Review reports

After you send an invitation, you use the Checkr Dashboard to track your candidate’s progress.

The Candidates page lists all in-progress reports with a status below:

• Pending: The report is processing and should complete in 2-3 days. Processing could take longer if Checkr needs documentation from the candidate or if a particular search takes longer than expected.
• Clear: The report completed without finding any records, or information you need to evaluate based on your guidelines.
• Consider: The complete report has information you might want to consider.
• Suspended: The report stopped processing because of missing information or incomplete searches.
• Canceled: All searches in the report were canceled.

Get email updates about report status changes

Checkr can send you email notifications while generating reports.

To receive email notifications, use the steps below:

1. Select Account settings.
2. Select Notifications.
3. Select the events you want email notifications about.

Report completion

Automatic completions and billing

Checkr automatically completes reports with unresolved SSN trace exceptions. If the candidate hasn't responded to resolve the exception within the required 7 days, the report changes to the Suspended status. After 30 days, the Suspended status automatically changes to Complete, and Checkr cancels all other searches. The report is complete with canceled items.

Checkr bills you for the packages and searches you order. After the search process begins, Checkr doesn’t give refunds for incomplete or canceled searches. Your invoice will show package prices and passthrough fees for canceled searches.

For more information, refer to Help me understand Checkr invoices. 

Complete now

To complete a pending or suspended report immediately, regardless of its status, select Complete now. Using Complete now in either the Checkr Dashboard or Checkr API also adds the Canceled status to all pending or suspended searches.

Checkr Dashboard

Searches you canceled by using Complete now show the cancellation reason and the reason’s description in the dashboard.

The PDF copy of the report doesn't include canceled searches.

Completed searches in the report show a status of Clear or Consider. The report log in the dashboard shows the information below for each use of Complete now:

• Date
• Time
• User

Checkr API

Complete now is also available through the Complete Report endpoint in the Checkr API. Using this call triggers the same events as clicking Complete now in the Checkr Dashboard. 

Canceling a report triggers a webhook and appears in the return for the report object and any searches it includes.

For more information, refer to the Checkr API documentation:

• Complete an existing report
• SSN trace
• Report events

Candidate experience

The Candidate Portal notifies the candidate about the 2 situations below:

• The report canceled because of an SSN trace exception.
• The report couldn't complete because the SSN trace completed but all other searches canceled.

An exception is a circumstance that prevents a candidate's background report from processing or continuing to process. Exceptions usually happen because of missing or incorrect candidate information. The candidate can often submit documents to resolve the exception.

Why exceptions happen

Exceptions happen for 2 reasons:

• Checkr can't find information based on a candidate's name or birth date.
• Checkr can't get a candidate's electronic motor vehicle record (MVR).

When an exception happens, Checkr updates the candidate's pending report to display a card with the information below:

• Exception
• Exception time
• Suggested solution
• Link to submit documents that can resolve the exception

Checkr also emails this information to the candidate.

Checkr requests the information below to resolve exceptions:

Checkr reviews document submissions within 24 hours. If a candidate doesn't respond to Checkr’s request for information within 7 days, the report status changes to Suspended, and the report stops further processing. If a candidate submits required information between 8 and 30 days of Checkr’s request, the report status changes to Pending and resumes processing. If the candidate doesn’t respond within 30 days, the report gets either the Canceled or Suspended status depending on the exception type.

Help your candidates resolve exceptions

To help your candidates resolve exceptions, use the tips below:

• Encourage your candidates to visit the Candidate Portal frequently to check their reports' progress. Exceptions, and links to resolve them, appear when the candidate first logs in.
• Send your candidates the link to the exception from the Checkr Dashboard. Ask candidates to follow the instructions to resolve the issue.
• Click the link on the report, and enter the requested information on your candidate's behalf.

An SSN trace (Social Security number trace) is a pointer search that searches various data sources to identify a candidate’s address history. Checkr uses SSN traces to obtain candidate address history as well as aliases to use in additional searches.

SSN trace exceptions happen when information that the candidate submitted differs materially from information that the SSN trace finds.

SSN trace exception types

Checkr has 6 types of SSN trace exceptions.

