The $350 Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier covers a single subject: nationwide criminal and civil index searches, corporate affiliations, real property records, UCC filings, liens, judgment locators and associate mapping, verified by a licensed Florida investigator. That price is not a general rate for all private-investigator background checks in Florida. For other investigative work, typical ranges vary. An investigative report is not a Level 1 or Level 2 check. Ask the licensed investigator to confirm the records and verification included for your subject.
The same report is available anywhere in Florida. What follows is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a background check from a private investigator cost in Florida?
The Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier is a specific report product, and it is the same in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and every other part of the state.
Other investigative work is different. For surveillance, asset and judgment investigations, fraud investigations and litigation support, typical ranges vary. For that work, ask for a written scope and a budget before anything starts. Our article on whether hiring a private investigator is worth it in Florida covers how to weigh cost against the decision.
Surveillance & Field Operations and Asset & Judgment Investigations are separate services. A divorce or infidelity case is surveillance work rather than a records report, so typical ranges vary there too. Our article on what a private investigator does in a Florida divorce or infidelity case covers that work. If you want to know exactly what the Dossier covers for your subject, ask before ordering.
How does a private investigator do a background check?
The following explains possible research steps, not a guaranteed Dossier checklist. Confirm the sources, jurisdictions and verification included in the proposed scope with the licensed investigator.
Identify the subject correctly. Common names produce false matches. Before pulling any record, an investigator fixes the subject's identity using full name, date of birth, prior names and address history. The purpose is to reduce the risk of matching records to the wrong person.
Search the public record. Florida keeps a great deal of information in public hands:
- Clerk of court records in jurisdictions included in the agreed investigative scope: criminal, civil, family, probate, traffic and small claims cases, plus recorded deeds, mortgages, liens and judgments.
- Property appraiser records for real estate owned now or in the past.
- Corporate filings and fictitious names through the Florida Division of Corporations, and professional licenses through the boards that issue them.
- Florida criminal history and the state sex offender registry through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
- Federal court records: civil, criminal and bankruptcy cases.
- Recorded tax liens and UCC filings, which are filed separately from court records.
Search licensed databases. Licensed investigators use commercial databases that aggregate address history, phone numbers, relatives, associates and prior names. Federal privacy law restricts driver and financial data, and an investigator does not pull them without lawful authority. Database results are leads; every item that matters is checked against the primary record.
Verify. An index entry is not a court file. An investigator pulls the actual docket or document and confirms the disposition; an arrest is not a conviction. Employment, education and license claims are confirmed with the institution or board that holds the record. Public social media and news are reviewed lawfully, with no false identities or pretext logins.
Write the report. The result is a written document organized by category, with the source and date of each item and a plain note about any gap. It is built so that an attorney can use it and the investigator can explain how each item was obtained. Our article on how private investigators work with attorneys in Florida explains what happens when a report is used in a case.
The report does not include private messages, bank balances, sealed records, or credit data obtained without lawful authority. Our article on what a private investigator can and cannot do in Florida covers the limits.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Is an investigator’s report the same as a Level 1 or Level 2 check?
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement gives these definitions on its official definitions page:
"Level 1: a state-only name-based check."
"Level 2: a state and national fingerprint-based check and consideration of disqualifying offenses and applies to those employees designated by law as holding positions of responsibility or trust."
An investigator’s report is a different product from either check. These definitions do not establish the contents of the Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How can I get a background check on someone in Florida?
There are three routes: search public records yourself, use an instant people-search site, or hire a licensed investigator.
Do it yourself with public records. Clerk of court websites, the FDLE criminal history search, the Division of Corporations, county property appraisers and license lookups are open to the public and free or low in cost. The limits are time, coverage and identity. You see index entries rather than files, you miss other states, and a common name gives you someone else's records.
Use an instant online people-search site. These are fast and inexpensive and draw on aggregated data that is often out of date or mixed between people. Check the site's terms: most of these sites state that their results may not be used for employment, tenant or credit decisions.
Hire a licensed investigator. When a decision with real consequences depends on the answer, a verified written report from a licensed agency is the route built for that decision.
Employment, tenant, credit and insurance screening are not offered.
This is general information, not legal advice.
How can I get a background check on myself in Florida?
You can request your own Florida criminal history through FDLE's online search, and FDLE also offers a personal review of your own record. Search the clerk of court in each county where you have lived. The national credit bureaus provide free copies of your own credit reports. Your driver record is available from the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
If you find an error, the agency that holds the record is the one that can correct it. Florida has a legal process for sealing or expunging certain records; it runs through FDLE and the courts and usually calls for an attorney.
This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the quickest way to get a background check?
Ask what sources and verification are needed for your question, then ask for the expected turnaround. Do not assume that a fast result is a verified or complete report.
Where can I get a background check in Miami, Orlando or anywhere else in Florida?
The answer is the same statewide. For a state criminal history, FDLE online. For local court records, the clerk of court in that county. For an investigative report, a licensed Florida agency; the work is done from records and databases, so the investigator does not need an office in your city.
A business that advertises a "background check service" in a Florida city may be offering state screening rather than an investigative report, which is a different service. Our Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier is the same report product anywhere in the state.
What Florida laws govern background checks and private investigators?
Licensing. Private investigation in Florida is licensed under Chapter 493, Florida Statutes. Our guide on how to hire a licensed private investigator in Florida lists the license checks to run before you order.
Public records. Florida's public records law is broad, and most clerks of court and property appraisers publish their records online. That is why a do-it-yourself search is possible here, and why mistaken identity is its main risk.
Sealed and expunged records. Florida law allows certain records to be sealed or expunged. Those records do not appear in a public search, and a licensed investigator cannot lawfully obtain them.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
What's the average cost of a background check?
Different products cover different questions. Compare the proposed scope, sources and verification rather than treating every product called a background check as equivalent. The Dossier’s price applies to that specific product.
How much does a background check cost in FL?
It depends on the check. We do not set or list the fees for state screenings. A county-by-county criminal records search with confirmed dispositions is the work an investigative report covers; our Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier has its own published price. For other investigative work, typical ranges vary.
How much should I pay for a background check?
Choose a report whose confirmed scope fits your question. Ask which records will be searched, what verification is included and which gaps will be identified.
For billing models and budget questions, see how much a private investigator costs in Florida.
About Risk Intell Group
Risk Intell Group works across Florida, including Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville. Our services:
- The Comprehensive Intelligence Dossier
- Litigation Support & Attorney Services
- Asset & Judgment Investigations
- TSCM Bug Sweeps & Counter-Surveillance
- Corporate Due Diligence & Principal Vetting
- Fraud Investigations
- Surveillance & Field Operations
We work with corporate counsel, family law attorneys and private individuals, and we offer volume agreements for law firms. Investigative services are fulfilled by a licensed Florida Class A private investigative agency. Your assigned agency is identified before investigative work begins. This article is general information, not legal advice. To discuss your matter with a licensed investigator, start a confidential intake.