Other searches & FAQs

This article will help you:

• Understand a Global Watchlist Records Check
• Understand your candidate's experience

Checkr's Global Watchlist Records Check identifies whether a candidate is listed on any domestic and/or international watchlists. This search includes several international, government, and regulatory databases that identify individuals who are either prohibited from certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, or are on criminal lists.

This search can also identify known terrorists, money launderers, and drug traffickers from several federal databases which are not covered under Checkr’s State, Federal, and County Criminal Records Checks. Conversely, the State, Federal, and County Criminal Records Checks rarely return results from the sources searched in the Global Watchlist Records Check.

This check searches several United States and international government watchlists, including the FBI’s Most Wanted lists, Interpol’s Most Wanted lists, Office of Foreign Asset Control’s Sanctions list, Denied Persons lists, Department of State’s Sanctions lists, U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List, as well as various US Drug Enforcement Administration’s Wanted Fugitive lists. 

Sources include:

• Office Of Inspector General
• European Union Consolidated List
• Drug Enforcement Agency Fugitives
• Government Sanction Databases
• US Terrorist List, and more

The frequency with which these federal databases are updated depends on how often each individual source updates its records. For example, a state healthcare sanctions database might update every 30 days, whereas an international criminal database might update every 6 months.

To run a Global Watchlist Records Check, the candidate’s name is sent to a vendor and checked against several databases. The name given either yields results (with the corresponding details of the sanction/record) or the check clears if no results are returned.  

To ensure a comprehensive range of returned records, Checkr does not require exact name matching for the initial Global Watchlist Search. 

Potential records returned from a Global Watchlist search are passed to Checkr QA for additional review.

Candidate Experience

The Global Watchlist Records Check is included in Checkr’s basic report package, which includes SSN Trace, Sex Offender Registry Check, Global Watchlist Records Check, and National Criminal Records Check. 

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 Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the Check.

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 Candidate Portal.

A federal civil search is used to identify civil cases filed at the federal level. Federal civil cases include non-criminal issues such as civil rights issues, antitrust activity, and federal civil code violations. Federal civil cases differ from county civil cases in the same ways that federal criminal cases differ from county criminal cases; there is no overlap between federal civil cases and county civil cases because the cases fall under different jurisdictions.

A federal civil search will reveal whether the candidate has been involved in any suits involving their company and/or themselves.

Federal civil court files are searched by name in the federal government’s publicly available database, PACER. The search will cover records as far back as the government makes available, which is at least seven years but often 20+ years.

Candidate experience

The federal civil search must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The federal civil search is unavailable as a standalone search.

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 a Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the search.

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

Civil courts settle disputes between two or more entities. “Entities” may be any combination of private citizens, businesses, government institutions, or other parties. Civil cases involve issues like breach of contract, personal injury, property damage, foreclosures, or fraud.

Because civil courts are not criminal courts and do not handle the prosecution of a person accused of breaking a criminal law, civil cases can result in financial penalties but not jail time. Civil cases may be filed after a criminal conviction if a victim suffered injuries due to criminal conduct, but civil and criminal records remain separate.

Civil records may be useful in determining if a candidate is named in any lawsuits, either as a plaintiff or as a defendant.

County civil court files are searched by name, and in the counties of current residence, prior residence, and work. The county civil search will cover a history of at least seven years from the date of request.

Candidate experience

The county civil search must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The county civil search is unavailable as a standalone search.

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 a Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the search.

If you've 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, the government requires them to register in their county or state of residence as a sex offender. Sex offender registries generally include the offender's address, physical appearance, and crimes for which they're required to register. 

All states in the United States require individuals convicted of certain sex crimes to register for a defined period of time. People convicted of more violent or serious crimes typically must remain on the registry for longer periods. While on the registry, some sex offenders are required to update their address every year or each time they move.

Sex offender registry searches and candidate selection

To be a registered sex offender, a person must meet the conditions below:

• Be convicted of a sex crime
• Have a sentencing requirement of registering as a sex offender in their state or county of residence
• Register as a sex offender, usually through the sheriff’s department in the person's county of residence

A sex offender registry search helps identify whether someone might be a risk to a vulnerable population, the general public, or employees and customers. 

Note that different states can have different registration requirements. Just because someone is on one state registry, they might not be on another state registry if they move.

Sex offender registry search process

Checkr searches sex offender registries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and tribal territories of the United States. Checkr’s sex offender registry search includes all public registries nationwide. The search results include offenses and personal identifiers, such as birth date. Checkr confirms results using national and state sources, including the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

Note

Some states categorize their sex offender registry information by level and might not report the registration status of those they categorize as low-risk sex offenders.

