US Search Reviews

Criminal record checks can be only conducted in one specific state of your choosing. The results include everything that the previous report has to offer coupled with the court records and criminal charge history of the person in question. This section lists the jurisdiction, the case numbers, the location of any offense and the number of related offenses, among other important details of each case. Keep in mind that the results only cover one state, however, and so you’ll need to perform – and purchase – several reports if you’re unsure about where the crime has taken place.

US Search doesn’t shy away from presenting all its options right at the front gate. Each of the three variations are instantly accessible from the main page, while everything else can be found in the upper half of the menu. It’s worth mentioning that unlike many other background check services, US Search enables the user to look up someone by entering only the family name, although providing a first name and the state of residence will narrow down the results immensely. It’s also possible to search someone via their phone number, address or email. These are par for the course, but the cherry on top is the ability to find someone’s social media accounts too.

It’s also disappointing that the site doesn’t have a smartphone app or desktop client as is the case with much of the competition. Despite the fact that very few people make background checks from their phone, the added benefit of being able to identify unknown numbers is dearly missed.

US Search utilizes an industry standard 128-bit encryption to secure the library of personal information it has stored, as well as safeguarding the billing data that you provide when subscribing or purchasing a report. The site also emphasizes its valid security certificate as proven by the padlock symbol on all pages that involve private data transmission.

For those wishing to disappear from the search results, the site allows users to permanently hide such data from anyone else using the site. The link for doing so is hidden within the FAQ section under ‘Website Features’. Visiting the opt-out page will display a unique search field that must be used to find your profile. The request is 100% private and after verifying your identity the staff will ensure it no longer appears in searches within a week. However, remember that this doesn’t erase your data from the public records.

When you’ve found the report that you are looking for there are two options for accessing it and both involve some form of payment, either purchasing that particular report for a one-time fee or subscribing to the special OmniSearch membership that provides unlimited access to the people search database – including the subject’s name, aliases, address history, phone number, and social network – for a whole month. Doing so costs $19.95 and is renewed every 30 days.

Alternatively, US Search offers a quarterly plan that reduces the monthly fee to $16.61 per month. The problem with the OmniSearch membership is that it’s the unlimited version of the people search report and if you wish to conduct an advanced search – such as a criminal report or background check – then you will still need to spend money on them.

In case you decide to make use of one-time fees instead, then a people search result costs $2.45, a criminal record is $14.95, while opting for a full background check costs $39.95. Interestingly, these prices can be cut down greatly by choosing the alluring ‘Report + OmniSearch’ deal, but exercise caution here because there is a catch: the offer immediately activates the two-day trial. When this ends, the system automatically subscribes you to the OmniSearch membership and deducts $19.95 from your bank account.

US Search is lackluster in many areas. It presents all the necessary categories that you might expect from a background check service and the search engine is demonstrably fast with multiple ways of initiating, but that’s sadly where the praise ends. The site has a very unintuitive design, which also applies to the structure of the reports too. Coupled with the fact that any introduction or description is shoved away into the FAQ makes it extremely difficult for newcomers to assess the possibilities of the service.

US Search also lacks smartphone support or any noteworthy feature that could give it an edge over other public record search sites and with all these issues in mind the pricing is a bit expensive, especially the background checks. The monthly subscription only covers the most basic personal results and so you must still pay individually for advanced report types like criminal records or bankruptcies. The trial period only lasts for two days and by choosing the discount deal you’ll risk automatically subscribing to the monthly membership. In the end, US Search is only recommended if it’s only the basic credentials of someone that you’re interested in, because the advanced reports are a gamble.