County Search

This article will help you:

• Understand what happens in a US County Search
• Decide when to include US County Searches in your background check package
• Understand your candidate's experience

Most felony and misdemeanor cases are filed in county courts, so county criminal record searches are one of the most complete sources for criminal records. All felony and misdemeanor criminal records, and all cases tried in local jurisdictions, regardless of disposition (guilty, dismissed, etc.), are housed at the county court.

County records, which make up the majority of criminal offenses, are available in all counties in all 50 states, and are located in county courthouses across the 3,200 counties in the US. These records are not reported to the federal database, and will not be found in a federal search. Often, the existence of a county criminal record is determined by conducting a search in the National Criminal Database search, which is used as a pointer to county or state records.

The following items may be reported on a county criminal record search:

• Defendant’s Name
• Case Number
• Charge Classification (Felony/Misdemeanor)
• Charge Type
• Disposition (Guilty, Dismissed, etc.)
• Disposition Date
• Sentencing Information

The process of searching at the county level varies from county to county. Some county searches are returned the same day, while some take several days or more, depending on the search methodology. Most counties provide a Public Access Terminal (PAT) where records can be searched, in real time, at the court. Slower counties typically require a court clerk assisted search be performed, whereby an employee of the court conducts the search on Checkr’s behalf.

Candidate Experience

The County Search must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The County Criminal 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.