When the police need to find someone, they run an instant people search to find out their address plus tons of other tidbits of information (criminal records and judgments, relatives and known associates, etc). So, you might be wondering how to run an instant people search yourself (or if you even can).
Fortunately, the police aren’t the only ones that can run an instant people search – you can, too. In fact, you can run a search with free preview results right here (see below).
The reason why anyone can run an instant people search starts with the fact that the information you’re looking for is part of the public record. Criminal records, divorce records, and more are all kept in county courthouses across the Unites States. In the past, this meant a trip to every local courthouse around, but there are companies that have done the legwork and gotten copies of every one of these records (which they update daily) and entered them into a comprehensive, searchable database.
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While some companies only sell this information to law enforcement, lawyers and private investigators, others have opened these instant people searches directly to the public. The result is that – with as little as a name and last known state (or city, if known) – you can get an instant background report for around $10.
Keep in mind, however, that there are a few instances when you are not permitted to run this kind of instant people search:
- This type of background check may not be used for prospective employees or tenants. There are other companies that specialize in this kind of background check (which are, unfortunately, not instant).
- These background checks cannot be used for making decisions regarding credit. They don’t include all the information necessary to legall make this kind of decision.
- This type of background check may not be used to harass or stalk anyone. While your searches are anonymous and the people being searched are not notified, any negative action you take with the information you receive will ultimately come back to you as the instant people search companies will cooperate with law enforcement if someone abuses their service.
Aside from that, if you need to find someone fast or even if you’re just idly curious about what a long lost friend or distant relative are up to, an instant people search can absolutely help. In the time it took you to read this, thousands of searches have already been run – yours could be next!
Related Posts
1. How to Find Anyone in the US
2. How can I find someone’s current address?
3. How to Find Someone by Name

Ron is the lead writer for USATrace.com. Ron has over 40 years of experience both as a private investigator and attorney. He brings excellent value to the site with his insite on public records and the changing demographics of people search on the internet. You can contact Ron via ron.richardson@usatrace.com.