As an employer, you are required to obtain a signed release from any applicant or employee that will be subject to a background check. Keep a copy of the signed release in your own files, and we recommend you copy the Summary of Rights (as required by the FCRA) on the back side of the release so you are sure it was provided.

Yes, but an accurate nationwide criminal history search would be cost prohibitive. Some companies advertise a "Nationwide Criminal Search" but this is misleading because it does not include all states and is done by searching databases, not the court system. These databases rely on courts to submit their records to them and many of the courts do not participate - and if they do participate, the records are frequently outdated. There is no central repository of criminal records available to the private sector. To conduct a nationwide criminal history check at the court level, we would need to search over 3000 courts throughout the country.

Generally, no. If the applicant was tried as an adult, the records may be available in the courts, but juvenile records are not available.

That's up to you - Reports can be emailed directly to you, viewed online at www.easybackgrounds.com , faxed to you or a combination of these. easyBackgrounds is very user-friendly, so you can adjust your preferences to what suits you best.

The best way to determine where your applicant has lived is to run an Address History Search. This is based on their Social Security Number and uses information from the credit reporting agencies as well as numerous other resources to develop a complete history of residency. Each address will have the County identified, and a County Criminal Record search can be completed for the appropriate counties. Our ordering system allows you to use the Address History Search to automatically order the County Criminal Searches, without any additional data entry.

Reports are complete in 48-72 hours. Address History Searches are returned instantly, Credit Reports are instant, some Statewide Criminal searches are instant, County Criminal searches are complete within 48 hours and the Education/Certification and Employment Confirmation are complete in 48-72 hours.

Background Checks vary in cost depending on the number of searches included in the report. Most of our clients combine several searches, such as an Address History, County Criminal Search based on the address history and a Prior Employment Confirmation. By combining several searches into a single package, we can offer a better price. We also offer volume discounts to companies that order frequently and these discounts are handled on a case-by-case basis.

Yes. In fact, easyBackgrounds offers its own Applicant Tracking System, which works seamlessly with executing your background checks. The information provided by your candidate in the ATS is pulled directly into your order, eliminating data entry and the possibility of keystroke errors. easyBackgrounds can also be integrated with most other Applicant Tracking Systems.

If you know the alternate name, you can include it in your search request. If an additional name is disclosed during the background check - by the Address History/Social Security Trace for example - then you might want to ask the applicant about it first, then include it in your searches.

The applicant or employer can make inquiries regarding the information in question and it will be investigated. The applicant has specific rights outlined in the Summary of Rights, which must be provided to the subject of the background check as specified in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

easyBackgrounds searches include Address History/Social Security Number Trace, County Criminal Records, Statewide Criminal Records, Instant Criminal History, Federal Criminal Records, Sexual Offender Registry, County Civil Records, Federal Civil Records, Drivers History, Credit Reports, Education Confirmation, Prior Employment Confirmation, License and Certificate Confirmation, Workers Compensation Records, Drug Testing, Reference Checks and any other search you'd like us to conduct.

Anyone driving on behalf of your organization - even once - should have their driving history checked on a regular basis.

A background check is your opportunity to verify information provided by your candidate. It can also reveal information that was either mistakenly or intentionally omitted - such as residency in other regions where a criminal record might be located. Background checks also help confirm dates of attendance and degrees or certifications earned, and can provide specific information about prior employment. The bottom line - your applicant's history will go a long way in predicting their future and a thorough background check helps you see both.

We recommend County Criminal Searches because they are the most complete form of search, requiring researcher at the court - in most cases at the Superior Court level. Statewide Criminal Searches are based on databases run by the state or private firms, and rely on the County Courts to submit records to them. Not all courts participate, so statewide databases are sometimes incomplete. However, they can be useful is augmenting the County Criminal searches done in areas of known residency. If a record outside a known county is found, the employer has the option of investigating further.

Yes. The FCRA allows for background checks on employees as well as applicants. Many employers update their employees background checks on a periodic basis. This requires less research because certain portions of the original background check do not need to be performed a second time, such as employment verification or education verification. And in most cases, the employer only needs to include a criminal record search that covers the period of time since it was checked.

If the arrest resulted in a conviction, then it is reported as part of the court record. Consumer reporting agencies are restricted from reporting arrests that do not result in a conviction in many states. In these states and others, employers in most cases cannot consider arrest records it determining eligibility for employment. Employers should be fully aware of how background check and other consumer information can be used for employment purposes.

Certain states restrict what can be reported on a consumer report (a background check is a consumer report). In California for example, Consumer reports may not contain records of arrest, indictment, information, misdemeanor complaint, or conviction of a crime that from the date of disposition, release, or parole, antedate the report by more than 7 years. Cal. Civ. Code § 1786.18.

Yes. A Credit Report prepared for employment purposes does not contain a credit score or date of birth and is not entered in the credit file as an inquiry. Having multiple inquiries can lead to a reduced credit score. All the other information such as payment history, debt and public records such as bankruptcy information is included in an employment credit report.

There is no limit to the number of Users you may authorize to use your easyBackgrounds account, and there is no additional charge. Each User should be set up with his or her own User ID and Password. As the Administrator, you can assign varying levels of access to the background check reports. For example, you may want a User to be able to place orders, but not view reports; or you may not want all Users to have access to the Accounting area of your account. You can also adjust a Users ability to view other Users reports.

Volunteers may be screened in the same manner that you would perform a pre-employment background check. The same FCRA regulations apply and any state regulations on background checks need to be considered as well.

No. There are no set-up or maintenance fees. You pay only for what you order. Whether it's a background check or a drug test, we appreciate your business.

Yes, easyBackgrounds offers background screening services internationally. The regulations on data use and availability of records varies from one country to another, so you should contact us to inquire about the background check protocol in the applicant's country of origin.

No it doesn't. A Federal Criminal Record Search is performed via the PACER system and only searches the federal district court system for violations of federal laws. A criminal record background check is incomplete if only federal courts are searched; it should also include County Courts and state record repositories to search for violations of state laws.