An online background check service sells you an automated database match: aggregated records, often outdated, never verified, and usually barred by the site’s own terms from employment or tenant decisions. A licensed private investigator in New Hampshire or Massachusetts pulls primary-source records, confirms identity, and gives you a verified report you can actually act on. The difference is accuracy and legal defensibility.
What an online background check service actually does
The $20-to-$40 websites work the same way. You type a name, the site queries commercial data aggregators, and an algorithm guesses which records belong to the person you searched. There is no human reviewing the match. If your subject shares a name with someone two states away, you may get that person’s criminal history, addresses, or relatives mixed into the report.
Those aggregators buy data in bulk and refresh it on their own schedule. A conviction that was sealed, a case that was dismissed, or an address the subject left three years ago can all show up as current. Records that were never digitized, which includes a meaningful share of older New Hampshire court files, simply do not appear at all.
Read the fine print and you will find the most important limitation. Nearly every consumer background check site states that it is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and that its reports may not be used for employment, tenant screening, credit, or insurance decisions. If you make a hiring or rental decision based on one of these reports, you are the one carrying the legal exposure, not the website.
What a licensed private investigator does differently
A professional background investigation starts by confirming identity. We establish who the subject is before we look at what they have done, so the records in the report belong to the right person. From there, the work is primary-source verification:
- Court records pulled directly from the courthouse or the official state system, not from a reseller’s copy. In New Hampshire that means the Judicial Branch’s records and, where needed, the clerk’s office. In Massachusetts it means the Trial Court system and the state’s CORI process where the requester is eligible.
- Direct employment and education confirmation. We contact the employer or registrar rather than trusting a resume or a database field.
- Reference and witness interviews conducted by investigators who spent decades interviewing people professionally.
- Investigative databases unavailable to the public. Licensed investigators have access to restricted data sources that consumer sites cannot query, and we know how to read them critically.
- Asset, property, and business filings cross-checked against the Secretary of State and registry of deeds in both states.
The result is a written report that explains where every fact came from. If the matter ends up in front of a judge, an arbitrator, or an opposing attorney, the investigator who did the work can explain the methodology under oath. A website cannot. Our background check services page describes the standard scope.
Side-by-side: online service vs. licensed PI
| Factor | Online background check site | Licensed NH/MA private investigator |
|---|---|---|
| Identity confirmation | Algorithmic name match | Verified before records are pulled |
| Record sources | Commercial aggregators, refreshed on their schedule | Courthouses, state systems, direct contacts, restricted databases |
| Human review | None | Every record reviewed by an investigator |
| Sealed, dismissed, or stale records | Often reported as current | Checked against the current official record |
| Use for hiring or tenant decisions | Prohibited by most sites’ terms | Structured for compliant use with the required consent and notices |
| Court testimony about the findings | Not available | Investigator can testify to methods and sources |
| Typical turnaround | Minutes | Days, depending on scope and jurisdictions |
| Cost | Low, subscription-based | Higher, scoped to the question you need answered |
New Hampshire and Massachusetts rules that online sites ignore
Both states regulate how criminal history may be used, and both impose rules that a national website is not built to follow.
Massachusetts runs criminal records through its CORI system, and access levels depend on who is asking and why. Massachusetts also restricts when an employer may ask about criminal history during the application process and limits how far back certain records may be considered. A report that lists an old misdemeanor the law says you cannot weigh puts you at risk the moment you rely on it. Employers and landlords around Boston and across the Commonwealth deal with these limits on every hire.
New Hampshire criminal history checks run through the State Police, and many court records are still held at the local courthouse rather than online. A database-only report can miss a case entirely because the file was never sold to an aggregator. A licensed investigator knows which courts to walk into.
On top of the state rules, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires written consent before an employment background check and a specific notice process before you act on negative findings. A properly structured investigation is built around those steps. A consumer website skips them and tells you in its terms that the problem is yours.
When an online check is enough, and when it is not
We are not in the business of telling people to overspend. If you want a quick sense of whether a contractor’s business is real or a first look at an online seller before a small purchase, a consumer site is a reasonable starting point as long as you treat the result as a lead and not a fact.
Hire a licensed investigator when the decision has real consequences:
- Hiring for a position with access to money, children, vulnerable adults, or sensitive data.
- Vetting a business partner, investor, or acquisition target. Our corporate investigations team handles pre-transaction due diligence in both states.
- Screening a tenant for a property you cannot afford to have tied up in an eviction.
- Checking a new partner before they move in with you or your children.
- Any matter that may end up in court, where you will need to explain where your information came from.
Our investigators are former law enforcement with 56+ combined years of experience, licensed in New Hampshire (#M-2025-0424) and Massachusetts (#LP1599A). We scope every background investigation to the question you need answered, quote the work up front, and tell you plainly when a cheaper option would serve you fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are online background checks accurate?
Sometimes, but you have no way to know which parts. Online services match records by algorithm with no human review, so common names produce mixed-up files, and sealed, dismissed, or outdated records often appear as current. Treat an online result as a lead to verify, not as a finding.
Can I use an online background check to screen an employee or tenant in NH or MA?
Most consumer sites prohibit it in their terms because they are not consumer reporting agencies under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Employment and tenant screening also require written consent and a notice process before you act on negative results, and Massachusetts adds its own limits on criminal history. A licensed investigation is structured to meet those requirements.
How long does a professional background check take?
A focused check on one person in one state can often be completed in a few business days. Investigations that involve multiple jurisdictions, in-person courthouse record pulls, or reference interviews take longer. We give you a realistic timeline when we scope the work, and we do not pad it.
Get a verified answer, not a database guess
Tell us who you need to know about and why. We will explain exactly what a licensed background investigation will cover in your situation, what it will cost, and how fast we can deliver it. Consultations are free and confidential.
Prefer to write? Request a free consultation and we will respond directly. Donahue Investigative Services is based in Salem, NH and serves all of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
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