Whether you're applying for a new job, renting an apartment, or volunteering at your child's school, there's a good chance someone will run a background check on you. And if you're like most people, you're probably wondering: what exactly will they see?

Background checks have become a standard part of modern life, but they're often misunderstood. Many people assume these reports only show criminal records, but the reality is far more comprehensive—and potentially concerning. A typical background check can reveal everything from your employment history and credit score to your social media activity and addresses from decades ago. Understanding what information appears on these reports isn't just about satisfying curiosity; it's about protecting your privacy, correcting errors that could cost you opportunities, and taking control of your digital footprint.

The background check industry is massive, generating over $4 billion annually in the United States alone. Data brokers and consumer reporting agencies compile information from thousands of public and private sources, creating detailed profiles that follow you throughout your life. Some of this information is accurate and relevant. Much of it is outdated, incorrect, or unnecessarily invasive. Let's break down exactly what shows up on a background check, how this information gets there, and what you can do about it.

What Information Actually Appears on Background Checks

Background checks aren't a single, standardized report. Different types of checks reveal different information depending on who's requesting them and for what purpose. However, most comprehensive background checks pull from similar data sources and include several core categories of information.

Criminal Records and Court Documents

This is what most people think of first, and for good reason—criminal history is often the most scrutinizing part of any background check. Criminal background check records typically include:

Felony convictions: These serious crimes remain on your record indefinitely in most states and will appear on virtually any background check
Misdemeanor convictions: Lesser offenses that still appear on most checks, though some states limit how far back employers can look
Pending criminal cases: Active charges that haven't been resolved yet
Arrest records: Even arrests that didn't lead to convictions can appear, though several states now restrict this practice
Sex offender registry status: Publicly searchable databases that appear on all comprehensive checks
Warrants: Outstanding warrants for your arrest
Traffic violations: Serious infractions like DUIs typically appear; minor tickets usually don't

The scope of criminal records varies significantly by state. Seven states (California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, and New Hampshire) have "ban the box" laws that restrict when employers can ask about criminal history. California's Fair Chance Act, for example, prohibits most employers from asking about criminal history before making a conditional job offer.

Employment and Education History

Employers and landlords want to verify you are who you say you are. Background check information about your work and education history typically includes:

Previous employers: Company names, dates of employment, and sometimes job titles
Education credentials: Degrees earned, institutions attended, and graduation dates
Professional licenses: Active and expired licenses, including any disciplinary actions
Military service records: Branch, dates of service, discharge status, and sometimes rank

Here's what many people don't realize: background check companies don't always verify this information directly with your previous employers or schools. Instead, they often pull data from third-party databases that may be outdated or incorrect. A 2012 FTC study found that one in four consumers identified errors on their credit reports that could affect their scores—and employment verification databases have similar accuracy issues.

Credit History and Financial Records

If you're applying for a job that involves financial responsibility, renting an apartment, or seeking certain professional licenses, expect a credit check. These reports include:

Credit score: Your FICO or VantageScore rating
Payment history: On-time and late payments for credit cards, loans, and other accounts
Outstanding debts: Current balances on all credit accounts
Bankruptcies: Chapter 7 filings remain for 10 years; Chapter 13 for 7 years
Foreclosures and repossessions: Typically remain for 7 years
Collections accounts: Unpaid debts sold to collection agencies
Credit inquiries: Recent applications for credit

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) limits how long negative information can appear on credit reports. Most negative items must be removed after seven years, though bankruptcies can remain for up to ten years. However, these protections only apply to credit reports used for employment, housing, or credit decisions—not to data broker profiles, which can retain information indefinitely.

Residential History and Public Records

Your address history reveals more than you might think. Background check results routinely include:

Current and previous addresses: Often going back 7-10 years or more
Property ownership records: Homes you own or have owned, including purchase prices and property taxes
Eviction records: Court filings related to rental disputes
Liens and judgments: Legal claims against your property or assets
Marriage and divorce records: Public court documents
Professional licenses and certifications: State-issued credentials

This information comes from public records databases that aggregate data from county clerks, property assessors, and court systems nationwide. The challenge is that these databases often contain errors—misspelled names, incorrect addresses, or records belonging to someone else with a similar name.

Social Media and Online Presence

Increasingly, background checks include social media screening—a practice that raises significant privacy concerns. While federal law prohibits employers from requesting your social media passwords, they can review anything you've posted publicly. Some background check companies now offer "social media reports" that include:

Public social media posts: Content from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other platforms
Photos and videos: Publicly accessible media you've posted or been tagged in
Comments and interactions: Your public engagement with others' content
Professional networking activity: LinkedIn connections, endorsements, and group memberships

A 2018 CareerBuilder survey found that 70% of employers use social media to screen candidates, and 54% have decided not to hire someone based on their social media presence. This practice exists in a legal gray area—while employers can view public information, they must be careful not to discriminate based on protected characteristics they discover online.

