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Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

Table of Contents:

III. Bankruptcies, Judgments & Tax Liens

I. Membership

What's here?
We've worked since 1996 to provide a useful directory of links to now over 43,000 hard-to-find public record databases around the world to help you locate businesses, people, and the information you need to make important decisions. We were the first to provide this type of service on the Internet and we work continually to add new sites and keep the links current.

Is this free?
The Search Systems membership is not free, but we do offer a variety of billing options. Our staff handpicks the public record database links on this site and we work daily to add new links, write descriptions, and keep the current links updated. The costs of providing this service on the Internet are substantial.

What do I get with a Membership?
SearchSystems.net membership provides access to over 43,000 links to public record databases worldwide through our directory at www.searchsystems.net. Members also receive discounts on our database of over 300 million criminal records, and our database of over 100 million bankruptcy, judgment, and tax lien filings.

Will the username and password that I got by paying a "detective," "investigator," or "court record" site work here?
No other web site or service is authorized to sell access to our services. If someone else tried to sell you access to our site or led you to believe that a subscription with them would give you access to Search Systems, please notify us.

What if I have a membership and the database doesn't appear when I click the link?
Check your browser settings, as Cookies and JavaScript need to be enabled in your browser in order to use this site. If the link simply fails to appear it may be because the link has moved or been discontinued. Please click on "Report Broken Link" at the top of the page, or notify us and provide us with the exact name of the link and its location on our web site. Click here to contact us.

How can I cancel my recurring Monthly, Semi-Annual or Annual membership?
Monthly recurring subscriptions are billed on the same day of each month as when subscribed. Semi-annual recurring subscriptions are billed on the same day, six months later. Annual recurring subscriptions are billed on the same day, one year later. When you registered, you had the option to sign up for a one-time or a recurring membership. To cancel a recurring subscription you must notify us at least 48 hours before the end of the billing cycle. Click on My Account at the top of the home page and then Cancel my Account and complete the form, fill in your username and password, and press continue to complete the process and your account will be cancelled immediately. Alternatively you may email us at http://www.searchsystems.net/webmaster.php, or call SearchSystems.net at 800-350-2232 (U.S.) or +1-805-375-4041 (International) during regular business hours (Pacific Standard Time) and provide us with the name, username, and email address used for the subscription. If a subscription is cancelled by email or by phone, you may request to have access to the site until the end of the billing cycle, and your subscription will not automatically renew.

What about the links that say "pay?"
There are some links to databases where the provider charges a fee. Each link that requires a fee to search the database is identified as a "Pay Site" so you'll know up front to expect to pay that company or public agency for that service. SearchSystems.net membership is not required to access databases marked as “pay" -- you can click right through to those links without logging into our site.

What about the sites that ask for their own passwords, will a SearchSystems.net username and password get me in?
No. We don't own, manage, or control the companies or public agencies that provide the information. Some sites do require that you sign up with them and require that you use their username and password. A Search Systems username and password will not work on those web sites.

What sort of information will I find at the State/Province level in the United States and Canada?
It's really quite a mix. At the State level we've concentrated on locating databases that provide business information (corporations, limited liability companies, limited partnerships, assumed business names), licensing (dentists, physicians, real estate, therapists, etc.), criminal records, sex offenders, inmates/offenders, missing children, unclaimed property, trade names/trademarks, state employee/department lookups, uniform commercial code filings, and state codes. At the City and County levels we've concentrated on locating links to: local civil, criminal, probate, family, and traffic court records; birth, death, and marriage records; assumed/fictitious business name filings; recorded documents; county/city inmates; and tax information.

How do I find the database I need?
There are three ways. The first is to search by geographic area. Go to the section on our site that has links to the Country, State, County, Region, or City that you want to search and see if the information you want is provided there. We've also organized a number of links into categories, such as criminal records, property, corporations, recorded documents, births, deaths, marriages, etc.. Alternatively, you may use the "Search This Website" feature at the top of the home page. This feature is most helpful for narrowing your search to a particular category and/or area. For example, if you type in "California Courts," it will provide you with a list of available Civil, Criminal, and Probate Court links in the State of California. Or just type in the name of the city or county you want to search and all available databases for that jurisdiction will be listed for you. More help on how to use the "Search This Website" is available as a link just below the feature.

Why can't I find my city or county?
When we started this service there were only a few dozen public record databases available for free on the Internet. Since then there has been an explosion of new useful sites and services, but not every county or city provides a database online. If you know of a public record database and we've missed it, please help by letting us know. Submit a Link. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated by Search Systems and your fellow visitors.

