Understand your background check

Pending (In-Progress) reports

Most background checks finish in 3 to 7 business days, but some reports may take longer. You can log in to the Candidate Portal to see an estimated finish date for your report, but please note that this completion date is just an estimate, not a guarantee. When your report is ready, Checkr will send you a confirmation email to the address you used when you applied.

Report is past the estimated completion date (ETA)

The ETA is only an estimated completion date. We cannot guarantee when a report will complete. Some reports take longer due to the following reasons: 

• Checkr needs more information from you
• Checkr is waiting for information from county courts
• Court backlogs
• Additional checks require contacting an individual or organization

Common reasons your background check may be taking longer to complete include:

Checkr needs more information from you

There are two ways to find out if Checkr needs more information or documentation from you to continue your report: 

1. Check your email inbox and spam/junk folder for any messages from Checkr requesting information or documentation.
2. Log into the Candidate Portal and check your report for any calls to action, such as "Upload documents" and "Confirm information."

Checkr is waiting for information from county courts

Many courts in the US still maintain paper records instead of electronic records. Obtaining these records can add time to the process because it requires specially trained researchers to go to the county courthouse and physically pull records. For more information on the county search process, refer to County search.

Court backlogs

Due to staff shortages and the demand for records, many courts suffer from record request backlogs. This is especially true for courts in California and Massachusetts.

Additional checks

Reports that include a special search or verification, such as an education or employment verification, often require contacting an individual or organization. This may cause a delay in results.

Having trouble logging into the Candidate Portal? Refer to How do I log into the Candidate Portal?

To log into the Candidate Portal: 

1.  Enter the following information as you provided it during your application process: 
   • Phone number
   • Email
   • Social Security number (SSN)
   • Date of birth (DOB)
2. Click Get Status.

If you're having trouble logging in with the information above or did not share your SSN, click Didn't share your SSN? Try logging in with your email. This will take you to a candidate authentication login window. To log into the Candidate Portal from this page:

1. Enter your DOB and email.
2. Click Continue.

Upon clicking Continue, Checkr will email you a unique link to access your background check report. 

Non-US candidates

Non-US candidates can use one of the following Candidate Portals:

• International Candidate Portal - used when a candidate's work location is based in a country other than the US, Philippines, or Singapore
• International Candidate Portal (Philippines and Singapore) - used when the candidate’s work location is based in the Philippines or Singapore

Troubleshooting Tips

If you are experiencing issues when attempting to log in, it could be because of the following:

• An error in your credentials. Please contact the company you applied with to confirm the information on file.
• The background check has not begun. Occasionally, there can be a brief delay between when you apply to a company and the company’s system ordering the background check. You cannot log into the Candidate Portal until the company has requested the background check.
• Your background check is more than 1 year (12 months). For security and privacy purposes, reports completed more than 1 year ago are not available on the Candidate Portal. If you need a copy of an old report or have a question about an old report, please submit a request to our support team.

Note: If you’re a business and need to order a background check, use our business product provided through Checkr Inc.

How to request a new background check

To request a new background check, you must contact the business you applied to. Checkr cannot initiate a new report for you. 

Updating or correcting your background check:

If you need to update information on your report or believe something on your background check is incorrect, refer to the following Help Center articles for next steps:

• Something on my background check report is wrong. What should I do?
• How do I update my personal information on a report?

Checkr Personal Checks

Overview

We believe everyone has a right to know what information about them could come up during employment. Checkr Personal Checks allows people to order a report on themselves and preview what an employer might find on their background check. 

How to run a personal background check

Get your background check today at Checkr.com/Personal-Background-Checks.  

Overview

Checkr is a company that runs background checks, and it was engaged by Uber to complete your background check as part of your onboarding process. This article explains what Uber candidates can expect during their background check process and addresses frequently asked questions.

