File Finders Public Record Research

What File Finders Public Record Research does

File Finders Public Record Research is a wholesale public records research firm founded in 1995 by Kimberly and Joseph Tamayo and headquartered in Chula Vista, California. The company delivers direct-sourced criminal, civil, family court, and official records research — centered on San Diego County but extended nationally through a network of vetted court researchers — exclusively to business clients: Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs), data brokers, private investigators, attorneys, and attorney services. All research is sourced directly from courts and official repositories rather than from cached databases, with the firm citing 28+ years of continuous operation and the largest in-house criminal research team in San Diego.

The company's core technology is the proprietary In-Quest platform, an automated search agent designed specifically to navigate the constraints of San Diego County's public court index (notably the absence of a DOB search field and the reliance on literal name matching). In-Quest runs real-time court index queries across multiple name configurations, generates HTML audit trails and web snapshots for every automated search, and is paired with hands-on in-person research by an in-house team that physically visits all four San Diego criminal court locations daily. Supporting product lines include Civil Records Research, Family Court Research, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk services, Pre-Screened Case Research, Document Retrieval, and a Vendor Audit Assistance Program. The company is FCRA-compliant for consumer reporting use cases.

Commercially, File Finders operates on a pay-as-you-go, transaction-fee model with no monthly minimums, steep volume discounts for high-volume accounts, bi-weekly billing on net-15 terms (net-30 available for qualified clients), and zero fees for signup. Ordering is handled through a web-based customer portal with optional custom integrations into client proprietary platforms. Customer acquisition is reputation- and referral-driven, supported by a LinkedIn presence and a content blog focused on California background-screening legislation. No external institutional funding, M&A activity, or leadership turnover is documented; the company is privately held and independently operated.

Name

File Finders Public Record Research

Legal name

File Finders Public Record Research, Inc.

Website

https://filefindersinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wholesale public records research firm founded in 1995, providing direct-sourced criminal, civil, family, and official records searches in San Diego County to Consumer Reporting Agencies, private investigators, attorneys, and data brokers via the proprietary In-Quest automation platform and in-person court research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Background Screening & Public Records Research Services

NAICS

Investigation and Personal Background Check Services (561611), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Civil Investigations (Witness/Asset/Skip Tracing) (BPAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Skip Tracing & Locate Services (Address/Phone/Employer Discovery) (BPAAAEAF)

Keywords

• Criminal record research
• Public record retrieval
• Background screening services
• Court document retrieval
• Civil records research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chula Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Criminal Record Research: Per-transaction fees for criminal record searches (felony and misdemeanor) at San Diego county and nationwide through network researchers. Pricing depends on volume, reporting methodology, and expected hit ratio.
2. Civil Records Research: Fees charged by the name, hour, or project for civil file reviews and case information in San Diego.
3. Document Retrieval: Fees for retrieving certified or non-certified documents from all four San Diego court locations and official records repositories. Turnaround time and cost varies by request.
4. Pre-Screened Case Research: Billed on a per case or per name basis for case information on specified cases, including record entry into client's request management portal.
5. Volume Discounts: Steep volume discounts offered for high volume clients. No monthly minimum requirements to maintain an account.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

File Finders is a wholesale public records research firm that performs direct-sourced criminal, civil, family court, and official records research for B2B clients such as Consumer Reporting Agencies, Data Brokers, Private Investigators, and Attorneys. Core deliverables are felony and misdemeanor criminal record checks (San Diego and nationwide via partner network), civil and family court file reviews, certified and non-certified document retrieval, pre-screened case research, and vendor audit assistance, all executed through the company's proprietary In-Quest automation combined with in-person court research.

Product overview

File Finders is a wholesale public record research provider offering direct-source court research services primarily in San Diego County. The core offering centers on Criminal Record Research (felony and misdemeanor searches) utilizing the proprietary In-Quest automation platform combined with in-person court research. Additional services include Civil Records Research, Family Court Research, Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk document retrieval, Pre-Screened Case Research, Document Retrieval, and a Vendor Audit Assistance Program. The company services CRAs, data brokers, private investigators, attorneys, and legal support firms on a wholesale basis.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• In-Quest: Proprietary automated search agent designed for San Diego criminal court research that conducts real-time comprehensive searches and addresses challenges in the county's court index system.

