Background Check Texas: Criminal Background Check TX 2023

Seeking information on how to run a background check in Texas? Well, you're in luck because you've just found the internet's most in-depth background check Texas guide.

Not only will we explain how to conduct a background check in Texas, but we'll also point you in the direction of the best background check services in the state. You should know that it's not as simple as it sounds to obtain copies of public documents in the Lone Star State.

Although they’re available to the public, finding specific information about an individual requires searching through vast amounts of data and paperwork. For this reason, if you need reliable data in a hurry, look no further than the Texas background check services we suggest.

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7 Best Background Check Texas Services

BeenVerified – Best Overall for Background Check Texas
PeopleLooker – Best for Fast & Accurate Results
TruthFinder – Best Value for Money
Intelius – Best for Accuracy
Instant Checkmate – Best for Speed
Spokeo – Best for TX Reverse Email Lookup
US Search – Best for API Integration

What is a Background Check Texas?

While performing a criminal background check Texas, we examine every piece of data we can find about a person in all federal and state databases. A person's name, phone number, or email address can all be used to access their public record and learn more about them.

Personal information, employment and educational history, possible ties to others, past addresses, whereabouts, legal history, sex offenders, social media profiles, and even real estate can all be discovered with a TX public records search.

In any case, if you decide to search public records manually, you may have a tough time obtaining all this data. Using Texas background check services increases the likelihood of obtaining reliable information about an individual's past.

If you want to verify your background, a background check Texas service can use your ID information to go through their massive database of state and federal records. The information is then compiled into a thorough background check report that can be read and shared with ease.

The following information may be included in a typical background check Texas report:

Birth year and age
Aliases
Photographs
Job history/Financial assets/Liens
Weapons permits
Full given name
Online Identities
Professional licenses
Bankruptcies
History of Education and Service in Civil Courts
Crime and arrest records

How to Run a Texas Background Check?

Conducting a Texas background check can be done in two ways the hard way and the easy way. One can do things manually by contacting the appropriate government agencies, submitting a public records request, and then searching through the requested documents to find the information they need.

Using a person search service like BeenVerified , PeopleLooker , or TruthFinder to conduct a background check in Texas is the simplest option.

Just inputting the desired individual's name, city, and phone number will initiate a background check in the state of Texas. Finding someone by their email address is now possible using reverse email lookup services.

Input the limited data you currently have, and the background check Texas service will do the rest. Even if it takes a few minutes, you may rest assured that you'll receive lots of genuine information.

How Can I Access Public Records in Texas?

Any citizen who has a legitimate need to do so has the legal right to request access to relevant government records under the Freedom of Information Act.

Because of the variations in the laws from state to state, it’s important to study the relevant codes before making a request for public records.

Some Texas public records can be accessed online, while others can only be requested in paper format. Mail, email, or fax all required documentation to the appropriate records department.

Expect to break certain regulations in order to meet the varying requirements of different departments during the record collection process.

A standard request for public records should

Date by which you must get the paperwork
Original signer's name on the document
Title of the Document
Information about how to get in touch

Which of the following is your preferred method of delivery: Mail or Email?

Description of the Document's Contents

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Texas Background Check Laws – TX Public Records

Federal fair employment regulations still apply in Texas, despite the absence of state-level limits on considering a candidate's criminal background.

An employer in Texas must give an applicant written notice and get a written agreement before conducting a criminal background check.

A pre-adverse action notice must be provided to the applicant and five business days must elapse before any final adverse action (such as rescinding an offer of employment) can be taken based on the results of a criminal background check.

Until the end of 2021, federal ban-the-box restrictions prohibit federal contractors and government organizations from asking about a candidate's criminal background prior to giving them a conditional employment offer, unless the position in question involves national security and sensitive information.

Unless the position is covered by another regulation that requires early screening, federal ban-the-box rules forbid government contractors and federal agencies from asking into a candidate's criminal record prior to making a conditional employment offer.

Furthermore, as may be seen from the list of county resources below, numerous counties and cities in Texas have implemented their own ban-the-box laws.

Employers must follow the rules of both the county and city in which their headquarters are located and the county and city in which the applicant resides while conducting Texas background checks.

Companies should err on the side of caution and comply with the most strict laws possible to avoid legal trouble.

Ban the Box – Background Check Texas Law

When it comes to Texas background check, the state does not have any "ban the box" laws implemented statewide. Nevertheless, an employer's utilization of a Texas state criminal background check may be affected by fair chance hiring regulations enforced in various jurisdictions throughout the state.

