County Criminal Background Check

Most crimes committed in the U.S. are tried in county courts. Therefore, county criminal background checks are the crux of pre-employment screening. This search will return convictions and pending cases. Types of cases returned include felonies and misdemeanors, and in some jurisdictions, ordinances, summaries and other violations. Minor traffic charges (such as speeding, no seat belt, etc.) are not reported.

Scope:  Our standard search is 7 years. 10-year searches are also available if not restricted by the FCRA.

Turnaround time (average):  1-4 Business days.

Type of Source: BLI will conduct the search using the predominately used index which most often are courts located at the county seat, also known as the governmental center of a county. When available, both the upper (contains primarily felony cases) and lower (contains primarily misdemeanor cases) court will be searched. In some counties only the upper court may be available. The county or counties to be searched are determined by the client and/or based on the address history of the applicant. We strongly recommend conducting a search in all counties where the applicant has lived within the 7 or 10- year scope. We also suggest utilizing a social security number verification to disclose any additional addresses and names used by the applicant that the employee may not have revealed.

Required Information:

  • Name
  • Date of Birth (DOB)
  • Social Security Number
  • Address History
  • AKA's, nick names and maiden names you wish to have searched (adding additional names to your order will increase the cost of the search as this search is primarily name driven.)

Method: BLI utilizes a network of public record researchers throughout the United States and abroad. Some searches require the researcher to physically go to the court and retrieve information while some courts provide the information in a search-able web based index. Searches are conducted by the applicant's name. If a name is found, the DOB and other identifiers are used to validate the record.