Driving Records

For positions that involve driving, expect a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) that includes:

License status: Active, suspended, or revoked
Traffic violations: Speeding tickets, reckless driving, and other infractions
DUI/DWI convictions: Typically remain on your record for 5-10 years depending on the state
At-fault accidents: Crashes where you were determined to be responsible
License points: Accumulated violations that could lead to suspension

MVRs are pulled directly from state DMV databases and are generally quite accurate. However, they may include violations from decades ago that have no bearing on your current driving ability.

How Background Check Companies Gather Your Information

Understanding what appears on background checks requires knowing how this information gets compiled in the first place. The background check ecosystem involves several types of companies, each with different data sources and legal obligations.

Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs)

Companies like HireRight, Sterling, and Checkr are Consumer Reporting Agencies regulated by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. When they compile background check reports for employment, housing, or credit decisions, they must:

Verify the identity of the person requesting the report
Ensure the information is accurate and up-to-date
Provide consumers with copies of their reports upon request
Investigate and correct errors within 30 days of a dispute

CRAs typically pull data from:

Court records: Criminal, civil, and traffic cases from county, state, and federal courts
Credit bureaus: TransUnion, Experian, and Equifax
Government databases: Sex offender registries, professional licensing boards, and federal watch lists
Employment and education verifications: Direct contact with previous employers and schools

Data Brokers

Here's where things get more complicated—and more invasive. Data brokers like Spokeo, BeenVerified, and Intelius aren't Consumer Reporting Agencies, so they're not bound by FCRA regulations. These companies scrape information from thousands of sources and sell it to anyone willing to pay, no questions asked. They compile data from:

Public records: Property deeds, voter registrations, birth records, and court documents
Social media: Public posts and profile information
Online activity: Website registrations, forum posts, and online reviews
Commercial sources: Purchase history, loyalty programs, and magazine subscriptions
Other data brokers: They buy and sell information among themselves, creating a vast data-sharing network

Data brokers operate in a largely unregulated space. While the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and similar state laws now require them to honor opt-out requests from residents of certain states, enforcement is limited and the process is intentionally cumbersome. Most data brokers require you to submit removal requests individually, one site at a time—and there are over 2,100 known data broker sites actively collecting and selling your information.

People Search Engines

Sites like Whitepages, TruePeopleSearch, and FastPeopleSearch aggregate data from public records and data brokers to create searchable profiles. Anyone can look you up and find:

Your current and past addresses
Phone numbers and email addresses
Age and possible relatives
Property ownership and estimated home value
Sometimes even more sensitive information like income estimates and political affiliations

These sites claim they're providing a public service by making public records more accessible, but they're really monetizing your personal information through advertising and premium subscriptions.

Prerequisites: What You Need Before Requesting Your Background Check

Before you can understand what shows up on your background check, you need to actually see your report. Here's what you'll need to request and review your background check information.

Personal Information to Verify Your Identity

Background check companies require specific information to locate your records and verify you are who you claim to be:

Full legal name: Including any previous names (maiden names, aliases)
Date of birth: Month, day, and year
Social Security number: Required for most comprehensive checks
Current address: And ideally your address history for the past 7-10 years
Government-issued ID: Driver's license or passport for identity verification

Understanding Your Rights Under Federal Law

The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives you specific rights when it comes to background checks:

Right to disclosure: Employers must tell you if they're running a background check and get your written permission
Right to a copy: If an employer takes adverse action based on your background check, they must provide you with a copy of the report
Right to dispute: You can challenge inaccurate information and require the reporting agency to investigate
Right to a free report: You're entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit bureaus at AnnualCreditReport.com

State-Specific Privacy Rights

Several states have enacted stronger privacy protections:

California (CCPA/CPRA): Right to know what personal information is collected, right to deletion, and right to opt-out of sale
Virginia (VCDPA): Similar rights to CCPA, effective January 2023
Colorado (CPA): Comprehensive privacy rights including opt-out of targeted advertising
Connecticut (CTDPA): Right to access, correct, and delete personal information

If you live in one of these states, you have additional leverage to request removal of your information from data broker sites.

Step-by-Step: How to See What's on Your Background Check

Now let's walk through exactly how to access the various types of background checks that exist about you.