Similar laws prohibiting the practice when hiring for county or municipal positions have been passed in San Antonio, Travis County, and Dallas County in Texas. A ban-the-box law covering both public and private sector hiring has been adopted by the city of Austin.

For private businesses with 15 or more employees operating in Austin, Texas background check is prohibited during the application process. Moreover, the background check process can only commence after an offer of employment has been made, subject to the applicant's background check outcome.

This rule carries a $500 fine for each violation.

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What Does the Texas Public Record Law Say?

According to Texas's Freedom of Information Act, anyone may ask for public records. You will either receive a written indication of an anticipated time of availability within ten days or have the records in your possession.

If the agency rules against you, a written exception should be sent to the AG (attorney general). This suggests that requests for public documents won't be outright denied by the government office, which is a good thing.

The final decision over whether or not to provide the information rests with the Texas Attorney General; nevertheless, this procedure prolongs the time required to get the files.

The attorney general has 45 days to respond to the denial. In Texas, you cannot file an appeal but you may file a lawsuit to obtain access to the records.

As a result of the numerous exclusions that it contains, the Texas Public Record Act does not apply in all instances. In contrast to the records held by state and federal institutions, those maintained by the judicial branch of government are not easily accessible.

You might be refused access to documents relating to audits, confidential information, personnel files, privacy invasions, victims of crime or abuse, and various areas of legal procedures due to security concerns.

Document copies in Texas cost $0.10 per page. For any time spent doing a search in response to your inquiry, you can be charged $15.00 per hour.

Obtaining records from many organizations could incur additional costs. If an employee is forced to redact confidential material, that time is billed.

Visit Texas.gov to find out more information.

How Far Back Does a Background Check Go in Texas?

The scope of a CRA's investigation into your background is constrained by the type of search they conduct and the amount of time they have to conduct it. Contrary to felony convictions, which may be kept on record indefinitely, Texas background checks typically keep records for seven years.

The same seven-year rule that applies to credit records, such as tax liens, litigation, and court judgments, also applies to Texas background checks. However, it's worth noting that bankruptcy records dating back a decade can be obtained.

Businesses in Texas are required to check candidates' criminal histories going back 20 years for felonies and 10 years for misdemeanors before sending staff inside customers' homes for maintenance or delivery.

The employer may grant a candidate a longer look-back period for non-criminal records if they’re applying for a position that pays more than $75,000 annually. In this case, searches may stretch back to the candidate's 18th birthday.

For Texas MVRs, the most recent three years constitute the usual reporting period

A seven-year window isn’t a limitation when an employer conducts their own criminal history check (as opposed to using a CRA).

Last but not least, there is no statute of limitations in the Lone Star State for investigating someone's prior employment or education.

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What Can You Find With a Background Check Texas?

When you run background check Texas you'll be astonished at how much information you may learn about a person. These details can be found in a single background check report from a reputable people search company like TruthFinder or Intelius .

Personal Information

Each background check report includes personal data at the outset to aid in determining whether you've located the correct person. Name, age, birthdate, any known aliases, and pictures could be included.

Jobs and Education

The second level of information that you can come across is education and career information, which includes details on their educational background, time spent in college, and previous jobs held.

The background check service you're utilizing must be FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) compliant before you may use this information for employee or tenant screening purposes.

Possible Relatives and Associates

Possible relatives, friends, and coworkers connected to the individual you're looking up are included in this section. In fact, if you're looking for a relative, you might even find your own background check report .

TX Contact Information

You can also get phone numbers and email addresses in the background check Texas report if you're looking for leads. If you conduct Texas background checks for clients, you will find this section to be of special value.

TX Criminal Records

In any background checks TX that involve criminal and arrest histories, the public police and court records of Texas should be included. These records provide information such as the type, date, and location of the offense, as well as the court name and case number if the case went to trial.

TX Property Information

If you're attempting to assess a person's financial situation, you may find this section to be of great assistance. Data on currently owned properties, property tax information, the number of sales, the value of the land, mortgages, the ownership of vehicles, and their VINs, among other things, may be found.

How Long Does a Background Check Take In Texas?

How you decide to conduct your background check Texas will also affect this. A single background check report would just take a few minutes if you use a reputable person search service like BeenVerified or TruthFinder .

This entails that you can easily obtain thorough results after performing as many inspections as you choose.

On the other hand, if you choose the manual method, it can take 1-3 business days to obtain a background check TX. especially when it comes to the expert tenant and employee background checks.

