How to Conduct a Florida Background Check in 2024

How to Conduct a Florida Background Check in 2024

In search of guidance on conducting a background check in Florida? Consider yourself fortunate as you have come across an all-encompassing guide on conducting a background check in Florida, available online. No information on this subject has been left out in this guide.

Our focus is not only on providing a thorough understanding of Florida background checks but also on presenting the most efficient background check services that can be used with ease. It’s important to note that accessing public records in Florida may not be a simple task.

Even if they’re readily accessible, it might be difficult to obtain information about a single individual by searching through mountains of data and papers. Therefore using our suggested FL background check services is your best bet for discovering precise information quickly.

7 Best Background Check Florida Services 

What Is a Background Check Florida?

In Florida, a free background check Florida entails a comprehensive analysis of all data related to a person in all state and federal public records. You may search for someone on public records using any ID information, such as their name, phone number, or email address, to find out more about them.

Various types of information, including but not limited to personal particulars, career and educational data, location history, acquaintances and potential relatives, criminal and court records, information on sex offenders, social profiles, and real estate, may be discovered through an FL public records search.

But it’s unlikely that you’ll have access to all of this data if you wish to search public records manually. Your chances of finding reliable background information on a person rise if you use a background check in Florida.

Florida background check services search their source of billions of federal and Florida public records using the ID information you submit to look for pertinent information. They then combine the data into a background check report that is simple to read and distribute to others.

A typical FL background check report could contain:

  • Aliases
  • Bankruptcies
  • Weapons licenses
  • Certifications
  • Photographs
  • Name in full
  • Educational history
  • Documents from civil courts
  • Age and birthdate
  • Crime history and arrest data
  • Using social media
  • Liens
  • Financial resources

How to Run a Florida Background Check?

There are two methods for doing a Florida background check: one is difficult, and the other is straightforward. The difficult alternative requires contacting relevant government entities, requesting public records, and then manually searching those records for the required data.

The simplest method is to use a people search service like BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, or TruthFinder to do a background check Florida. By doing so, you may do a background check on a person in Florida by just inputting their name, city of residence, or phone number. 

Even better, you may use reverse email lookup tools to find someone using their email address.

To use the FA background check service, just provide minimal information about a person, and it will search its sources. The procedure could take a few minutes, but if it takes longer, you can be confident that you’re getting a lot of real information.

How Can I Access Public Records in Florida?

The Freedom of Information Act, put into effect in the 1960s, has made it easier for anybody to get documents, albeit it’s still fairly challenging.

Some take a long time to respond to requests for data because some government organizations only save paper records while others store data online.

Florida, like other states, has a broad range of government agencies that save different public documents. Depending on the information you’re looking for, Florida public records may be available to you.

The following public documents are held by several agencies in Florida:

  • Crime background
  • Vital Statistics
  • Court records
  • Prison information

A request for public records must be submitted in order to receive FL public documents. The request may be sent through email, postal mail, fax, or phone to the Florida Public Records Coordinator.

Requests for public records must include the following information:

  • Title of the document
  • Contact information
  • A deadline by which you would want to receive materials
  • Name
  • Details relating to the document
  • Delivery of documents via mail or email

Florida Background Check Laws

In contrast to several other states, Florida law does not prohibit background checks for recruitment-related reasons. While Florida does not have a statewide ban-the-box or fair recruiting law, several counties and cities have their own versions of these rules.

Background checks are extensively encouraged in Florida, and firms that do them are shielded from claims of careless recruitment practices.

If a recruiter does a background check that includes a review of criminal records, they’re deemed not negligent in the recruiting process in Florida. They recruit or promote the person after finding no evidence that disqualifies the application.

FL Criminal Record Restrictions

In Florida, both statewide and in certain counties, there are a variety of regulations that limit the use of background checks for recruitment-related purposes. Many significant limitations and their implications for Florida companies are listed below.

FL Arrest Records

In Florida, recruiters can ask about arrest history and consider it when making recruiting choices. Criminal background check reports, including Florida background checks, rarely include arrest records.