Step 1: Request Your Consumer Reports

Start with the reports that are regulated and relatively easy to access:

Credit Reports:

Visit AnnualCreditReport.com (the only official site authorized by federal law)
Click "Request your free credit reports"
Enter your personal information
Select which credit bureaus you want reports from (request all three: Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)
Answer identity verification questions
Download and save your reports as PDFs

Employment Background Check:

If you've recently had a background check run for employment, the company that ran it should have provided you with the name of the Consumer Reporting Agency they used. Contact that CRA directly:

Checkr: Visit candidate.checkr.com and click "Request your background report"
Sterling: Go to sterlingcheck.app/request and submit a request form
HireRight: Visit mybackgroundreport.com and enter the access code from your disclosure letter

Specialty Consumer Reports:

Several lesser-known consumer reporting agencies compile specialized reports:

LexisNexis: Maintains employment history, insurance claims, and more. Request reports at consumer.risk.lexisnexis.com/request
Experian RentBureau: Tracks rental payment history. Request at experian.com/rentbureau
CLUE Reports: Property and auto insurance claim history. Request through LexisNexis consumer disclosure

Step 2: Check Criminal Records Directly

Consumer reporting agencies should include criminal records, but it's worth checking primary sources:

State criminal records: Visit your state's Department of Justice or State Police website and search for "criminal history request" or "background check." Most states allow you to request your own criminal history for a fee ($15-50 typically)

County court records: Many counties now offer online case searches. Google "[your county name] court records search" to find the local system

Federal court records: Visit pacer.gov to search federal court cases. There's a small fee per page viewed

National Sex Offender Registry: Search nsopw.gov to verify you're not incorrectly listed (errors do happen)

Step 3: Search Yourself on People Search Sites

This is the most time-consuming part because there are hundreds of these sites. Start with the largest:

Whitepages.com: Search your name and city
Spokeo.com: Enter your name, phone, or email
BeenVerified.com: Search by name
TruePeopleSearch.com: Name and location search
FastPeopleSearch.com: Free people finder
Intelius.com: Comprehensive people search

Take screenshots of what you find—you'll need this documentation when requesting removals.

Step 4: Review Your Social Media Presence

See yourself as employers see you:

Google yourself: Search your full name in quotes, plus your city: "John Smith" Chicago
Check image search: Click "Images" in Google to see what photos appear
Review privacy settings: Log into each social media platform and review what's public vs. private
Search social media directly: Use each platform's search function to find your profiles

Consider using an incognito browser window or logging out to see what public visitors can view.

Step 5: Check Data Broker Profiles

The most comprehensive data broker sites to check include:

Acxiom: aboutthedata.com allows you to see and edit some of the data Acxiom has collected
Oracle (formerly Datalogix): datacloudoptout.oracle.com for opt-out
Epsilon: privacyportal-cdn.onetrust.com/dsarwebform/d19e506f-1a64-463d-94e4-914dd635817d/d294c536-d42b-42b7-a0f6-f5cd2688c3b6.html for data requests

Most data brokers don't make it easy to see what they have on you—by design. They profit from opacity.

Common Mistakes People Make With Background Checks

Understanding what's on your background check is one thing; managing it effectively is another. Here are the most frequent errors people make—and how to avoid them.

Assuming All Background Checks Are the Same

The mistake: Thinking that if you've seen one background check, you've seen them all.

The reality: Background checks vary dramatically depending on who's requesting them and for what purpose. A pre-employment check might include criminal records and employment verification but not credit history. A landlord's check might focus on eviction records and credit. A volunteer position working with children will include sex offender registry searches and more extensive criminal checks.

The fix: Request multiple types of background checks to see the full picture of what's out there about you. Don't assume your credit report shows everything—it doesn't include criminal records, social media, or data broker information.

Ignoring Errors and Inaccuracies

The mistake: Seeing incorrect information on your background check but not taking action to correct it.

The reality: A 2012 FTC study found that 26% of consumers identified errors on their credit reports, and 5% had errors serious enough to result in less favorable loan terms. Background check errors can cost you job opportunities, housing, and more.

The fix: Dispute every error you find. For Consumer Reporting Agencies, send a dispute letter via certified mail citing the specific inaccuracies and including supporting documentation (court records showing case dismissal, employment verification letters, etc.). Under FCRA, they must investigate within 30 days. For data brokers, submit opt-out requests and follow up if information reappears.

Failing to Monitor Regularly

The mistake: Checking your background information once and never looking again.

The reality: Background check information changes constantly. New court records get added, data brokers scrape fresh information, and errors can appear at any time. Identity theft can result in criminal records being filed under your name.

The fix: Set a calendar reminder to check your background information quarterly. Request your free annual credit

What Shows Up on a Background Check? Complete Breakdown