Other searches & FAQs

A Social Security number (SSN) trace searches databases, such as from banks, utilities, and schools, for a name and SSN. If your package includes aliases, the trace also searches identified alternative names. An SSN trace has the limitations below:

• An SSN trace doesn't determine whether an SSN is real or fake.
• An SSN trace doesn't work with employer identification numbers (EIN).
• An SSN trace doesn't verify that an SSN belongs to the candidate who submitted it.
• An SSN trace doesn't verify identity.

How Checkr's SSN trace works

To start an SSN trace, Checkr submits the candidate's name and SSN to a data provider. The data provider returns information about potential names, aliases, and addresses for the SSN, compiled from credit and banking history.

Because the candidate has provided an SSN, Checkr can identify known names and addresses associated with that SSN. The SSN Trace also identifies which state the SSN was issued in, and approximately which year. Based on the format of the number, Checkr can also detect whether the candidate is using an SSN that is known to be false.  

Checkr uses SSN traces as "pointers" to other possible records. The SSN trace identifies additional counties and databases to search for public records associated with the candidate's personally identifiable information (PII). If your package includes aliases, address and alias information from the SSN trace can prompt additional searches.

The SSN trace can provide the information below:

• Address history associated with the SSN
• If your package includes aliases, a list of previous names, including birth names or aliases such as nicknames

The SSN trace is part of Checkr’s Basic+ report package and is unavailable as a standalone search.

Identity (ID) verification

An SSN trace is not the same as ID verification. The SSN trace checks whether candidate-submitted information matches commercially available database information associated with the SSN. The SSN Trace doesn't determine whether the person entering that information is who they claim to be.

Although Checkr is not an ID verification service, we flag PII discrepancies and contact the candidate for accurate information.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the PII below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and notifications:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate consents in writing, Checkr starts the SSN trace search.

If Checkr can't complete the SSN trace with the submitted information, Checkr asks the candidate to resubmit their SSN. This process can delay report completion. Checkr might ask the candidate to submit an item below:

• A photo of their Social Security card
• A letter from the Social Security Administration confirming that the SSN belongs to them

Checkr uses certain searches to help us generate other searches. These “pointer searches” serve an important purpose for comprehensive background checks: to search the most data sources possible.

Information from pointer searches might be from incomplete or outdated sources. You shouldn't use pointer search information to make final decisions about candidates and applicants. Pointer searches have a Complete, rather than a Clear or Consider, outcome.

The searches below are pointer searches:

• Social Security number (SSN) trace: An SSN trace verifies that an SSN exists and returns the information below:
  • State of SSN issuance
  • Year of SSN issuance
  • All known names and addresses associated with the SSN
• National search: The results of a national search might trigger automatic searches in relevant counties. Depending on your package, Checkr might also add municipal searches. Checkr adds these searches to verify felony and misdemeanor records from the national search.
• State search: Searches happen for specific states in the candidate's address history.

Checkr's global watchlist search identifies whether a candidate name appears on domestic or international watchlists. This search includes government and regulatory databases that list individuals who are either prohibited from certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, or who are on “most wanted” criminal lists.

A global watchlist search also can identify suspected terrorists, money launderers, and drug traffickers from federal databases that are unrelated to court records. Conversely, the federal, state, and county searches rarely return results from the global watchlist search sources.

Global watchlist searches

During a global watchlist search, Checkr sends the candidate’s name to a vendor who searches several databases for the name. For the initial global watchlist search, Checkr doesn't require an exact match for the candidate’s name. Checkr does additional manual and automated work to ensure that records match the candidate provided name.

Data sources

A global watchlist search uses government watchlists, including the lists below, as data sources:

• The Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OIG-HHS)
• System for Award Management (SAM)
• Denied Persons lists
• Department of State’s Sanctions lists
• FBI’s Most Wanted
• Interpol’s Most Wanted
• Office of Foreign Asset Control’s Sanctions
• US Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons
• US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Wanted Fugitive

The agencies who maintain the databases can vary in how often they update their databases.

Ordering

The Basic+ report package includes the global watchlist search. To add Global watchlist search to your account, contact Checkr.

