Knowing a little bit more about a person can help you avoid surprises in the future. One way to do that is through a background check. This article will look at ways to a free background check in Michigan and all that comes with it. This is one michiganlookup you can try on the web.

What is a Background Check

A background check can be summed up as an activity whereby a person or company do verifications on someone to ascertain if they are who they say they are. This can be done by checking records on their past like education, criminal, employment records and more.

Types of Background Checks

In Michigan, there is the official background check and the unofficial background check. The official background check is conducted by law enforcement to help come to a decision on how to charge arrested individuals. Unofficial background checks are an excellent method to know more about your new neighbors, potential employees, potential spouse, friends, enemies, relatives and coworkers.

For unofficial background checks, public records are your best option. They offer public records information on people from birth certificate, marriage records, criminal up to death records. There are many types of public records out there. There are vital records, criminal records, inmate records and Genealogy records for example. You can check out the OTIS Michigan Criminal Search guide for more helful information

The Michigan Public Records Laws

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FIOA) of 1977 allow access to public records. This means access to over 89 million public records. Anyone, except those who are incarcerated, can access public records in Michigan even if you are not from Michigan. To learn more about the laws governing public records in Michigan, you can go to Michigan.gov.

Vital Records Background Check in Michigan

Vital records are records that document important events in someone’s life such as birth, marriage, divorce and death. The state of Michigan has been documenting birth, death, marriage and divorce records from 1867.

For a person to obtain vital records in Michigan, they must provide location and date of event, full name of the person and their maiden name, divorce records case file number, and for marriage records, a marriage license number.

Sources for such records are local government offices, clerk’s office and Michigan Library and the Department of Health and Human Services. You can also obtain them by ordering them online.

There are also websites that can assist you on a vital records background check in Michigan. These are sites like Family Search, Ancestry, Roots Web and Michigan Gov. Some of these sites offer their services at a fee.

Criminal Background Check History Records in Michigan

There are two ways to conduct searches on criminal records in Michigan. You search for them using a name or fingerprints. Fingerprints searches are possible only if the if an execute order or state statue needs such a search. Information offered on a criminal record search include felony arrests and convictions.

The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) is the only tool that only gives access to public records kept by the Michigan State Police and Criminal Justice Information Center. It keeps records on all felonies and misdemeanors reported in all the 83 counties in Michigan.

Are Criminal Records Available to the public in Michigan?

The public can access criminal records in Michigan. Criminal records in Michigan are printed and filed as well as electronically kept. Information found on criminal records are details on a person’s relations with the law. These can be records such as arrests, convictions an incarceration records that happened in Michigan.

A background check on a criminal record will reveal the following on a person:

• The person’s full name, date of birth and nationality.
• Fingerprints and a mugshot.
• Physical feature such as tattoos.
• The type of felony and details on the crime.

Places that offer criminal background checks in Michigan include Michigan State Police and Criminal Justice Center which can be accessed through Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT). Other sources are Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC), Federal Bureau of Investigations and courts.

You can also request these records online through emailing or mailing. There are also sites that can help you do a criminal background check on someone. Examples can be Truth Finder, State Records, Intelius and Instant Checkmate. You might need to pay for the results from these sites. However, some of them offer free trials that you might take advantage of.

Also see: White Pages Michigan for more  people searching

Employment Background Check in Michigan

Employers are allowed to run a background check on a potential employee in Michigan. However, employers are not given arrest records thus a background check in Michigan will include felony and convictions.

Employers are permitted to use third party credit history check services given they provide a written consent that the check is for employment purposes only.

These ideas touch on all possible avenues for a free background check in Michigan. They expose the many ways and many places you can go to for a background check in Michigan.