A criminal background check is a review of publicly available court records, arrest records, and conviction histories associated with a named individual. In private investigation, it typically involves searching federal, state, and county-level databases as well as courthouse records to compile a factual picture of a subject's known criminal history within the scope permitted by law.
A criminal background check is a search that tells you whether a specific person has a documented history of arrests, charges, or convictions on file in public court records. An investigator gathers this information by searching court databases and records at multiple jurisdictional levels. The result is a factual report based on what is publicly accessible, not a guarantee that all records have been found.
A landlord considering a prospective tenant may hire an investigator to search for prior eviction-related criminal filings or convictions across multiple counties, especially if the applicant has lived in several states. A person entering a new business partnership may request a check on their potential partner to identify any prior fraud, theft, or financial crime convictions that are part of the public record. Individuals reconnecting with a long-lost family member or meeting someone through an online platform sometimes request a basic criminal history review before moving forward.
Licensed private investigators search publicly available court records, courthouse filings, and legally accessible databases to compile criminal history information. They cannot access sealed or expunged records, restricted law enforcement systems, or juvenile records protected by statute. Availability of records varies significantly by state and county, and some jurisdictions require in-person courthouse searches to obtain complete results.
How long does a criminal background check typically take when conducted by a private investigator?
Turnaround time depends on the number of jurisdictions being searched and whether any records require manual courthouse retrieval. A search limited to one or two states with accessible online databases may be completed within one to three business days. Multi-state or multi-county searches involving in-person courthouse requests can take a week or longer.
Will the person being searched know that a criminal background check was run on them?
In most cases, no. When an investigator searches publicly available court records, that process does not generate a notification to the subject. However, if the check is conducted for employment or tenant screening purposes under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, specific disclosure and consent requirements may apply depending on how the information is used.
