Public data check services like TruthFinder have made it much easier to look up publicly available information on any individual with ease. It’s one of the most reliable services for checking public data and helps to streamline the research process whenever you want to find out more about an individual.

You may want to run a public data check on a person for several reasons, including reuniting with long-lost loved ones or checking if an online date is safe to spend time with. You may also simply want to check what information about you is publicly accessible by running a personal background check.

The finest public data check services employ public (and occasionally private) databases to dig up information on one or more specified persons. This is in contrast to credit checks and police checks, which use government databases.

But with these public data search engines, you can find out more about real estate, businesses, or even the name of a caller you don’t know. Here are the best public data search services on the market.

6 Best Public Data Check Services On the Market

TruthFinder – Best Public Data Check Service Overall

If you’re curious about the information others might be able to find out about you, TruthFinder has several features that let you do a public data check, including access to public and private databases and self-monitoring tools.

In many ways, TruthFinder is similar to other free programs for verifying information found online. Public and private database searches, as well as the ability to locate possible friends and family members, are all part of these tools.

Self-monitoring features on the TruthFinder platform allow users to check their profiles and see what information is available to employers and other searchers. 

The TruthFinder platform also allows you to lay claim to previously held information. By doing so, you’ll be able to make edits to the article to make it more accurate or hide it from other people using TruthFinder.

TruthFinder’s abilities as a people-search engine are remarkable, and the service offers a variety of data on the individual you’re trying to locate. 

The capacity to run endless checks on public data is another key strength. TruthFinder is not a free service, but if you plan on using it frequently, the $30 monthly fee will be well worth it.

Pros

• Works on mobile or desktop 
• Deep web and social searches do uncover some new data
• Toll-free customer support
• Unlimited searches with membership

Cons

• Buying separate reports is very expensive
• There is no free trial available

Intelius – Best for One-time Public Data Search

Intelius conducts more in-depth reviews of publicly available data than many other services. The educational history is a key piece of information if you want to use Intelius to get in touch with someone from your past. This is in addition to the usual addresses, criminal histories, and financial information.

Reconnecting with old pals, researching someone’s criminal history, and seeing what information is available about you are just a few of the uses for Intelius’s service that are highlighted on the website. 

You can use it to see who’s calling you and get more information about the house you’re interested in. The service is efficient at delivering the data you require, and your search history will remain hidden.

Intelius offers seven different packages for searching someone’s background. These packages range from simple phone book searches to full audits of public records. To gain access to any of these options, you will need to sign up for a subscription plan for an extended period of time. 

The monthly fees for each plan are comparable, but the costs for the free trial periods are different.

Its large database is impressive, but what sets Intelius apart is its user-friendly design. Even though the billing policies aren’t always clear, we still think this is the best public data verification service. 

Additionally, we appreciate the graph-like representation of relationships that Intelius uses to make linkages clear. With the quality that Intelius has shown, the $25 monthly fee should be more than worth it.

Pros

• Features a variety of educational resources
• Helpful representations
• There are subscription and one-time report choices available.
• A user who frequently checks their social networks

Cons

• As opposed to other options, this one is somewhat pricey

Instant Checkmate has one of the most extensive public records databases for public data checks. The service is user-friendly and provides access to a wealth of data, which includes contact information and records. 

Results aren’t fast, and the service provides users with a long list of questions and caution before producing a report, which can be unpleasant.

All you need to find someone is their name, city, and state. In addition, Instant Checkmate has a reverse phone lookup function, although it is buried a bit. After conducting a search, a list of possible matches will be displayed, and you will be able to access a comprehensive report for each one of them.

Since Instant Checkmate only searches public records, it does not provide any information that cannot be found elsewhere. In spite of this, the platform does cover a lot of ground, with information on houses, automobiles, relatives, marriages, bankruptcies, and even bankruptcy included in reports. 

Whether the person you’re looking for has a criminal, arrest, or traffic record, as well as if they’re a registered sex offender, you’ll find that out here, too.

When compared to other search engines, one of the many advantages of this one is the breadth of information it provides. 

