A search into a person’s criminal history is a standard part of most background checks, but the term “criminal history” can be misleading. Criminal records come from a variety of sources. The different types of records and information that may or may not be covered by them must be understood by employers. The majority of crimes are prosecuted at the state and county level, making county/statewide criminal history checks a common search.
County Criminal Check
A person’s criminal history can be gleaned from this search. If you’re looking for felony and misdemeanor records, you’ll have access to all of them, as well as information on each record’s disposition.
Information you may receive:
- Pending cases.
- Convictions, adjudications withheld (during hold period).
- Active warrants.
- Level of offense.
- Disposition.
- identifiers are used to match the record to the applicant.
- Sentencing received
Traffic infractions and infractions, as well as petty crimes (as defined by state statute), as well as dismissed charges and records that have been expunged or deleted, will not be included in this search. The amount of information provided depends upon one thing: the scope of the search.
It is common practice for a criminal record to be filed under the name of the person who committed the crime. Records filed under a different name may go unnoticed if your scope only includes their current name. Seven years is the standard time period for background checks. You may not be getting “7 years of criminal history” if you only search for the current address. What if your potential hire has only been living in their current location for two years? In the past five years, they may have committed crimes that were overlooked.
County Criminal Record Check
It all comes down to which county you’re looking in. If a county doesn’t make its records available electronically, researchers will need to conduct their research in person at the county courthouse, either with a clerk or a researcher on-site. The same databases used by court clerks can be accessed online to conduct a search of county records. To conduct a statewide criminal background check, a person’s name is entered into the state criminal database. A person’s criminal record can be found in one of these databases.
Statewide Criminal Record Check
State repositories provide access to all state checks. The search can be carried out in person, by fax, online, or by integrating directly with the state government.
Repositories for each of the states vary, but may include the following:
- Statewide repositories.
- State agencies.
- State Highway Patrol department.
- The state Department of Corrections.
Despite the fact that state criminal searches can be useful, the amount and quality of information may vary from state to state. It is possible that some state repositories have daily updates on every conviction reported from across the state. However, some state repositories do not include all counties or update their records on a regular basis. The turnaround time for some states can be significantly slowed by additional requirements, such as fingerprinting or forms.
There is a common belief that all background screening companies perform county/state criminal background checks using exactly the same methodology and in the same amount of time. It’s impossible that this is the case at all. At the county courthouses in every state, you can access criminal records. However, this method may not be the quickest or most efficient method for obtaining criminal information. In some states, searching the statewide repository of criminal records yields the same or more comprehensive results than doing a county-by-county search.
Temporary court closures across the country are affecting turnaround times and the accessibility of searches because of the current climate. What if the standard procedure for your background check vendor has been to only conduct a county search? If this is the case, you may only get partial results and have to wait longer than usual in the affected regions of the country. Natural disasters and other unforeseen events can cause delays, but if your vendor tailors their search based on the state, you can avoid them. Your background screening provider must ensure that their process is agile and adaptable to ensure that you get accurate and fast results.
At AO Services, we understand the importance of providing timely and accurate background checks to each and every one of our customers. You can rest easy knowing that you’re getting the best criminal background checks possible thanks to our extensive knowledge and experience across the country. Get in touch with us right away to find out more about how AO Services’ full range of criminal background solutions can benefit your business.