FL Sealed or Expunged Records

It’s forbidden for applicants to reveal any erased or sealed arrest or conviction records. These violations won’t be uncovered by a background check of Florida state records since they don’t exist.

FL Criminal Records

Firms in FL, both private and public, may use background checks for recruitment (among other methods).

Only convictions for felonies or first-degree misdemeanors are grounds for exclusion from recruitment by public recruiters, and only if the crime in question is directly relevant to the work at hand.

Lower-level misdemeanor convictions may be taken into consideration by private companies when making recruitment-related decisions. 

Suppose a firm adopts a policy that states it won’t recruit persons with criminal histories. In that case, they risk being charged with recruitment discrimination under Section VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Such a severe accusation might have far-reaching effects.

Ban the Box – Background Check Florida

Florida lacks a statewide ban-the-box regulation. It’s illegal for firms in several locations around the state to ask applicants about their criminal history.

City governments in Tampa, Miami-Dade County, Clearwater, Fort Myers, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Pompano Beach, St. Petersburg, Sarasota, and Tallahassee have banned using the box in applications.

In the following six jurisdictions: Tampa, Orlando, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Sarasota, and Miami-Dade, recruiters aren’t permitted to conduct background checks on applicants before making conditional offers. No county in Florida has yet made the box illegal for private enterprises.

How Far Back Does a Background Check Go in Florida?

The time that may be examined during a Florida background check is not restricted. Most examinations, such as background checks on criminal history, are ongoing.

Companies in Florida conducting background checks should know regional ban-the-box laws may limit the circumstances under which and how criminal history information may be used in recruiting decisions.

  • Consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) in Florida are forbidden by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) from revealing the following details during a background check
  • Collections that go back over seven years from the report’s publication date
  • Bankruptcy filings under Section 11 that are older than 10 years at the time of the report
  • Court-resolved disputes, convictions, and arrests that took place over 7 years ago are excluded from the report
  • Anything unfavorable (apart from criminal convictions) that existed as of the report’s date and was older than seven years
  • Older than seven years from the report date paid tax liens

Florida firms conducting nationwide free background check Florida should know the limitations on how far back in time a background check may go in various US states and territories.

For example, some jurisdictions only permit CRA reporting of criminal histories for seven years, while others permit it for an unlimited period.

What Can You Find With a Free Background Check Florida?

You’ll be shocked to learn how much information Florida background check may reveal about a person. The following details may be found in a single background check report from a reputable people search company like BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, TruthFinder, or Intelius.

Personal Information

Each background check report starts with personal data that lets you determine if you have the proper person to recruit. This might contain their name, age, birthdate, any aliases they may have used, and pictures.

Career and Education

The second level of info that you can come across is education & career information, including where they attended high school and college and previous recruiters. 

Disclaimer: Please note that unless the background check service you’re employing complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, you’re not permitted to use this information for tenant or employment screening reasons.

Possible Relatives and Associates

This section lists relatives, and acquaintances, who may be related to the individual you’re searching for. If you’re searching for a relative, you could even discover your background check Florida record.

FL Contact Information

If you’re looking for leads, the background check Florida report may also provide you with phone numbers and email addresses. If you do Florida background checks for your firm, this is a very useful piece.

FL Criminal Records

Criminal and arrest histories from Florida’s police and courts should be included in all free background check Florida. If they were tried in a court of law, you may obtain information such as the kind, date, and place of the crime and the case number and court name.

FL Property Information

If you’re attempting to assess a person’s financial situation, this section can be very helpful. Information on currently owned properties, property tax information, sale price, land value, mortgages, owned vehicles, vehicle identification numbers, and other information may be found.

Related Links

Any online sites that may connect to the person you’re looking for are included in this section. If there are any, you may locate personal websites, blogs, news articles, and social media accounts.

How Long Does a Background Check Take in Florida?