The search feature of Instant Checkmate is hard to use because the user has to close more than a dozen pop-ups before the final report is shown. However, if you can get past this issue, Instant Checkmate is a very simple game to play.

The price for access to unlimited reports for individual users is about $35 monthly. Read our Instant Checkmate review to find more information.

Pros

• Superb monetary worth
• Insights that are both current and precise
• Superb Search Engines
• When you subscribe, you can access as many reports as you like.

Cons 

• There is no all-in-one form of reporting

US Search – Best Public Data Search for Ease of Use

US Search is a public data search service that not only provides access to public records but also transports you to an earlier era of web design, with a Yahoo-like aesthetic reminiscent of the year 1998. 

With less money to spend on web design, US Search appears to have prioritized providing users with comprehensive search options at competitive prices.

US Search will return a long list of search results based on the information you provide about the person you’re trying to locate, whether they be known to you by name, phone number, address, or email. 

US Search does not hide search results behind a paywall like some other search engines. You only have to pay to access the complete report for one specific person, but you can see the list to find the right person.

The background checks include standard pieces of data like a person’s name, current and previous addresses, assets, and criminal history. Contact information for the person you’re looking for, such as a phone number, email address, or social media handle, is also provided. 

That’s why US Search is perfect for tracking down a long-lost friend or relative. You can buy a single report or sign up for a monthly plan that lets you do as many searches as you want.

Pros

• Financially Practical Reporting
• Effective search tools
• Up-to-date data
• Find what you’re looking for without spending a dime!

Cons

• There is no option to purchase individual report(s)

PeopleFinders – Most Accurate Public Data Check

PeopleFinders is, as its name implies, a public data check service that helps you locate people, and it does so effectively. It’s a straightforward online tool that searches public databases to help you learn more about someone by providing only their name, phone number, email address, or physical address. 

You can either pay for a single report or subscribe for unlimited access.

PeopleFinders provides multiple options for conducting a personal search. Simply type in the person’s name and city, or use a known phone number, email, or physical address. 

If your name search gives you more than one result, PeopleFinders will give you more information, like age and family ties, to help you narrow down your results. That’s crucial because many other search tools require payment before letting you know if any results exist.

PeopleFinders provides flexible pricing tiers to meet your needs. There are two types of reports that can be obtained on an individual: a search report that contains only basic contact details and a background report that contains additional information like criminal, property, and court records. 

Furthermore, with a monthly subscription, you have access to an unlimited number of reports.

We found that, compared to other services, it was the most thorough and found things that others had missed. For instance, we learned from PeopleFinders that one of our objectives was to find the owner of a company, which we would not have known from searching on other sites.

However, the website is only accessible within the United States and lacks data from social media, so it is not very useful for internet-related tasks. However, if you intend to use it for an extended period of time, the monthly price drops to under $25 after the first month’s introductory offer ends.

Pros

• Low-cost, all-encompassing reporting
• Finds information that competitors may not.
• Website that’s a breeze to navigate
• Buy Individual Data Sets
• Fantastic mobile applications

Cons

• There is no social media-related data

Spokeo – Best Reverse Phone Lookup

Spokeo provides access to what it claims to be a comprehensive network of authoritative sources when a name is entered along with an email address or other means of identity verification.

Reports will be updated frequently as new information becomes available. Find out about someone’s interests, academic achievements, financial standing, dating profiles, and even their video game and music libraries with the help of Spokeo.

However, not all search queries were successful; some names were transposed, indicating a lack of human oversight.

Despite this, Spokeo deserves a higher grade because it allows you to perform a reverse mobile number search on those annoying spam callers.

Pros

• Extensive exploration of the web
• Reports that are regularly updated
• reverse phone lookups

Cons

• Names may be mismatched in online searches

Best Public Data Check – Ranking Methodology

We’ve evaluated the top services for checking public records based on criteria like the variety of records they can verify, the speed with which they can do so, and the clarity of their interfaces.

We looked into whether or not the services could conduct custom audits for settings as varied as schools, hospitals, stores, and more. We looked into the service’s accessibility via mobile platforms and any available human guidance features.