Don't you have a disclaimer?
Yes! The presence of a link on SearchSystems.net should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation of any service or site. Pacific Information Resources, Inc. dba Search Systems does not guarantee that the information found through these links is accurate or even reliable. Please see our Terms of Service for a complete description of the terms for use of this site.

Can I submit my e-mail address to this site without worrying about it?
Have no fear - if you should wish to submit your e-mail address, Search Systems will use it to contact you only about site-related issues. Nobody else will be provided with your information-- Period. For further details about this and related issues, please see our Privacy Policy.

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II. Criminal Records

What's here?
Search Systems offers INSTANT access to hundreds of millions of criminal record, sex offender, bankruptcy, judgment, and tax lien records through our Nationwide/Statewide database searches. YourSearch Systems username and password gives you access to our Nationwide/Statewide Criminal Record database AND provides you with discounts on searches. Members may also access over 2100 additional criminal record, sex offender, criminal court, want, warrant, and arrest databases located on our Directory.

How much are the searches?
Members enjoy a $10 savings on criminal record searches. The member price for a nationwide criminal record search is $19.95. The statewide criminal record search is $7.95.

What if I want to search the Nationwide/Statewide Criminal Record database, but don't wish to become a member?
Click here to perform a search.

Can I still use my "Premium" member username and password?
No, but you can upgrade to full membership and/or run the same searches. We merged our "Search Systems Premium" service into our SearchSystems.net Membership package, which includes the public records directory. You can still purchase single searches of that criminal record database by clicking here. We encourage you to consider a full membership, as you will save $10 off Search Systems criminal record searches, save $5.00 on bankruptcy/judgment/tax lien searches, and enjoy full access to our directory of links to over 43,000 public record databases.

What if I don't know the subject's Date of Birth?

Our non-member search requires the exact name and full date of birth in order to run a nationwide or statewide criminal record search. However, if you become a Search Systems member, you may run searches by partial name and year of birth (plus or minus 3 years). This allows more flexibility if you don't know the exact DOB. You may also elect to receive records that show no date of birth at all. These features are important, as some jurisdictions provide only partial birth dates or don’t provide a birth date at all. If you run a search with a full date of birth, those records will not appear in your results. For best results, check our data sources before running a search to see which jurisdictions limit their use of birth dates.

What should I consider if I search a common name?

In order to keep queries from overwhelming our system, we limit results to the first 500 records. This isn’t normally an issue if you search by name and birth date. But if you search a common name (e.g. John Smith) by age or age range, and ask for all records that don’t include a birth date, then you may get too many results. If you do get too many results, try limiting your next search to a single state, and/or search by a single year of birth (rather than an age range), or try the search again using the middle initial. The best way to limit results on a common name is to search by exact name and full birth date.

Do you have any other tips for me?
Yes! Don't enter a middle initial, middle name, or designation such as Jr. or Sr. You'll get better results that way.

See also our Best Results Guide for maximizing your search queries, and our Free Criminal Records Search Guide for researching records on the Internet using both of our services.

What if I can't find criminal records for my state or county?
There is no all-inclusive criminal record database available to the public. We provide access to the largest single database of criminal records on the Internet, but there are many public agencies that insist on being the only ones to provide that information to the public. We've searched for those databases over the last ten years and provide direct access them on our main web site. Go here to see what's available in your state or county.

May I search for criminal records by using partial names?
Yes. The search options allow you to search by exact name or partial name. If you de-select the exact name checkbox, a wild card is automatically placed at the end, so that all you need to enter is at least two characters of the first and last name. Be careful though, because a truncated name may give you too many results.

How do I print or save results?
Just check the boxes of the records you want to print and then click on the button that says "Print Checked Details." For all results, click on Print All Details. Either one will give your results in ASCII text format. If you want to save the results, click on "File" on your browser menu, go down to "Save Page As" or "Save As" (depending on your browser), and then select the directory in which you wish to save the file.

What information will I find in the Search Systems Criminal Record database?
Each jurisdiction provides a different amount of information and utilizes different sources. At a minimum each record will provide a name and date of birth. Results may include charges, case information, gender, race, and address. Court Records may include case information, charges, and/or case records.

Does the Search Systems Criminal Record database contain ALL state and nationwide criminal records?
No. Some states and counties limit or prohibit dissemination of criminal records by private companies. Go here for a list of all of our criminal record data sources. Can't find your state or county, try our Directory, where we provide over 2100 additional criminal record, court, arrest, booking, and sex offender records.

