National Criminal Database Search

This article will help you:

• Understand what happens in a National Criminal Database Search
• Decide whether to act upon information from a National Criminal Database Search
• Understand your candidate's experience

Checkr runs a National Criminal Database search as a routine step in background checks. This search queries 1,800 databases and over 900 million records, to cast a wide net and find potential offenses. However, the records returned are often incomplete, lacking identifying information and/or the final disposition of what actually happened -- for example, whether the case was dismissed. Instead, we use the National Criminal Database Search to quickly find other records that should be searched for more detailed information. Checkr uses hits from this search to determine which county records should be searched for criminal records, including felonies, misdemeanors, and some infractions and traffic records.

The National Criminal Database contains over 900 million records from various county and state agencies covering roughly one third of the United States. Data aggregators scour these county and state agencies, continuously updating the database. This database can be best described as a “pointer” database search, in that it points to other potential criminal records that may exist for a candidate. Because the national database search often provides incomplete or inaccurate data, we recommend that you pair it with county-level searches, which are more thorough. This search is used in virtually every criminal background check package to find additional “hits.” Once a “hit” is identified, Checkr dispatches researchers to the county where the national criminal search shows a possible record to obtain:

• Additional identifiers to confirm it belongs to the individual in question
• Complete and up-to-date case information (e.g., disposition, status)

Candidate Experience

The National Criminal Database Search is included in Checkr’s basic report package, which includes SSN Trace, Sex Offender Search, Global Watchlist Search, and National Criminal Search. The Global Watchlist Search cannot be run as a standalone Screening.

Candidates will be asked to provide Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including their full name, date of birth, social security number, email address, and phone number.

They will then be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgment and Authorization for Background Check.

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the Search.

If you've applied for a job and are looking for more information on your background check’s status or progress, please log into the Checkr Applicant Portal.