subject: Facts about Criminal Record Searches [print this page] Current internet technology has made our life remarkably easy. We can do shopping online by just a few minutes. Also if we are going to find a new home loan, or create a new checking account, we can go to the internet, do some comparison and research, and then finish the procedure online in only a few minutes. If we need to check criminal records, we also can do it through the internet in a few minutes of time.
Some years ago, the government records were placed in a certain places. If you want to search those documents, you may need to plan ahead, and then request an expert to lookup them for you. Things have changed nowadays. Many public records have been converted into soft copies and entered into online databases. It is much easier to search public criminal documents using internet, and get the results quickly.
Today you can search the public criminal record from many resources. Due to the current computer technology, they are so convenient to be checked. But it is very important to understand some facts before running a public criminal records lookup.
1. Not all government criminal records are available through one search. There are many databases for checking criminal records now, but not all of them are connected together. Also criminal records of many states may not be completely accessible through the internet. After you purchase a criminal background report, you may find that data may not be available for some people. Therefore, before you purchase the report, you shall make sure that the database contains the person you are searching for.
2. Some states have a certain laws for public criminal documents which can be released to the public. The rising number of identity theft made it necessary to disallow online criminal background lookup companies to release SSN or birth date of the individual to the buyers in their reports.
3. There may be a small amount of fee in some states for accessing certain criminal records information. So the users have to pay the fee when they are running the criminal background lookup. Fortunately, this is only a small charge; also users have the options to pay for single search only, or the membership for a certain duration, which enables them to run unlimited searches in this period.
