Use state and federal prisoner databases for a criminal record search

Chances are that anyone who has been convicted of a felony has been sentenced to prison or some form of probation. Most records of a person's prison sentence are available online.

I recommend: Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons inmate locator to find out if an individual has ever served time for a crime since 1982. However, it is important to enter the correct first and last name to conduct a proper search. State correctional facilities also offer a similar service, but in some cases, you can conduct a search using a person's date of birth or social security number. Family Watchdog tracks registered sex offenders after releases from prison.

Utilize criminal background vendors

There are numerous online services offering criminal records searches and criminal background checks for a nominal fee.

I recommend: SentryLink , National Criminal Records and Net Detective are some of the services that provide detailed criminal records within seconds of submitting a person's information.  Rhino Reviews rates public-records search services.

Search federal and state court websites for a criminal history

In the event a potential employee has been arrested but never convicted of a crime, you will have to check for criminal cases in federal and state courts to obtain copies of their case disposition.

I recommend: Register with Pacer, a web-based service provided by the U.S. district courts that contains case information on individuals arrested on federal crimes. Pacer allows users to view and download arrest affidavits, indictments and other criminal records. Most state courts have similar capabilities.