Uber onboarding process

During the onboarding process with Uber, candidates are prompted to submit certain information and provide consent to run a background check. The candidate information is then sent to Checkr to start the background check process. Due to the nature of Uber’s background check requirements, there is sometimes a delay between when the candidate begins the onboarding process with Uber and when the background check process gets started with Checkr.

Background check process

When Uber orders a background check, Checkr will conduct all Uber-requested searches. An Uber background check often takes between 3-7 business days, but background checks can take longer depending on a number of factors, such as local government processes or access to county courthouse records.

Candidates are encouraged to monitor the progress of their background check through Checkr’s Candidate Portal using the personal details associated with their Uber account.

After the background check completes, the results of the requested searches are shared with Uber, who will review them to make engagement decisions. Uber’s Driver app will be updated to display the status of any remaining onboarding requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Click the topics below to explore frequently asked questions related to delivery and rideshare drivers.

The organization you are engaged with may ask Checkr to run a new background report as part of its continuous trust and safety process. For example, organizations that employ delivery drivers may continually monitor a driver's records for driving violations and license status changes. Before ordering your report, the company you are engaged with certified to Checkr that it had obtained your consent.

Please reach out to the company you are engaged with to answer any questions about your consent to run background reports, including if you would like to withdraw your consent.

The SSN Trace identifies potential addresses that are associated with your SSN, not necessarily ones that you’ve lived in. For example, it can include counties where you’ve applied for loans or received mail. The address history is used to determine which counties and other databases should be searched for potential public records. 

Please note that we get address histories from a variety of sources. The SSN Trace identifies information compiled from credit and banking history, which is obtained from credit bureaus. 

In many cases, different companies have different requirements and are reviewing different information contained within your report. This may be due to each company’s hiring requirements, applicable regulations, or the industry in which you are applying.

Please reach out directly to the company you applied to for details regarding their requirements.

Candidate Stories overview

At Checkr, we understand that background checks don't always tell the whole story. Everyone has the potential to grow beyond their past mistakes. We provide a feature called Candidate Stories, allowing you to share your personal journey directly with potential employers.

How to use the Candidate Stories feature

Check for feature availability

1. Log into the Candidate Portal.
2. Open the report.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page to see if there's a "Share more information" option. 

Note that if the company you applied to does not use this feature, you must provide additional information directly to them.

Share more information

If this option is available, you can:

• Provide general information about yourself.
• Provide information about a specific record or records on your report.
• Upload supporting documentation.

Provide general information

Use prompts to help you decide what to share. In addition to the examples in the feature, here are a few more you can use:

• What positive changes have you made?
• Have you pursued further education or training?
• What steps have you taken to improve your personal and professional life?

Provide information about specific records

Use prompts to help you decide what to share. In addition to the examples in the feature, here are a few more you can use:

• What rehabilitative efforts have you made?
• Do you have any evidence of these efforts, such as court documents, certificates, or completed class receipts?
• What steps have you taken to improve your life?

Tips for an effective Candidate Story

Candidate Stories allow decision-makers to better understand the person behind the background check. As more candidates tell their stories, the meaning of trust and safety will grow, normalizing hiring people with records and giving everyone a fair chance at employment. Check the Candidate Portal to see if this option is available for you.

Tips for an effective and impactful Candidate Story:

• Focus on rehabilitative efforts.
• Provide solid evidence of your rehabilitation, such as a court document, certificate, or receipt of completed classes.
• Highlight any schooling or changes in thinking that have improved your life.

Examples of evidence of rehabilitation

• Proof of enrollment or school completion (High School, GED, Associate or Bachelor's Degree, etc.)
• Letter of recommendation from previous teachers or professors
• Proof of completion of a rehabilitation program after the conviction
• Letter from probation or parole officers attesting that you satisfied all terms of probation or parole
• Letters from recovery programs or counselors attesting to your current state of rehabilitation
• Letters of recommendation from counselors, instructors, or employers
• Proof of community service, education, or other self-­improvement efforts after you completed your sentence, probation, or parole
• Evaluations by a psychologist or other mental health professional
• Letters of support from other people not mentioned above attesting to your rehabilitative status
• Personal statement describing your rehabilitative efforts or any changes you have made to improve your life

Final note

Candidate Stories give decision-makers a fuller understanding of the person behind the background check, promoting trust, safety, and fair employment opportunities for everyone. Check the Candidate Portal to see if this option is available for you.

