Background Check
Austin-Based, Available Nationwide
A background check assembles what the record shows about a person: who they are, and what the courts and public files say. It draws on investigative databases available to licensed investigators, public records and open-source research. What exists varies by person and by jurisdiction. The client receives a comprehensive report detailing the findings and documenting the sources.
What this service is for, and what it is not
This is an investigative background check. It is used in litigation and before it, in due diligence on a business or a business partner, in asset and judgment work, in insurance claim investigations, in family law matters, and by people who simply need to know who they are dealing with before money or trust changes hands.
It is not employment screening. Reports used for hiring, promotion or retention decisions are consumer reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and we prepare those separately, under a different agreement and different rules. If you are an employer, see our pre-employment background check. We do not provide reports for tenant screening, credit decisions or insurance eligibility.
What we need from you
A full name is enough to begin. Date of birth is the single most useful additional detail. Beyond that: a city or state, current address, previous addresses, phone numbers or email addresses, relatives, employer, and any names or spellings the person has used before.
What the check covers
Depth varies, and part of the consultation is working out which level answers your questions. We offer three background check levels.
Basic. Identity verification, criminal records, traffic records, and sex offender registry status.
Advanced. Everything in Basic, plus bankruptcies, judgments, liens and evictions, address history, telephone numbers, email addresses, and names and aliases.
Comprehensive. Everything in Advanced, plus employment history where available, court records, social media accounts, and professional licenses. A driving record is included only if you request it and only with the subject’s written authorization, since driving records are restricted by the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act.
What it cannot tell you
Records are incomplete by nature. Not every jurisdiction reports the same things or reports them at the same speed. Sealed, expunged and juvenile matters do not appear, by design. Some people try to hide or minimize their digital footprint.
A check that finds nothing adverse means the records show nothing adverse. That is worth knowing, and it is not the same as a person being trustworthy. Where a finding is limited or uncertain, the report says so rather than rounding it into a conclusion.
Some things are not obtainable. Bank and financial account records and the contents of phone calls, texts and emails require a subpoena or court order and cannot lawfully be produced by an investigator. Where a case genuinely needs those, it belongs with your attorney.
How this differs from our other searches
A background check assembles a picture of one person. If what you need is to locate someone whose whereabouts are unknown, that is skip tracing. If you need particular records on a person or a company, especially a company, that is a public records search. If you are checking someone you are dating, the dating background check is scoped to that question. If you are an employer checking an applicant, that is a pre-employment background check, which is a different product prepared under different rules. And if the question is what someone is doing now rather than what the record says, that may involve surveillance and/or a vehicle sightings search.
Lawful use
You need a legitimate purpose before any work begins. We will not run a check intended to stalk, harass, threaten or intimidate anyone, and we will not take a case where a protective, restraining or no-contact order is in effect against the client with respect to the subject.
What you receive
A written investigative report, prepared and reviewed by a licensed investigator. It sets out what you asked us to establish, which sources and jurisdictions were searched, what each returned, and copies of any significant underlying documents as exhibits.
Turnaround is generally within five days, and afterwards you can call a real person and talk it through.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to start?
A full name is enough. Date of birth is the most useful thing you can add. A city or state, current and prior addresses, phone numbers or emails, relatives, employer, and any former names all help.
How far back do records go?
It depends on the jurisdiction and the record type. Court and property records often reach back decades; other sources are shallower. Sealed, expunged and juvenile matters do not appear at all. The report states what was searched and for what period, so you can see the shape of the record rather than only its contents.
Can I use this to screen a job applicant?
Not this one. A report used for a hiring, promotion or retention decision is a consumer report under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and an investigative background check is not prepared as one. We do prepare pre-employment reports for employers as a separate service, under its own agreement: see pre-employment background checks. We do not provide reports for tenant screening, credit decisions or insurance eligibility.
Can you check a company rather than a person?
Yes, though a public records search is usually the better fit for that, since it is built around business registrations, corporate filings, registered agents, judgments and liens. Where you need both the entity and the people behind it, we scope that at the consultation.
Will the subject know?
No. The work is conducted from records, databases and open-source research. We do not contact the subject or their employer, and searching a record does not notify the person it concerns.
Can you get a driving record?
Where the subject has given written authorization, or where the matter fits one of the purposes the Driver's Privacy Protection Act permits. It is included in a Comprehensive check only on request, and is not available simply because it was asked for.
Can you get bank records or account balances?
No. Financial account records are protected and cannot lawfully be obtained by an investigator. They come through a subpoena or court order, which is a matter for your attorney. The same applies to the contents of phone calls, texts and emails.
How is this different from an instant online report?
Those are automated and nobody reviews the results before they reach you, so they frequently include records that are out of date or belong to someone else with the same name. They are also database-only: a consumer lookup site returns what sits in its data, and does no open-source intelligence research at all, so anything that has to be found rather than looked up is simply absent. A licensed investigator cross-checks sources, resolves conflicting records, confirms identity, provides the underlying documents, and tells you what the findings actually mean. The cost of the cheap version is not the fee; it is making a decision on information nobody verified.
How long does it take?
Generally within five days, depending on the depth of the search and how many jurisdictions are involved.
What does it cost?
Flat rate, priced per search, so you know the figure before you agree to anything. What it depends on is the depth of the check. The consultation is free, and no work begins until you have a written agreement setting out the scope and the cost.
Do you work outside Texas?
Yes. This is records-based work and is available to clients nationwide.
From background check clients
I was really happy with the services of Just the Facts Investigations. I needed to do a background check on a person who would be staying with my elderly relative. I felt unsure about using the usual online sites, and wanted to be able to talk to a real person, review pertinent details, and ask questions. I thought the pricing was fair for the degree of service. JTFI got back to me quickly with a report. It was professionally done and the communication was quick and easy. JTFI took time to go through it with me, and I felt I had enough information to make a better decision.
Stellar Service, Superior Results, Comprehensive Thorough Background Check, Extensive Detailed Report, Friendly and Fast Service with Reasonable Pricing!
You Won't be Disappointed when working with Max! A True Pro!
Ready to Get Answers?
Tell us what you need to know. The consultation is free and confidential, and no work begins until you have a written agreement setting out the scope and the cost.
Licensed & insured · TX DPS A12693401