How to Do Background Searches From Home

Select an individual whom you wish to research. Numerous Internet services, such as USSearch and PeopleData, provide background information on United States residents ages 18 and over. (Follow the links in Resources.) At a minimum, you will need an individual's last name. Preferably, you should also have the first name and additional personal information, such as age and place of residence. People will normally show up under past as well as present residences. An approximate age is usually enough. The more information you possess, the more certain you will be that you are finding background information on the correct individual.

Click on the appropriate individual from the list of names that appears in the search. USSearch lists each name with the person's age and a collection of cities in which he has lived. PeopleData provides the name, age, and birthdate (if available) and a single, complete address. Different addresses show up as completely separate entries within the overall list. You may need to match up these addresses to determine if you have the correct party.

Choose the payment option that furnishes the information you need. On USSearch, the $39.95 Basic Background Report includes a listing of bankruptcies, liens, small-claims-court civil judgments, and a general state criminal background check. The criminal background check will include arrests, case numbers, charges, sentences and related information. An Advanced Background Check, currently available for the same price, provides further information on neighbors' names and addresses, marriage and divorce records, and home values. A pop-up window shows what kind of data is available for each state. Results will be emailed to you within 24 hours.

Find additional information with a PeopleData background check. For $39.95, PeopleData's Comprehensive Background Check provides death information, aliases and maiden names, FAA aircraft ownership and airmen names, as well as a list of residences, criminal records, bankruptcies, liens and real property data. PeopleData also offers the chance to view an individual class of records for only $1.95. PeopleData also features an unlimited-use search plan at the rate of $19.95 per month. With USSearch, you can even obtain Expert Assisted Background Searches for $129.95. Professionals find the data you need.