Important: The information in this article is intended for general guidance for employers and hiring professionals. It is not legal advice, and organizations should consult their legal or compliance advisors when developing hiring or background screening policies. If you are an individual looking to obtain a background check on yourself or inquire about a background report, please contact the screening provider that performed the report or the employer who requested it. Justifacts provides screening services for employers and does not process personal background check requests through this website.
Getting a background check for employment is pretty straightforward once you know what the process actually involves. Employers don't pull records directly. They work with a professional screening company, collect a few pieces of information from the candidate, and receive a report within a few business days.
What trips organizations up isn't the mechanics. It's the compliance layer sitting underneath: consent requirements, disclosure rules, state-specific restrictions, and adverse action procedures that have to happen in the right order. Get those wrong, and a routine hiring tool becomes a liability.
This article walks through the full process — what employers need before a search can start, what types of background checks are available, where to get them, and what the regulations actually require.
Quick Answer
Employment background checks are ordered through a professional screening company called a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). Employers collect written authorization from the candidate, submit identifying information to the provider, and receive a completed report. Most standard searches finish within 1 to 5 business days, though some checks take longer depending on the types of searches requested and the jurisdictions involved.
Table of Contents
- What Employers Need to Know Before Running a Background Check
- What Information Do You Need to Run a Background Check?
- What Types of Background Checks Can Employers Request?
- How to Run a Background Check on an Employee: Step by Step
- Where Do Employers Get Background Checks?
- How Much Does a Background Check Cost?
- Can I Get a Background Check on Myself?
- Compliance Considerations
- Why Work with a Screening Partner
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
What Employers Need to Know Before Running a Background Check
The most common misconception about employment background checks is that employers can just look things up. Search a name. Pull a court record. Google someone's history.
That's not how it works, and doing it that way creates real legal exposure.
Employment background screening is governed primarily by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that sets specific rules for how consumer reports, including background check reports, can be obtained and used in employment decisions. The FCRA applies any time an employer uses a third-party screening company to run a check on a candidate or employee.
2 requirements stand out before any search can begin. First, employers should provide a clear written disclosure to the candidate informing them that a consumer report may be obtained. This disclosure has to be a standalone document, separate from the job application. Second, the candidate must sign a written authorization. No authorization, no check.
State and local laws layer on additional requirements in many jurisdictions. Some states restrict what records can be considered. Some limit when in the hiring process a background check can be conducted. A few restrict employment credit checks entirely. Understanding those rules before you build a screening program matters.
What Information Do You Need to Run a Background Check?
Once a candidate has authorized a background check, the employer submits identifying information to the screening provider. Standard requirements include:
- Full legal name, including any former names or aliases
- Date of birth
- Social Security number
- Current and previous addresses, typically covering 7 to 10 years of history
Address history is important because it determines which jurisdictions get searched for criminal records. A candidate who has lived in 4 states over the past decade may need records pulled from multiple counties or districts across all of them.
Specific search types require additional information. A motor vehicle record (MVR) check needs a driver's license number. Employment verification requires the names of previous employers, dates worked, and job titles. Education verification needs institution names and graduation or attendance dates.
Your screening provider's platform will usually walk candidates through collecting this information directly, which reduces back-and-forth and keeps the process moving.
What Types of Background Checks Can Employers Request?
"Background check" is an umbrella term covering a range of individual searches. Employers choose which ones to run based on the role, the industry, and their own policies.
Criminal Record Searches
The most common component of any employment background check. Criminal record searches look at criminal history at the county, state, or federal level depending on what's ordered. The geography of the search follows the candidate's address history. For most roles, criminal history is the core of the screening package.
Employment Verification
Confirms a candidate's work history directly with previous employers: dates worked, job titles, and sometimes eligibility for rehire. Straightforward, and one of the more reliable ways to catch resume inaccuracies before they become hiring mistakes.
Education Verification
Verifies degrees and attendance dates with institutions directly. More important for roles where credentials are an actual requirement of the job rather than a preference.
Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) Checks
Pulls driving history from the state DMV. Standard for any role involving driving, vehicle operation, or fleet responsibility.
Drug Screening
Pre-employment drug screening is common across many industries, especially for safety-sensitive positions. Employers can also set up ongoing or random testing programs post-hire.
Credit History Checks
Available for positions involving financial responsibility or access to sensitive assets. Many states restrict or prohibit employment credit checks entirely, so compliance review is essential before ordering this type. It's not the right fit for most roles.
International Background Checks
For candidates who have lived or worked outside the United States, domestic searches won't capture that history. International background checks fill that gap, though turnaround times tend to be longer.
Ongoing Monitoring
Post-hire ongoing criminal record monitoring lets employers receive alerts if a current employee's criminal record changes after their initial hire date. It's grown significantly in industries with regulatory obligations around continuous screening.
