10 Best Criminal Background Check Services for 2025

Criminal background screenings generally search federal, state, or county records to identify any reportable criminal records associated with the candidate. There are many criminal background check services to choose from, but not all are created equal. For example, not all services are compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which means they can not be used for employment or tenant-screening purposes.

Read on to learn how to find the best criminal background checks and which can be used by employers.

A criminal background check is a search of court records to report a candidate’s criminal history at the federal, state, or county level. The specific records searched will vary based on the job for which you’re hiring, applicable federal and local laws and industry regulations regarding background checks, and your organization’s background screening policy. Depending on the type of criminal background check performed, reports may show felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending criminal cases, and sometimes, interactions with law enforcement that didn’t lead to charges, such as arrests.

Employers may conduct criminal background checks to make informed hiring decisions, reduce risk, safeguard against liability claims, and comply with federal, state, and local regulations. Individuals may order a personal background check to prepare for a job interview or housing search and verify the accuracy of the information on their background screening report.

Employers can conduct criminal background checks on their own by contacting law enforcement agencies directly and searching public records, but this is often a time-consuming (and costly) task for any HR team to manage. Additionally, choosing to use a consumer-facing criminal background check website may not meet FCRA-compliance requirements which is essential for employment or tenant-screening purposes.

The best criminal background check sites often have a large number of screening options, ability to customize packages, easy-to-use interfaces, and quick turnaround times, Other factors that can set them apart as the best criminal background check companies include competitive pricing, global screening options, and HR tech integrations for streamlined workflows.

With clients that include large gig employers and fast-growing companies in high-turnover industries, Checkr stands out as the best FCRA-compliant criminal background check service provider. Checkr offers fast, accurate background checks, with 89% of criminal checks, including county searches, completing within one hour. Available screenings include national, federal, state, and county criminal record checks, as well as continuous criminal record screening. Searches are available in 200+ countries, including GDPR-compliant international background checks.

Its modern platform with built-in workflows help employers improve hiring efficiency while a mobile-optimized candidate portal provides visibility into the background check process. Additionally, its compliance tools help support fair hiring.

In April 2022, Checkr acquired GoodHire, another highly-ranked background check company. Together, they are among the best criminal background check sites with many screening options to help scale your business and an excellent experience for both customers and candidates alike.

According to its website, HireRight is the largest global provider of background screening services. Offering screening services in over 200 countries and territories, they employ a network of both in-house and on-the-ground researchers who conduct criminal background checks, civil records searches, industry-specific checks, sex offender registry searches, driving records, and prohibited parties checks. They also offer an international criminal background check service for companies with global reach.

HireRight offers tailored features for companies in specific industries such as transportation, education, and financial services, as well as small businesses. The company boasts an average turnaround time of 2-4 business days and the ability to integrate with popular ATS and HRIS software.

Accurate provides compliant criminal background checks as well as other screening options, like credit checks and monitoring services. Serving a variety of industries, the company provides background checks in more than 200 countries and offers round-the-clock customer support to ensure transparency and communication with candidates throughout the background check process.

Accurate offers county, state, federal, and international criminal searches and allows employers to set up their own criteria in conjunction with applicable regulations. Using machine learning to instantly report motor vehicle records and clear criminal search results, Accurate claims a 99.9% accuracy rate.

First Advantage provides background check services to small, mid-market, enterprise, and global organizations across various industries. The company offers a variety of screening options, giving you the flexibility to choose the best background check for the role you’re hiring. First Advantage’s industry-specific packages are designed to meet the needs of specific verticals, and its compliance management tools help reduce organizational risk.

In October 2024, First Advantage acquired Sterling Check, another popular background check service.

KarmaCheck is a criminal background check service that is highly candidate-centered. Its ATS integrations enable employers to seamlessly integrate background checks into their existing workflows and provide a mobile-friendly candidate portal that can be accessed from any device.

KarmaCheck's standard criminal history search includes national, state, and county records and a sex offender registry search. The background check provider also offers industry-specific packages and tools for healthcare organizations, staffing agencies, gig economy platforms, and call centers.

The best criminal background check sites for individuals can help you learn more about people in your life, like potential roommates or neighbors, or provide a preview of your own public records. Since these types of checks generally aren’t compliant with the FCRA, they shouldn’t be used for employment purposes.

Checkr not only offers employment background checks, but also offers personal background checks. Running a background check on yourself gives you the opportunity to preview what employers and landlords might see so you can anticipate questions and review the report for errors or inaccuracies, plus you’ll save time instead of searching public records on your own. 

The report can be ordered in a few easy steps and results are available to view in the online candidate portal. The personal background check may include an SSN trace, sex offender registry check, global watchlist search, criminal and civil searches, and driving records.

