Undoubtedly, the first place to on someone’s possible criminal history is at the local courthouse. This is particularly true is the person you are researching has lived in the same area for quite some time.
Simply by calling the court clerk’s office (or going to the court in person), it’s possible to save yourself an immense amount of time and trouble by check for criminal records free. That’s right, free criminal records checks are just a phone call away. Note that some courts do have a policy that criminal record checks are only searched when you are there in person, but it doesn’t hurt to call and check anyway. If ANYONE is going to be on your property (landscapers, painters, etc.) , just pick up the phone and call the courthouse first. And if they are actually going to be inside your house, get an address history search done and check all of the courts in the counties that they have lived (in case they have moved around a lot and are new to your area).