Checkr is not involved in the hiring process; each company has its own engagement criteria and conducts its own evaluation of the information contained in a background check report. 

If you have questions about how the information on your report was used to determine your engagement eligibility please contact the company you applied with for information. 

Related article: 

• What is the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)?

Companies may choose to display information differently to facilitate their review of reportable records or information. For questions about the review or decision process, contact the organization you applied to.

Your reports may look different or include different records depending on when the report was ordered and which company ordered the report. The company you applied with determines the scope of the report. If you have any questions about how your report will be considered by the company you applied with, please contact that company directly -- Checkr is not involved in engagement decisions.

On Tuesday, February 20, 2024, the Superior Court of Los Angeles County announced changes in how records are searched for background check purposes. These changes are now in effect, so the background check process can take more time to complete.

Below are frequently asked questions about how these changes may impact your background check:

Why is my background check taking a long time to complete?

We're experiencing a temporary delay in completing your background check due to recent changes in the record-keeping policies in the state of California, and Los Angeles County specifically, that limit the public availability of certain court record information. Checkr, as well as other background check providers, is affected by this change. The background check process may require more time to complete, sometimes resulting in long delays.

Can Checkr expedite my report?

We are unable to expedite this process. Unfortunately, we depend on the processes of the court systems where we search.

At the same time, Checkr is actively educating policymakers to highlight the severe detrimental impacts these changes can have on workers undergoing background checks. 

Can you stop or cancel my search in Los Angeles?

Unfortunately, we are unable to stop or cancel this search. The customer who ordered the background check determines the scope of the report. For the background check to be completed, each search ordered by the customer must be completed.

I’ve never lived in Los Angeles - why are you searching there?

Searching in LA doesn’t necessarily mean you have lived there or have records there. The customer who ordered the background check determines the scope of the report. For the background check to complete, each search initiated due to the scope of the report ordered by the customer must be completed. 

Note: To check the most up-to-date status of your report, log into the Candidate Portal. Unfortunately, our Candidate Experience Support team has no information beyond what is available in the Candidate Portal.

California and Massachusetts

There are two common reasons why your background check may be delayed in California and Massachusetts:

1. The wait times can be longer in California and Massachusetts because the courts generally take longer than average to respond to our record requests. If your report is in PENDING status and we haven’t asked for any additional documents from you, then you’re likely in the final stages of the background check.
2. As of September 2021, changes have been made that limit the public availability of record information in the state of California (including, but not limited to, Los Angeles County). Additionally, on February 23, 2024, Los Angeles County removed an additional layer of publicly available information and is no longer providing access to date of birth in public access systems. Checkr, as well as other background check providers, are affected by this change. With less information publicly available, the background check process requires more time to complete, sometimes resulting in long delays.
3. The Superior Court of Orange County, California no longer includes the candidate’s date of birth as criteria in its criminal name search engines. Checkr, as well as other background check providers, are affected by this change. With less information publicly available, the background check process requires more time to complete, sometimes resulting in long delays.
4. As of July 2024, all courts in San Luis Obispo County, California, no longer include the candidate’s date of birth as criteria in its criminal name search engines. Checkr, as well as other background check providers, are affected by this change. With less information publicly available, the background check process requires more time to complete, sometimes resulting in long delays.

Related blog article: 

• Update on DOB Redactions: Getting Candidates to Work in California
  

Michigan

Michigan recently enacted an expanded clean slate law, which creates a process for automatically expunging certain convictions. To comply with these new requirements and address existing records in the backlog, most of the courts across the state have either ceased furnishing background checks at this time, paused processing, or have significantly slowed down.

