Professional license verification, often abbreviated and referred to as “PLV,” validates a candidate’s professional license is active and in good standing. Organizations hiring specialized or regulated roles may need to check a candidate’s professional license to determine eligibility.

This article will help you understand:

• What types of professional licenses can Checkr verify?
• How does professional license verification work?
• How long does professional license verification take?
• How do I order professional license verification?
• How do Checkr reports show license verification?
• What does the candidate experience look like?

Example of a PLV report

What types of professional licenses can Checkr verify?

Checkr verifies a variety of professional license types, including:

• Accounting
• Coast Guard
• Contractors
• Dietitian
• Healthcare
• Insurance
• IT (Technology)
• Mental health
• Nursing
• Pharmaceutical
• Real estate
• Veterinary medicine

If you’re looking to verify a professional license in a category not listed above, please share your feedback with our Customer Support team.

How does professional license verification work?

When you order a professional license verification, Checkr validates that the license:

• is active (i.e., not expired)
• is in good standing (i.e., no derogatory flags against the licensee)
• matches the name of the candidate

Checkr has a two-step verification process:

1. Automated verifications are generally completed in <5 minutes.
2. When an automated search is unavailable – for example, due to a candidate entry error – Checkr will then kick off a manual verification with certifying organizations. Manual verifications are generally complete in 1-2 business days.

How long does professional license verification take?

Many professional licenses can be checked instantly, while others can take up to 1-2 business days. 

How do I order professional license verification?

To add professional license verification to your account, please reach out to our Customer Support team. It will take up to 1-2 business days for us to complete your account setup before you can order your first professional license verification. 

How do Checkr reports show license verification?

If Checkr is able to confirm a candidate’s professional license, you will see their certification details as well as a copy of their documentation in Dashboard, along with a “clear” status as you can see below.

If a candidate’s report comes back with a status of “Consider”, additional details are provided. In the example below, the candidate provided their name as John Tom Smith, but their license result surfaced as John Thomas Smith. 

Scenarios that may cause a consider status: 

• Data inconsistency: candidate name and/or state did not match what was provided
• License is expired
• License is not in good standing – or the presence of derogatory marks
• License not found

What does the candidate experience look like?

We collect the following information during the candidate apply flow:

• State
• Certifying organization
• License type
• License number
• Expiration date (optional)
• License document

Candidates have the opportunity to declare they do not have PLV information.

If a candidate has more than one license, the default confirmation allows candidates to upload a total of two (2) licenses for verification. 

Candidates are required to upload a copy (or screenshot) of their professional license(s) within the Apply Flow.

They will then be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of the 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 verification process.

Checkr Health Checks combine drug screenings with occupational health checks, allowing you to evaluate your candidates’ physical fitness for your job requirements. Drug and occupational health screenings can be ordered separately or together, depending your needs. 

This article will help you understand: 

• Overview
• Adding screenings to your account
• Which substances do the panels test for?
• Screening process
• Reviewing report results
• Getting help
• Turnaround time
• Candidate experience
• Additional FAQs

Overview

Drug screenings allow companies to test their candidates for a broad range of substances to reduce the costs and risks associated with the impact of drug abuse in the workplace. 

Checkr partners with eScreen to offer a wide variety of drug screening options. This partnership allows Checkr Health to provide candidates access to over 6,100 clinics across the country that provide both drug and occupational health screenings in a single location.

Some states have specific laws or guidelines regarding drug screenings in relation to employment. For example, most states require a conditional offer of employment to be made before requiring candidates to submit to a drug test. Please work with your legal counsel to ensure that you are meeting these requirements.

Adding screenings to your account

To add drug screenings to your account, contact Checkr Customer Support. It will take approximately 7-10 business days for Checkr to complete the account setup before you can order your first Checkr Health Check.

Which substances do the panels test for? 

When you're first set up, you're authorized for the most common panels: the 5, 9, and 10. We’ve listed the substances each panel tests for below.

If your organization requires a more specific panel, please let us know. 

Screening process

Checkr Health Checks may be run as a standalone screening. Most Checkr Health Checks follow a standard screening workflow: 

1. Customers issue a screening invitation to the candidate, asking them to complete the screening.
2. Candidate completes the Checkr-Hosted Apply Flow, which allows them to select a screening location and receive their screening pass.
3. Candidate contacts the clinic to schedule their appointment and/or verify availability.
4. Candidate completes their appointment before the screening pass expires. 
5. If required, customers may update the clinic location on behalf of their candidate, or send them an updated screening pass from the pending report’s page in the Checkr Dashboard.
6. Once the screening is complete, the clinic submits a sample to the lab. The lab processes the sample and submits results to eScreen where they are reviewed by a certified Medical Review Officer (MRO).
7. Final results are then posted to the Checkr Dashboard to be reviewed by the customer.

Review report results

To view results, open the candidate’s report and click Health Screening. A more detailed screening report can also be viewed by downloading the “Health Screening PDF” from the Report information section of the candidates report.

Results are returned to Checkr as Negative or Positive:

• Negative indicates that the test revealed no evidence of the listed substance
• Positive indicates that the test revealed evidence of one or more of the listed substance(s)

Medical Review Officer (MRO) process for non-DOT drug screenings

All drug testing results are submitted to an eScreen Medical Review Officer (MRO) for review. Any non-negative results (such as  pending results or inconclusive results) require additional follow up with the candidate. The MRO will review the non-negative result with the candidate to determine if they have any prescriptions which would account for evidence of the listed substance and verify that prescription with the pharmacy. 

