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