7 Best Services for Background Check Texas

We'll look more closely at the top five services now that you're aware of how simple it is to use TX background check services to perform a background check in Texas. To understand how these services differ from one another, let's quickly review each one.

When it comes to Texas background checks, you will also discover which person's search website is the finest for a specific objective.

BeenVerified – Best Overall for Background Check Texas

BeenVerified

BeenVerified is the best provider of Texas background checks, and its extensive database of records includes criminal and court records, public records, and more. It can help paint a fuller picture of someone's history.

The firm employs trustworthy sources and has access to billions of public records in Texas, so you can rest assured that your reports will be accurate.

BeenVerified's user-friendly interface is one of its many advantages because it facilitates quick and simple searches. The platform is user-friendly and easy to navigate thanks to its straightforward design and straightforward search interface.

Monthly subscriptions and pay-per-search plans are just two of the flexible pricing options available from this company.

Furthermore, BeenVerified provides customer support to address any concerns or questions that may arise during a background check. Supporting the platform and helping customers make sense of the data in the reports is a group of seasoned experts at the company.

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PeopleLooker – Best Background Check Texas for Fast & Accurate Results

PeopleLooker

Individuals' criminal records, addresses, phone numbers, and more can all be accessed through PeopleLooker, a Texas background check search service. PeopleLooker could be helpful for background checks in the Lone Star State.

PeopleLooker asserts that it has access to numerous types of public records in the Lone Star State. This suggests that their Texas background checks might be more thorough than those of competitors.

It has a simple interface that even those unfamiliar with background checks should be able to use. This can be useful for people and companies who need to conduct background checks but don't have extensive experience doing so.

The cost of using Texas background check service varies with the number of checks you need to run. Customers or businesses operating on a limited budget may appreciate their reasonable prices.

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TruthFinder – Best Texas Background Check Service for Value

TruthFinder

TruthFinder's user-friendly interface makes it simple to look up anyone in Texas by name, phone number, or email address, making it the go-to background check service in the Lone Star State.

One of the largest collections of public records, and this resource can yield a wealth of reliable Texas background check information about a target subject.

With both TruthFinder's background check services and its dark web surveillance tool, you can gain access to details that aren't publicly available. TruthFinder costs $46 for a one-year subscription, or $28.05 per month if paid in installments.

Learn why our team thinks TruthFinder is the best background check Texas service by reading our comprehensive review.

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Intelius – Best Texas Background Check Service for Accuracy

Intelius

When it comes to doing Texas background checks, Intelius is on par with TruthFinder. The reliability of this global people search tool is its strongest suit.

It performs similarly to TruthFinder and provides access to an incredible quantity of information on any person in Texas with its database of over 20 billion public records.

If you're looking for a cheaper alternative to TruthFinder, Intelius's monthly plan of $24.86 is your best bet. The whole price of the plan for two months is $42.25. The service is, in general, fairly similar to TruthFinder, however, it costs less because it lacks a dark web monitoring tool.

Read our review of the Intelius service if you require a background check in the state of Texas.

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Instant Checkmate – Best TX Background Check Service for Speed

Instant Checkmate

Instant Checkmate could be the ideal option for you if you need to conduct a background check in Texas quickly. Because of its mobile app and lightning-fast findings.

This background check Texas service is ideal for those who place a premium on convenience.

One that you won't find at most Texas background check services.

Due to the fact that it makes use of a vast database of public records, Instant Checkmate is in a position to generate information on a person's background that is both reliable and accurate.

The monthly plan for this service is one of the more expensive alternatives available, coming in at a cost of $34.78 per month to subscribe.

There is no option for a membership that lasts for just two months; the only other choice is a package that is good for three months and costs $83.47.

In addition to its rapid processing, Instant Checkmate takes great pride in protecting your personal data. Our review of Instant Checkmate has all the information you need.

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Spokeo – Best Texas Background Check Service for Reverse Email Lookup

Spokeo

You can perform an online person's search by using simply an email address as the search field if you make use of a service known as a reverse email lookup.

Use Spokeo , the industry's leading email search and background check service, to grow the size of your customer base in Texas and increase the number of leads you create.

Because users may search by name, phone number, or physical address in addition to email, running a background check in Texas using Spokeo is one of the most time-effective ways to conduct a background check.

Also, it’s one of the most competitively priced subscription options, coming in at only $19.99 each month.

It's one of the cheapest Texas background check services , with a three-month package costing just $44.85. If you want to know more, read our Spokeo review.