TruthFinder is not FCRA-compliant, but may be considered as one of the best websites to check criminal records for consumers. It enables users to scan hundreds of millions of US-only public records in order to find results.

The site lets you search by name, address, email, or phone number and can return results from public court databases like traffic tickets and felony or misdemeanor charges or convictions (though it may exclude pending cases and sealed or expunged records). Truthfinder is easy to use and offers data in a single report, but does require membership for unlimited searches.

Intelius is primarily a people search service, which means it is not FCRA-compliant and therefore may not be recommended for employers to use when conducting background checks.

However, Intelius is a fast public records search provider. Users can search using a person’s name, phone number, or address to get started with a nationwide criminal background check or add a state or county for more accurate results. Intelius may ask questions to help narrow down the results and can provide a wealth of information on people including known associates and possible relationships, professional licenses, traffic and vehicle records, and much more.

If you’re an individual looking to search for information about another person, Instant Checkmate may be considered as one of the best websites for criminal background checks. Originally created in 2010 to help people engaged in online dating feel more comfortable meeting up in person, Instant Checkmate is an automated, consumer-facing service that provides access to public records data on a subscription basis.

While it may not be FCRA-compliant, the service does enable individuals to search public records for contact information, location data, and criminal records that include arrest records, convictions, and lawsuits.

PeopleFinders offers fast results with data from various public sources to help you find information about friends or relatives. The site is free to use for basic public record searches and offers more detailed reports and real-time updates to paid members. You can conduct searches on its website or use the mobile app for a more robust experience, including auto spam call blocking.

The criminal search includes records include convictions and arrest records from federal, state, and local agencies as well as sex offender registry searches.

Criminal background checks search a variety of court records and databases to report a candidate’s criminal history. Common criminal background checks might include the following:

Criminal background checks search a variety of court records and databases to report a candidate’s criminal history. Common criminal background checks might include the following:

• Federal criminal records check searches the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) for criminal records in federal jurisdictions, which include specific federal crimes such as those committed on federal land or across state lines.
• National criminal records check searches nationwide databases of criminal history records at the state and county levels, which is different from a federal criminal records check.
• State criminal records check searches state data sources such as state court, law enforcement, or corrections department records.
• County criminal records check searches county court records. This is often the most complete source of criminal histories because all records of felonies and misdemeanors, as well as cases filed in local jurisdictions, are kept at county courts.
• Sex offender registry search inspects sex offender registries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and US territories.
• Global watchlist searches check a network of domestic and international government watchlists for criminal history and sanctions against an individual.
• International criminal records searches, used when a job candidate lives or works outside the US (or has previously), check criminal history records in countries where the candidate lived.

Employers working with a consumer reporting agency (CRA) to conduct background checks must follow the regulations set by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA requires employers to provide candidates with written notice of their intent to run a background check and to obtain written consent before proceeding. If the employer decides not to hire a candidate or promote an employee based on the results of a background check, you must follow the adverse action process.

Turnaround times for criminal checks depend on multiple factors, including whether you search for records yourself or work with a CRA, the types of screenings you choose, your location, and the availability of digital records.

Partnering with a CRA, like Checkr, can typically speed the process. Checkr’s proprietary data network and relationships with court researchers nationwide, combined with modern technology, delivers fast, accurate results. In fact, 89% of Checkr's criminal checks, including county searches, complete in one hour.

It may be possible to conduct free background checks, as it’s often possible to request records directly from law enforcement agencies or educational institutions. For example, California criminal records can be requested through the California Department of Justice’s automated service. However, access to some databases may be limited or require a subscription. Additionally, you may be required to pay for copies of requested records.

Individuals may be able to perform limited checks for free. For example, certain states provide public access to online criminal records, along with court, arrest, and inmate records. You may also be able to use free background check sites for simple people searches, but if you want more details or comprehensive information, you typically have to pay a fee. 

There are many criminal record search tools available to meet your needs, whether you’re an individual needing to look up information about a date or potential roommate or an employer needing to conduct a criminal background check as part of a pre-employment screening. The best background check providers offer modern technology, comprehensive data, streamlined workflows, and fast results.

Checkr is one of the best criminal background check services, offering multiple screening options, including comprehensive criminal searches and continuous monitoring within the US as well as international searches. Our advanced platform and proprietary data network provide fast, accurate reports, while built-in compliance tools and industry-leading integrations streamline your hiring workflows. Get started today.

If you want to know what’s on your criminal record, Checkr can help with our fast, easy online personal background check service. You can run common criminal background searches on yourself and review results online in minutes. Order online today.

*Website images and pricing mentioned in this article are accurate as of date of publication.

About the author

Sara Korolevich serves as checkr.com’s editor and content manager. In this role, she produces educational resources for employers on a broad range of screening topics, including background check compliance and best practices. She also writes about Checkr’s company and product news to keep customers updated and informed.