The right combination depends on the role. A delivery driver and a finance director have very different risk profiles, and a good screening provider will help employers think through what makes sense for each position type rather than applying one package across the board.
How to Run a Background Check on an Employee: Step by Step
Step 1: Choose your screening package.
Work with your provider to determine which searches fit the role. Criminal searches are standard. Add employment verification, MVR, drug screening, or other services based on job responsibilities and your internal policies.
Step 2: Enter the applicant's information and submit.
Once the package is set, the employer enters the applicant's email address into the screening platform and submits the request. That's all the employer has to do to kick off the process.
Step 3: Applicant receives an invitation.
The applicant receives an email and/or text message with a secure link to complete their portion of the process. This happens automatically through the screening platform.
Step 4: Applicant reviews the disclosure.
Once the applicant logs in, they're presented with a disclosure informing them that a consumer report will be obtained. This satisfies the FCRA's standalone disclosure requirement without the employer having to manage the document manually.
Step 5: Applicant provides electronic authorization.
The applicant signs their authorization electronically through the platform. No paper forms, no chasing signatures. The authorization is stored in the system for compliance purposes.
Step 6: Applicant submits their information.
Based on the searches included in the package, the applicant provides the relevant identifying information: full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, address history, and any additional details required for specific searches.
Step 7: Employer reviews the completed report.
Once searches are complete, the report is delivered through the screening platform. Review findings in the context of the role, your screening policy, and applicable regulations. A criminal record doesn't automatically disqualify a candidate under federal guidance. The nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and its relevance to the job all factor in.
Step 8: Follow adverse action procedures if needed.
If you're considering not moving a candidate forward based on something in their report, federal law requires a specific process: a pre-adverse action notice, a copy of the report, and a waiting period before any final decision. Justifacts clients have access to an automated adverse action workflow built directly into the Justiweb platform at no additional cost.
Where Do Employers Get Background Checks?
Employers work with professional background screening companies, formally called Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs). These providers have the database access, court record relationships, and compliance infrastructure to conduct searches properly.
What to look for when choosing a provider:
FCRA compliance
Your provider should operate in full compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and be able to help you understand what compliance looks like on your end as the employer.
Turnaround times
Most standard employment background checks complete within 1 to 5 business days. Manual court record lookups and international checks take longer. Ask providers about their average turnaround by search type before you commit.
ATS integration
Many employers want screening to connect directly with their applicant tracking system. Confirm that the provider integrates with your existing platform.
Account support
When a report comes back with something that needs context, or a court is backed up and you need a status update, having a real point of contact matters. Some providers are almost entirely self-service. Others assign dedicated account managers.
Compliance tools
Adverse action workflows, state-specific disclosure requirements, and Ban the Box compliance support are all areas where your provider's capabilities make a real operational difference.
Justifacts has been providing employment background screening since 1982. We assign dedicated account managers, maintain a platform built for compliance, and work directly with HR teams and hiring managers to build screening programs that fit how they actually hire.
PBSA accreditation
The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) offers accreditation to screening companies that meet rigorous standards for data accuracy, legal compliance, and information security. It's one of the most reliable indicators that a provider operates at a professional level. Justifacts is PBSA accredited.
Talk to a Screening Specialist
How Much Does a Background Check Cost?
Cost varies by provider and by the searches ordered. On average, a background check with criminal record checks would typically be in the $20–$50 range dependent on court fees and the number of locations searched. Court fees vary significantly by jurisdiction — some states carry substantially higher fees than others, which affects the total cost of a search in those areas. More comprehensive packages that include employment verification, education checks, and MVR pulls will cost more. Ongoing monitoring programs have their own pricing structures, usually built around a per-employee monthly fee.
Volume matters. Employers running high volumes of checks generally pay less per search than those who screen occasionally.
Price should be one factor in choosing a screening provider, not the deciding one. Slow turnaround times, missed records, or compliance gaps cost more than a cheaper per-search rate saves. Accuracy, speed, and compliance support deserve real weight in the evaluation.
Can I Get a Background Check on Myself?
Yes, individuals can request their own background information, but that's a separate process handled by consumer-focused services rather than employer screening companies. Employer-initiated screening is the current focus of Justifacts' platform, though options for individuals may expand in the future.
Justifacts doesn't process personal background check requests. Our services are for employers running checks on job candidates and current employees through an established screening program.
If you're an individual who wants to review what might appear on a background check before applying for a job, consumer reporting agencies handle that. And if you believe a background report that was run on you by a past employer contains errors, you have the right under the FCRA to dispute that information directly with the CRA that produced the report.
Compliance Considerations
Background screening involves a significant compliance layer that employers can't afford to treat as an afterthought.