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US Search – Best Texas Background Check Service for API Integration

US Search

The background check Texas Wizard in US Search is quite user-friendly. It's one of the few services that will give you your money back if you're not satisfied. Although their website isn't as sophisticated as some other options out there, it may be adequate for the most elementary of Texas background checks.

For a fee of $3, US Search will do one background check in the state of Texas. Its monthly plan is priced affordably at $19.86 per month , making it a good choice for individuals who need to perform repeated searches or who require a plan for an extended period of time.

If you'd like to learn more about US Search, check out our review.

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Texas Criminal Records – Background Check Texas

A criminal record in Texas will include all arrests, prosecutions, and convictions for offenses of the Class B misdemeanor level or higher.

Details of any interactions with the police that the person has had will also be provided.

The Texas Department of Public Safety is in charge of maintaining the state's official criminal history database.

What’s on a Texas Criminal Record?

A criminal record in Texas contains information about an individual's interactions with law enforcement agencies in any part of the state.

The statistics on arrests, convictions, and lengths of time served in the state's nine different correctional facilities are compiled using data from a variety of sources.

You can learn the following from your Texas criminal record:

Recent and historical evidence
Legal identifier-Driver
Current and previous inmate mugshots at each address
Fingerprints
Prior Arrest Records
Where sexual offenders now stand
Time and place of birth

Where Can I Find Texas Criminal Records?

The criminal history can be accessed through the Crime Records Division of the Texas Department of Public Safety.

In order to get started, personal information like your name, email, phone number, and payment method will need to be provided. No money will be returned if the necessary documents cannot be found.

Restrictions and Limitations

In every jurisdiction in the United States, there are laws that set limitations on an employer's ability to obtain or make use of a candidate's criminal past when making employment decisions. These laws are passed at the state and municipal levels. Indeed, the state of Texas comprises this total.

Employers in Texas should be aware of these laws before requesting a background check.

Arrest and Conviction Records

In contrast to the regulations of many other states, the law in Texas permits prospective employers to inquire about the applicant's history of arrests and convictions.

The only limitation is that potential employers are not allowed to inquire about convictions that have been sealed or expunged from a person's record.Concerns have been raised by human rights groups across the United States concerning the practice of asking job applicants about any prior offenses.

Some argue that employers shouldn't automatically throw out a job candidate based on an arrest record without conducting a further inquiry.

Particularly, businesses should look into whether or not an arrest led to charges or a conviction.

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Texas Inmate Records – Background Check Texas

There are 700 prisons and jails in Texas, which accommodated 1435,341 people in 2017. Because of this, locating a specific inmate's file may prove challenging.

The state of Texas keeps track of its prison population through the Department of Criminal Justice.

What’s on a Texas Inmate Record?

Several states provide varying amounts of information about their incarcerated citizens. The name, address, and other identifying details of the inmate are typically given.

These are some of the things you might find out about a prisoner if you do a public records search:

DOC ID
Date of conception
Names and nicknames
Placement of booking pictures
Weight and height
A summary of sentencing

Where Can I Find Texas Inmate Records?

Use the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) Inmate Information Search portal to access the incarcerated person's record.

Visit the aforementioned website and enter the inmate's last name and initial, Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) number, or state identification (SID) number to acquire information about an inmate.

If you know the person, you can put in their gender and race.

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Texas Court Records – Free Background Check Texas

Several Texas courts exist, each with its unique jurisdiction. Due to the proliferation of courts, it may be challenging to track down specific case files.

The courts in Texas are structured in a hierarchy, with each tier having jurisdiction over a different set of cases. The majority of these instances involve an appeal of an earlier appellate decision.

Because of the precedents it makes, the Texas Supreme Court benefits the whole state's judicial system.

Trial or district courts in Texas hear issues involving civil, family, criminal, and juvenile law. In the Trial Court system, cases are decided by a judge or a jury
There must be a county court with a judge in each of Texas's 254 counties. There are also 254 legal tribunals
When a lower court in a state sends a case to the highest court in that state for a final decision, the appellate courts in that state hear the case and make a decision on it
The Criminal Court of Appeals should be consulted on matters of criminal law. There are fourteen different Texas Courts of Appeals that review cases appealed from lower courts
The Probate Court has jurisdiction over matters such as deceased persons' estates, guardianship, wills, competency, and mental health

What’s on a Texas Court Record?

It can take a long time for cases to go to trial, which can make court paperwork lengthy and difficult to navigate.

