Exceptions: Addressing data discrepancies in reports – Checkr Help Center

This article will help you:

Understand what exceptions are, and why they occur.
Understand the types of exceptions Checkr reports.
Search for reports which are Pending due to exceptions, and help resolve them.
Direct candidates to the Candidate Portal or the appropriate link to provide information needed for their report to process.

This article is for the following user roles: Admin, requester, user

What is an exception?

An exception is an event that prevents a candidate's background report from being processed. Exceptions are usually the result of inadequate or inaccurate candidate information, and are often resolved by a request for more information from the candidate.

For example, if Checkr is unable to validate the name and date of birth of a candidate, or if Checkr is unable to pull a candidate’s electronic Motor Vehicle Report, then Checkr will raise an exception describing the issue and a possible resolution. Once the information requested is provided, the report will resume processing.

When an exception occurs, Checkr updates the candidate's report to display a card which describes the exception, lists the time at which the exception occurred, suggests a solution, and provides a link to upload the required documentation. Checkr also automatically sends the candidate an email notification which includes this information, and provides a secure upload link to resolve the issue.

If the exception is related to the candidate’s name or date of birth (DOB), Checkr will request a photo of a government-issued ID.
If it’s related to a motor vehicle record (MVR), a photo of a valid driver license is required.

If the candidate does not respond within seven days, the report is placed in Suspended status. Suspended reports can be updated and processed if the required document is provided within 30 days of the report's creation.

Exception types

Exceptions may arise for any report Package. The most common exceptions occur when processing the SSN Trace, and Motor Vehicle Record. When an exception occurs, the candidate’s report will display a yellow window describing the exception, and listing a document that must be provided for review by Checkr.

SSN Trace exceptions

SSN Trace Exceptions may occur if the date of birth or name provided by the candidate does not match the information returned by the SSN trace. For most of these issues, the candidate will be sent an email asking them to re-enter their Social Security Number.

While waiting for the Candidate to respond to the request, the screening will be shown as Pending for 7 days.

Once the Candidate has entered and confirmed a new SSN, the trace will be rerun, and the Report will update to display the exception’s updated status. Note: If the new SSN entered does not match, the report will show the status of suspended.

If the information returned from the SSN Trace does not match the information provided, Checkr will not be able to complete the report, and you must request a new report. If the candidate believes the SSN they provided is correct, advise them to reach out to their local Social Security Office. (To find your local office, go to https://secure.ssa.gov.)

Checkr issues the following 5 types of SSN Trace exceptions:

Exception	Reason	Resolution
Death Master File Hit	The entered SSN is listed on the Social Security Administration's “Death Master File”.	Candidate receives an email request to confirm their SSN. If still unresolved, the report will be suspended.
SSN Issuance Year Mismatch	The entered SSN has a year of issuance that precedes the candidate's year of birth.	Candidate receives an email request to confirm their SSN. If still unresolved, the report will be suspended.
Data Mismatch	The information returned from the SSN trace does not match the candidate’s provided information.	Candidate receives an email request to confirm their SSN. If still unresolved, the report will be suspended.
No Data/Thin File	No address history was returned from the SSN trace. This is typically referred to as a “thin-file” case, which is common for young and/or underbanked people.	Candidate receives an email request to confirm their SSN. If no data is returned for the confirmed SSN, the report will indicate that the SSN Trace returned no data, and will be marked ‘Clear’.
Name & DOB Mismatch	The candidate’s date of birth matches the data from the SSN Trace, but not the name (or vice versa).	Candidate receives an email request to upload a copy of their photo ID.

Motor Vehicle Record exceptions

Exceptions will sometimes arise for this check if the driver's license number that the candidate entered does not match DMV records. When this happens, Checkr will ask to see a copy of the candidate's driver license.

Other exceptions may occur. All will provide a card that includes a description of the issue, the steps that must be taken to resolve it, a link to enter the requested information, a timestamp of when the exception was posted, and the amount of time remaining to post the information and allow the check to continue.

How do I know when an exception occurs?

When reports are initiated, all packages listed on the report have a status of Pending. When an exception occurs, a card describing the exception and its resolution will be shown at the top of the report. The related package's status will remain Pending until the required documentation is provided, and the report processes.

To search for Candidates with exceptions which prevent their reports from completing, go to the Candidates section of the dashboard, and select Status: Pending (Candidate) from the filters.

The dashboard will display a list of candidates who have been asked to resolve their exceptions. Click into a report to see the exceptions for that candidate.

If an MVR check must be re-run due to an exception, both checks will be billed on your invoice.

How do I resolve exceptions so the report will process?

Resolving exceptions requires candidates to submit additional information. In addition to the email sent candidates, requesting this information, Checkr also provides the following ways to help resolve exceptions:

Encourage your candidates to visit the Candidate Portal frequently, to check on the progress of their report. Any active exception, and a link to resolve it, will appear when they first log in.
Send your candidates the link provided in the exception in the Checkr dashboard, and instruct them to follow the instructions provided to resolve the issue.
Click the link on the report, and enter the requested information on your candidate's behalf.

Logging into the Candidate Portal, or clicking the link associated with the exception will prompt candidates to submit the appropriate information. They will be provided a summary of the problem, and instructions on how to proceed.

Clicking Continue will open a window in which they can upload the required document.

Checkr reviews uploaded documents within 24 hours. Once an exception is resolved, the window is greyed out, and a green checkmark is added to the exception's description. Once all exceptions are resolved, the report will resume processing.

Encourage your candidates to visit the Checkr Candidate Portal when you first initiate their background check. This will ensure that they see the request to provide additional documents quickly even if they miss the Checkr-generated email. Sending candidates to the Candidate Portal will reduce their questions and stress while helping to keep your background screening operations timely and efficient.

When they log in, they’ll be prompted to provide the requested information.

You can also track your exception resolution rates and timelines in the Candidate Experience report in our Analytics tool to make sure your reports stay on track.