Global watchlist search is included in Checkr’s Basic+, Essential, and Professional packages. Global watchlist search is available as a standalone search and as an add-on. To add Global watchlist search as a standalone search, contact Checkr.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate consents in writing, Checkr starts the search.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

A federal civil search identifies civil cases filed in federal court. Federal civil cases aren’t criminal cases. Examples of federal civil cases include the ones below:

• Antitrust activity
• Civil rights lawsuits
• Federal civil code violations

Federal civil records

Federal civil cases and county civil cases don’t overlap because the cases have different jurisdictions.

A federal civil search shows whether the candidate was a party in a lawsuit as either an individual or professionally.

Checkr searches the federal government’s publicly available database, PACER, for federal civil court files using the candidate’s name. The search covers records as old as the government allows. Governments usually make at least seven years available and potentially more, depending on the record.

Ordering

Federal civil search is available as an add-on. The federal civil search is unavailable as a standalone search.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the relevant personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the search.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

Civil courts handle disputes between people, businesses, government institutions, or other parties. There is usually no criminal penalty like jail if someone is found liable in a civil suit. Examples of civil cases include the ones below:

• Breach of contract
• Foreclosures
• Fraud
• Personal injury
• Property damage

County civil records

Because civil courts differ from criminal courts, civil cases can result in financial penalties but rarely jail time. A victim can file a civil case against a criminal defendant for financial and personal injury resulting from the defendant’s criminal conduct. In this case, the civil and criminal cases, and records associated with those cases, remain separate.

Civil records show whether a candidate is a plaintiff or a defendant in a lawsuit. Checkr uses the candidate's name to search county civil court records from the counties below:

• County of residence
• Prior counties of residence
• Work county

The county civil search covers at least the past seven years.

Ordering

County civil search is available as an add-on. The county civil search is unavailable as a standalone search.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the relevant personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the search.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

A registered sex offender is a person who was convicted of a sex-related crime. As part of the person's sentence, they must register in a public registry. Sex offender registries usually include the person’s address, physical appearance, and crimes that caused their registration.

Every state in the United States (US) registers individuals convicted of certain sex crimes for a period of time. People convicted of more serious crimes typically must remain on the registry for longer. Governments require that people on the registry update their address every year or each time they move.

Sex offender registries

To be a registered sex offender, a person must have the characteristics below:

• A sex crime conviction
• A sentencing requirement to register as a sex offender in the person's state or county
• An entry in the sex offender registry, usually through the sheriff’s department in the person’s county

Each state has its own registration requirements. A person who is on a registry in one state could move somewhere that doesn’t require that they register.

Ordering

The Basic+ report package includes the sex offender registry search. The sex offender registry search is unavailable as a standalone search.

Sex offender registry search

Checkr searches sex offender registries from every US state, the District of Columbia, and tribal territories. Checkr’s sex offender registry search includes all public registries nationwide. Search results include offenses and personally identifying information, such as birth date. Checkr confirms results using national and state sources, including the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

The Checkr Quality Assurance (QA) team reviews potential sex offender records before reporting them to you. This review might include additional confirmation using the NSOPW and state-specific sex offender registries.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the relevant personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the search.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

Checkr offers continuous checks, which monitor real-time data sources for changes to a person’s record. If a record changes, Checkr does checks in the appropriate jurisdictions and generates a new report.

Results from continuous checks supplement your overall trust and safety program by finding recent reportable information.

Consent

A person must provide proper consent for enrollment in continuous checks. Specifically, people must authorize you to run background checks throughout their time with your organization. It is your responsibility to both obtain consent and unenroll people when they leave your organization. Consult your legal counsel to ensure that you have proper consent procedures in place for continuous checks.

You can use continuous checks with both the Checkr Dashboard and Checkr API.

Data sources

Continuous checks use the data sources below:

• Checkr real-time data: Checkr completes over 22 million county searches every year. Checkr monitors those searches for results that match everybody you enrolled in continuous checks. Because of Checkr’s commitment to fair chance hiring, reports from continuous checks include only records from the past year.
• Arrest record feeds: Checkr uses information from a real-time feed as a pointer search to identify counties to search. Checkr reports only records with recent convictions and pending cases.
• Online criminal databases: Checkr uses information from the data sources below:
  • Electronic county databases
  • Global watchlist databases
  • National criminal databases
  • Sex offender registries

Results from continuous checks appear in background check reports.