The Checkr Quality Assurance (QA) team receives potential sex offender records and conducts additional review before Checkr reports this information. This review may include additional confirmation using the NSOPW and state-specific sex offender registries.

Candidate experience

Checkr’s Basic report package includes the searches below. The sex offender registry search is unavailable as a standalone search.

• Global watchlist records search
• National search
• Sex offender registry search
• Social Security number (SSN) trace

Checkr asks the candidate to submit the personally identifiable information (PII) below:

• Full name
• Birth date
• Social Security number
• Email address
• Phone number

The candidate reads and acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including the ones below:

• Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 
• Acknowledgment and Authorization for Background Check

After the candidate consents, Checkr begins the search.

Tip

If you've applied for a job and are looking for more information about your background check’s status or progress, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal.

How an employment credit check differs from a common credit report

An employment credit check is designed to give businesses the information they need to help them make hiring decisions. Information on the report may include public information, such as tax liens, accounts in collections, and bankruptcies. Employment credit checks will also show account information, including how much is owed, and high/low credit and payment history on each account.

Employment credit checks are legal under the FCRA. There are several rules set in place by the FCRA when conducting a credit check and there are some state restrictions as well.

Credit reports may be conducted on potential employees who will have financial or fiduciary responsibility for the company. Employers must state their “permissible purpose” when running credit reports and several states have very specific requirements which must be met to establish the right to conduct credit reports. Employment credit reports will not impact or reveal credit scores and account numbers.

Consumer reporting agencies (CRA) like Checkr provide employment credit checks, which differ from credit checks for other purposes such as annual credit reports, obtaining loans, or assessing credit scores. Differences include:

• Employment credit checks do not contain a scoring system, such as a FICO score
• Employment credit checks do not display individual account numbers of loans or revolving credit cards
• Employment credit checks are soft hits and do not affect a person's credit score as they are not seen as an inquiry by a financial institution to establish an account

Credentialing for employment credit checks

Before Checkr clients can order credit checks for employment purposes, they must go through an onsite inspection performed by a third party. To add credit checks to your account contact Checkr Customer Support.

As part of this process:

• The third party will inspect the offices of the customer where credit reports will be ordered and reviewed.
• The customer must state their intended business purpose for conducting credit reports.

After an account is credentialed to run employment credit checks, at least one credit check per year should be ordered to maintain the package on your account. 

Compliance considerations

To comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and similar state laws, an employment credit report must have job relevance: the role should have fiduciary responsibility. An easy way to test whether a credit check is compliant is to ask, “Will this person handle or manage customer/company funds?” If not, a credit check should not be ordered.

Several states have specific permissible reasons that employers must choose when ordering credit reports. See our article on state-specific permissibility for a partial list of those states, but you should consult with your legal counsel to determine whether credit checks are permissible based on the job role and state.

When assessing a background report, treat the results of a credit check with extreme care. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) requires employers not to automatically take adverse action on credit reports. This requirement stems from research showing that automatic denial of candidates based on credit checks and criminal records has a disparate impact: in other words, it disproportionately affects protected groups by denying them employment.

For these reasons, Checkr does not provide an automated adverse action flow through the Checkr Dashboard.

Candidate experience

Employment credit checks are available as standalone searches.

Candidates will be asked to provide their name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number.

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

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the credit check process.

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

Checkr offers several global searches for organizations hiring outside the United States (US). Depending on the location, Checkr offers a combination of criminal searches, global watchlist searches, education and employment verifications, adverse media searches, and identity document validation.

By providing both US and international checks from a single platform, Checkr provides the benefits below:

• A single source of truth: Manage background checks for all your US and international candidates in a single platform with a unified billing system.
• Automated compliance workflows: Checkr supports your compliance by requesting the appropriate information and documentation from candidates depending on the locations in the search.
• Frictionless candidate contact: Checkr emails candidates directly so that you can simply request the search and receive the results.
• Guidance and support for candidates: International background checks can be confusing and require even more documentation and personally identifiable (PII) information than in the US. Checkr allows candidates to save their progress, read their results, and dispute errors.