Available inmate records may provide the following information:

Weight and height
Birth date
Location assigned
A summary of sentencing
Dockets
Name and aliases
DOC ID
Orders of child support
Booking photo

Where Can I Find Texas Court Records?

A request for access to court documents in Texas must be submitted using the Texas Records Application Request form.

This form can be completed quickly and with little effort. Be sure to include your complete name, as well as your mailing address, email address, and telephone number. When asking for the records you desire, please be as explicit as you possibly can in your request.

The County Clerk's Office or County Clerk is usually where people go to obtain copies of county records.

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Texas Vital Records – Free Background Check Texas

TDHHS is where Texans can go to get their official copies of vital records like birth, death, and marriage certificates (Texas Department of Health and Human Services).

Anyone interested in researching their ancestry can do so by searching official birth records in background check Texas.

Decrees of Divorce
Marriage licenses
Death certificates
Birth certificates

When making a request for a vital record in the state of Texas, the specifics of the request are determined by the type of information that is being sought.

Free Background Check Texas - Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Texas background checks, including free background check Texas. If you require additional information beyond what has been provided here, the following may offer further clarity on the matter.

Can I Get a Free Background Check Texas?

The state of Texas has a large amount of data that must be searched through for a background check to be completed, and it’s extremely difficult to find free background check texas reports from reputable service providers.

Our advice is to exercise extra caution when selecting a free background check Texas service, especially if you're looking into a free background check TX.

However, in Texas, free background checks aren't really worth it. A premium background check site, such as BeenVerified, provides information that is otherwise difficult to obtain. For more insight, look into the top free background check Texas websites.

How Much Is a Background Check Texas?

BeenVerified and PeopleLooker, two services that perform background checks in Texas, would cost you $24 to $28 monthly. With this one-month membership, you can do as many background checks as you like.

US Search allows you to purchase background check reports individually and charges $3 for each report. Texas.

What Background Check Service Is Best for Texas?

The combination of BeenVerified's extensive public records database, phone/email search tools, and dark web surveillance makes it the premier background check service in Texas.

PeopleLooker's impressive interface and relatively low price place it as a free background check Texas's runner-up for best background check service.

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Can a Background Check TX Request Be Submitted by Non-residents of Texas?

It’s not necessary to be a resident of Texas in order to access the public records of that state.

Is There a Records Custodian in Texas?

According to the laws of the state of Texas, there is no requirement for an official record keeper. It’s required that every government office maintain its own records.

What Exemptions Exist for Free Background Check Texas?

On the other hand, in the state of Texas, it’s not mandatory that court records be made available to the general public.

Those works that are restricted from public view, on the other hand, frequently address issues relating to the invasion of personal privacy or other unlawful methods of concealing information.

It's against the rules to disclose information about employees, information about patients' mental health, confidential business information, information about students, information about credit card purchases, or information about people who have been the victims of crimes or abuse.

How Long Does Texas Have to Respond to a Free Background Check Texas Request?

The agency is required to send you the necessary paperwork within 10 days.

If the requested records cannot be delivered within the Public Information Act's specified ten-day period, the agency must instead offer a written explanation of when you might expect to receive them.

Is There an Appeals Process in Place for Background Check Texas Requests?

You have the right to file a lawsuit in Texas, but not the right to file an appeal. Let's pretend the government office says no to sharing your details. If that happens, the agency must write to the attorney general, who may agree with them or still advise information sharing.

The letter gives the Texas Attorney General 45 days to answer.

What Fees Are Associated With Requesting Background Check Texas?

A copy of a state record requested by a Texas resident must be produced at the expense of the state.

If you need to make fewer than 50 copies, each one will cost you $0.10.

If more than 50 pages need to be edited, there will be a surcharge of $15.00 per hour. It’s fair for them to expect compensation for the extra effort involved if the paperwork is shared between two locations.

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Bottom Line on Free Background Check Texas

The background check Texas services we've covered above will help you obtain trustworthy information fast whether you need to conduct a background for business research, to locate a lost relative or old friend, or to learn the truth about a potential partner.

It's not easy to do a free background check Texas or a paid one since you have to call so many different government agencies. Your work isn’t done, though; you will also have to pay a fee for each request. The documents you receive will still require scanning in order to find the information you need.

Fortunately, with the help of the top TX background check services, all of this can be accomplished with relative ease.

Input the name, number, email, or street address of the person you like to research, and the Background check Texas person search service will quickly provide a comprehensive report on that person's background in Texas.

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DISCLAIMER: You may not use the non-FCRA approved services mentioned in this article or the information they provide to make decisions 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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