records office.
 
When the time comes for you to perform a public records search or background check, remember that you have several viable options for finding out everything that you need.

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