Candidate experience

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

If a candidate contests the reason for an exception, Checkr may be able to remove the suspension. To remove a suspension, the candidate must submit a document that ties the SSN to their name.

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

An exception is a circumstance that prevents a candidate's motor vehicle record (MVR) report from processing.

The candidate has 30 days to submit information so that the report can continue processing.

MVR exception types

To complete motor vehicle record (MVR) searches, Checkr uses information returned from government entities that issue driver licenses. This information appears in the Motor Vehicle Record section of completed reports.

Report status

When evaluating current licenses to determine whether the report will show the Clear or Consider status based on you criteria, Checkr uses the rules below: 

• If the license is valid, available electronically, and found, Checkr evaluates the MVR according to your rules and sets the status based on the results.
• If the driving privilege indicates that the license is limited, not valid, or not provided, then Checkr uses the Consider status.
• If the license status is not found, the MVR report gets the Pending status. Checkr then requests a photo of the candidate’s current driver’s license. You're also notified of the document request through a webhook.
• If the license status is unavailable electronically, the MVR report gets the Pending status. Checkr then requests a photo of the candidate’s current driver’s license. You're also notified of the document request through a webhook.

Checkr uses previous license data only to establish licensing history for the candidate. Checkr doesn't require that previous licenses have a valid status to qualify as evidence for driving history.

Checkr doesn't accept license type “identification” as previous licenses, and doesn't consider previous identification documents when establishing a candidate's licensing history.

Current License section

The Current License section of the report lists information returned about the driver's current driver license, which includes the license's status and type. 

License status

A candidate’s current license status is determined by the DMV in each jurisdiction and appears in the Motor Vehicle Records section of the background check. These statuses have 4 categories within the Checkr system: VALID, LIMITED, NOT VALID, and INCOMPLETE. Review the definitions below:

License type

Common license typesinclude the ones below:

• Passenger: License to operate a personal vehicle
• Commercial: License to drive commercial vehicles, including large trucks and heavy equipment vehicles
• Permit: Restricted license to operate specific vehicles under specific circumstances (Organizations don't usually accept permits to establish licensing history.)
• Identification: Used for identification purposes only and don't permit the candidate to drive any vehicle type

Endorsements

Endorsements allow drivers to operate specific types of vehicles and transport potentially hazardous materials.

Restrictions

Restrictions refer to reduced driving privileges. An example is "corrective lenses required." Reports can show restrictions for other active licenses the driver holds but not from inactive licenses.

Violations

Violations are incidents that include a conviction date and that courts send toissuing jurisdictions. In nearly all cases, a violation includes fault. Examples include DUIs, speeding, and reckless driving.

Accidents

Accidents appear on a report with details from the issuing jurisdiction. Details can include location, severity, and fault.

Suspensions

Suspensions can include different types of driver license events:

• Administrative incidents, such as failure to renew medical certification
• Cancellation
• Driving incidents, such as reckless driving
• Revocation of driving privilege for specific license types, such as motorcycle or commercial
• Suspension
• Withdrawal

A suspension on an MVR report might or might not indicate that the driver temporarily lacks driving privileges. Suspensions show a start, and if appropriate, end date.

Miscellaneous incidents

Miscellaneous incidents are incidents that don't fit another incident type (endorsement, restriction, violation, accident, or suspension). An example might be a note from the issuing jurisdiction about an address change.

From the Candidates page in the Checkr Dashboard, select a report to review.

Review the report status

Clear

The Clear status means that the searches in this report had an outcome below:

• The searches returned no records.
• The searches returned no records or information you need to evaluate based on your guidelines.

Consider

The Consider status means that at least 1 search in this report has information that your team must review.

Select a record to read details that include the ones below:

• Charge type (felony, misdemeanor)
• Offense date
• Disposition (dismissed, guilty, no contest)
• Sentencing information

To avoid declining qualified candidates, consider whether this information is relevant to your requirements. This process helps you comply with guidance from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), as well as state and federal guidelines.