We also considered their pricing structures and whether or not they could be flexible with their services and costs.

How to Choose the Best Public Data Search Service?

Before making a final decision on a public data check service, it’s important to identify your specific requirements and the nature of the public data checks you’ll be conducting. Driving records, criminal records, employment histories, and credit reports are all examples of public data checks.

Basic information, like a candidate’s education or social media profiles, can be checked using internal resources or a free public database search service.

The time it takes for the service to complete its checks is the next factor to consider. If you want to avoid having to delay the hiring process because of the results of a background check, it’s best to go with a provider that won’t take more than a few days.

Finally, keep an eye on the service’s usability and pricing options.

What is a Public Data Check Service?

If you want to find out more about a specific person, you can use a public records check service that meticulously searches the entire internet for any relevant information. 

You could potentially find most of the same records that the services do on your own. However, it would take you weeks, if not months, to compile all of the data you need. It takes less than five minutes for a background check service to search through millions of records and provide a detailed report.

Online public records checks can find more than just criminal records. They can also confirm someone’s identity and give information about their past lives, such as their credit history, employment history, and financial situation.

Information Included in Different Types of Public Data Checks

You can conduct public data checks ranging from the most basic to the most in-depth criminal background checks.

How in-depth you go with your reporting typically depends on the goals you set out to accomplish with your public data search. If you are just spying on an ex-boyfriend, for instance, you probably won’t spend as much time researching as you would if you were applying for a job at a top-tier security firm.

The most widespread current business models for verifying public records include:

• Social media scans
• Universal public data checks
• Credit public data checks
• Reference checks
• Education verification
• Social Security number trace
• Criminal public data checks
• International public data checks
• Professional licenses public data checks
• Background checks for employment

Most will include basic biographical data about the subject, such as name, age range, place of birth, and contact information (phone numbers and addresses). 

In addition to the basics, it will include things like a person’s employment and education history, as well as any criminal or arrest records they may have. Public data searches can also include the following:

• Bankruptcies
• Photographs
• Social media profiles
• Driving history
• Personal websites
• Liens
• Weapons permits
• References
• Credit 
• Military records
• Blogs 
• Other types of licenses (professional)
• Aliases 
• Civil records
• Wikipedia pages
• Sexual offender registry listings
• Marriage licenses
• Relatives 

Also, depending on the public data verification company and its rules, more information may be needed.

Where Does Public Data Check Information Come From?

Depending on the report type you requested, the public data check information may come from a variety of different places. Checking criminal records is difficult because there is no central repository. Records from the following sources make up the nation’s criminal database:

• State sex offender registries
• State court support agencies
• County courthouses
• Corrections departments
• Federal security agencies’ court records

When you search for something in a database, like a phone number, the results come from public records and phone books. Sometimes the data is incorrect or out of date. Generally speaking, searches of public records are most reliable and cost-effective when conducted at the state or police agency level.

Is There a Free Public Data Check?

Honestly? No. Free public data checks may return information that is several years out of date and could easily cause confusion between individuals with similar-sounding names.

It’s important to realize that the databases used in the compilation of public records that can be checked for free are typically owned and maintained by private businesses. 

Subscription databases, contest entries, coupon signups, and opt-in lists from (data-sharing) businesses can all be suspect sources of personal information.

A lot of these files are also out of date because they were compiled together using old methods (like phone books or residential databases) that are no longer used. In addition, state records (criminal, motor vehicle, and civil) and credit headers are typically not available through free searches (latest contact information).

Best Public Data Check Services: The Takeaway

Before settling on a final list, we looked at each candidate’s price point and the variety of available background checks.

TruthFinder was the most impressive service because it allowed us to search not only public records like criminal and sex offender databases but also private databases like the dark web and the deep web, as well as other record types that aren’t available through the free WhitePages-style searches we’re used to using.

If you have any doubts about a potential new friend, date, companion, chatty coworker, family friend, or anyone who has been hanging around your house, you should run a public data check today.

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