Available searches

Checkr offers the searches below for international candidates:

• Adverse media search: Access private databases, public sanctions lists, media sources, and other public and private record repositories in countries that restrict third-party access to criminal record information.
  The average turnaround time is 2-3 days.
• International search: Search for criminal records outside the US. If no records are found, an adverse media search happens. Additional charges might apply.
• International education verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided education or certification history outside the United States.
  The average turnaround time is 6-8 days.
• International employment verification: Confirm the candidate’s provided work history outside the United States.
  The average turnaround time is 6-8 days.
• International global watchlist search: Identify whether a candidate is on domestic or international watchlists. This search includes several international, government, and regulatory databases that identify individuals who are either prohibited from certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, or are on criminal lists.
  The average turnaround time is ~2 days.
• International identity document validation: Confirm the authenticity and validity of a candidate’s passport, national ID, or driver's license and cross-check against government databases.
  The average turnaround time is ~3-5 days, while a submitted passport is ~1-2 days.
• International motor vehicle record (IMVR): Assess the validity of a license, its class or classes, and current suspensions. IMVR provides information about whether the driver is legally eligible to drive and includes the information on a physical driver’s license. International MVR is currently available to candidates with a Canadian work location and Canadian driver’s license.
  Unless exceptions require additional input from the candidate, turnaround time is real-time, within seconds.
• International motor vehicle records with history: Expand the IMVR results to include driver history information such as convictions, violations, and conditions. International MVR is currently available to candidates with a Canadian work location and Canadian driver’s license.
  The average turnaround time varies depending on the location but ranges from hours to weeks.

Supported locations

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

The following locations restrict employers from accessing and using criminal information. For these locations, Checkr provides an adverse media search:

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

Candidate experience

Candidates are generally unfamiliar with the background check process and might need to submit information that they can't easily access. Checkr’s International Candidate Portal provides step-by-step guidance through the background check process and empowers candidates to save their progress, read their results, and dispute errors in their information.

Related article:

• What is the difference between international screenings and US screenings with out-of-country history?  

This article will help you:

• Pair CORI searches, when required, with Checkr background checks
• Differentiate between the information in CORI and in a Checkr background report

In Massachusetts, employers can access the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) statewide database  to research potential criminal records. Some industries, such as healthcare companies, are required to use CORI as part of their pre-employment screening process.

What information does CORI contain, and is it the same as a Checkr search?

CORI is a name-based search of criminal information regarding crimes investigated and prosecuted in Massachusetts. CORI is maintained by the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS); however, CORI does not contain all of the records and complete case information housed in Massachusetts courts.

Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRA) like Checkr also utilize name-based searches, but rely on different databases and public court records to compile reports. Records obtained from individual Massachusetts county courts are not the same records found in CORI searches.

Checkr searches may cover the same information contained in CORI, depending on the comprehensiveness of the national search and address history for each candidate, but the information may not be identical due to the use of different sources.

Is CORI included in a Checkr background check?

By Massachusetts regulation, CRAs are not allowed to use CORI unless the employer authorizes the CRA to be the “decision maker” on whether to hire the individual.

This generally means that CORI will be accessed separately from a background check report. If your company is required by law to search CORI, you will need to do so in addition to your Checkr search.

What else is required to run CORI searches?

Employers must obtain a signed acknowledgement form from the employee or candidate authorizing the employer to view the records. Additionally, employers must enter into an “iCORI Agency Agreement” for continued access to the database.   

Employers may not maintain CORI records for more than seven years after the employee’s last date of employment or the date of the final decision not to hire an candidate.  Hard copies of CORI must be stored in locked and secured locations, and electronic copies must be password-protected and encrypted.

This article will help you:

• Understand the process for Personal and Professional Reference Checks.
• Understand which questions will be asked for Personal and/or Professional Reference Checks
• Understand your candidate's experience

Checkr offers both Personal and Professional Reference Checks as part of the background check process.  

To add personal or professional reference checks to your screening packages or discuss pricing, please contact Checkr Customer Support.

What questions are asked for Personal Reference Checks?

The goal of a personal reference check is to vouch for the character of a candidate.

We will confirm the reference’s name, and then the reference will be asked:

1. What is the nature of your relationship with the candidate?
2. How long have you known them?
3. Would you recommend them to an employer?
4. Any additional comments?

For consistency purposes, the questions asked cannot be customized.

What questions are asked for Professional Reference Checks?

The goal of a professional reference check is to provide greater insight on a candidate’s work ability.

We will confirm the reference’s name, and then the reference will be asked:

1. What was/is the candidate's job and the nature of their duties?
2. How would you describe their job performance including strengths and weaknesses?
3. How did they get along with their associates?
4. How did they show initiative on the job?
5. How long have you known them?
6. When they begin a task, would you say that they carry it through to completion?
7. What could they do to improve their job performance?
8. Are they dependable?
9. In your opinion, have they ever shown a propensity for violence or dishonesty in the workplace?
10. Any additional comments?

