Scope of Each Service

A criminal records search focuses exclusively on criminal history — felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending cases, and sex offender registries. A full background check includes criminal records PLUS employment verification, identity confirmation, address history, and education verification.

Your choice depends on why you're conducting the search and what level of detail your situation requires.

For Employment Screening

Most employers need a full background check that verifies the candidate's identity, confirms employment history, and checks criminal records. Using only a criminal search misses important verification steps.

Note that employment screening background checks must comply with FCRA requirements, including proper disclosure and authorization procedures.

For Investigation Purposes

For investigative purposes — checking on a person of interest, due diligence on a business partner, or litigation preparation — a criminal records search may be sufficient if you only need to know about criminal history.

For a complete picture, combine a criminal search with our other services: skip trace for location, asset search for financial profile, and business entity search for corporate connections.

Feature	Criminal Records Search	Full Background Check
Criminal History	✓ Detailed	✓ Included
Employment Verification	✗ Not included	✓ Included
Identity Verification	✗ Not included	✓ Included
Address History	✗ Not included	✓ Included
Sex Offender Registry	✓ Included	✓ Included
Best For	Quick criminal check	Employment, tenant screening