There are numerous reasons you may want to conduct a criminal background check. You may be an employer checking new hires or a parent checking potential nannies. No matter your reason, residents of New Orleans trying to conduct a background check may not know where to go to get the information they want. Here are some ways of getting a criminal background check in New Orleans.
New Orleans Police
Try the New Orleans Police Department. If you are a representative of a company, the NOPD will conduct a background check for you. Download the form from the police department's website and fill it out.
Return the form with a check or money order for $5 to the New Orleans Police Department Records Division at 715 S. Broad Ave. New Orleans, LA 70119. Within a few weeks the PD will return the information to you. The returned form will list all criminal convictions of the person you are checking.
It is important to note that information contained in a NOPD background check will include information available only to that jurisdiction. This means it will list all convictions within the city of New Orleans, and should have all conviction from within the state of Louisiana, but it may not list convictions from other states.
Louisiana State Police
You can also request a background check from the Louisiana State Police. At the department's website, select "Internet Background Check" under the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information heading. From there the website will walk you through a registration process. After registering you can order a background check. The cost for a state background check is $26.
The Louisiana State Police background check, much like the NOPD background check, will only list information available within the State Police's jurisdiction. It may not list convictions from other states.
Online Sources
You can also order a background check from a third-party company online. The background checks provided by these companies are relatively thorough and usually cost around $40.
There are numerous companies offering this service so spend some time researching which one is the best match for what your require. Intelius and Net Detective are two of the most popular and reliable sites, but they are by no means the only companies providing the service.
The information contained in these background checks typically covers all convictions throughout the nation, but the information may not be a recent as the NOPD or Louisiana State Police checks.
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Writer Bio
Michael Scott is a freelance writer and professor of justice studies at Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a former prosecutor. Scott has a J.D. from Emory University and is a member of the Utah State Bar. He has been freelancing since June 2009, and his articles have been published on eHow.com and Travels.com.