Run a Free Nationwide Background Check
Submit a single intake form and receive a multi-jurisdictional background report covering arrest records, court dispositions, and inmate data across all 3,000+ US counties — no card required, no obligation, encrypted with 256-bit SSL.
- All US counties & county-equivalents covered
- State criminal repositories where available
- Federal court records (PACER) cross-reference
- Free initial report — upgrade only if you need more depth
What a nationwide background check includes
A thorough background check pulls data from multiple independent record systems and reconciles the results into a single report. ArrestVault's free intake covers the four major sources you should always check before relying on any single jurisdiction's record:
- County criminal records. Arrest records, charges, dispositions, and sentencing from each US county the subject has lived or worked in.
- State criminal repositories. Many states maintain a central state-level criminal history database that aggregates county-level records.
- Federal court records. Cases filed in US District Court (federal criminal matters), accessed through the federal PACER system.
- Inmate locators. Active custody status from state departments of correction and the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
What you'll get
Your initial free report summarizes the publicly available criminal record activity associated with the subject's name and date of birth across the jurisdictions above. If the subject has no records of public concern, you'll see a clean report. If there are hits, the report flags the jurisdiction, the year, the charge type, and the disposition where known — so you have the context to decide whether to dig deeper.
FCRA notice
This service is informational and is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. The report may not be used for any FCRA-regulated purpose, including employment, tenant screening, credit, insurance, or licensing decisions. For FCRA-regulated screening, use a licensed consumer reporting agency.
Common reasons people run a background check
People search public records for a wide range of reasons — most of them entirely routine. Common reasons include reconnecting with a long-lost relative, vetting a new dating partner, due diligence on a prospective business partner, looking up a public official, journalistic research, or simply checking what information about themselves is publicly visible. None of these uses are FCRA-regulated and all are well-served by a free informational background check.
If you are screening someone for an employment, housing, credit, or insurance decision, you must use a licensed consumer reporting agency that follows FCRA procedure — including the candidate's written consent and the FCRA-required pre-adverse action notice. ArrestVault is not licensed for those uses.