Exactly what kind of background information are you trying to get? Education, criminal, work experience? You could hire a private investigator to do some checking, but you'll probably pay a good amount of money for that. Background checks typically involve having the individual sign some kind of release form before you can get information on him or her. Criminal records in courthouses are available to the public if you know where he's lived in the past, but most other searches will require the release form. I have some more information on background checking at http://screendiscussion.blogspot.com. Hope this helps!