Products and services

• Criminal Record Research Direct-sourced felony and misdemeanor criminal record checks for San Diego County and nationwide (via network researchers) for CRAs, data brokers, private investigators, and attorneys, returning clears within 2-8 business hours and detailed record information within 1-2 business days.
• Civil Records Research Civil file review and research covering contract disputes, collections, landlord/tenant cases, restraining orders, and small claims matters in San Diego County with 1-2 day turnaround, billed by name, hour, or project.
• Family Court Research Family and domestic court research covering divorce, child and spousal support, domestic violence restraining orders, custody, and visitation matters in San Diego County.
• Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk Services Official records retrieval from the San Diego County Assessor, Recorder, and County Clerk offices covering property valuation, birth and death certificates, fictitious business names, marriage certificates, notary registration, and document recording.
• Pre-Screened Case Research Case information retrieval for client-specified cases with 1-2 business day turnaround and same-business-day rush available for an extra fee, billed per case or per name and including record entry into client request management portals.
• Document Retrieval Certified or non-certified document retrieval from all four San Diego court locations for case copies, audits, or dispute resolution, with turnaround time and cost varying by request.
• Vendor Audit Assistance Program Secondary criminal research audits to verify information accuracy during client audit processes, conducted by experienced court research specialists.
• In-Quest Proprietary Search Platform Proprietary automated search agent platform used internally to run real-time name and DOB searches across multiple configurations for the San Diego criminal court index, with built-in HTML audit trails and QA processes to address limitations such as the lack of a DOB search field and inconsistent name indexing.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record clears returned within 2-6 business hours; record information within 1-2 business days
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Checkr: Tech-forward background screening platform used by gig economy and enterprise employers; comparable in serving the same employer background check market, with API-first architecture that contrasts with File Finders' manual specialty model.
• Tracers (now part of Data.com ecosystem): Large-scale public records data provider offering criminal, civil, and asset data to CRAs, PIs, and enterprise screening customers; comparable in product category but operates as a broad database aggregator with national scope rather than a county-specialist manual research firm.
• Sterling Talent Solutions: Large background screening firm (now Sterling Check) providing employment, tenant, and other screening to enterprise HR; a downstream customer of court research vendors like File Finders and an indirect comparator given its role as a CRA buyer of similar services.
• TransUnion SmartMove / TLO: National data broker with criminal record and public records data products used by landlords, employers, and PIs; competes in the same downstream screening workflows but at vastly larger scale and as a database-centric incumbent rather than a manual research specialist.

Direct peers

• Cal-Find Court Research: Specialized California-focused court research firm offering criminal and civil record retrieval on a wholesale basis to CRAs, PIs, and attorneys — directly comparable county-specialist model to File Finders' San Diego focus.
• Total Court Services: Provides wholesale criminal and civil court record research to background screening firms and attorneys; competes in the same direct-source research niche and serves the same CRA customer base as File Finders.
• Information Network Associates (INA): Wholesale public records research and document retrieval provider serving CRAs, attorneys, and PIs with a national footprint across criminal, civil, and federal courts — comparable in business model, customer base, and service lines to File Finders.
• Judy Records: Wholesale court record research provider focused on California, with services covering criminal, civil, and document retrieval sold to CRAs and PIs — directly comparable in scope and customer segment to File Finders.
• US Information Searches: Wholesale court record research firm specializing in California and other states; offers similar criminal, civil, and document retrieval services to CRAs and PIs using direct-sourced research — the closest direct competitor to File Finders in product, customer base, and model.

Regional players

• IRB Search (Int'l Research Bureau): Investigative research and public records firm primarily serving the U.S. market with a wider product set (asset searches, due diligence) that overlaps with File Finders' civil and skip-tracing-adjacent services for PIs and attorneys.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/file-finders
• Xx.com/filefinders

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about File Finders Public Record Research