SmartBackgroundChecks Opt Out: Remove Your Profile
SmartBackgroundChecks now uses an email-confirmed form. Older guides describe a different process, so follow the steps below.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 11, 2026SmartBackgroundChecks asks for your name and email, sends a link that stays valid for 24 hours, then shows a form where you enter the details of the record you want removed. Removal can take up to three days, no ID is required, and listings can reappear, so plan to recheck. The site says it is not a consumer reporting agency, so its reports cannot be used for employment, credit or tenant decisions.
Before you start opt-outs, see which known data breaches already include your email.
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SmartBackgroundChecks is a people-search site. It publishes profiles that can include a name, age, past addresses, phone numbers and relatives, depending on what the site holds. If you find your own record there, you can ask for it to be removed.
Why you may want to remove it
A profile on a people-search site can show your address history to anyone who types your name. That is useful to marketers and scammers as well as to legitimate visitors. If you have found yourself on the site through a name search, the opt-out is a free first step. Our guide on what people-search sites show explains what a typical listing contains.
What the site says it is, and is not
SmartBackgroundChecks states that it is not a consumer reporting agency under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. That means its information may not be used to decide on employment, credit or tenant screening. This does not make a listing harmless. It only describes the legal category the site claims.
How the opt-out works
1Open the opt-out page
Go to the site's opt-out page. Enter your name and an email address you can access, then complete the captcha.
2Open the email link within 24 hours
The site sends a confirmation link that stays valid for 24 hours. If it expires, start again.
3Complete the form
The form is labeled around exercising your rights as a subject or an authorized agent. Enter your first, middle and last name and the subject's email address, and tick the certification box.
4Submit and save the confirmation
A confirmation page appears and the site sends a confirmation email. Keep both so you can show when you asked.
5Wait up to three days
The site says removal can take up to three days. No ID is requested.
6Search again afterward
Look up your name and any variations to see whether the listing is gone. Use how to verify a removal actually worked for a checklist.
Removal is one half of the job. Check whether your email has leaked as well.
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Details to get right
- Use an email address you control, since the link goes there
- Enter the name exactly as it appears in the record you want removed
- If you find more than one record, repeat the process for each name variation
- Do not use a burner address you will abandon, because you may need the confirmation later
State privacy rights
The site also describes a route for state privacy laws, including those in California, Oregon and Texas. You can use its form, call 800-571-0614, or send a Global Privacy Control signal from your browser. State rights depend on where you live, so check which law applies to you. For California, see the CCPA deletion request guide.
Why a listing can return
Opt-outs remove a record from this site, but the underlying data may come from sources that refresh. A listing can reappear if the site receives your details again. The site's own page warns that records can reappear, so a periodic refresh is sensible. If a listing comes back, read what to do when removed information keeps reappearing.
Do not stop at one site
Removing one profile does not remove you from other people-search sites. Many sites hold similar data. After this opt-out, check the others, for example SearchPeopleFree, and use the people-search opt-out overview. A tool like California's DROP can reach registered brokers in bulk if you live there.
Sources
- SmartBackgroundChecks: Opt-out (name and email, link valid 24 hours, record form)
- SmartBackgroundChecks: Privacy notice (not a consumer reporting agency; 800-571-0614; Global Privacy Control)
Frequently asked questions
Does SmartBackgroundChecks require ID?
No. The site's opt-out process does not ask for identification.
How long does removal take?
The site says up to three days. Check again after that.
Why did my confirmation link not work?
The link is valid for 24 hours. If it has expired, restart the opt-out from the beginning.
Will my profile come back?
It can. The site says records may reappear, so recheck periodically.
Can I use my state privacy rights instead?
The site describes routes for state privacy laws through its form, a phone number or Global Privacy Control. Eligibility depends on where you live.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
Compare data removal services
See which services work in your country, what they cost, and the free do-it-yourself route.
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