When Public Records Go Private

Public records tend to be fairly clearly defined but there are gray areas, and in many cases what constitutes a public record can vary from state to state. In most cases, you can count on criminal records, death notifications, property and business records to be found within a public records database search, pending the fact that the county or state in question has digitized them.

However, there are a number of examples where once public records have been sealed, expunged or otherwise removed from the record. It’s important to keep in mind just because you can’t identify a public record, even something you are certain should exist, it doesn’t mean that the associated event did not happen. It just means the person affected took certain steps to remove the item from his or her public record.

Top 3 Surprising Things in a Background Check Other Than a Criminal Record

When people think of background checks, their minds tend to go immediately to criminal incidents, but background checks actually provide a wide range of information beyond any criminal history.

The top three surprising things you might find in a background check includes: past associates, bankruptcies, and information on old social media profiles.

The old saying “birds of feather flock together” may not be true in all cases, but it is true that you can often judge a person by the company he or she keeps. Background checks can help you understand what kind of people the person you are searching for keeps close ties with–or has in the past.