When MRO follow-up is needed:

• The MRO will make 3 attempts within 1 business day to contact the candidate.
• If the MRO is unable to reach the candidate during this time, results will remain Pending for an additional 72 business hours to allow the candidate to return the call. 
• If the candidate does not respond, the result will be included in the final report as “Positive-UTCD” (Unable To Contact Donor).

For more information see Help me understand MRO reviewed results of a drug screening

Getting help

With so many parties involved in the end-to-end Checkr Health screening process, it may be confusing where to look for help when questions arise. 

Visit Checkr’s Drug and Occupational Health FAQs for answers to common questions. The Checkr Customer Support team can help answer general questions such as finding clinics near the candidate’s location or verifying the status of the report. Keep in mind, drug and occupational health screenings take time and Checkr cannot expedite the report.

Candidates should note that Checkr is not able to change the outcome of a screening. If a candidate would like to dispute the results, they can contact the MRO directly at 888-382-2281, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST.

For more information, visit What if the candidate challenges the results of their drug screening?

Turnaround time

Once the candidate completes their screening appointment, the average turnaround time to receive the result is under 3 days. When MRO follow-up is needed, the average turnaround may extend to 10 days. To prevent delays, work with your candidate to ensure:

• The candidate calls the clinic to verify availability. 
• The candidate downloads their screening pass and brings it to their clinic appointments. A screening pass is required to complete the screening. The clinic cannot help generate lost or misplaced passes. 
• Any MRO follow-up needed is performed promptly.

Note: The turnaround time for paper-based clinics is longer due to the time it takes to mail the paper documents. Once the testing lab has received all of the required documents and specimen(s), turnaround time for testing and results is the same as non-paper-based clinics. For more information refer to Drug screenings using paper-based clinics. 

Candidate experience

Candidates will be asked to schedule and complete the testing process at a location of their choice. Checkr's Occupational Health and Drug Check scheduling flow allows candidates to schedule one test for all required checks and access the candidate screening pass (or “passport”) within the same system.

Note: At this time, candidates may not check their status for a standalone Health Check from the Candidate Portal.

Candidates will receive an invitation to the screening, asking them to:

1. Enter their information, 
2. Consent to the test, and 
3. Select a screening location

After entering their information, they will be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check, and other state and required disclosures as applicable.

Next, they will verify availability with the clinic and/or schedule their test(s) before the listed date at a lab of their choosing.

Candidates must then download and print their screening pass and report to the clinic to submit to their drug test. 

Results are returned as Negative or Positive. 

All drug screening results are submitted to a Medical Review Officer (MRO) for additional review.

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.

Additional FAQs

Can Checkr expedite a drug screening?

The candidate shared results, can Checkr upload them?

Finding a clinic location

Checkr Health Checks combine occupational health checks with drug screenings, allowing you to evaluate your candidates’ physical fitness for your job requirements. Drug and occupational health screenings can be ordered separately or together, depending on the customer's needs. 

This article will focus on Checkr Health occupational health screenings. For more information about drug screenings, visit: Checkr Health: Drug Screenings

This article will help you understand: 

• Overview
• Adding screenings to your account
• Screening process
• Reviewing report results
• Getting help
• Turnaround time
• Candidate experience
• Additional FAQs

Overview

Occupational health screenings allow companies to test their candidate’s ability to meet the physical requirements of a position, including vision tests, respirator fit tests, and tests for tuberculosis (TB) and other communicable diseases.

Checkr partners with eScreen to offer a wide variety of drug screening options. This partnership allows Checkr Health to provide candidates access to over 6,100 clinics across the country that provide both drug and occupational health screenings in a single location.

Some states have specific laws or guidelines relating to occupational health screenings in relation to employment. For example, most states require a conditional offer of employment be made before requiring candidates to submit to an occupational health check. Please work with your legal counsel to ensure that you are meeting these requirements.

Adding screenings to your account

To add occupational health screenings to your account, contact Checkr Customer Support. It will take  approximately 7-10 business days for Checkr to complete the account setup before you can order your first Checkr Health Check.

Screening process

Checkr Health Checks may be run as a standalone screening. Most Checkr Health Checks follow a standard screening workflow: 

1. Customers issue a screening invitation to the candidate, asking them to complete the screening.
2. Candidate completes the Checkr-Hosted Apply Flow, which allows them to select a screening location and receive their screening pass.
3. Candidate contacts the clinic to schedule their appointment and/or verify availability.
4. Candidate completes their appointment before the screening pass expires. 
5. If required, customers may update the clinic location on behalf of their candidate, or send them an updated screening pass from the pending report’s page in the Checkr Dashboard.
6. Once the service(s) is completed, the clinic will send results to eScreen. eScreen will perform administrative review on all occupational health services to ensure results are complete in their entirety. If results are missing required information, eScreen will follow up with the clinic for corrections.
7. Final results are then posted to the Checkr Dashboard to be reviewed by the customer.

Review report results

To view results, open the candidate’s report and click Health Screening. A more detailed screening report can also be viewed by downloading the “Health Screening PDF” from the Report information section of the candidates report.

Getting help

With so many parties involved in the end-to-end Checkr Health screening process, it may be confusing where to look for help when questions arise. 

Visit Checkr’s Drug and Occupational Health FAQs for answers to common questions. The Checkr Customer Support team can help answer general questions such as finding clinics near the candidate’s location or verifying the status of the report. 

Keep in mind that occupational health screenings take time. Checkr cannot expedite the report or change the outcome of a screening.