Does the Search Systems Criminal Record database contain arrests or wants and warrants?
No. Most jurisdictions will only report their disposed cases, therefore we only provide access to convictions on our service. There are over 2100 links to inmate, court, arrest, wants, and warrant databases on our directory.

Are misdemeanors and felonies both reported?
No. Most corrections departments report felony information only, specifically those crimes punishable by at least 12 months of prison time or probation.

Does Search Systems access records from credit reporting agencies?
No. We do not acquire records from Equifax, Trans Union, Experian, LLC, or any other credit bureau.

What information is needed to perform a criminal record or sex offender search?
Our searches match the first and last name and date of birth. You may also search by partial name and year of birth.

Why should I verify the spelling of a name?
It is important to make sure that you enter the person's name correctly as a misspelling can result in either no records or the wrong records being returned in your search results. This is one reason that we offer partial name searches. By de-selecting the “exact name” check-box, you can enter the first part of a name (e.g. STE to catch records for STEVEN and STEPHEN).

What if the search result comes back "No Results Found?"
There might not be a record or the record may not be part of the data sources we have available. The charge is for the right to search, not for the retrieved results, so you will be charged even if no results are found. If the record should have appeared in our records but didn't, use our contact form and provide whatever details you have about the filing so we can research the problem and resolve it.

If I submit incorrect information or misspell the name, will I be charged for the search?
Yes. If you misspell or submit any of the incorrectly, you will still be charged for the search.

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III. Bankruptcies, Judgments and Tax Liens

How much are the searches?
Nationwide or statewide bankruptcy, judgment and tax lien searches are $7.95 for members.

What if I want to skip the membership and just search the Nationwide/Statewide Bankruptcy, Judgment and Tax Lien databases?
Sorry, those databases are currently available to members only.

Do you have any tips for me?
Yes! Don't enter a middle initial, middle name, or designation such as Jr. or Sr. You'll get better results that way.

May I search for bankruptcies, judgments, and tax liens by using partial names?
No. The system doesn't accept partial names. Keep in mind you'll get your best results if you search by first and last name and leave out the middle name or middle initial.

What information will I find in the Search Systems Bankruptcy, Judgment, and Tax Lien records?
Again, each jurisdiction provides a different amount of information and utilizes different sources. At a minimum each record will provide a defendant and plaintiff name, filing date, and the filing location. Results may also include the release date, defendant address, social security number or Tax ID, and/or book & page numbers of the filings.

Is there a limit to how many bankruptcy/judgment/tax lien records I'll receive?
Yes. You're limited to a maximum of 500 results and we're not able to give you any results past the first 500. If the records you want didn't appear in the first 500, we suggest that you use the name and city or zip code search to narrow your results.

Why can't I search for judgments by social security number or Tax ID?
You can only find a record if that piece of information is included in the file. Bankruptcies and tax liens normally have a social security number or Tax ID listed as part of the record, but judgments normally don't.

Does the Search Systems Bankruptcy/Judgment/Tax Lien service contain all state and nationwide records?
Our service does provide access to all bankruptcy filings in the U.S. (excluding U.S. Territories). We provide statewide access to tax lien and judgment information in most states, but we provide bankruptcy data only in some states (Alabama, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North & South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia). In some other states (e.g. Alaska, Massachusetts, Tennessee), judgments and tax liens are provide in some, but not all counties. If you have any questions about coverage please review our list of data sources available here: http://premium.searchsystems.net/searches/bjl.php.

Does Search Systems access records from credit reporting agencies?
No. We do not acquire records from Equifax, Trans Union, Experian, LLC, or any other credit bureau.

What information is needed to perform a bankruptcy/judgment/tax lien search?
You can search by name only, by name and address, or by Social Security number or Tax ID (bankruptcies and tax liens only).

If I submit incorrect information or misspell the name, will I be charged for the search?
Yes. If you misspell or submit any of the incorrectly, you will still be charged for the search.

"Search Systems provides access to the most extensive, best-organized and most frequently updated online directory of direct links to free government and private source public records. It is the one source I always mention in my presentations for private investigators and professional researchers."

- Tamara Thompson, P.I.
pibuzz.com

"Your website has been a wonderful resource and I appreciate that you put such a fabulously accurate and REPUTABLE informational website out there - I am in awe of your expertise. Thanks again!"

- Michele H

"Thank you, my criminal records search gave me just what I needed. The Better Business Bureau was right with their "Triple A" rating for your company. I will definitely recommend your service."

- Sabine