A pre-employment credit report can help you make hiring decisions for jobs that have financial responsibilities. Pre-employment credit reports include the information below:

• Accounts in collections
• Bankruptcies
• Debt amounts
• Highest historical credit limit
• Payment history on each account
• Tax liens

Employers can request pre-employment credit reports under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). The FCRA sets national restrictions for pre-employment credit reports. Some states have additional restrictions.

You can order credit reports for candidates who will have financial or fiduciary responsibility for your organization. You must state your “permissible purpose” to use credit reports. Some states have specific requirements for employers who order credit reports. Pre-employment credit reports don’t affect credit scores or show account numbers.

Consumer reporting agencies (CRA) like Checkr provide pre-employment credit reports. Pre-employment credit reports differ from other credit reports in the ways below:

• Don’t have a scoring system, such as a FICO score
• Don’t show account numbers or revolving credit cards
• Don’t affect a person's credit score because they aren't from a financial institution for establishing an account

Ordering

Pre-employment credit reports are available as standalone searches and as add-ons. To add pre-employment credit reports as a standalone search, contact Checkr. Credit report results happen instantly.

To add pre-employment credit reports to your account, contact Checkr. The process of adding pre-employment credit reports to your account requires an onsite inspection from a third party. The third party inspects the offices where you order and review credit reports. The inspection and credentialing process can take 10-14 business days. To keep the package on your account, order at least one credit report each year.

Because credit reports have candidates’ private information, treat them with extreme care. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits employers from automatically taking adverse action based on credit reports.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the report process.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

For candidates outside the United States, Checkr offers a combination of criminal searches, global watchlist searches, education and employment verifications, adverse media searches, and identity document validation.

Available searches

For candidates outside the United States, Checkr offers the searches below:

Supported locations

Checkr international searches are available in countries that allow criminal searches.

The locations below restrict employers from accessing and using criminal information. For these locations, Checkr offers only adverse media search:

• Afghanistan
• Christmas Island
• French Guiana
• French Polynesia
• Guadeloupe
• Guernsey and Alderney
• Hong Kong
• Iran
• Isle of Man
• Israel
• Japan
• Jersey
• Kiribati
• Laos
• Macao
• Mauritania
• Mayotte
• Micronesia
• Sierra Leone
• South Korea
• Syria
• Timor-Leste

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the relevant personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the search.

• If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

A FACIS (Fraud and Abuse Control Information Systems) search searches databases for adverse records against people and entities in the healthcare field. These records might include information about the disciplinary actions below:

• Debarment
• Exclusion
• Letter of probation
• Letter of reprimand

If you hire for finance, government, healthcare, or technology, Checkr’s FACIS check helps manage risk and compliance. Checkr offers FACIS Level 1 search and a higher-level search called FACIS Level 3.

Both FACIS Level 1 and 3 meet federal requirements for healthcare-related searches. Checkr offers Level 3 because some states’ requirements exceed the federal government’s requirements.

FACIS Level 1 and 3 are available as standalone searches.

Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) Level 1 search

Checkr’s FACIS Level 1 search corresponds to the industry-wide FACIS Level 1M. FACIS Level 1 also complies with the Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance. FACIS Level 1M searches search the sources below:

• Excluded Parties List System (EPLS)
• List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) search.
• Medicaid (state-level)
• Medicare (state-level)

Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) Level 3 search

FACIS Level 3 includes everything in FACIS Level 1M plus 2,500 additional state sources. FACIS Level 3 search exceeds minimum federal requirements and it offers full coverage for a high-level risk management policy.

Candidate experience

The candidate provides the relevant personally identifying information (PII) below:

• Birth date
• Email address
• Full name
• Phone number
• Social Security number (SSN)

The candidate then reads and acknowledges receipt of applicable forms and authorizations:

• A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
• Disclosure Regarding Background Investigation
• Other state and required disclosures as applicable
• Authorization for a background check

After the candidate signs the authorization form, Checkr starts the search.

If you applied for a job and want to know your background check’s status, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.