Turnaround time 

Once the candidate completes their screening appointment, the average turnaround time to receive the result is under 3 days. To prevent delays, work with your candidate to ensure:

• The candidate calls the clinic to verify availability.
• The candidate downloads their screening pass and brings it to their clinic appointments. The screening pass is required to complete the screening.
• The clinic cannot help generate lost or misplaced passes.

Note: The TAT for paper-based clinics is longer as they require extra time to fax paperwork. 

Candidate experience

Checkr's Occupational Health scheduling flow allows candidates to schedule one test for all required checks and access the candidate screening pass (or “passport”) within the same system.

First, candidates will receive a screening invitation from the customer. This invitation asks them to: 

1. Enter their information,
2. Consent to the test, and
3. Select a screening location from a system-provided list. 

After entering their information, candidates will be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check, and other state and required disclosures as applicable.

After entering their information, they will be presented and asked to acknowledge receipt of applicable forms and notifications, including Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check, and other state and required disclosures as applicable.

Next, they will verify availability with the clinic and/or schedule their test(s) before the listed date at a lab of their choosing.

Candidates must then download and print their screening pass and report to the clinic to submit to their drug test.

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.

Additional FAQs

Can Checkr expedite the screening?

The candidate shared results, can Checkr upload them?

Finding a clinic location

This article will help you:

• Understand what a SSN Trace is and why it’s an important part of a background report
• Follow Checkr's SSN Trace process
• Understand your candidate's experience

A Social Security number (SSN) Trace searches databases (including lending institutions, utilities, schools, and credit card companies) for a name and Social Security number. The trace returns jurisdictions in which a match is found, and may report any alternative names (aliases or AKAs) that are identified as well.

To run an SSN Trace, Checkr submits the candidate's Social Security number to a data provider, who then generates a report through a credit bureau. This report returns a list of known names and addresses for the SSN, compiled from credit and banking history for the given SSN.  

SSN Traces are used as a “pointer” to possible criminal records. The address and alias information that the SSN Trace returns is then used to determine which counties and other databases should be searched for additional public records (if your package is configured to include aliases).

The SSN Trace may provide the following information:

• An idea of whether the SSN provided is a valid or invalid number (for example, whether it has any names associated with it.
• If your package configuration includes aliases, a list of previous names (which may be birth names as well as aliases).
• Locations the person linked to the number has lived (based on credit cards, banking, or other information).

An SSN Trace does not validate that the person entering the information is who they claim to be. An SSN Trace can identify whether the candidate’s SSN appears to be false (such as 555-55-5555), but an SSN Trace is not an Identity Verification. For more information, please see SSN Traces vs. Identity Verification.

Please note: Information returned by this search is not a part of the consumer report and may not be used for FCRA purposes, including eligibility determinations under the FCRA

Checkr's product incorporates SSN field controls designed to not accept SSNs with the following characteristics:

• SSNs without exactly 9 numeric characters
• SSNs that start with 666 (666-34-3768)
• SSNs that start with 9 (967-65-4325)
• SSNs that are a single repeated digit (111-11-1111)
• SSNs that are sequential digits (123-45-6789)

Candidate Experience

The SSN Trace 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. The SSN Trace cannot be run as a standalone 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 Trace.

If we are unable to complete the SSN Trace with the information provided, the candidate will be asked to re-enter their number. In some cases, candidates may be asked to provide a copy of their SSN card, or a letter from the SSA confirming that the number provided does belong to the candidate.

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.

SSN Trace (Social Security number Trace) is a pointer search that searches various commercially available data sources to establish a candidate’s address history. Checkr leverages SSN Trace to obtain candidate address history as well as aliases to inform subsequent background screenings. 

SSN Trace exceptions may occur if there is a material discrepancy between submitted candidate information and information returned by the SSN Trace. The SSN Trace exception handling process is designed to address these discrepancies as they arise.

SSN Trace exception types

Checkr issues 6 types of SSN Trace exceptions. Resolution paths are based on the nature of the data discrepancy.

Note: In some edge cases, when candidates dispute the exception following confirmation (by claiming that the SSN submitted was correct and the SSN Trace data returned were erroneous), Checkr team members may manually override the suspension if the candidate can produce documentation (such as an SSN card) that ties the SSN to their name.

SSN Trace exception workflow

The exception handling process is illustrated in the following diagram:

This article will help you:

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

Checkr runs a National Criminal Database Records Check as a routine step in background checks. This search queries 2800+ 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 Records Check 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” records check, in that it points to other potential criminal records that may exist for a candidate. Because this 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 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. The Global Watchlist Records Check 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 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.

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 their 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. The Global Watchlist Records Check cannot be run as a standalone 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.

This article will help you:

• Understand a Federal Criminal Records Check
• Understand your candidate's experience

The US tries cases in two different courts: state/local courts and federal courts. These are considered to be different jurisdictions and therefore try different categories of cases.

Federal crimes differ from other crimes in that a federal crime is prosecuted under federal criminal law in federal courts. A county criminal search does not return results on the federal level.

Federal criminal records are accessible only through a specific federal criminal search. There is no overlap with county or statewide searches, or with the National Criminal Records Check.

Federal criminal offenses usually fall into the following categories:

• Crimes against federal employees (postal carriers, TSA employees, etc.)
• Crimes committed on federal land (e.g., national parks)
• Bank robberies (all banks are protected by the FDIC, a federal department)
• Commissions of crimes across state lines (e.g., a kidnapping occurring in California which crosses into Nevada, large-scale conspiracies)
• Drug cases involving large distribution network(s)
• Child Pornography (internet allows for transmission across state and country borders)
• Other crimes that fall outside state and local jurisdictions

Searches that uncover a criminal record can take 2-4 days to complete. Because most federal criminal records have all or most personally identifying information (PII) redacted, searches that yield no results are returned almost immediately. All federal criminal information is online, making in-court research unnecessary.

