Terms of Use

Sterling provides background investigations, particularly for police officer candidates and school safety positions; FOIA request services, including retrieval of historical department records, patrol guides, and information needed for legal matters; and government contracting support. The specific scope, deliverables, and timeline of any engagement are set forth in a separate written agreement between Sterling and the client. In the event of any conflict between these Terms and a signed engagement agreement, the engagement agreement controls.

You agree to use our website only for lawful purposes and in a manner that does not infringe the rights of, or restrict the use of, the website by others. You may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the website, interfere with its security, or introduce malicious code. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the website at any time without notice.

Clients are responsible for providing accurate and complete information necessary for an engagement, including accurate identifying information about the subject of a background investigation or records request. Clients are responsible for ensuring they have an appropriate legal basis and authorization to request and use the information they ask Sterling to obtain, and for complying with all applicable laws regarding its use. Sterling conducts engagements in accordance with applicable law and does not provide legal advice.

By providing your phone number to Sterling, you consent to receive service-related SMS / text messages, which may include appointment reminders, scheduling confirmations, and status updates related to your engagement. These Terms and our Privacy Policy govern such communications.

• Opt-out: Reply STOP to any message to opt out of SMS communications at any time.
• Support: Reply HELP to any message for assistance, or contact us as provided below.
• Carrier fees: Standard message and data rates from your mobile carrier may apply.

We are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages resulting from carrier limitations, network issues, or incorrect contact information.

All content on this website, including text, graphics, logos, and design, is owned by or licensed to Sterling and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may view and use the website for your personal, non-commercial informational purposes. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from the website without our prior written consent. Reports and deliverables produced for a client are governed by the applicable engagement agreement.

Our website and services are provided “as is” and “as available” without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, to the fullest extent permitted by law. We do not warrant that our website will be uninterrupted or error-free. Background investigations and records retrieval rely on third-party sources and records whose accuracy we do not control; we make no guarantee regarding the completeness or accuracy of any particular record beyond the standard of care applicable to the engagement.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Sterling shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits or revenues, arising from your use of our website or services, except to the extent expressly provided in a signed engagement agreement or where prohibited by applicable law.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sterling and its representatives from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from your misuse of the website, your breach of these Terms, or your use of information obtained through our services in violation of applicable law.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. You agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Harris County, Texas, for any dispute arising from these Terms or our services.

Our website may contain links to third-party websites that we do not control. We are not responsible for the content or practices of any third-party site and encourage you to review their terms and privacy policies.

We may revise these Terms at any time. When we do, we will update the “Last updated” date above. Your continued use of our website or services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

You may also reach us through our contact page.