A valuable tool for doing this is the internet. With the internet, you can learn whether a person has been involved with criminal activities and if they've been caught or prosecuted. By going online to perform a criminal background check and applying several background check resources, you will find important information regarding a person's past.
Criminal Background Check Resources to Search for Sex Offenders
Every citizen can search The National Sex Offender Public Website that is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Justice for sex offenders in all 50 states, many Indian tribes, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. This Website will give you the identity and location of persons known to be sex offenders. To get this information, you should follow this procedure:
- Enter The National Sex Offender Public Website.
- Select "I agree" under conditions of use.
- Select "Search".
An additional resource is the individual state public websites. However, The National Sex Offender Registry is a database that is not available to anyone who is not in law enforcement.
Public Records
Your first resource for performing background checks can be public records. A lot of valuable information about a person can be found in public records such as birth, marriage and court records. There are two ways you can access public records:
- You can contact the applicable government office by phone and get the information yourself.
- You can use background check services on the internet that will provide you with a timely and accurate report. However, information that is of a private nature will not be available through free public records, but it can be gotten through background check services websites on the internet for a fee.
Using free public records, you can find the following information about a person:
- You can find out if a person is who they say they are.
- You can discover any previous marriages or name changes.
- You can learn about legal matters including criminal charges.
- You will find contact information such as addresses and phone numbers.
Online Background Check Websites
When looking for a criminal background website, it is important that at the start of your search you recognize the right website to meet your needs. This will take time, but it is worth it because you will be able to use this website for years. Characteristics of good background check websites are:
Sites organized by states. Facts of individual states are more useful than looking at statistics of the whole country.
All the resources provided are statewide such as records of your state's courts, convictions and incarcerations.
Criminal Records Access
When it comes to access of criminal records of a person other than yourself, it is virtually impossible in many states. However, your ability to access criminal records of another person varies widely by the laws of each state. You need to contact your state to find out if any criminal records are accessible to you.