Conducting the Federal Criminal Records Check

Checkr first conducts a search of the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) database, which is the central repository for all publicly accessible federal cases nationwide. The database relies on name-based searches, and provides no means to search using other identifiers (such as SSN or DOB). Primary and alias names are searched separately. 

To ensure a comprehensive range of returned records, Checkr does not require exact name matching for the initial PACER search. This results in a broader set of potential matches. 

Candidates whose initial PACER search returns no results receive a Clear Federal Criminal screening, and no additional federal search is conducted. 

For candidates whose searched name returns at least one potential match, Checkr’s researchers conduct secondary searches to look for additional identifiers within the record file. These searches are conducted at the federal district court level to ensure that all potential cases identified are thoroughly investigated, in order to determine whether the case record belongs to the candidate. 

Because of the relatively limited amount of personally identifiable information (PII) included in federal record files, and the non-standardization of such date, these records undergo an additional level of review. When cases returned by researchers do not meet Checkr’s strict PII matching criteria to be included in the report, they are further reviewed by Checkr’s Quality Assurance (QA) team. If QA determines that there are not sufficient identifiers, they will conduct additional public searches to determine if any may be found.

Candidate Experience

The Federal Criminal Records Check must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The Federal Criminal Records Check 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 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.

This article will help you:

• Understand a Sex Offender Registry Check
• Determine why a candidate may or may not appear on a Sex Offender Registry Check
• Understand your candidate's experience

A registered sex offender is a person who has been convicted of a sex crime and is required to register in their county of residence as sex offender as part of their sentence. Sex offender registries generally include the offender's address, physical appearance, and crimes for which they are required to register. All 50 states require individuals convicted of certain sex crimes to register for a defined period of time. Those convicted of more violent crimes are typically required to remain registered for longer periods. While registered, sex offenders must update their address each time they move.

A Sex Offender Registry Check can quickly identify if someone is a risk to a vulnerable population and the general public, including employees and customers. Almost all sex offenses may be considered job-relevant when individually assessing someone’s suitability for employment, which is in compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s guidance.

To be a registered sex offender, a person must:

• be convicted of a sex crime(s)
• be required to register as a sex offender in their state/county of residence as part of their sentencing.
• register as a sex offender, usually through the Sheriff’s department in their home county.

Despite being a criminal offense not to register when required to do so as part of sentencing, many sex offenders fail to register. Thus, a significant percentage of offenders in each state are not included in the registry and cannot be guaranteed to be free of a sex offender conviction.

Sex Offender Registry Check process

Checkr conducts a search of sex offender registration records from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and tribal territories. All public registries nationwide are queried during Checkr’s Sex Offender Registry Check. The search results include the type(s) of offenses that occurred and personal identifiers, such as date of birth (DOB). Checkr confirms results using the national and state sources, including the National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW).

Note: Some states categorize their sex offender registry information by level and do not allow the reporting of low-level sex offenders.

To ensure a comprehensive range of returned records, Checkr does not require exact name matching for the initial search of these sex offender registries. 

Potential records are passed to Checkr QA for additional review, including additional confirmation using the National Sex Offender Offender Public Website (NSOPW) and/or the state(s) specific sex offender registry.

Candidate Experience

The Sex Offender Registry 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. The Sex OffenderRegistry Check 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 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.

This article will help you:

• Understand what happens in a County Criminal Records Check
• Decide when to include County Criminal Records Checks 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 Criminal Records Check must be run in conjunction with the Basic+ report package. The County Criminal Records Check 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 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.

This article will help you understand:

• What is a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) and how does it help?
• What is the average turnaround time for MVR reports?
• Default MVR Rules
• Running MVRs in Different Regions
• Your candidate's experience

What is a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) and how does it help?

A Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) is a report of driving history, as reported from the state Department of Motor Vehicles or similar government entity which issues driver licenses. While this may vary from one state to the next depending on local reporting practices, information reported in MVRs generally includes driver license status and class, violations, convictions, restrictions, and other information related to driving records and credentials.

MVR reports can help identify candidates with unsafe driving records, to help you assess the risk of potential and current employees. Some convictions are only available on MVR reports and may not always show up on criminal searches, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

MVR checks identify the following: 

• Full Name
• Current License Status
• Current License Type
• Current License Class
• Current License Expiration Date
• Current License Issue Date*
• Current License First Issued Date*
• Restrictions
• Suspensions
• Violations
• Clerical Updates

*Not always included with electronic records which Checkr accesses at the state level. Verification of these dates may need to be executed outside of the MVR.

For more information on records returned with MVRs, see MVR license records.

What is the average turnaround time for MVR reports?

Results are typically available within 24 hours; most complete within a few minutes.

An MVR may be delayed when Checkr is unable to find a matching record. In Checkr, this is known as an Exception, and it is typically caused when the candidate makes a typo while submitting their driver license number, name, or date of birth. When an exception occurs, Checkr automatically emails the candidate asking them to upload a photo of their driver license so the discrepancy can be corrected, and the relevant records can be obtained. For more information, see our article MVR Exceptions: What to do if an MVR report results in a Suspended status.