At the federal level, the FCRA sets the baseline: disclosure requirements, written authorization, report handling rules, and a specific adverse action process that has to happen in a defined sequence. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) also provides guidance on how criminal history should factor into hiring decisions, emphasizing individualized assessment over blanket disqualification policies.
State and local laws add complexity from there. Depending on where your candidates live and where you operate, you may encounter:
- Ban the Box laws that restrict when in the hiring process you can ask about criminal history
- Limits on how far back criminal records can be considered
- Restrictions on the use of arrest records that didn't result in conviction
- State-specific prohibitions on employment credit checks
- Industry-specific clearance requirements, particularly in healthcare, childcare, and financial services
If you hire across multiple states, your compliance obligations multiply. Regulations in California, New York, and Illinois are meaningfully different from those in states with fewer restrictions. Getting this wrong creates real exposure.
Organizations should consult their legal or compliance advisors when building or updating screening policies. Justifacts supports clients with compliance resources and tools that help navigate these requirements. You can learn more about our compliance capabilities on our compliance page.
Why Work with a Screening Partner
Running a compliant background screening program on your own is theoretically possible and practically very difficult. The database access, court record relationships, compliance workflows, and dispute procedures that a qualified screening provider brings aren't easy to replicate internally.
A good screening partner does more than return a report. They help you build a screening policy that fits your industry and workforce. They flag compliance changes as state laws evolve. They support your team when candidates dispute findings or when adverse action situations require careful handling.
Justifacts has been doing this since 1982. Our average manager tenure is over a decade, which means the people working with your account have seen a lot of hiring situations and know how to handle them. We're US-based, we assign dedicated account managers (no call center), and our platform is built to support compliance at every step of the workflow.
What that looks like in practice:
- Dedicated account manager for your organization
- Compliance tools built directly into the screening workflow
- ATS integration capabilities
- Flexible package options by role type
- US-based support team
If you're evaluating screening providers or want to talk through what a program would look like for your organization, we're easy to reach.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a background check?
A background check is a review of a person's history conducted by a screening provider on behalf of an employer. It can include criminal records, employment history, education credentials, driving records, credit history, or other relevant information depending on what searches are ordered. Employers use background checks to verify what candidates have represented about themselves and to identify potential risks before making hiring decisions.
How do I get a background check for employment?
Employers get background checks through a professional screening company. After disclosing intent and collecting written authorization from the candidate, the employer submits identifying information to the provider, who runs the requested searches and delivers a completed report. Individuals can't order employment background checks through screening companies; those are initiated by employers.
How long does a background check take?
Most standard employment background checks complete within 1 to 5 business days. Criminal searches at the county court level are often the fastest component. Employment and education verification can add a few days depending on how quickly institutions and employers respond. International checks typically take longer, sometimes a week or more.
What information is needed to run a background check?
Standard requirements are full legal name (including any former names), date of birth, Social Security number, and address history covering roughly 7 to 10 years. Specific searches need additional information: a driver's license number for MVR checks, employer names and dates for employment verification, and institution names for education verification.
Can I get a background check on myself?
Yes, but through a consumer-facing service rather than an employer screening company. Justifacts doesn't process personal background check requests. If you want to see what a background check might show about you, consumer reporting agencies handle that. If you believe a report run on you by a past employer has errors, the FCRA gives you the right to dispute that information with the CRA that produced it.
Where can employers get background checks?
Through a qualified Consumer Reporting Agency. Look for FCRA compliance, reasonable turnaround times, ATS integration, dedicated account support, and compliance tools built into the workflow. Justifacts has been providing employer background screening services nationwide since 1982.
Key Takeaways
- Employment background checks run through professional screening companies (Consumer Reporting Agencies), not directly through courts or databases.
- Employers should provide a standalone written disclosure and collect signed authorization from the candidate before any search begins.
- The right searches depend on the role: criminal history, employment verification, MVR, drug screening, and other services should be matched to the position's actual risk profile.
- Most standard background checks complete within 1 to 5 business days, though some searches take longer.
- Federal and state compliance requirements are significant. FCRA rules, EEOC guidance, and state-specific restrictions all affect how screening programs should be built and run.
- Justifacts provides background screening for employers. Personal background check requests aren't something we handle through this website.
Final Thoughts
The mechanics of getting a background check are simple. The compliance around it takes more attention. Disclosure rules, authorization requirements, adverse action procedures, and state-specific restrictions all have to be handled correctly, and they compound when you're hiring across multiple jurisdictions.
Working with a screening provider who understands both the operational and compliance sides means your team spends less time managing the process and more time focusing on the hire. Justifacts has been working alongside HR teams and hiring managers since 1982. If you want to talk through what a screening program looks like for your organization, reach out.