Complete

The search types below return a status of Complete, rather than Clear or Consider:

• Pointer searches
• Education and employment verification searches

Decide whether to engage the candidate

After you review the report, you decide whether to continue with the selection process.

Engage

If you continue with the selection process, select Engage in the report's Actions section.

Remember to select Engage so that Checkr analytics can include information from this report. Analytics can show metrics such as the ones below:

• Reports that indicate that the candidate is eligible for selection
• Other situations in which adverse action is inappropriate
• Historic adjudication decisions

Selecting Engage doesn’t notify the candidate and doesn’t change the report.

Begin adverse action

If you decide not to engage the candidate, begin the adverse action process.

When a report contains information that a candidate might not be right for your organization, you can begin the adverse action process. The process follows Checkr’s best practices and your custom account settings.

To begin the pre-adverse action process, use the steps below:

1. In the report's Actions section, select Pre-adverse action.
2. Select the disqualifying records. You must select at least 1 record.
3. Confirm the number of days (7-30) to delay sending the post-adverse action notice. To read what Checkr will send the candidate on your behalf, select Preview email.
4. Select Send pre-adverse action notice.
5. In the confirmation window, select OK to send the notice, and then select Done to confirm.

Adverse action process overview

The default Checkr adverse action process includes the steps below:

1. Checkr emails the pre-adverse action notice to the candidate.
2. The waiting period is between 7 and 30 days.
3. If the waiting period ends with no candidate response, Checkr sends the post-adverse action notice on your behalf to the candidate.

Cancel adverse action

Canceling the adverse action process cancels the post-adverse action email and allows you to engage the candidate. The adverse action process cancels in 1 of 2 ways:

• The candidate submits a dispute, which changes the report status to Dispute and cancels the adverse action process.
• If the candidate provides additional information or context about their record that affects your engagement decision, you can stop the adverse action process by selecting Cancel adverse action.

Pause adverse action

Before deciding about a candidate, you might need time to review additional candidate-provided information such as a candidate story. You can manually pause the adverse action process by selecting the Pause adverse action button.

By default, this pause lasts 4 days before the adverse action process automatically resumes. To adjust how long the pause lasts, contact Checkr.

Use the "Adverse actions" page in the Checkr Dashboard to search for candidates involved in the adverse action process. Candidates can be at any stage in the process:

• Received a pre-adverse action email
• Filed a dispute
• Received a post-adverse action email

Search for candidates

To search for candidates, take an action below:

• Enter a keyword.
• Select a status.
• Enter a timeframe during which the adverse action was in process.

You can apply a combination of filters to your search.

For accounts with a hierarchy and at least one node, compliance locations determine the default waiting period between the pre- and post-adverse action emails.

To manage the adverse action process, open the candidate's report.

Status filters

Status filters include the ones below:

• Pending: The candidate received the pre-adverse action email for a motor vehicle records (MVR) search. The post-adverse action email awaits your approval. After the required waiting period, you can send the pending post-adverse action email.
• The Pending status applies only for MVR searches. All other searches show Scheduled for candidates awaiting post-adverse action emails.
• Scheduled: The candidate received the pre-adverse action email. You scheduled delivery of the post-adverse action email after the required waiting period. The reasons below prevent the candidate from automatically receiving the post-adverse action email on the scheduled date:
• The candidate disputes information in the report.
• You or Checkr cancels the adverse action process.
• Complete: The candidate received the post-adverse action email, completing the process.
• Dispute: The candidate filed a dispute, and Checkr has started a reinvestigation. Disputes that happen during the adverse action process have two effects:
• The scheduled email automatically cancels.
• The dispute prevents you from taking action during the 30-day reinvestigation timeframe.
• Paused: You paused the adverse action process.
• Canceled: Either you or Checkr canceled the adverse action process.
• Undeliverable: The pre-adverse action email was undeliverable. Reports with this status require your manual intervention.
• All: List all candidates involved in the adverse action process, even those who completed the process.

You can use features in the Candidates page of the Checkr Dashboard to organize and manage candidate reports.

Search

To show all search parameters, select "Advanced filters." You can use keywords to search for candidates by metadata you added using the Checkr API. You can search using both the key and the value. For more information, refer to Candidates in the Checkr API documentation.