Default MVR Rules

MVR Rules help you assess the results of a given MVR against the specific rules you have created.

By default, Checkr applies rules based on standard insurance requirements when an MVR report is initiated. These rules include:

• Driver must be over 18
• Driver must currently be privileged to drive a passenger vehicle or motorcycle
• No more than 1 moving violation in the past 3 years AND No more than 1 accident in the past 3 years
• No more than 2 moving violations in the past 3 years (such as failure to stop at a stop sign, following too closely, improper passing)
• No more than 2 accidents in the past 3 years
• No major violation in the past 5 years (such as DUIs, or speeding 40+ mph over the limit)
• No cell phone or distracted driving violation in the past 3 years

For more information, see Checkr's MVR Rules.

Please contact us if you would like to modify these default rules based on your needs. For example, if the default rule is No major violation in the last 5 years, but your insurance requires No more than 2 major violations in the last 3 years, please contact Checkr Customer Support to change this rule.

Running MVRs in Different Regions

If a candidate holds a Pennsylvania license, they won't be able to apply successfully until you have an approved affidavit from the state of Pennsylvania.

The following areas are not covered by Checkr’s MVR service:

• Guam (GU)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• U.S. Virgin Islands (VI)
• U.S. Armed Forces - Americas (AA)
• U.S. Armed Forces - Europe (AE)
• U.S. Armed Forces - Pacific (AP)

Candidate Experience

Motor Vehicle Records may be run as standalone Checks.

Candidates will be asked to submit their name, date of birth, phone number, email address, and driver license number and state of issuance.

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.

In some cases, candidates may also be asked to provide a copy of their driver license. For some companies, they may also be asked to submit a copy of an old license to provide evidence that they’ve been licensed in previous years.

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 Candidate Portal.

Checkr enables customers to define rules by which a candidate’s driving records are evaluated. Results of MVR rule evaluation determine whether a report is set to status Clear or Consider.

MVR rules enable customers to assess various aspects of a candidate’s driving record, such as violations, suspensions, accidents, restrictions, experience, and age. Violation-based rules offer another level of granularity, which allows different treatments to be applied to different categories of violations as specified by customers.

Checkr allows violation categorization to be customized with classification codes based on the AAMVA Code Dictionary (ACD) codes, and customer MVR rules governing a particular category will be applied only to violations within said category. For example, a customer MVR rule that requires drivers to have no more than 5 moving violations will be applied to violations that have been categorized by the customer as “moving violation”. Uncategorized violations or violations in different categories will not be counted toward this particular rule.

Restriction-based rules also allow customers to guard against specific restrictions (such as ignition interlock restriction) placed on the candidate. If matching restrictions are present on the candidate’s current license, the customer’s restriction-based rule will be triggered, resulting in a Consider status.

Checkr's default MVR Rules

MVR Rules help you assess the results of a given MVR against the specific rules you have created.

By default, Checkr applies the following categories and rules when an MVR report is initiated. These rules are based on standard insurance requirements. 

• Driver must be over 18
• Driver must currently be privileged to drive a passenger vehicle or motorcycle
• No more than 1 moving violation in the past 3 years AND No more than 1 accident in the past 3 years
• No more than 2 moving violations in the past 3 years (such as failure to stop at a stop sign, following too closely, improper passing)
• No more than 2 accidents in the past 3 years
• No major violation in the past 5 years (such as DUIs, or speeding 40+ mph over the limit)
• No cell phone or distracted driving violation in the past 3 years

Please contact us if you would like to modify these default rules based on your needs. For example, if the default rule is No major violation in the last 5 years, but your insurance requires No more than 2 major violations in the last 3 years, please contact Checkr Customer Support to change this rule.

Checkr uses information returned from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in U.S. jurisdictions to complete Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) searches. This information is displayed in the Motor Vehicle Record section of completed reports.

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 is displayed on the Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) section of the background check. These statuses fall into four categories internally within the Checkr system: VALID, LIMITED, NOT VALID, and INCOMPLETE.

* A License Status of “Not Provided” (License does not exist), “Not Found”, or “Not Available Electronically” originates from Checkr. All other statuses are reported directly from the source, with >100 different descriptions provided from DMVs. These labels are not meant to be exhaustive, and their interpretation varies from state to state.

** A LIMITED license will influence a valid privilege to drive, but will not satisfy Checkr’s default driving privilege rules.

License type

DMVs in U.S. jurisdictions recognize the following license types:

• Personal: 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 (Permits are not usually accepted by customers to establish licensing history.)
• Identification: used for identification purposes only, these licenses do not permit the candidate to drive any vehicle type.

Restrictions, Suspensions, and Violations

Checkr's MVR reports also list other information reported in MVRs, including violations, convictions, restrictions, and other information related to driving records and credentials.

These records are listed with start and end dates, when these dates are included in the information returned from the DMV.

• Restrictions: lists driving restrictions, such as the requirement for corrective lenses.
• Violations: lists incidents with a conviction date on a candidate's driver record, such as a speeding over the limit or a DUI.
• Suspensions: lists events such as cancellation or revocation of driving privilege.

Restrictions

Restrictions refer to reduced driving privileges. An example is "corrective lenses required".

Reports may show restrictions for other active licenses the driver holds. The report will not show restrictions from inactive licenses.

Note: Checkr lists restrictions exactly as they are returned from the DMV. In some cases, DMVs will report “YES” as a restriction.

Violations

Violations are incidents that include a conviction date, and are sent from the court to the DMVs. In nearly all cases, a violation includes fault. Examples include DUIs, speeding, and/or reckless driving. 

