What does a person search need, and what does it return?

A person search (POST /person_searches) runs checks on an individual, such as a business owner or guarantor.

Required inputs:

• First and last name

• SSN (full 9 digits, or last 4)

• At least one option to run: litigation, bankruptcy, liens, OFAC, PEP, or TIN matching

Optional inputs improve matching: middle name, date of birth, phone, email, and address. Some options need more: liens require an address (the search uses its state), and TIN matching requires the full 9-digit SSN.

What comes back, depending on the options you ordered:

• Litigation and bankruptcy cases naming the person, each with a match confidence

• Liens and judgments filed against the person

• OFAC and PEP watchlist hits

• tin_matched: whether the SSN and name match IRS records

• Any warnings or errors

Confirming a record belongs to your applicant: court and lien records rarely include an SSN, so they are matched by name. Use the match confidence on each case and any address or state information to rule out people with the same name.

Deceased checks, military status (SCRA/MLA), and criminal background checks are separate products. See the related articles for how to order them.