HRemploymentScreening.com provides a criminal background check that can include the following information sources: county criminal records, federal criminal records, and a search of a proprietary criminal background check database.
Sources of Information for a Criminal Background Check
County Criminal Records
Most CRAs recommend that a criminal background check include a search of criminal records in counties in which the applicant lived during a particular period of time. County criminal records may contain information about felonies, misdemeanors, infractions, arrests, traffic violations as well as cases without disposition. FCRA compliant companies should not provide any non-conviction record(s) older than 7 years. The county criminal records search can take a minimum of one to three business days to complete because it is a combination of in-person court researchers and electronic court analysis.
Criminal Background Check Databases
Criminal background check databases are privately owned databases of criminal information. These databases typically include felonies, misdemeanors, and infractions. These databases can include state repositories that contain reporting from local jurisdictions, with the contents of the database driven by state law. The HRemploymentScreening.com National Criminal Database Search includes a multi-jurisdictional search of proprietary databases compiled from multiple sources consisting of court records, inmate / prison records, incarceration records, probation / parole / release information, arrest data, wants and warrants and/or other proprietary sources.
Federal Criminal Records
Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) is an electronic public access service for federal court case information. A search of federal criminal records will only include United States Federal felony and misdemeanor records. Federal felony and misdemeanor records represent a very small amount of criminal activity because the majority of criminal record activities are through the 50 U.S. states county courthouses.
Uses of a Criminal Background Check
HRemploymentScreening.com provides criminal background checks for employment purposes.
Criminal Background Check for Employment Purposes (Offered by HRemploymentScreening.com)
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs the criminal background check information that can be provided by a third party background screening company, referred to as a consumer reporting agency (CRA) in the law. The law also places requirements on employers. For example, prior to obtaining a criminal background check or a consumer report, an employer must have the applicant’s authorization to obtain the report and make a clear and conspicuous disclosure to the applicant that it may be obtained. The FCRA also has strict requirements related to adverse actions, such as denial of employment, based on the consumer report.
Other Purposes of a Criminal Background Check (Not Offered by HRemployentScreening.com)
When a gun is purchased from a Federal Firearm Licenses seller, a criminal background check is performed using the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). Criminal background checks are also performed for tenant screening purposes, and another use is to screen volunteers.
