How Do I Do a Criminal Background Search on Someone?
- 1). Visit the judiciary website of the state or states where this person has lived. Most states offer online criminal and civil case searches, though not all are free. Maryland, for instance, displays the case number and specific detail of every criminal and civil action without charge; Florida, on the other hand, charges by the search; and Washington state only provides the case number and whether the person was the plaintiff or defendant.
- 2). Visit the county courthouse to request a criminal history check if you live in the same area and you're not making the request as an individual. Employers, for example, and child care establishments can do this, but most states prohibit individuals from getting this information.
- 3). Check the national sex offender registry. You can run a screening check using the person's name, with or without his address. You can also search sex offenders by territory. Type in your own address and the names of sex offenders within a several mile radius will be available to you, with photographs included.
- 4). Check the FBI website. This is certainly a worst-case scenario, but the FBI displays pictures of its most wanted criminals, along with detailed descriptions of what each is wanted for. Additionally, many states post their own most wanted lists. Check the judiciary website of each state.
- 5). Use an Internet search engine to complete the background check. Search services such as Intellius can provide some detail at a fee, but this information may not be reliable or complete. The writer of this article has conducted searches on known criminals and come up with nothing.
Source...