Best Background Check for Dating That Doesn’t Notify Them (Full Guide)

Background check repair icon.Written by Background Check Repair

Background Checks | May 29, 2023

Best background check for dating report on the left, with a lady wearing a yellow blouse preparing for date night while wondering how to do a dating background check online for someone you met through a dating website shown by a magnifying glass looking into a man.

Background Check for Dating
Special background check for dating to look up anyone's past life without them knowing. Enter their name and location to search their dating background check.

Meeting a new person can be exciting, but there are very real dangers in the world, so wondering about the best background check for dating is a common question.

This is especially true when the background check needs to keep the person from finding out about it.

This full guide explains everything about how to run a background check on someone without them knowing (legally) and the best background check for dating that provides a full and comprehensive report.

How to do a Background Check On Someone You Are Dating

Performing a background check on someone requires some knowledge of the law and how to get a criminal background check. For example:

  • A background check requires consent if it is done for professional reasons (a tenant background check, employment background check, firearm background check, etc.)
  • A personal background check does not require consent, but there are limitations.
  • Make sure to have the person’s date of birth, to improve search results.

With those fact in mind, a dating background check can be done manually online, or through a background check agency.

Is it Illegal to Do a Background Check Without Permission?

It is not illegal to run a background check without permission for personal reasons, such as investigating a boyfriend or girlfriend or potential dating partner. On the contrary, consent is required if it’s being used for professional reasons such as employment.

Public records can include criminal history information, social media profiles, certain financial information, and even where someone lives. This means that if someone knows where to look and what databases have the applicable information, all kinds of useful information can be found online in a matter of minutes.

What is Included in the Best Background Check for Dating?

Whether the background check is for dating or to find an old friend or relative, most of the websites will return the same information…All the public information available.

Some common results include:

Many websites will include additional information that is contained in a name based background check, also called a Level 1 background check.

DIY Dating Background Check: Best Background Check for Dating

Virtually all the information that background check companies return is publicly available, and with a little bit of effort and knowing where to look, the information is often fairly easy to find.

Simply follow the steps below to perform a dating background check that examines the information needed.

Social Media & Online Presence (Online Dating Background Check)

Social media accounts are one of the easier searches that can be done by those looking for more information on a person. Obviously, this will be slightly more difficult if the person has a common name but is still entirely possible. Detailed steps are provided below.

Step 1: Set Browser to Incognito

Setting the internet browser to incognito is an important step in getting accurate results. It won’t change anything dramatically, but it will prevent certain settings, such as location related settings, from interfering with the search.

Incognito Google screenshot during the first step of a dating background check

Removing your location from the search, as well as any cookies will help to keep the dating background check private.

Step 2: Search Name and Location

The next step is to search the first and last name of the individual as well as their location. This will significantly increase the odds of finding the actual person, as it will filter out most of the other people with the same name.

Step 3: Verify & Narrow Search

With the search completed, the last step is to sort through the results and identify which social media accounts are the correct ones.

This is fairly easy for individuals who know what the subject of the search looks like, as even most private social media accounts will display a profile picture.

From here, add words like:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin

When searching just the person’s name and location, other information can be displayed as well. This can include a newspaper article they were mentioned in, legal documents with their name, business that they work for and more.

Tip: to make your search more accurate, place parenthesis around their name (example: “john doe”). This will search for the exact phrasing of their name. Include a middle name if you have it.

Search Criminal Records for Dating Background Check

Criminal records are often the most important part of a background check. Luckily, it is easier than ever to find someone’s criminal records with so many states featuring online databases that can be searched using the name of an individual.

The steps vary slightly from state to state but the process is mostly the same. Detailed steps are outlined below.

Step 1: Identify Where Criminal Records Are Held

Every state should have a criminal database of some kind. This is often maintained by the department of justice or the state police, although there are several exceptions. The first step is to determine which agency is in charge of criminal records in each state.

This can be done by using the google search: “Criminal Records State”

Example: California criminal records are maintained by the Department of Justice. 

Step 2: Follow Steps to Perform a Search

With the proper agency identified, the search is usually quite easy.

For an online database, simply search the name of the individual and results should be available immediately. In some states the process may involve an extra step, such as mailing a request form to the agency.

Finally, expect to pay a small processing fee to get a copy of the results, should they exist.

Searching corrections facilities is also another useful search tool for dating background checks.This provides links to past mugshots and previous incarceration records.

Corrections facilities searches will work similar to state criminal records searches, with the same slight differences from state to state. Information on each state’s corrections facilities search can be found below.

Look for terms like “inmate search,” to help locate the inmate finder tools that most corrections facilities will offer.

