What Do You Need to Run a Background Check on Someone?
A professional background check on someone else requires 2 things:
- Their consent. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the person being checked must give written consent before a background check company can run the check.
- A legitimate reason. Hiring someone to care for your children, work in your home, or rent a room are common reasons for individuals. Employers screening job candidates follow a separate, more formal process.
If you can't get consent, you can't legally order a professional background check on that person. You can still search public records on your own, but the results are less complete and harder to verify.
How to Run a Background Check on Someone
If you're hiring someone for personal or household work, such as a nanny, a caregiver, a tutor, or a contractor, the process takes about 4 steps.
Tell them you'll run a background check
Let the person know upfront that a background check is part of your hiring process. Most qualified candidates expect it, and someone who refuses has told you something useful.
Choose the right searches
Not every background check searches the same places. A basic check searches criminal databases across many jurisdictions. A more thorough check adds direct searches of county court records in every county the person has lived in, and federal court searches for offenses like fraud. For anyone caring for your children or working alone in your home, a more thorough check is worth it.
The person gives consent and verifies their identity
With a Bchex background check on someone else, the person receives a secure link to give consent and verify their identity. They enter their own personal information, so you never have to handle it.
Review the results
Results are sent by email, typically within 24 hours. Review any records carefully. Not every record disqualifies someone, and a record could belong to someone with a similar name, so look at the details before you decide. Our guide to what's in a background check report explains each section.
Other Ways to Check Someone's Background
If you can't get consent, or you want to add to a background check, these options are available to anyone.
Many county courts offer free online search portals where you can look up cases by name. You'll need to search each county where the person has lived, and some courts only offer records in person.
The National Sex Offender Public Website lets anyone search state sex offender registries for free. It's a fast first step for anyone who will be around children.
For contractors, electricians, plumbers, and home health aides, check the state licensing board's website. It shows whether a license is active and whether there's a record of complaints or discipline.
Call previous clients or employers and ask specific questions, such as how long the person worked for them and whether they'd hire them again.
People-search sites compile public data quickly, but they aren't FCRA-compliant, and their results are often outdated or mixed up with someone else's records. They can't legally be used for hiring or tenant decisions.
Running a Background Check as an Employer
If you're hiring an employee for a business, the process is more formal. Employers must provide a standalone written disclosure, get written consent, and follow the FCRA's adverse action process if results affect the hiring decision. State and local laws, such as ban-the-box rules, may also apply.
Individual background checks are designed for personal and household hiring, not business hiring. Employers should use an employer screening solution built for those requirements.
Benefits of Running a Background Check on Someone
- Protect your family. Confirm that anyone caring for your children or an aging parent doesn't have a history that puts them at risk.
- Avoid fraud. Verifying identity and licenses helps you avoid contractors and service providers who aren't who they claim to be.
- Make a confident decision. A professional report gives you verified information instead of guesswork.
- Set expectations. Telling candidates upfront that you screen everyone discourages people with something to hide from applying.
Challenges of Running a Background Check on Someone
- Consent can feel awkward. Asking a friend-of-a-friend nanny for a background check can be uncomfortable. Framing it as standard for everyone you hire helps.
- Free searches are incomplete. Court portals and registries each show one piece, and it's easy to miss a county.
- Records can be mismatched. Common names lead to records that belong to someone else. Professional checks reduce this with identity verification, but review every entry.
- Results need judgment. A record from many years ago, or one unrelated to the job, may not be a reason to say no.
Conclusion
The best way to run a background check on someone else is with their consent, through an FCRA-compliant background check company that searches the same sources employers use. Public records and references are useful additions, but they're incomplete on their own.
Bchex background checks for individuals use the same professional-grade databases and processes employers use, with potential records verified at the county court level. Run a background check on someone today.