Add tags

You can use tags to easily search for reports in the Checkr Dashboard. After you add tags to a report, a Tag filter appears on the Candidates page.

Download a CSV

To download a CSV file of reports or invitation statuses, select Download CSV. When the report completes, Checkr sends a link to the CSV file to the email address on your account.

Download a PDF

Select Download PDF, and select a file from the menu:

• The report order summary includes the information below:
  • Candidate-entered PII
  • Custom report settings 
  • Packages and searches associated with the order but not the records
  • Search status
• The report PDF is the completed report.

Review history

To open a list with report actions and when they happened, select "Show report log." The log starts at the report order and ends at engaging the candidate or using the adverse action process. Checkr retains reports in accordance with applicable laws and agreements between Checkr and its customers and affiliates. For example, for FCRA purposes Checkr retains reports for at least 5 years.

Question

Why does the status of some screenings show as Complete instead of Clear or Consider.

Answer

Checkr uses pointer searches operationally to generate other screenings. Some types of pointer searches, such as the SSN Trace and National Search, will result in a Complete status vs. a Clear or Consider status because they contain no actionable or reportable information for the customer. 

Credit checks, like pointer searches, will also result in a Complete status when the information provided is successfully validated. 

Question

I am receiving a forbidden error when trying to open a candidate’s report in the Checkr Dashboard. What is causing this issue?

Answer

A forbidden error appears when you're not allowed to access the requested resource, usually for a reason below:

• You aren't set up with the correct permission to access reports in a certain work location or node.
• If you need access to the report, check with your administrator to adjust your Checkr role as required. 
• The candidate was deleted from the database, and access to their report is no longer permitted. 
• If your team requires a background check for a deleted candidate, you need to create a new candidate and order a new report.

Question

Can I print the results of a background check?

Answer

To print the results of a report:

1. Open the background check you’d like to print in the Checkr dashboard
2. From the toolbar of your web browser, select File > Print

Question

I have a candidate who has been trying to fill out a background check, but it keeps ending up with "report suspended." We've sent it twice now and the candidate hasn't received any emails. 

Answer

Confirm your candidate's email address to determine whether the invitation went to the wrong email address, and then use the steps below:

The invitation went to the wrong email address

If an invitation went to the wrong email address, use the steps below to send a new invitation to the correct email address:

1. In the Checkr Dashboard, select the Order background check button.
2. Choose a package (required) and work location or program (if applicable).
3. Enter your candidate’s email address and click Send Invitations.

The invitation went to the correct email address

If the candidate's email address is accurate, find out whether the email address has been suppressed. A report might have a Suspended status if the candidate’s email address has been suppressed and they aren't receiving messages to take action on their background check. 

Email addresses can be suppressed for 3 reasons:

• An email sent to that address bounced.
• The candidate has tagged the email from Checkr as spam.
• The candidate has clicked “unsubscribe” from an email they received.

Use the steps below to determine whether the email address has been suppressed: 

1. Open the report in the Checkr Dashboard.
2. Review the email address field. If a ⚠ warning indicator appears to the right of the email address, the candidate’s email address has been suppressed.
3. Click the ⚠ warning indicator to show more information.
4. Click the Remove button to override suppression of the candidates email and allow future messages to be sent to this email address.

Also refer to Invitation sent to the wrong email address.

Within the Checkr Dashboard, open a candidate report. Navigate to the Report Information section. The report source is displayed within the Source row.

Here is a breakdown of the various sources:

• API: Report was created from the Checkr API.
• Continuous check: Report was created automatically from a Continuous Check return.
• Form: Report was created from the Checkr Hosted Invite/Apply flow.
• Manual Order: Report was created from a manual order (customer enters candidate's PII) originating in the Checkr Dashboard. 
• Recurrence: Report was created from a Subscription.
• Web: Report was created from a report ordered from the Checkr Dashboard.

A disposition is the final resolution of a criminal case, for example, a conviction or dismissal.

The following table illustrates the most common disposition categories, with examples of the most common dispositions returned in each respective category.

