Resources

We specialize in providing thorough, fast, and customizable background screening services to help you make informed hiring decisions. We provide comprehensive solutions from a criminal check to employment verification to drug testing and DMV records check. You’ll receive the results of your background check fast – our team is efficient and reliable. We stay up to date with all legal requirements, helping you remain compliant without compromising on accuracy. Plus, you’ll have access to our REAL team of pre-employment due diligence experts.

Background checks help identify any history of violence, harassment, theft, or other offenses that could pose a risk to existing staff, customers, or company assets. Employers can face significant legal liability if an employee’s actions harm another employee or customer. Demonstrating thorough due diligence through background checks can help limit legal exposure and liability claims, such as negligent hiring lawsuits.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is an important federal law that focuses on ensuring the accuracy, fairness, and privacy of consumer information provided by agencies like BackgroundBrief. It safeguards the candidate’s rights as a consumer by allowing them to review and dispute information in background screening reports. It also sets guidelines for how employers can request and handle these reports, especially when they might affect job prospects.

These laws, adopted in over 150 cities and counties, aim to remove the "criminal records" question from job applications. They encourage fair chance employment by focusing on qualifications before considering criminal records.

This database compiles records from various sources, like state courts, correction departments, and sex offender registries. It's not exhaustive, so it's best used alongside other checks.

We follow the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) guidelines and generally cover the past 7 years for criminal and civil records. If you need to go further back, just reach out to us to determine if this is a compliant action in your city, state, or industry.

Typically, it takes from 24-48 hours (sometimes much sooner) for results to come back. A lengthier timeframe may be due to someone who has lived in several places, small or rural areas with reduced technology to search, or multiple name changes. If there are extenuated searches, a pass-through fee may apply.

By keeping informed about any changes in an employee's background, you can take proactive steps to reduce potential risks. Regular background checks can also show your commitment to compliance with relevant industry standards and regulations.

Our team will recommend a suitable package based on your industry or specific company needs. Deciding which package to select might also depend on the role.

The Basic Search package queries the National Criminal History Database, which is managed by a private company. County and state reporting agencies must actively report criminal history records to the National Criminal History Database; however, not all records are consistently reported, and some counties and states may not report at all. The database is most accurate when used in conjunction with a county-level criminal conviction search. With the Level 1 Search package, our background check team will contact the individual courthouses in the counties where the person has lived to verify their criminal history records, ensuring the information reported is as accurate as possible.

Absolutely! State laws and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) require written or electronic consent from applicants before we conduct checks. Part of the background check process is ensuring the candidate or employee has authorized the background check.

In some cases, you can apply background check requirements to some but not all candidates or employees. It will be important to consult with BackgroundBrief to determine any exception criteria.

Our electronic disclosure and authorization forms are tailored to individuals 18 and older. Under most state laws, a minor does not have the authority to enter into an agreement such as a background check authorization. The minor’s parent or legal guardian would need to provide consent to run the background check. Because our electronic forms are not directed toward minors, we will provide you with a form that can be printed and filled out by the minor and their parent or legal guardian. Once the written authorization is received, we will manually enter the request into our system.  Please note: Even though a minor’s parent or legal guardian may consent to a background check, you may not be able to obtain all records requested due to regulatory restrictions. Employers will not be able to access a minor’s sealed criminal record. Additionally, employers cannot access credit information for minors because most individuals under 18 cannot obtain credit.

Our Motor Vehicle Report covers the past three years. Insurance firms can access longer records, but we focus on the last three years for employment screening. Some states may provide additional information beyond the 3-year scope.

No. Courts generally don't provide an applicant's SSN in records. Names and birthdates are key identifiers. In some cases, a few jurisdictions allow verifying the last four digits of the SSN.

No, records from juvenile courts are typically not public. If a juvenile is found guilty in an adult court, those records might be public and considered in background checks.

There are several reasons why this might happen. It varies depending on that individual’s specific situation. Some examples include the scope of the search package did not include county-level records, the charges were amended or expunged, or the new hire was not convicted of the crime.

There are various reasons a candidate might not pass, ranging from their criminal history to inconsistencies in their work or educational background, unsafe driving records, or failed drug tests. Different checks provide different information, so reviewing results carefully helps you make an informed hiring decision.

A criminal record check shows if charges were filed, pending disposition, dismissed, or convictions. Arrests don't always mean charges; records might not be public due to ongoing investigations.

Simply provide a general time frame (month and year). We'll verify within 30 days of the given dates for accurate results.

Depending on the results of a background check, a "hit" may be a reason to rescind an offer of employment. If the "hit" is relevant to the job duties and qualifications, it may be reasonable to rescind the offer. If the "hit" is not relevant to any specific job duties or qualifications, it may be illegal to rescind the offer. It is essential to ensure that a well-communicated background check policy is consistently applied across the company. These requirements vary by city and state, so be sure to check your local requirements before proceeding with the Adverse Action process or reach out to us for support.

Adverse action refers to a decision by an employer not to hire, promote, retain, or otherwise negatively impact an individual's employment status based on information revealed in a background check report. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), employers must follow a legally mandated two-step adverse action process if they decide to take any unfavorable action based on the results of a background check.

If an individual requests to see their background check report, you must provide them with a copy. In some states, such as New York, you are required to provide the individual with the report, whether or not they request it.

This is a best practice. A thorough policy will ensure that no unintentional liability occurs during the background check process. There are several local and federal regulations governing this process, so your company policy is a great way to ensure your hiring managers are up to date on background check compliance.

Yes, but you must be enrolled in E-Verify (state-specific laws may apply).