Suspensions

“Suspensions'' may include different types of driver license events, such as suspensions, withdrawals, cancellations, and revocation of driving privilege (for specific license types, such as motorcycle or commercial). Suspensions may also be due to driving or administrative incidents, such as reckless driving, or failure to renew medical certification. A suspension appearing on an MVR does not necessarily indicate that the driver is currently unable to drive due to a suspended license status. In some cases, however, a suspension will indicate a driver license which is currently suspended, resulting in a temporary lack of driving privileges. Suspensions will be shown with a start, and if appropriate, end date. 

License review process

When evaluating current licenses to determine whether to indicate Clear or Consider on the returned report based on customer criteria, Checkr uses the following rules: 

• If the driving privilege is one that indicates it is a not valid or limited license, then Checkr marks the MVR Consider.
• If the license status is not available electronically, Checkr suspends the MVR report.
• If the license status is not found, Checkr flags an exception and requests a copy of the candidate’s current driver’s license. The customer is also notified of the document request through a webhook.
• If the license is valid, available electronically, and found, Checkr evaluates the MVR according to the customer’s rules, and sets the status based on the results.

Previous license review process

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

Checkr does not accept license type “identification” as previous licenses, and does not consider previous identification documents when establishing licensing history for a candidate.

This article will help you:

• Understand what County Civil Records Checks are and why they’re an important part of a background report
• Decide whether to add County Civil Records Checks to a package
• Understand your candidate's experience

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 the 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 Records Check will cover a history of at least seven years from the date of request.

Candidate Experience

The County Civil Records Check must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The County Civil Records Check 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 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.

This article will help you:

• Understand what happens in a US State Criminal Records Check
• Decide when to include US State Criminal Records Checks in your background check package
• Pair State Criminal Records Checks with County Criminal Records Checks for maximum thoroughness
• Understand how to enable a search of US territories
• Understand your candidate's experience

What happens in a US State Criminal Records Check?

A State Criminal Records Check is used to discover criminal records in a specific state. Adding a State Criminal Records Check to a background screening package can provide you with additional coverage to find potential criminal records outside of a candidate’s home county.

Information returned in a State Criminal Records Check may include the following:

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

What is state record quality?

When looking at a report, you may see a State Criminal Records Check with results reading: More research was conducted due to state record quality. See county searches.

Why would you see this message? In some states, Checkr may need to kick off a county search based on incomplete information in the state search.

The extent and quality of the State Criminal Records Check varies by state:

• True Parity: Some states search every single county within the state.
• Partial Parity: Some states search most counties, but not all.
• Non-Parity: Some states search only a few counties within the state.

Due to varying state laws and practices, not every single county within a “Partial Parity” or “Non-Parity” state reports to a statewide repository. Each state database also functions differently.

The county courthouse, not the state database, is the source of truth for most criminal records. Each of the 3,200 counties in the US decides how to make its records public. In most states, many counties do not make their data available for an aggregate true statewide search.

For maximum thoroughness, we recommend running this search in addition to, rather than instead of, a county search. The best practice is to search county-by-county, and add statewide searches where there is either true, or partial, parity.

Does a State Criminal Records Check include US territories?

US territories American Samoa (AS), Guam (GU), Northern Mariana Islands (MP), Puerto Rico (PR), US Virgin Islands (VI) are available as part of the State Criminal Records Check. A US territories search is not enabled by default. If you wish to enable these searches for your account, work with Checkr Customer Support to add these territories to your Package. When configured on your package, Checkr will trigger a US territory search when indicated by the candidate’s zip code, or addresses returned by the SSN Trace.

Candidate Experience

The State Criminal Records Check must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The State Criminal Records Check 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 Acknowledgement and Authorization for Background Check.

After the candidate consents, Checkr will initiate the Check. 

If a US territories search is required, an exception will be triggered to gather additional candidate information, which may include: 

• Government ID
• Current address
• Address in country
• Place of birth
• Mother’s maiden name

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 understand:

• What is a US territory search?
• How do I add a US territory search to my package?
• What is the average turnaround time (TAT) for a US territory search?
• Are there additional costs associated with a US territory search?
• Is additional candidate data required for a US territory search?
• What is the candidate experience?

What is a US territory search?

A United States territory search can be enabled as part of a State Criminal Records Check to discover potential criminal records in the US territories of:

• American Samoa (AS)
• Guam (GU)
• Northern Mariana Islands (MP)
• Puerto Rico (PR)
• US Virgin Islands (VI)

Please note: Checkr’s National Criminal Database, County Criminal Records, County Civil Records and Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) Checks do not cover US Territories. 

How do I add a US Territory search to my package?

A US territory search is not enabled by default. Contact Checkr Customer Support to configure your package. While running the State Criminal Records Check, customers can choose to Always search or Limit the search to specific US territories. 

What is the average turnaround time (TAT) for a US Territory search?

Average turnaround time will vary depending on the US Territory included in the search:

• Guam (GU): 7-8 business days
• Puerto Rico (PR): 4-5 business days
• US Virgin Islands (VI): Less than 1 

Are there additional costs associated with a US territory search?

Yes, additional fees apply. Please contact Checkr Customer Support for more information.

Is additional candidate data required for a US territory search?

Yes, when a US territory search is required, an exception will be triggered to collect additional Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from the candidate. Depending on the territory being searched, the candidate may be prompted to provide:

• Government ID
• Current address
• Address in country
• Place of birth
• Mother’s maiden name

What is the candidate experience?

