Keeping a clean and accurate personal record in today’s digital age is important. This is necessary for various reasons, such as finding a new job or renting an apartment. Knowing what information is available about you, on the other hand, is important to ensure peace of mind. It might seem expensive and overwhelming to run a background check on yourself, but did you know it’s possible to do it for free? I’ll explain how to run a free background check on yourself in the course of this article. Key points
- Running a background check on yourself can help you identify any red flags and take action to correct them.
- Background checks are used by employers to screen potential employees before hiring, and they can be conducted by employers themselves or by a third-party screening service.
- There are several ways to run a background check on yourself for free, including using websites like Spokeo, PeopleLooker, Social Catfish, PeopleFinder, USSearch, and Truthfinder.
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) is the main governmental organization responsible for performing criminal background checks in the UK.
- You can use your Social Security information and obtain a credit report to conduct a background check on yourself.
What are Background Checks?
Before officially hiring a potential employee, employers often undertake a background check to confirm the authenticity of the information provided by the candidate. This process can be managed by the employers themselves or outsourced to specialized third-party services. The goal is to cross-check their background details through accessible public records and other available sources. This helps employers ensure that the candidates they are considering for employment are honest in their applications and meet the company’s standards, policies, or values. It’s important to identify any potential risks or discrepancies associated with a candidate that could affect the workplace.
Background checks typically include verifying personal information such as identity, educational background, employment history, and sometimes, more detailed checks like criminal records, credit history, and references. This comprehensive approach helps employers to build a clearer picture of the candidate’s past behavior and reliability.
What Is the Best Free Background Check?
Here are the best free background check sites:
- Spokeo
- PeopleLooker
- Social Catfish
- PeopleFinder
- USSearch
- Truthfinder
They offer free preliminary searches that give you basic information, but you’ll have to pay if you want more in-depth details like criminal records or financial history. Using the information responsibly and verifying any critical details independently is essential. What sets some of these websites apart is the breadth of their public records databases and their ability to help you find people for genealogy or reconnection purposes.
Is U.S. Search Free?
Yes. You can use U.S. search without cost to gather details about someone’s background, including age, address history, and relatives. However, like many other sites, payment is required for more detailed information, such as criminal records or financial history.
How Can I Run a Background Check on Someone for Free UK?
Let me introduce you to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). A DBS check, formerly a CRB check, discloses an individual’s criminal history, including unspent convictions. So, it’s easier to run a background check for someone in the U.S., the main governmental organization responsible for criminal background checks.
Does the UK Embassy Run Background Checks?
Yes. The UK authorities run free background checks on individuals applying for entry clearance or seeking to remain in the country. These checks include verifying whether the applicants have any criminal records in the UK. If an individual has been convicted of a criminal offense with a minimum sentence of 12 months imprisonment, they are likely to be denied entry into the UK.
How to Run Your Free Background Check
When applying for jobs, you permit employers to check your background. Once they complete this process, consider asking the employer or screening agency for the results to help you understand and review the information provided. However, if you are interested in running a background check on yourself, you can use the following steps to Run a Background Check Yourself For Free:
#1. Verify your Social Security Information
You must provide your Social Security Number to aid employers in background checks. This information helps employers verify your identity, as it reports the name associated with that number and any legal name changes. You can conduct this process yourself by visiting the Social Security Administration’s website and creating an account. This step can help you ensure that the information the administration provides about you is accurate.
#2. Obtain a Credit Report
A potential employer may check your credit history during a background investigation. However, they can only obtain your written consent to run a credit check. You can get access to this information by obtaining a credit report. You can also request one free credit report per year from the national credit bureaus. The employer’s credit report will differ from your credit report. They cannot see personal information, such as your birth or marital status, credit score, or account numbers. The information employers see in these reports includes:
- The types of accounts you have applied for/opened
- The dates you opened those accounts
- How long have you held accounts
- Payment history
- Loan totals
- Outstanding account balances
- Bankruptcies
Employers look at your credit information for various purposes, including verifying your identity or background. Some employers use this information to assess candidates’ sense of responsibility, financial or otherwise. This process can take them significant time and money, so employers often seek credit reports on candidates before or after making a job offer.
