Please Note: The material on this website is provided for informational purposes only. It is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by The Fair Credit Reporting Act and should not be used to determine an individual's eligibility for personal credit or employment, or to assess risk associated with any business transactions such as tenant screening.

You want to ensure that the people who you work with and those who become part of your personal life can be trusted. For this, you can perform criminal history checks which are based on information available to the general public. You can obtain this information from a variety of sources. Consider the main ones.
Online Databases
These databases contain the criminal history records of people who have committed crimes in the respective state. They are administered by state authorities that have been specifically appointed for this job. In some places, special authorities have been created for the purpose. Their job is to collect information issued by other authorities and more specifically courts and law enforcement agencies. Information is collected and uploaded online on a regular basis.
The online databases can be accessed freely by members of the public. Typically, you will need registration for obtaining the details which you require. You will have to state what you need the information for. In this way, the respective authority can give you the appropriate clearance level. For instance, some employers such as schools and hospitals can be entitled to more detailed information compared to members of the public who are conducting a general search.
Public Institutions
Since not all states have unified online databases containing criminal history information, many people still have to conduct traditional searches. In this case, you may have to use several sources instead of a single one. These include courts and law enforcement authorities operating at different levels. You will have to check their records which are available to the public. They can be computer-based, paper-based or both.
In most cases, you will simply have to provide your name in order to access the information. However, sometimes, you will have to submit a written application and receive formal approval first. You have to check precisely how the process works to allow enough time for the entire check. It is also important to note the office hours of the respective institution which keeps the documents that you need. Keep in mind that some institutions give members of the public access to their records only on certain dates and within specifically set hours.
Is the effort of obtaining criminal history information on a person worth it? Yes, it is. It is invaluable to be surrounded by people that you can trust. Besides, at present, such checks take very little time to complete even if the information which you require is not directly available online.