A US territory search may not be run as a standalone check. It is run as a component of the State Criminal Records Check which must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. 

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 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, a pointer search will be initiated and the candidate’s zip code will be analyzed to determine if a US territory search is needed. Once the US territory search is determined to be needed, an exception will be triggered to collect additional candidate information. After the candidate provides additional information, Checkr will then initiate the US territory 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 Candidate Portal.

This article will help you:

• Understand what US Federal Civil Records Checks entail and why they’re an important part of a background report
• Decide whether to add a Federal Civil Records Check to your package
• Understand your candidate's experience

A Federal Civil Records Check is used to identify civil cases filed at the federal level. Federal civil cases include non-criminal issues such as civil right 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 Records Check 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 Records Check must be run in conjunction with the basic report package. The Federal Civil Records Check 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 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.

This article will help you:

• Understand what an Education Verification is and why it’s an important part of a background check
• Decide when to include Education Verifications in your background check package
• Interpret Education Verification on a background check report
• Understand your candidate's experience

This article is intended for the following user roles: admin, adjudicator, user

Education Verification verifies a candidate's certifications or educational claims. They confirm where the candidate went to school, the type of degree obtained, the major, and the graduation date (if provided).

Education can be verified for colleges, universities, high schools, and GED equivalency exams. International education verification can be enabled if needed, however, these verifications will take longer and additional fees apply. To enable international education verifications please Contact Us.

Education Verification Process

During the Checkr-Hosted Apply flow, candidates are asked to provide their education history. They are given the opportunity to upload documents to verify their high school diploma or GED certificate. If your candidate submits no education information, the report returns with a Consider status.

After a candidate submits their education history, Checkr's Education Verification can take up to 3 steps:

1. Checkr contacts education databases to verify the highest level of education completed.
2. If the school doesn't report to the education databases, Checkr tries 3 times to directly contact the school’s registrar. 
3. If the school doesn't respond after 3 attempts or the registrar can't confirm the highest level of education completed, the report generates an exception, and the candidate needs to submit proof of education. The candidate has 7 days to submit the information before that section of the report moves to Suspended status. After 30 days, the report completes with a Consider result.

Note: If a candidate uploads a high school diploma or a GED certificate during the Checkr-Hosted Apply Flow, the Checkr team compares the candidate's stated education history to the document provided and marks the verification complete. In these cases, Checkr doesn't try to contact the education databases or the school's registrar for confirmation.

Any user with an admin role can upload requested documents directly to the candidate's report using the exception link.

Checkr can't use any proof of education obtained outside the background check process. For example, Checkr can't accept third-party confirmation of the candidate’s information or documents that candidates email. If you want to allow your candidates to upload supporting documents, direct them to the Candidate Portal.

Interpreting the Results

For candidates who have earned multiple degrees, Checkr shows them on the report.

After the search completes, the report shows a log of notes from the calls made.

Candidate Experience

Education Verifications might be run as standalone screenings.

Candidates will be asked to submit their education history, including the highest level of education they achieved and the institution’s name and location. Candidates will also be asked for a copy of their high school diploma, if that was the highest level of education they attained.

Candidates then 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 initiates the verification process.

If the candidate lists information that can't be verified, they might need to submit transcripts as well.

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

This article will help you:

• Understand the Employment Verification process
• Understand available Employment Verification options
• Understand your candidate's experience

This article is intended for the following user roles: admin, adjudicator, user

Verification Process

Verifying past employment history validates a person’s work experience. It can also be useful in identifying gaps in the candidate’s employment history.

During the Checkr-Hosted Apply flow, candidates are asked to provide their employment history. They are given the opportunity to request that their current employer NOT be contacted. When this option is selected, Checkr will prompt them to upload a W-2, 1099, or pay stub to provide proof of  employment. Uploaded documents must reflect the employer name and will only be used for verification purposes.

When a candidate selects "do not contact", Checkr will use the documents submitted by the candidate to complete the employment verification, and no search will be launched. The Employment Verification request will instead be sent to an internal Checkr team to complete the verification using only the documents that have been uploaded by the candidate. If the candidate does not upload their supporting documents during the Checkr-Hosted Apply Flow, an exception will be triggered immediately after the background check is initiated, asking the candidate to submit their documents. Candidates will have 7 days to upload their supporting documents to fulfill the request of the exception.

Please note: Checkr is unable to accept documents after a verification is complete. Customers must contact their candidate directly if they wish to review any supplemental information provided outside of the Checkr Employment Verification.

Checkr will first check established databases that maintain employment records for millions of Americans to attempt to verify the information a candidate provides about their employment history.

If employment cannot be verified using this database information, a researcher will contact the employer directly, using the information provided by the candidate or discovered through our research.

Notes are made on each of these attempts, and are available in the candidate's Report. 

By default, Employment Verifications will return Clear if no employment history is provided. This can be overridden by a Package setting to require employment history. Work with your Checkr Customer Success Manager to require candidates to submit previous employment information for verification.

Any significant discrepancies in start date, end dates, and position (titles) will lead to a Consider status for employment verification. You'll see a "warning" icon ( ) appear next to the information that contains a discrepancy.

If previous employers cannot be verified, Checkr will generate an exception, and request that the candidate upload a W2, a letter from their former HR department on company letterhead, or an old pay stub to the Candidate Portal.

After the exception is issued, your candidate will have 7 days to provide the requested documentation. If they do not upload this documentation within the 7 day window, the report will expire and a new report must be generated, and a new invitation issued to your candidate.