Checklist for Running a Background Check
#3. Check Your Criminal Record
If you have a criminal record, this information appears when employers perform background checks. The information included in these reports includes:
- Criminal convictions (felony and misdemeanor)
- Imprisonment history
- Parole history
- Probation history
- Warrants
- Pending criminal cases
These reports sometimes include arrests within the last seven years, even if they did not lead to convictions. You can review your criminal history by requesting records from the applicable courts or corrections departments if these details apply to you. Depending on where you request information, you may incur fees when conducting this process.
#4. Get Your Driving Record
Your driving record may appear in your pre-employment background check, though not all employers review this information. Typically, they seek this information when driving is part of the job. Companies want to ensure they hire reliable, responsible, and safe drivers. The employer must gain your permission to run this report like credit checks. Your driving record includes information such as:
- Status of your driver’s license
- License classifications and endorsements
- Traffic violations
- Accidents
- Fees and citations owed
- Convictions and fines
You can obtain a driver’s license from the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) by paying a fee. The DMV often lets you view this information online, though you can also visit one of their office locations or request a copy through the mail. The costs associated with getting a copy of your driving record can vary. If you have held a driver’s license in another state within the past two decades, consider seeking your records there.
#5. Review Your Education and Employment History
When applying for jobs, employers typically ask you to provide information about your educational background and work history. In terms of education, this information includes the schools you attended and the degrees you earned. Your work history may include:
- Names of organizations
- Locations of organizations
- Dates of employment
- Names of supervisors
- Contact information for supervisors
- Your job title
Potential employers sometimes seek transcripts from educational institutions. You can contact your school to ensure they have your records and request a transcript to review its accuracy. Similarly, you can contact your prior employers to ensure they have accurate employment records. You may also pursue other methods of obtaining your work history. For example, you can find this information by obtaining your Social Security records, IRS records, and credit reports.
#6. Review Your Address History
Employer’s background checks may also include information about your address history. This information can help verify your identity and the addresses’ locations can support driving and criminal records. For these reasons, you want to ensure that the address information available to you is accurate. Some of the previous reports can help you verify this information, such as your credit report, tax records, and public records. You can also find websites that can perform an address history search using your name and location. Be mindful that these services may only sometimes have the most reliable information.
#7. Review Your Social Media Presence
Today’s employers may also spend time reviewing candidates’ public social media profiles. They want to ensure that their employees project a positive and professional representation of themselves online, protecting their reputation. As a result, your profile should not contain mentions or evidence of illegal activities, violence, bullying or harassment, and offensive or inflammatory messages.
These rules apply to written and visual content displayed on your profiles. You can also review your social media profiles and make necessary updates or changes. If your profiles are public, continue monitoring them to ensure that they uphold your positive reputation. Also, consider performing searches for your name or commonly used usernames to identify any old profiles you may have forgotten. When you find old profiles you no longer need or want public, you can try deleting them or making them private.
When considering your background, remember your online presence. Some companies review candidates’ profiles on social media. Consider what your behaviour on social media might indicate to a potential employer. Ensure your profiles reflect a positive and professional image to potential employers, and refrain from speaking negatively about a current or previous employer. Conversely, frequently posting about the great things you do in your current role is seen favourably.
#8. Use a Screening Company
Rather than performing these steps yourself, you can pay for a commercial service to run a personal background check. Try to identify services used by employers to ensure that you find similar information. Companies that only provide services for consumers may have access to some databases and resources used by employer-serving companies. Employment screenings must comply with the U.S. Fair Credit Reporting Act, so you can also identify services based on their compliance with that law.
As you assess providers, they offer different packages. Review your options to determine which packages provide your desired information and the pricing that suits your budget. You must provide information about yourself when using background search services to aid their search.
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