Also, how you decide to do your Florida background check will affect this. A single background check report would just take a few minutes if you choose a reliable people search service like BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, or TruthFinder

This entails that you may easily get thorough findings after doing as many inspections as you choose. If you use the manual method, Florida background checks might take 1-3 working days.

7 Best Services for Background Check Florida

Now that you know how simple it is to use background check services in Florida, let’s examine the top five services in more detail. To determine what makes each of these services unique, let’s quickly review each one.

You will discover which person’s search engine is most effective for a certain aim regarding background checks in Florida.

BeenVerified – Best Background Check Florida Overall

BeenVerified is a leading Florida background check company that provides a variety of searches, including Florida court records, public records, and criminal records. 

That could provide a more complete picture of someone’s past. They have access to billions of Florida public documents, and they rely on trustworthy data sources to guarantee the reports’ veracity.

BeenVerified’s user-friendly platform, which enables users to do searches effortlessly, is one of its advantages. The site is easy to use and uncomplicated, with a plain search interface and explicit directions for accessing the reports. For people or organizations on a tight budget, the website provides reasonable price choices, such as monthly memberships and pay-per-search possibilities.

BeenVerified also provides customer help to help with any queries or problems that may come up throughout the background check procedure. The firm has a group of knowledgeable experts who can advise on how to use the platform and evaluate the data in the reports.

PeopleLooker – Best Background Check Florida for Quick & Reliable Results

Users may look for details about people, such as their criminal histories, contact information, and other information, using the PeopleLooker Florida public records search tool. Florida background checks may benefit from using PeopleLooker, according to some users.

PeopleLooker claims to have access to several public documents in Florida, such as court records, criminal histories, and more. This implies that compared to certain other services, their background checks may provide more detailed information.

Even those who are unfamiliar with background checks may easily use its user-friendly site. This might be useful for people or firms who must do background checks but have little background check expertise.

Depending on how many background checks you want, the Florida background check service provides several cost tiers. Their prices are often seen to be reasonable, which is helpful for people or enterprises on a limited budget.

TruthFinder – Best Florida Background Check Florida Service for Value

When it comes to FL background checks, TruthFinder is in the very top spot. You can easily conduct a variety of searches using numbers, names, phone or email addresses on its incredibly user-friendly website.

It can generate a substantial amount of reliable information about a specific person thanks to one of the largest Florida public record sources it has access to.

With the help of TruthFinder’s background check services and dark web monitoring tool, you can access data that isn’t available online. 

The cost of TruthFinder is $28.05 per month, or $46 if you choose a two-month subscription. Find out why TruthFinder is the best option for Florida background checks by reading our in-depth TruthFinder review.

Intelius – Best Florida Background Check Service for Reliability

In Florida, Intelius is just as effective as TruthFinder at conducting background checks. The nicest part of this countrywide people search tool is its precise results. 

You have access to a wealth of data about every individual in Florida, and it performs almost similarly to TruthFinder thanks to its source of over 20 billion public records.

Compared to TruthFinder, Intelius is a tad less costly, with a monthly subscription costing $24.86. If you select the two-month plan, the whole price will be $42.25.

The service is relatively comparable to TruthFinder, but since it lacks the capacity to monitor the dark web, it s less expensive. If you’re interested in the service for Florida background checks, be sure to read our review of Intelius.

Instant Checkmate – Best Florida Background Check Service for Speed

The finest option for you may be Instant Checkmate if you need Florida background check results quickly. This background check service is ideal if you value simplicity since it provides a mobile app besides lightning-fast results. Another Florida background check provider is unlikely to offer this function.

Instant Checkmate uses a vast library of open-source materials to offer exact historical context. At a monthly plan price of $34.78 for this service, it’s on the more expensive end of the range. 

It offers a three-month bundle at $83.47 as opposed to the 2-month package. Along with being quick, Instant Checkmate is proud to safeguard its consumers’ privacy. See our review of Instant Checkmate for more details.

Spokeo – Best Florida Background Check Service for Reverse Email Lookup

You may do a background check on a person using just their email address, thanks to reverse email lookup. Spokeo is the top email lookup background check service, making it a perfect option for you if you’re looking to do company research and produce leads in Florida.

