Can Someone Run a Background Check Without My Permission?
Cindy Ellis - May 12, 2023
Background checks have become commonplace when you’re applying for a job or if you want to screen an employer. A background check can also be used for many other things, like screening a potential partner and ensuring that someone is who they say they are—something that’s become important in online spaces. That said, whether or not it’s legal to run a background check on someone without consent is an important factor to consider.
The good news is that we’re here to help. We’ll take you through the ins and outs of background checks to help you determine if it’s legal to run a background check on someone with consent. Additionally, we’ll show you how to run a background check online.
Read on to learn more if you’ve been asking yourself, “Can someone run a background check without my permission?”
What Is a Background Check?
Background checks are used by individuals and employers to verify someone’s identity. Background checks will include criminal records, social security number verification, work history, education history, and much more. In fact, some background checks include employers reaching out to references for additional verification. Overall, background checks are in-depth searches through someone’s public records.
Can Employers Run a Background Check Without Consent?
No, employers can’t run a background check without consent. Running a background check without consent can result in legal problems outlined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). According to FCRA guidelines, employees have protections against background checks that are run without consent. In fact, it’s against the law and can result in legal consequences like lawsuits. Therefore, employers can’t run background checks without consent.
What Happens When an Employee Doesn’t Consent?
Employees who don’t consent to a background check can’t be forced into consenting; that would break the law. This means that the employer doesn’t have an option when an employee doesn’t want to participate in the background check. On the other hand, the employer can choose not to hire the potential employee. Therefore, it’s usually not a good idea to not consent to a background check before employment.
Can Individuals Run Background Checks Without Permission?
Individuals can run a background check without consent as long as they weren’t explicitly told not to. While this can’t be done for employment purposes or through a professional agency, using resources like Information.com, TruthFinder, and private investigators to find information about people is legal. As long as the information is public record, you can find just about anything about them legally.
Some exceptions need to be noted. First and foremost, you can’t use this information for activities like stalking. Furthermore, you can’t run background checks on domestic help. Domestic help is considered as anyone who helps you around the house (nanny, babysitter, housekeeper, etc.). You also can’t run background checks on people if they tell you not to.
What Information Comes Up in a Background Check?
Being prepared for the information that appears in a background check is the best way to get ahead of any problems. Knowing what appears in someone’s records also gives you an idea about what to look for. We list the records that show up in a background check below.
- Criminal records
- Traffic records (for traffic-related background checks like people who need a CDL)
- Court records
- Education history
- Work history
- Social security information to verify identity
- Sex offender status
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Records of jail sentences
Depending on the person that the background check is being run on, information about them may vary.
How to Run a Background Check With Information.com
Information.com offers several tools to help you find public records about people. Many tools are designed to work in unique ways. Examples include tools that help you find someone using their email address, known as a reverse email lookup tool. There are also other tools like the phone lookup tool, which allows you to search by phone number, and the address lookup tool. Depending on the information you have available, any of these tools can help you find information about someone.
That said, the best tool to use to run a background check on Information.com is our background check tool. By design, it’s built to bring you the best possible information about someone’s criminal, court, and other public records.
One of the best things about our public records search tools is that they’re hassle-free to use. All it takes is some information, and you can run a background check in less than 10 minutes. Follow the steps below to use our background check tool.
- Navigate to our criminal records check or background check tool.
- Enter the individual’s first name, last name, city, and state.
- Select Search.
- Scroll through the results until you find the person you’re looking for and select them.
- Look through the basic information provided and open the Full Report to learn everything else about them.
Our background and criminal background check tools are the best public record search engines. They’re always accurate and contain fresh information about people. Additionally, the database is consistently updated to ensure you always have access to high-quality information.
What Information Can You Find With a Background Check From Information.com?
Information.com provides you with a lot of information about someone. Our background check tool is comprehensive and doesn’t miss when it comes to accurate information. Ultimately, as long as it’s a public record, we can help you find it.
With our criminal background check and background check tools, you can find the following information about someone:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address
- Social media accounts
- Dating profiles
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
- Family members
- Spouses
- Divorce records or marriage records
- Court records
- Traffic records
- Criminal records
- Sex offender status
Depending on the person, you may find some or all of this information when you use our background check tool.
What Are the Limitations of Online Background Check Tools?
Online background check tools are great, but they have limitations. After all, some things found within employment background checks are not for everyone to see. The main limitation of an online background check tool is that you won’t have access to someone’s social security information. This means that it’s a bit more challenging to verify their identity. The good news is that there are plenty of other methods to verify someone’s identity with information like their name, phone number, and address.
Who Can Benefit From Information.com’s Background Check Tool?
Information.com is one of the best tools for fast and accurate online background checks. Both individuals and businesses will benefit from the tool because of its low cost and speed. It works best for people who want to learn about someone’s public records or any crimes they committed. If you’re not worried about someone’s identity and are more concerned about their past and work history, online background check tools are often sufficient.
Run a Background Check Today
Whether or not someone can run a background check typically comes down to consent. In situations where employers want to screen employees, consent is almost always a requirement. However, there are some cases where you don’t need consent. The best rule of thumb to follow is that for employment, you need consent, but to learn more about someone’s public records, you don’t. Following these rules will help you remain compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which will keep you out of trouble.
