Background Report
Review and manage your background report
Government records about you span your entire life, and are publicly available to anyone. Public records include:
- Professional and business licenses
- Real estate records
- Real estate records
- Sex offender registrations
- Voter registrations
- Property ownership and value assessments (sometimes even property blueprints)
- Court dockets and cases
- Bankruptcy files
- Arrests and convictions
- Warrants
Depending on the state, motor vehicle records include
- Vehicle registrations
- Licensing
- Driver history
Who Can See It?
Anyone.
What Can You Do About It?
- Review your background report on PeopleSmart.com. You can then manage your listings. Remove the records you want to keep private.
- The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse provides a list of 140 brokers. You can opt-out of many of them.
- Ensure the accuracy of your records. If any records are inaccurate, contact the appropriate office to have the record corrected (e.g., contact the DMV about incorrect driving records).
Privacy Protection Tip:
- Think twice before filling out marketing-related questionnaires that could be distributed or sold without your permission, and be careful about health screenings in malls and public places.
Keep your personal records, bank statements, and billing statements locked up. Shred them if you don’t need them. For more information about public records, visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