StateDepartment of Corrections Website
Inmate Lookup AlabamaAlabama Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup AlaskaAlaska Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup ArizonaArizona Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup ArkansasArkansas Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup CaliforniaCalifornia Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup ColoradoColorado Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup ConnecticutConnecticut Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup DelawareDelaware Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup FloridaFlorida Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup GeorgiaGeorgia Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup HawaiiHawaii Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup IdahoIdaho Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup IllinoisIllinois Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup IndianaIndiana Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup IowaIowa Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup KansasKansas Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup KentuckyKentucky Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup LouisianaLouisiana Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MaineMaine Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MarylandMaryland Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MassachusettsMassachusetts Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MichiganMichigan Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MinnesotaMinnesota Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MississippiMississippi Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MissouriMissouri Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup MontanaMontana Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup NebraskaNebraska Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup NevadaNevada Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup New HampshireNew Hampshire Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup New JerseyNew Jersey Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup New MexicoNew Mexico Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup New YorkNew York Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup North CarolinaNorth Carolina Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup North DakotaNorth Dakota Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup OhioOhio Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup OklahomaOklahoma Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup OregonOregon Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup Rhode IslandRhode Island Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup South CarolinaSouth Carolina Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup South DakotaSouth Dakota Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup TennesseeTennessee Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup TexasTexas Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup UtahUtah Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup VermontVermont Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup VirginiaVirginia Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup WashingtonWashington Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup West VirginiaWest Virginia Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup WisconsinWisconsin Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup WyomingWyoming Department of Corrections
Inmate Lookup Washington D.C.Washington D.C. Department of Corrections

Sex Offender Registry Search for Dating Background Check

Sex Offender registries can also be a useful check that can be done easily and for free. Every state has a sex offender registry that can be searched using a name, or even for sex offenders near a certain location.

The National Sex Offender Registry is updated frequently and will only have mistakes if the offender fails to notify law enforcement that they have relocated. This is fairly uncommon as notifying agencies of relocating is required by law for sex offenders.

A link to the sex offender search for each state is available below.

StateDepartment of Corrections Website
AlabamaAlabama Sex Offender Registry
AlaskaAlaska Sex Offender Registry
ArizonaArizona Sex Offender Registry
ArkansasArkansas Sex Offender Registry
CaliforniaCalifornia Sex Offender Registry
ColoradoColorado Sex Offender Registry
ConnecticutConnecticut Sex Offender Registry
DelawareDelaware Sex Offender Registry
FloridaFlorida Sex Offender Registry
GeorgiaGeorgia Sex Offender Registry
HawaiiHawaii Sex Offender Registry
IdahoIdaho Sex Offender Registry
IllinoisIllinois Sex Offender Registry
IndianaIndiana Sex Offender Registry
IowaIowa Sex Offender Registry
KansasKansas Sex Offender Registry
KentuckyKentucky Sex Offender Registry
LouisianaLouisiana Sex Offender Registry
MaineMaine Sex Offender Registry
MarylandMaryland Sex Offender Registry
MassachusettsMassachusetts Sex Offender Registry
MichiganMichigan Sex Offender Registry
MinnesotaMinnesota Sex Offender Registry
MississippiMississippi Sex Offender Registry
MissouriMissouri Sex Offender Registry
MontanaMontana Sex Offender Registry
NebraskaNebraska Sex Offender Registry
NevadaNevada Sex Offender Registry
New HampshireNew Hampshire Sex Offender Registry
New JerseyNew Jersey Sex Offender Registry
New MexicoNew Mexico Sex Offender Registry
New YorkNew York Sex Offender Registry
North CarolinaNorth Carolina Sex Offender Registry
North DakotaNorth Dakota Sex Offender Registry
OhioOhio Sex Offender Registry
OklahomaOklahoma Sex Offender Registry
OregonOregon Sex Offender Registry
PennsylvaniaPennsylvania Sex Offender Registry
Rhode IslandRhode Island Sex Offender Registry
South CarolinaSouth Carolina Sex Offender Registry
South DakotaSouth Dakota Sex Offender Registry
TennesseeTennessee Sex Offender Registry
TexasTexas Sex Offender Registry
UtahUtah Sex Offender Registry
VermontVermont Sex Offender Registry
VirginiaVirginia Sex Offender Registry
WashingtonWashington Sex Offender Registry
West VirginiaWest Virginia Sex Offender Registry
WisconsinWisconsin Sex Offender Registry
WyomingWyoming Sex Offender Registry
Washington D.C.Washington D.C. Sex Offender Registry

Employment Check

Curious to find out where they work?

There is no “official” employment check available online, however performing an employment check is incredibly easy, and there are many options for how to find employment history records.