Naturally, Spokeo provides name, phone number, or physical address search besides email lookup, making it one of the top options for Florida background checks. 

Also, at $19.99 per month, it has one of the lowest membership fees. It’s one of the least expensive Florida background check services, with a 3-month plan costing $44.85. For additional details, see our Spokeo review.

US Search – Best Florida Background Check Service for API Integration

The quick start wizard for US Search makes it simple to do background checks. One of the few providers available offers a return policy if the product doesn’t meet your expectations. 

Even though they offer a very simple online interface compared to other providers, their straightforward approach can be sufficient if you simply need some basic background checks in Florida.

Florida background checks may also be ordered through US Search for $3 each. Its monthly subscription is a reasonable $19.86 a month if you need to do many searches or have a long-term need.

If you need additional details, see the US Search review.

What Does the Florida Public Records Law Say?

The Florida Constitution contains the rules governing open government, such as the FL Public Records Law. Any documents generated or received by a public agency while conducting official firms must be made available for public review unless exempted by the Florida Legislature.

Florida Statutes Chapter 286 contains information about the Sunshine Law.

According to Florida law, this statute also applies to formal written records that are kept on computers, including papers, maps, books, motion pictures, records, cassettes, photos, and sound recordings.

Florida Criminal Records – Background Check FL

Florida criminal records may include a person’s whole criminal history. The records include any felony and non-felony crimes and arrests, convictions, and indictments.

What’s on a Florida Criminal Record?

The criminal history of a person, also known as their Florida criminal record, offers a thorough picture of their dealings with law enforcement.

The following facts are often included in arrest records along with information about the alleged offense:

  • Trial period
  • Allegation of a crime, whether a serious violation or a small one
  • Verdicts
  • Arrest date
  • Confessions
  • Arrest reports
  • Sexual Offender Status
  • Charges
  • Pseudonyms

Where Can I Find Florida Criminal Records?

The criminal history files for the state of Florida are maintained by the Department of Law Enforcement.

You will visit the page where you may look up your Florida criminal record. You must pay $25 each time you access the criminal history report.

Florida Inmate Records – Background Check Florida

Public inmate records contain details about an offender’s confinement and details that would ordinarily be found in a criminal history report.

What’s on a Florida Inmate Record?

A prisoner’s record may contain a variety of details, but in Florida, records frequently contain the following:

  • Condition of custody
  • Examples of personal information are a person’s name, gender, and birthdate
  • A picture of the suspect
  • Inmate’s location
  • ID number for the inmate
  • Information on prison transfers

Where Can I Find Background Check Florida Inmate Records?

The Department of Prisons in Florida maintains statistics on prisons and detention centers. To begin your search, go to the Prison Offender Network website. All records relating to the criminal justice system are kept in Florida. You may search for prisoner information and a list of jails on the state’s website. In certain counties, you can also look up and review arrest records.

Florida Court Records – Criminal Background Check Florida

People can examine court documents and proceedings in Florida. They’re for criminal and civil cases from local, county, state, federal, and Florida Supreme Court.

Even though the Sunshine Act makes court documents available to the public if they have been deleted or sealed, you may not see them. This often happens if the content puts someone at risk, such as children or crime victims.

These records are not all kept by one court or in one repository. Alternatively, anybody may get documents by getting in touch with the court that oversaw the case.

What’s on a GA Court Record?

While the specifics of a court record may vary, in Florida, the following details are frequently included in a public court document:

  • Judgment documentation
  • Jury documentation
  • Records from witnesses
  • Court proceedings minutes
  • Dockets
  • Court mandates
  • A list of instances

Where to Find Florida Court Records

Anybody seeking access to court documents is advised by Florida to visit the court where the case was heard and request the records in person from the clerk’s office, county clerk or clerk of court.

Certain county records may be accessible online. In certain cases, you may find county records online.

For instance, visitors may use names and other search criteria to look for public records on the website of the Miami-Dade County Comptroller. Finding a location like it in the chosen county is a great idea.

