Background Investigation Services
A background investigation goes deeper than an automated screening report. It is investigative, public-records research into who a person or business really is – identity and history, recorded property and business affiliations, the litigation and judgment footprint, and the signals that tell you whether a counterparty is who they claim to be. People and companies use it before they sue, before they invest, before they sign a deal, and before they trust someone with money or responsibility. There is one line that governs everything we do here, and we state it up front: this is not a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We do not provide background research for hiring, tenant screening, or credit decisions – those are FCRA-regulated decisions that must go through a consumer reporting agency. We are a public-records research firm operating under a permissible purpose, supplying investigative-grade background research for litigation, due diligence, fraud, and pre-relationship vetting. This is general information, not legal advice.
The Short Version
A background investigation is investigative, public-records research into a person or business – identity and history, recorded property and affiliations, litigation and judgment footprint, and the signals of whether someone is who they claim to be. It is used for litigation, due diligence, fraud, and pre-relationship vetting, and it goes deeper than an automated screening report. The governing rule: this is not an FCRA consumer report. We do not provide background research for hiring, tenant screening, or credit – those decisions must go through a consumer reporting agency. We work under a permissible purpose and supply a documented, sourced picture so you can make an informed decision. We are a public-records research firm, not licensed private investigators in the regulated sense, and not your counsel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Watch: What a Background Investigation Is
Investigative research versus a checkbox screening report.
Watch Overview
Investigative Research, and a Bright Legal Line
What it covers, and the one use it is not for.
An investigative background investigation builds a documented picture from public and lawfully available records: confirming identity and history, mapping recorded real property and business affiliations, surfacing any litigation, lien, or judgment footprint, and corroborating whether the person or company in front of you matches the records behind them. It is the work you want before extending significant trust to someone – a counterparty in a deal, a prospective investment, an opposing party in litigation, or a person you are about to do business with. It differs from an automated screening report in depth and judgment; the distinction between this kind of investigative research and a packaged check is exactly the difference explored in skip tracing versus a background check.
Now the line that cannot be blurred. The Fair Credit Reporting Act governs reports used for employment, tenant screening, credit, insurance, and similar decisions about an individual, and those reports must come from a consumer reporting agency following the FCRA’s procedures and consumer protections – the framework laid out in FCRA-compliant background checks. We do not provide background research for any of those purposes. If you are deciding whether to hire someone, rent to them, or extend them credit, we will tell you plainly that you need a compliant consumer report from a CRA, not an investigative locate from us. Our background work serves non-FCRA purposes – litigation, due diligence, fraud, and lawful vetting – under a permissible purpose. We research and document; we never make the decision for you, and we never cross into FCRA territory.
When We Help, and When a CRA Must
The permissible purpose decides the right tool.
| Purpose | Our role (investigative research) | The right tool |
|---|---|---|
| Due diligence on a deal | Research the person or entity. Records | We can help. |
| Pre-litigation workup | Build a sourced background picture. | We can help. |
| Vetting a partner privately | Surface affiliations and footprint. | We can help. |
| Hiring an employee | Not our role. | A CRA, FCRA-compliant. |
| Tenant or credit decisions | Not our role. | A CRA, FCRA-compliant. |
The division is simple: if the decision is about employment, tenancy, or credit, the law routes you to a consumer reporting agency, and we will say so. For litigation, due diligence, fraud, and lawful private vetting under a permissible purpose, we are the investigative research layer – we develop and document the factual picture, and you make the decision.
When People Order a Background Investigation
The permissible purposes we serve.
Vetting a Business Partner
Before signing a deal.
Investment Due Diligence
Who is behind the offer.
Pre-Litigation Workup
Know the opposing party.
Verifying a Counterparty
Are they who they claim?
A Fraud Concern
Footprint behind a suspect party.
Locate Plus Background
Find the person, then know them.
How We Work a Background Matter
Scope, confirm, research, document.
Scope the Purpose
Confirm a lawful, non-FCRA use.
Confirm Identity
The right person or entity.
Research the Record
Property, affiliations, footprint.
Document the Findings
Sourced, with a confidence note.
Our Role: Research and Document
The factual layer, lawfully done.
Our role is to develop and document an honest factual picture of a person or business, and to be disciplined about when that work is and is not appropriate. We confirm identity, research recorded property and business affiliations, surface the litigation, lien, and judgment footprint, and corroborate whether someone is who they claim to be, all through public records and lawfully licensed data under a permissible purpose. We are a skip-tracing and public-records research firm; we do not pretext, impersonate, surveil unlawfully, or access private financial account contents. We do not draw legal conclusions or make your decision – we hand you a sourced report and let you and, where appropriate, your counsel weigh it.
