People search guides: find and verify people, legally

Step-by-step guides for the real reasons people look someone up: reconnecting, staying safe, and checking a contractor, landlord or buyer before money changes hands. Every guide shows the official free sources first and where the legal lines are.

More ways in

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Find someone

How to find someone's social media accounts by name
Step-by-step ways to find someone's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn or X from just a name: platform search, Google operators, usernames, photos, and a people search.
How to look someone up by email address
Who is behind an email address? How to search an email in quotes, check linked profiles, read the domain and headers, and spot a scam sender.
How to find someone's new phone number, the right way
Lost touch and need someone's current number? Respectful ways to find it: mutual contacts, social media, public listings and people search, and when not to.
How to find an old friend or classmate
Practical ways to reconnect with an old friend or classmate: maiden names, alumni networks, social search, mutual friends and people search, done respectfully.
How to find a lost relative or birth parent
Ways to find a lost relative or birth family: genealogy records, consumer DNA tests, mutual-consent reunion registries, state adoption records, and doing it with care.
How to find out who owns a property
Property ownership is public record in every state. How to search county assessor and recorder records, read deeds, and handle LLC owners.

Verify before you trust or pay

How to verify a contractor before you hire them
Check a contractor's license, insurance, reviews and identity before you pay a deposit. A 10-minute checklist based on FTC home improvement guidance.
How to verify a landlord before you pay a deposit
Rental scams cost people $65M since 2020, per the FTC. How to confirm a landlord owns the property, spot fake listings, and pay safely.
How to verify a Marketplace buyer or seller before you meet
Selling or buying on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist or OfferUp? How to check the person, meet safely, avoid fake checks and code scams, and check a car's history.
How to vet a roommate before you move in together
Practical, legal ways to vet a potential roommate: identity checks, references, a video call, an FCRA-compliant screening with consent, and fair-housing basics.
How to check if a business or online store is legit
Before you pay an unfamiliar business or online store: check its state registration, domain age, reviews, contact details and payment options. A quick checklist.
How to verify a professional license
Official, free lookups to verify doctors, nurses, lawyers, financial advisers, brokers, mortgage officers, tax preparers and contractors before you trust them.

Records, the law and your privacy

How to check if someone has a criminal record, legally
Where criminal records actually live (county courts, state repositories, PACER, sex offender registries), how to search them legally, and when you must use an FCRA-compliant check.
How to background check a nanny or caregiver, legally
Hiring a nanny, babysitter or caregiver counts as employment under the FCRA. What a legal background check requires, what you can check yourself, and red flags.
How to remove yourself from people-search sites
Opt out of people-search sites, use California's DROP data broker deletion tool, request Google removal of your contact info, and reduce what is public about you.

Questions

What can I legally look up about someone?

Public information: public social profiles, court records, property records, professional licenses and sex offender registries. See what a public records search shows.

When do I need an FCRA-compliant background check?

Whenever the information is used for hiring (including nannies and caregivers), renting, lending or insurance. That requires a consumer reporting agency and the person's written permission. TrueSearch is not a consumer reporting agency.

How do I remove my own information?

Start with our opt-out guide and the TrueSearch opt-out page.

TrueSearch is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Do not use TrueSearch or anything on this page to make decisions about employment, housing or tenant screening, credit, insurance, or any other FCRA-covered purpose. Results come from publicly available information and licensed telecom data and may be incomplete or out of date.