For consistency purposes, the questions asked cannot be customized.

Candidate Experience

Personal and Professional Reference Verifications may be run as standalone Screenings.

Candidates will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, and contact information. They will also be asked to provide their reference’s name, relationship to the candidate, phone number, and email address.

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

After receiving the information and the candidate’s consent to proceed, Checkr will initiate the Reference Check process.

Checkr works with a third-party researcher to conduct outreach to personal and professional references. The researcher will attempt to contact the reference once a day for three days, using a combination of the phone number and email that is provided by the candidate.

The researcher will reach out three times over three days to each contact. If the original reference refers the researcher to another reference, the researcher will attempt outreach two more times over two days.

After the outreach, we will update the candidate’s report. The status of this screening on the report will either be Clear or Consider.

• Clear means that the vendor was able to reach the reference and has included the answers to the questions listed above. It is up to the customer to read this information and decide what steps to take next.
• Consider means that the vendor was unable to reach the reference. The notes section will therefore be blank and it is up to the customer to decide what steps to take next.
  

A reference giving adverse information (for example, “I would not recommend them to an employer”) will result in a Clear status because the screening is complete. Any additional information will be included in the notes.

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 Candidate Portal.

This article will help you:

• Decide whether to include FACIS searches in your background check packages
• Choose between FACIS Level 1M and Level 3
• Understand your candidate's experience

Checkr's FACIS (Fraud and Abuse Control Information Systems) search searches databases for records of adverse actions against individuals and entities in the healthcare field. These records may include information on disciplinary actions ranging from exclusions and debarments to letters of reprimand and probation. 

If you’re hiring in the financial, government, healthcare, or technology industries, Checkr’s FACIS search is recommended to manage risk and compliance. Checkr offers two levels of search to meet state and federal hiring regulations: Level 1M and Level 3.

Even though both FACIS Level 1M and 3 meet federal requirements for healthcare-related search, Level 3 is recommended because some states have search requirements that exceed those of the federal government.

The Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) Level 1 Search

FACIS Level 1 meets the federal requirements outlined in the Office of Inspector General Compliance Program Guidance. It includes a search of the federal Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) maintained by the General Service Administration, and the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities (LEIE) maintained by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG). It also searches state-specific Medicare and Medicaid data where available.

Level 1M, which Checkr offers as part of our Level 1 search, combines the above searches with disciplinary action information from all agencies listed in the FACIS database.

The Fraud and Abuse Control Information System (FACIS) Level 3 Search

FACIS Level 3 is the gold standard of healthcare exclusion and debarment search. This product includes all of the items contained in FACIS Level 1M plus 2,500 additional state sources; for example, the Illinois Department of Public Health, Alabama Board of Optometry, and Louisiana State Board of Dentistry. While this search exceeds minimum federal requirements, it offers full coverage for a high-level risk management policy.

Candidate experience

FACIS may be run as a standalone search.

Candidates will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, SSN, postal code, and contact information. They will then be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including the Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check. After the candidate consents to the background check, Checkr will initiate the search.

This article will help you understand:

• What is PATCH?
• How does PATCH work?
• How does PATCH appear on my candidate's report?
• How does PATCH work with my criminal screenings?
• Is there an additional cost?
• How do I add PATCH to my account?

What is PATCH?

PATCH is a Pennsylvania State Police Background Check. Click here to access the PATCH website.

How does PATCH work?

PATCH is a non-reportable pointer search that can be configured on a package via the State Criminal Search. If PATCH is set as your preferred Pennsylvania search, you can access the PATCH portal to retrieve the necessary documentation upon screening completion. Due to legal constraints, Checkr cannot directly surface the PATCH report. 

How does PATCH appear on my candidate's report?

If PATCH is configured on a screening package, Candidate reports in the Checkr Dashboard will include a link to the PATCH website where you can enter the candidate's information to retrieve their issued certification form.

How does PATCH work with my criminal screenings?

PATCH cannot be run as a standalone screening, it must be run in conjunction with a screening package. PATCH is run through the Pennsylvania state search screening. Please note that PATCH can only be run on candidates who currently or have previously lived in Pennsylvania. 

To find a link to the PATCH request, view the State Search section of the completed report.

Is there an additional cost?

In addition to your package fee, there is a passthrough fee of $22.

How do I add PATCH to my account?

Please contact Checkr Customer Support.