The boundary bears repeating because it protects you as much as us: a background investigation from us is not a consumer report, and it may not be used for employment, tenant-screening, credit, or other FCRA-covered decisions. Those require a consumer reporting agency following the FCRA. When a request is really one of those, we will redirect you rather than take it. For the purposes we do serve – vetting a counterparty, sizing up an opposing party, checking who is behind an offer, or running the kind of careful business partner background check a private individual or company does before committing – we document each finding with its source and an honest confidence note, tell you how current it is, and flag gaps. The facts are ours to develop accurately and lawfully; the decision is yours to make.
Who We Help
For lawful, non-FCRA purposes.
Attorneys
Pre-litigation and case workup
Businesses
Counterparty due diligence
Investors
Who is behind the offer
Risk and Compliance
Lawful vetting workflows
Private Parties
Vetting a partner or counterparty
Lenders
Non-FCRA commercial diligence
For any lawful, non-FCRA purpose, the work is the same: confirm who the person or business is, research the recorded picture, and document it so you can decide with eyes open. If your need is an employment, tenant, or credit decision, we will point you to a compliant consumer report instead. Tell us about the subject and your permissible purpose; a first read typically comes back within 24 hours.
Our Commitment
We give you an honest, sourced background picture for a lawful purpose – identity confirmed, recorded property and affiliations mapped, litigation and judgment footprint surfaced, each finding documented with its source and a candid confidence note – so you can decide with eyes open. And we hold a firm line: this is not an FCRA consumer report, and we redirect any hiring, tenant, or credit request to a compliant agency. We research and document; the decision is yours. Lawful research since 2004 – never pretext, never private financial contents, never a substitute for legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a background investigation?
It is investigative, public-records research into a person or business – identity and history, recorded property and affiliations, litigation and judgment footprint, and whether someone is who they claim to be. It goes deeper than an automated screening report and is used for litigation, due diligence, fraud, and lawful vetting. We develop and document the factual picture under a permissible purpose; you make the decision.
Can I use this to screen a job applicant or tenant?
No. Employment, tenant-screening, and credit decisions are governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and must use a consumer report from a consumer reporting agency that follows the FCRA’s procedures and protections. What we provide is not a consumer report and may not be used for those purposes. If that is your need, we will redirect you to a compliant agency rather than take the request.
How is this different from a background check?
A packaged background check is typically an automated report run against databases for a defined purpose. An investigative background investigation is deeper and more judgment-driven, corroborating identity and building a sourced picture from public records for non-FCRA purposes like due diligence and litigation. The contrast is the same one between skip tracing and a background check – method and purpose differ, and so does the lawful use.
What can a background investigation include?
For a lawful purpose, it can include confirming identity and history, recorded real property and business affiliations, the litigation, lien, and judgment footprint, and corroboration of whether a person or company matches the records behind them. We do not access private financial account contents or balances, and we do not include FCRA-regulated content used for employment or tenant decisions. Each finding is documented with its source.
Do I need a permissible purpose?
Yes. We work only for lawful, legitimate purposes and will ask you to confirm yours before we begin. That keeps the research compliant and keeps both of us on the right side of the rules. A permissible purpose for investigative due diligence is different from the FCRA framework that governs employment and tenant decisions – if your need is the latter, a consumer reporting agency is the correct route.
Can you both locate someone and tell me about them?
Yes – locating and background research pair naturally. We can find a current, corroborated location and then develop a documented background picture for a lawful, non-FCRA purpose. That combination is common in litigation and due-diligence work. As always, the moment a request becomes an employment, tenant, or credit decision, it has to move to a compliant consumer report instead.
Do you decide whether the person is trustworthy?
No. We do not draw conclusions or make the decision for you. We surface and document an accurate, sourced factual picture, note how current and complete it is, and flag gaps. You – and where appropriate your counsel – weigh it against your situation. Our value is in the quality and honesty of the facts, not in a verdict.
How fast can you help?
For a workable request with a confirmed permissible purpose, a first read typically comes back within 24 hours. You receive identity confirmation and a documented background picture for your lawful purpose, each finding sourced and completeness noted honestly, so you can decide with eyes open. The research is ours; the decision – and any FCRA-covered process – remains yours.
Know Who You Are Dealing With
Before you sue, invest, or sign, an investigative background investigation tells you who a person or business really is. Tell us about the subject and your permissible purpose, and we’ll confirm identity and research the recorded picture – documented and sourced – typically with a first read within 24 hours. For hiring, tenant, or credit decisions, we’ll point you to a compliant consumer report instead. Contact us to get started.
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