Protect yourself and your business with automated background and criminal records checks. Use these powerful and reliable API to accesses data from public, civil, and criminal records
This service is especially useful for Mobile app developers, website developers, staffing agencies, human resource departments, collections, law firms, real estate, financial services, eCommerce, marketing, and insurance companies.
- Instant, Real-time Results
- Ease the pain of Online Fraud and
Identity Theft - Validate People in Seconds
- Avoid making Irresponsible Hiring decisions
XML or JSON Format
Fast & Reliable
No Contracts
Minimum $5
Secure and Private
Data Handling
API - BACKGROUND CHECK (api_back)
Obtaining background check information on people is simplified with this API. SearchBug Background Report API allows you obtain complete background report with data from public, civil and criminal records. The report includes names, a list of current and previous addresses and phone numbers, emails, relatives, corporate filings, UCC filings, trademarks, professional associations and licenses, personal lien, judgment and bankruptcy filings, evictions, criminal and watchlist record details, concealed weapon and hunting permits, pilot licenses and more.
Accounts with Restricted Access Add-on can also see SSN info, driver's licenses, employers, employment history, business associations, voter registrations and some other restricted information.
Great for web and mobile developers in dating applications, staffing applications, HR applications, recruiting apps, legal apps, and others.
THIS IS A TWO API CALL PROCESS
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People Search
The first step is to identify the correct subject person. Search by name, address, phone number, email address. You can add middle name or date of birth to narrow down your results. Verified business accounts with Restricted Access Add-on can also search by SSN.
People Search API by itself is a powerful and cost-effective tool ($0.79 to $0.33 per hit) with detailed current information.
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Background Report
The second step is a detailed report for the person selected in the People Search results. You will pass Person ID from the Step 1 to obtain all the available details in the Background Report. Not all details are available for all records.
Cost is $17.00 to $10.00 per query, depending on volume.
API Plans:
- Monthly (default). No minimums, no commitment - just pay for what you use. The rate automatically goes down as your monthly volume increases. The price resets on the 1st of each month.
- Annual. One-year commitment at a fixed discounted rate. The minimum annual commitment is $2,400. Apply for Annual Plan.
API - CRIMINAL RECORDS (api_crm)
Obtaining criminal records is easy with this API. Find out if someone has a criminal record and obtain the case details. Criminal Records typically include jurisdiction, charge, offense, disposition type, sentence, probation and conviction.
Search by name, location and date of birth.
Our Criminal Record Developer's API is a great way for developers or webmasters to include our raw criminal data into applications or websites.
Professional Accounts have the ability to search Criminal Records by SSN.
Price is $2.50 to $1.75 per search, depending on the volume and the plan selected.
API Plans:
- Monthly (default). No minimums, no commitment - just pay for what you use. The rate automatically goes down as your monthly volume increases. The price resets on the 1st of each month.
- Annual. One-year commitment at a fixed discounted rate. The minimum annual commitment is $2,400. Apply for Annual Plan.
Estimate your cost
Output example: XML (also available in JSON)
API - Anti Money Laundering (api_watch)
Use the Searchbug Anti Money Laundering (AML) API to find out if someone is on a Government Anti Money Laundering (AML). Watchlist is comprised of multiple Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury, FBI, and Interpol security data sources (INTERPOL is the world's largest international police organization, with 190 member countries.)
An API search may be conducted using a person's name or name and date of birth. Using a date of birth helps to determine if you have the correct person.
Great for web and mobile developers in the financial industry, travel industry, & leasing or rental industries. Incorporating this API into your app can differentiate you from the competition.
Cost is $0.05 per query.
Output example: XML (also available in JSON)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Searchbug APIs suitable for KYC compliance?
Yes. Many financial and insurance organizations use them to validate customer information before onboarding.
How do I pay for API services?
All APIs operate on a prepaid balance. Load between $10 and $5,000, and each successful query deducts from your balance. When funds run low, your balance automatically replenishes with your preset amount.
How does the API pricing work?
When a query is successful (called a "hit"), charges apply. There is no charge if there is no information found on a query. Some APIs like Criminal Check are priced per search, where No Results means that a person does not have a criminal record, which is considered a successful query with useful information.
The API price decreases as your monthly volume increases, making it cost-effective for businesses handling high search volumes. You can also apply for Annual Plan if you want to lock in your rates and save up to 60% compared to a non-commitment monthly plan.
Can I test the API before purchasing?
Yes! We offer free API testing for qualified users. Register for a no-obligation Sandbox API Test Account, and you'll receive a limited number of live queries to evaluate the quality of our data before fully integrating.
How often is the data updated?
Searchbug uses multiple data sources and advanced algorithms to ensure data is fresh, accurate, and continuously updated.
Need Something Custom?
If you don't see the exact API you need, Searchbug can build a custom API tailored to your workflow or data challenges. Contact us to discuss your requirements.