Available Employment Verification options

The following Employment Verification setting options are available. Please work with your Checkr Customer Success Manager to configure these settings for your account.

• Out-of-country history: Enables international verification.
• Salary: Collects salary information.
• Manager contact: Collects manager contact information.
• Contract type: Collects contract type.
• Employment lookback: Defines the number of years of employment history requested from your candidates (1-10 years).
• Employment history: Defines the number of positions requested from your candidates (1-unlimited positions).

Customers may configure different lookback periods per package.

Checkr will consider the verification to have been fulfilled when either the defined employment lookback period or the requested employment history has been provided. For example, if an verification requests a 7 year lookback period and 3 positions for employment history, the verification will be fulfilled if the candidate provides either one position which lasted 10 years, or 3 positions which date back only 4 years.

Many jurisdictions have banned employers from inquiring about a candidate's salary history. Checkr helps you comply with these laws by not asking for salary information when the candidate has entered a zip code from a major state or city that bans salary history information. However, because this regulatory landscape changes frequently, our default option is not to collect salary information from candidates.

Candidate Experience

Employment Verifications may be run as a standalone Check.

Candidates will be asked to provide their employment history, including job title, manager, and location, for a client-defined number of years and previous employers. An example of the form is displayed as follows. 

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 verification process.

If previous employers cannot be verified, candidates may also be asked to provide a W2, a letter from their former HR department on company letterhead, or an old pay stub.

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:

• Understand how an Employment Credit Check differs from a common Credit Report
• Understand the credentialing process for an Employment Credit Check
• Make sure that your Credit Checks are compliant and job-relevant
• Understand the candidate experience

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 screenings 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 screening 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 may be run as a standalone Check.

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 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 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 understand:

• International product overview
• Available screenings
• Supported countries
• Candidate experience

International product overview

Checkr offers several global screenings for organizations hiring outside the US. Depending on the country, we offer a combination of Criminal Screenings, Global Watchlist Checks, Education and Employment Verifications, Adverse Media Searches, and Identity Document Validation.

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

• A single source of truth: Manage background checks for all of your USdomestic 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 countries being searched.
• Frictionless candidate outreach: Checkr emails candidates directly so you can simply request the check and receive results.
• Guidance and support for candidates: International background checks can be confusing, and require even more documentation and personally identifying information than in the US. Checkr’s flow allows candidates to save their progress, see their results, and dispute any errors.

Available screenings

Checkr offers the following checks specific to international candidates:

Identity Document Validation: Verifies that the candidate’s passport, national ID or driver’s license is authentic and validly in circulation. This check provides a multi-level validation process by inspecting document data and positioning for authenticity, scanning the Machine Readable Zone (if available), and cross-checking the information provided against government databases to discover if the document is stolen, lost, expired or invalid.

Average turnaround time is 3-5 days. Submitted passports result in a turnaround time of 1-2 days.

International Criminal Check: Criminal records check in supported countries. Criminal data is accessed from the appropriate database or agency. 

Average turnaround time varies significantly by jurisdiction. In order to complete UK criminal searches, the authorities require an Employer Identify Verification (EIV) form to be filled out by the employer to ensure the candidate's identity is confirmed (see attachment).  

Global Watchlist Check: A comprehensive search of multiple US and international government watchlists which include the FBI’s Most Wanted list, Interpol's Most Wanted lists, Office of Foreign Asset Control Sanction lists, Denied Persons lists, Department of State Sanction lists, and the Specially Designated Nationals List.

Average turnaround time is 4 days.

International Motor Vehicle Report (IMVR): Assesses the validity of a license, its class or classes, and any current suspensions. IMVR provides information on whether the driver is legally eligible to drive. It includes the information present on a physical driver’s license. International MVR is currently available to candidates with a Canadian work location and Canadian driver’s license. 

Unless there are exceptions that require additional input from the candidate, turnaround time is real-time, within seconds. 

NOTE: IMVR is currently in beta and may not be available to all candidates. 

Adverse Media Check: In countries where third party access to criminal record information is restricted, Adverse Media Checks may be performed to access private databases, public sanctions lists, media sources, and other public and private record repositories.

Average turnaround time is 5-7 days.

International Education Verification: The verification of academic status of any educational level such as high school, college and post-grad may include institution name, dates of attendance, graduation/conferred date, degree obtained, major, minor, honors and relevant awards. Reasonable attempts will be made to search available industry databases and international educational institutions.

Average turnaround time is 6-8 days.

International Employment Verification: Verification of previous employment history may include employer’s name, dates of employment, position/title, reason for leaving, eligibility for rehire, and comments. Reasonable attempts will be made to verify available government agencies and employment databases. Email verification, and phone verification may be used in countries where the records of former employers are not available in searchable form, and where contacting the supervisor or manager is common practice.

Average turnaround time is 6-8 days.

Supported countries

Checkr International screenings are available in all countries in which criminal screenings are allowed.

The following countries restrict employers from access and use of criminal information. For these countries, Checkr provides an Adverse Media Check:

• 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 may need to produce information that they don’t have on hand. Checkr’s International Candidate Portal provides step-by-step guidance throughout the background check process, and empowers candidates to save their progress, see their results, and dispute any errors in their information.

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 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 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 checks 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) Check 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 check is recommended to manage risk and compliance. Checkr offers two levels of screening 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 screening, Level 3 is recommended because some states have screening requirements that go beyond 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. 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 screening. 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 Screening.

Candidates will be asked to provide their name, date of birth, SSN, zip code, and contact information.

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 to the background check, Checkr will initiate the Check.