There are two main reasons your candidate’s report may have been canceled: 

1. If a report exception was not completed within 30 days, and
2. If the hiring company/customer clicked on the Complete Now option while the report was in progress

If the report was not completed within 30 days

When a report exception is beyond 30 days from its creation, the components that are still pending completion will cancel. This happens when exceptions have been created asking the candidate for more documentation, and the documentation is not provided by the candidate. When this occurs, the customer will need to order a new report for the candidate to run a report is completed with the most up-to-date information. 

If Complete Now was clicked while the report is ongoing

Checkr's Complete Now feature allows you to complete a Pending or Suspended report on demand. Triggering this feature using either the Checkr Dashboard or the Checkr APIs will immediately advance the report to a completed state, and mark all pending or suspended screenings "canceled".

Any screenings canceled as a result of this function will display the cancellation reason and the reason’s description within the report in the Checkr Dashboard, and return the reason and description through the Checkr APIs. The PDF copy of the report will not include any canceled screenings.

If any screenings have completed, the report will be marked with result Clear or Consider, as appropriate. If no screenings have completed, the report will be marked simply Canceled, and no report PDF will be generated.

Related Article: 

• Why can’t I generate an exception link for my candidate?

Sometimes, the option to send the candidate a link to submit information to resolve an exception is unavailable. This is often because certain report screenings were canceled. Exception links can’t be generated for reports that have been canceled; therefore, customers will need to order a new report for the candidate.

Related articles: 

• Help me understand what each report status means
• Complete Now
• Why is the background check taking so long to complete?
• Exceptions: Addressing data discrepancies in reports

Question

What does an exception notification sent to a candidate look like?

Answer

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.

Below are some common examples of notifications sent to the candidate when an exception has been triggered. Such examples can also be found by opening a candidate's report where an exception has occurred and selecting View verification request sent to the candidate.

Here is an example of the notification sent when the candidate is asked to enter their social security number:

Here is an example of the notification sent when the candidate is asked to upload a copy of their driver license:

See Exceptions: Addressing data discrepancies in reports for more information.

For a list of known court closures and delays, refer to one of the two status pages below:

• Checkr US Data Status
• Checkr Global Data Status

You may also subscribe to updates on this page by clicking the Subscribe to updates button.

Question

Can candidates check the progress of their report?

Answer

Yes, candidates can check the status of their report through the Candidate Portal. See Checkr’s Candidate Experience overview for more information. 

If a candidate believes their report is inaccurate or incomplete, they can:

• Visit the Candidate Portal to log a dispute
• Email or call our Candidate Support Team
• Mail in their dispute with any supporting documents.

Visit the Candidate Portal to log a dispute

From the Candidate Portal, they can click the following link:

Disputes are conducted in a process called a reinvestigation. During this process, Checkr reviews and verifies the contested information at the source to ensure maximum possible accuracy. During the reinvestigation process, the report is set to dispute status in the Checkr Dashboard and may not be adjudicated. (In other words, you can't Engage or Adverse Action until the reinvestigation is complete.)

In compliance with the FCRA, Checkr has 30 days to complete a reinvestigation. Checkr strives to complete reinvestigations as quickly as possible.

Once a reinvestigation is concluded, the report is taken out of dispute status and Checkr sends the candidate and the end-user (the Checkr customer) an email notification that includes the updated report and relevant information about the dispute process. Any user with the email preference for "Notify on report disputed" will receive this notification. Once a report is out of dispute status, the report can be adjudicated by the end-user. 

This article will help you:

• Understand which reporting restrictions prevent you from seeing records
• Determine why you may not see all possible criminal records reported
• Determine why you may or may not see dismissed records reported

If you don't see a certain criminal record on a background report, you may question whether the report is accurate. We recommend that you refrain from comparing our results against unvetted sources (like a mugshot database). Many of these unvetted sources and websites do not follow existing laws that pertain to background screening.

Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) like Checkr must adhere to strict federal, state, and municipal regulations concerning what information we can report. These restrictions limit what can be reported in a pre-employment background check.

At the federal level, the FCRA restricts CRAs from reporting non-convictions (such as dismissals) that are over seven years old. Some states further restrict CRAs from reporting both conviction and non-conviction information.