Simply find the name of the business that the person supposedly works for and contact them directly. A phone call is often the best method, and simply asking to verify that the individual is employed by the company should be no problem. Keep in mind that while they can verify employment, other personal information will likely not be given out by the company.

Background Check for Dating: Marriage License Check

Requesting a marriage record can be a little bit tricky as the method will vary from county to county. Since marriage records are held by the county, the county clerk will have this information.

In many cases there will be no online system so contacting the county clerk via phone may be the best option. However, some counties will have an online request portal. For example, when performing a free background check, California County of Los Angeles:

Step 1: Access the County Clerk Website

For Los Angeles county, the clerk website contains a request portal for certain public records.

Step 2: Navigate to the Request Portal

The portal can be accessed from the homepage by clicking the services tab and selecting the “Request a marriage record,” option.

Los Angeles County Recorder website screenshot explaining how to do a background check on someone you're dating including obtaining marriage records

Checking for marriage licenses can be done at the county clerk, and most of them are public.

Step 3: Submit Request

Records must be gathered by the clerk recorder so a request must be made. Simply enter in the requested information and the clerk will have the results in 3-5 business days.

What’s the Best Background Check Site for Dating?

There are many different websites that offer background check services of various kinds and types. Many of these websites will even outright advertise that they can run background checks on a boyfriend or girlfriend.

Although there are a wealth of options to choose from, not all of them are created equal so it’s important to understand what makes a good background check website and what to expect for individuals looking to hire a background check company, rather than do the search themselves.

Bottom line: use a level 2 background check because this will include not just local records, but national records. If a level 1 check is used, records from their “past life” are very likely to be hidden.

How Do Background Check Websites Work?

Most background check websites first require a name and some other basic information to perform the dating background search. While the search is being performed, more information may be requested to help narrow down the results, especially if the name of the individual is a common one. This is why knowing someone’s middle name is important for getting accurate results.

Once the search is completed, payment of some kind will be required to see the results and obtain a report (unless a 7-day free trial background check is used).

With payment entered the results of the search will be available immediately. All of this can be completed in less than 15 minutes, with a ton of useful information being available at the end of the process. The advantage to gaining public records from an online site is the speed and convenience.

How Much Do Background Check Websites Cost?

The cost is one of the biggest differences between various background check companies. Each company will have a slightly different payment model, but for most of them viewing the results will require a monthly membership that will come with a specific amount of checks. Oftentimes this membership will come with unlimited checks but in some cases the amount of checks per month will be limited or there will be an extra cost to obtain certain information in the report.

The cost of these memberships and what is included ranges dramatically from website to website. Many websites offer free trials or trials at a significantly reduced cost, which is a great option for individuals who are only planning on running one background check.

Prices can be anywhere from $35 for a monthly membership, to as low as $3 for certain trial periods that some companies offer.

There are tons of different options to perform various background checks completely online. Going through a background check company is arguably the fastest but also the most expensive, but what determines the best background check for dating will depend on what information is needed, and knowing how to do a background check on someone you are dating can be a huge benefit for personal safety and security.

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Dating Background Checks

What is the most reliable background check site?

There are plenty of reliable sites that use similar search tools and software to conduct the search. All of the options listed above are reliable options to perform a background check search.

Does Truthfinder show dating sites?

Yes, Truthfinder will return all online profiles that are associated with the person being searched, including dating profiles.

How do you do a free background check on someone you are dating?

There are a number of options to do a free background check. Finding a website that offers a free trial of their background check services is usually the best, but searching databases yourself using the methods above are also reliable.

How Do I Find the Best Dating Background Check Sites?

When choosing the best background check for dating, it’s important to check out the reputation of the company. Many sites that offer fully free information will not include all states, or will not have the most up-to-date and accurate information.

What's the Best Background Check for Cheaters?

Employing the best background check for cheaters can be a little more tricky, but in general, social media checks will provide the most information.


References

1BeenVerified: Everyday Information – Check People, Phone Numbers, Vehicles & Addresses, <https://www.beenverified.com/. Accessed 23 February 2022>

2Instant Checkmate – People Search & Reverse Phone Lookup, <https://www.instantcheckmate.com/. Accessed 23 February 2022.>

3PeopleLooker: Search Social Media Profiles – Find People, Friends & Relatives, <https://www.peoplelooker.com/. Accessed 23 February 2022.>

4TruthFinder – People Search, Reverse Phone Lookup, Address Lookup, <https://www.truthfinder.com/. Accessed 23 February 2022.>

5US Search: People Search & Background Check Information, <https://www.ussearch.com/. Accessed 23 February 2022.>

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