Until the Michigan courts resume processing, we're experiencing a delay in completing your background check due to these temporary closures and court slowdowns. We will continue working hard to complete your background check as soon as possible.

Below are frequently asked questions pertaining to Michigan background check delays.

How is the new clean slate law causing the delay in my report getting completed?

With the Michigan clean slate law going into effect, courts need to process all records to remove eligible charges. However, due to the length of lookback periods - how far back in time companies are requesting records - not all courts are able to provide the requested records yet.

When will my report be completed?

Different counties and their respective circuit and district courts are updating their records at different rates. Our ETAs are always being updated as we get more information from the courts, but they are dependent on the status being provided by the courts themselves, which are constantly changing.

When I call the court, why do they tell me that there are no delays?

There are two courts in each county, a circuit and a district, each containing different types of cases. To conduct a comprehensive search, Checkr must obtain requested records from both courts. A court can report they are not delayed, but this only applies to cases going back to a certain time. If the lookback period requested by the company you applied with is beyond this time, delays can still occur. Both of these reasons may result in delays to the completion of the background check, even if the court reports there are no delays.

Why is a search being requested from Michigan if I have never lived there?

Our research identifies potential addresses that are associated with your personal identifiable information (PII), not necessarily just addresses where you’ve lived. For example, it can include counties where you’ve applied for loans or received mail. The address history is used to determine which counties and other databases must be searched for potential public records. We obtain address histories from various sources, including credit and banking history. Although we may not locate any records from a particular county, we will research any potential matches. 

Why was the report for one company completed, but the other company’s report remains pending?

Different companies have different requirements, including how far back in time to request records. If you have any questions about their lookback period, please contact the company you applied with.

Can I request a background check report from the Police Department?

Checkr is unable to accept results from ICHAT (Michigan State Police’s Internet Criminal History Access Tool). As stated on the website itself, reports obtained by this service may not be accepted by all organizations as it may miss critical records.

Can I obtain the information from the courts and provide it to you? 

For compliance reasons, we are unable to accept search results/records directly from you, the candidate. Checkr, as well as other background check providers, are affected by the courts’ limitations. The researchers we work with are professional researchers or record providers utilized by Checkr. 

Yes, Checkr sends SMS text messages to:

• Notify candidates that they've been invited to complete a background check, and
• Communicate urgent and time-sensitive updates regarding background check applications

Checkr will only send you messages from a 243257 number.

Related article: How do I opt in or out of receiving SMS text messages from Checkr?

Opt out of receiving SMS text messages from Checkr

You always have the option to opt out of SMS text messages from Checkr. To do this, send a text message to 243257 with any of the following commands: 

• N
• No
• Stop
• Stopall
• Unsubscribe
• Cancel
• End
• Quit

You will receive the following message confirming that you successfully unsubscribed your phone number: "You have successfully been unsubscribed. You will not receive any more messages from this number. Reply START to resubscribe."

Opt into receiving SMS text messages from Checkr

To opt into receiving SMS text messages from Checkr, send a text message to 243257 with any of the following commands:

• Start
• Yes
• Unstop
• Y
• Yea
• Yeah
• Yep
• Yup

You will receive the following message confirming that you have successfully re-subscribed your phone number: "You have successfully been re-subscribed to messages from this number. Reply HELP for help. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg&Data Rates May Apply."

Consent is given to the company requesting your background check, NOT Checkr. If you have any questions or concerns about consent, please contact the company you applied with.

To request the deletion of your personal information (for example, your email and/or phone number), please submit a request to our Candidate Experience Team.

For privacy and security reasons, some clients ask that their background report PDFs be password protected with the last 4 digits of the candidate's SSN.

Once you enter the password, you will be able to open your report. If you do not wish to enter the last 4 digits of your SSN through your email, you can also access your report through our Candidate Portal.