Florida Vital Records – Background Check Florida

The Florida Department of Health maintains current vital records across the state. The following Florida vital records are accessible to the public:

  • Marriage Licenses
  • Death certificates
  • Divorce decrees
  • Birth certificates

Background Check Florida – Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some of the most frequent queries regarding Florida background checks. These should answer questions you can’t find an answer to above.

Can I Get a Free Background Check Florida?

In Florida, conducting a background check Florida involves poring over a lot of information, and it’s challenging to find service providers that provide high-quality background check reports without charge. We’d advise you to use extra caution when using a free background check Florida service if you’re in Florida.

Free FL background checks aren’t worth it, the truth is. It’s difficult to find the information you obtain from premium background check websites like BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, or TruthFinder for free. 

For more details, visit the top free background check Florida websites.

How Much Is a Background Check Florida?

You will pay between $24 and $28 per month to do a background check in Florida using BeenVerified, PeopleLooker, TruthFinder, or Intelius

With this one-month subscription, background checks may be conducted indefinitely. You may pay for individual background check reports through US Search, which costs $3 for background check Florida.

What Background Check Service Is Best for Florida?

With its extensive source of public records, phone and email search capabilities, and dark web surveillance, BeenVerified stands out as the top background check service for Florida. 

PeopleLooker has an excellent user interface, a relatively low cost, and is ranked as the second-best Florida background check service.

Can a Free Background Check Florida Request Be Submitted by Non-residents in Florida?

Anybody may see a public record, no matter where they live, according to Florida’s Public Records Act. In the US, everyone may examine public records.

Is There a Records Custodian in Florida?

The owner of a public record in Florida is required to make it available to others. Even when the phrase “records custodian” isn’t used, access must be permitted.

What Exemptions Exist for Free Background Check Florida?

The Florida Constitution makes no exceptions and assumes all materials are accessible to the public.

How Long Does the State Have to Respond to a Free Background Check Florida Request?

Some states set a deadline for the state’s response to a request for information. But Florida is not one of these states.

According to the Florida State Constitution, all questions must be resolved “promptly.” A document’s availability should always be verified, and if it is, it should be sent to the requester as soon as is practical.

What Kind of Enforcement Is in Place for Free Background Check Florida Requests?

Regarding appeals or information denials, Florida has a limited amount of enforcement. There’s no process for challenging a decision denying you access to public records. Although other states have an appeals process, Florida does not.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office oversees a mediation program for any conflicts.

What Fees Are Associated With Requesting Free Background Check Florida?

Florida charges $0.20 for a double-sided page, $0.15 for a single-sided page, and $1 for a certified copy when making copies of documents.

Florida law also permits additional costs to be incurred if a request uses many resources.

Bottom Line on Background Check Florida

The services we’ve discussed above may make it simple for you to receive reliable information, whether you’re doing a background check Florida for firm, hunting for a long-lost relative or friend, or learning the truth about a spouse.

Background checks Florida aren’t simple to do, mainly because you must contact many governmental agencies and file a request for public records with each of them. 

You still have work to do after paying a fee for each request, however. To locate the information you need, you must still scan the papers you get.

The top background check services for Florida make all of that simple. Just do a search using the name, contact information, email address, or physical address of your chosen person, and the person’s search service will quickly put together a thorough FL background check report for you.

DISCLAIMER: You may not use the non-FCRA approved services mentioned in this article or the information they provide to decide about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any other purpose that would require FCRA compliance. These services don’t provide consumer reports and are not consumer reporting agencies. (These terms have special meanings under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 USC 1681 et seq., (“FCRA”), which are incorporated herein by reference.) 

The information available on our website may not be 100% accurate, complete, or up to date, so do not use it as a substitute for your own due diligence, especially if you have concerns about a person’s criminal history. The services we mention do not make any representation or warranty about the accuracy of the information available through our website or about the character or integrity of the person about whom you inquire. For more information, please review each service’s Terms of Use.

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