Checkr automates reporting in line with each state’s requirements using our Compliance Engine to help you avoid seeing information that is not reportable. Keep in mind, however, that just because a particular record is reportable, that doesn’t mean you can legally consider the information. States and municipalities have specific laws (like Ban the Box laws and individualized assessment) regarding how end-users and employers use and consider criminal records during an employment pre-screening process.  

We recommend you consult with your legal counsel on the specifics of the localities where you hire candidates. For more information on the scope of a search and reporting guidelines, see the following articles:   

• How do background check reporting requirements vary by state?
• Lookback periods: How far back are criminal records searched?

If you have additional information about a specific record that did not appear on one of your candidate’s report, please contact Checkr Customer Support with the case details along with the location of the record, nature of the record, and any other important details. We will be happy to take a look.

Question

The ETA has passed, is unavailable or more than a few days out. What is the cause of the delay?

Answer

A Report ETA is provided for all screenings within the report. The County Criminal Check ETA is calculated based on the available historical data for each county within the United States. 

There are a few common reasons why some estimates may be unavailable or longer than expected:

• At least one county on the County Criminal Record Check requires a clerk to search for physical records; 
• There are delays at county courts due to seasonal hiring spikes or COVID-19; 
• Additional research is required to ensure potential records are a match to the candidate. Additional research is often required when:
• The candidate has a common name; and/or
• Public access to the identified potential record(s), such as the full date of birth (DOB), is limited by the relevant courts.

For more information see Checkr ETA: Better estimates for report completion

Note: If “Est. Completion” listed under Report Information is later than that shown for the County Criminal Checks, it is due to another screening included in this report.

The steps will vary depending on the type of update needed. Use the following table as a guide:

Aliases are different names or permutations of the same name associated with a candidate. When applicable, Checkr uses aliases to identify records under names that differ from the candidate’s current legal name, thus increasing the comprehensiveness of the background check report.

Aliases are identified through names returned from various sources, including candidate creation, SSN Trace records, Motor Vehicle Records search, and document transcriptions. These returned names are stored as “name occurrences”, and evaluated to generate aliases.

• Candidate Submission: The information submitted by the candidate to Checkr acts as a starting point for the record.
• SSN Trace: Checkr identifies additional names from SSN Trace data. These names are aggregated into the candidate’s record and stored.
• Motor Vehicle Records: MVR searches often return name variants. These names are aggregated into the candidate’s record and stored.
• Document transcription: Customer or Checkr Candidate Experience teams' document transcriptions may introduce additional names for the candidate.
• Name normalization: Checkr software identifies potential nicknames for a candidate. For example, if a candidate submits Bob as a first name, our software automatically recognizes that Bob is a nickname for Robert and stores Robert as a first name for that candidate.

Checkr uses name occurrences from all reports associated with the candidate when computing aliases, but does not apply name occurrences across different candidate IDs.

Alias use in screenings

Checkr enables the use of aliases for the following searches:

• National Criminal Search
• Sex Offender Search
• Global Watchlist Search
• Federal Search
• County Criminal Search
• County Civil Search
• State Criminal Search
• Pointer State Search

Also see Checkr's candidate alias process for additional details.

Checkr receives criminal record information from multiple sources, such as:

• National criminal record databases
• State sex offender registries
• Global watchlists and sanction lists
• Federal offense databases
• County courthouse records

Different screening packages will include different sources. For more information on these sources, see "What is the difference between federal, national, and county checks?"

The information in a criminal record can vary from source to source, based on the type of offense, and the level of detail available on the court record. 

The following information is typically included:

• Case number
• File date
• Court jurisdiction
• County
• State
• Name on record
• Charge
• Charge type
• Arrest date
• Offense date
• Charge date
• Disposition
• Disposition date
• Sentencing information

Each county courthouse may define and classify charge types and dispositions differently, so if you come across a charge or disposition that you don't understand, the best practice is to research the name of the charge or disposition along with the county where it was found.

If your research isn't turning up any answers, or you're struggling with a tricky charge type or disposition, you can always contact us.