Every responsible small business owner knows that performing a Massachusetts background check is a good idea when screening job applicants. A thorough search of MA public records can reveal your potential new employee's criminal past or history of financial troubles, and even apprises you of any prior divorce records in Massachusetts.
You are legally responsible for actions taken by your employees. Therefore, it is important to conduct a comprehensive Massachusetts background check that includes MA public records searches. This is particularly imperative if your business operates in an industry that has high risks involving security or legal liability, such as construction or childcare services. A complete search in MA will include:
1. Massachusetts court records
2. Massachusetts police records
3. Massachusetts bankruptcy records
4. Massachusetts divorce records
5. Massachusetts vital records
6. General Massachusetts public records
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Conduct a free Massachusetts public records search
Free Mass court records are available - albeit on a limited basis - and should be viewed with caution. You will find plenty of free sites on the Internet, many of them proclaiming to offer free Massachusetts police records, Massachusetts divorce records, and various other types of Mass public records information. But some of these sites return inaccurate information, so you should validate any free information before relying upon it to make a hiring decision.
I recommend: RhinoReviews will help you find a reliable public records search site.
PeopleLookUp offers only limited information if you do not pay for their extended services, but the free data provided is usually accurate.
Search county court websites for free Massachusetts court records
The Records of all state and federal agencies are considered public records that must be made available to those who request them unless a valid reason for denying access exists, such as national security or protected privacy rights. As a result, you should be able to obtain common court records like Massachuesetts bankruptcy records and MA divorce records.
I recommend: Different counties are at various stages of technology use, so you will probably not be able to find all court records are online. See the
Massachusetts Court System website to guide you to available records.
Use a paid service to obtain Massachusetts public records information
Online public records search providers can save you tons of time and money. These sites can save you from having to contact local courts directly and from spending time validating free information. Reputable sites are usually the fees, but not all online search services return the same information. Survey several options before spending your money.
I recommend: Intelius and
USInfoRegistry both offer comprehensive employment background checks for reasonable fees. These sites return instant results and include public records from both State and Federal repositories.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Remember that you are responsible for your employment decisions and you can be held liable for wrongly denying someone employment. Make sure to double-check and cross-check and negative information revealed.
- Don't rely only on public records. Compare information discovered in MA public records searches with the information the applicant provided on a resume and/or job application.
- School (K-12) and university records are not public records. It is a good idea to require applicants to provide transcripts of high school and college coursework.
The official source of Massachusetts Public Records is
the Massachusetts Public Records page at Business.com
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