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A background check is a broad term referring to the process of a person or entity collecting public information about a person to verify that they are who they claim to be.
The typical background check involves looking up an individual’s criminal record, financial history, professional licenses, or education status. A standard background check will also include identifying information such as:
A person is often the subject of a background check when entering a legal agreement or making a special purchase. Examples include:
If the background check brings up information that doesn’t meet the standards of the organization or individual running the check, it could mean the difference between accepted or declined for whatever it is the person is applying for.
Alternately, an individual can run a personal background check using the internet or other means in order to see if the publicly available information on them is accurate and meets their own personally-held data in the relevant categories. For many reasons, background checks are an important aspect of 21st-century life.
Some of the most common forms of background checks include:
A search of national, state and local databases for records pertaining to a person’s criminal history. Criminal background checks are commonly run by certain companies or when a person attempts to purchase a firearm.
Commonly included information:
A credit background check or credit check is a review of a person’s credit score and financial history commonly done using a third-party company. This type of check can be done on its own, or as part of a larger, all-encompassing background check.
Commonly included information:
The commonly-proposed type of background check for the purchasing of firearms in the United States that requires buyers to have their information run through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) set up by the FBI.
Currently, the NICS is used for background checks in 29 states. In 12 states and the District of Columbia, a universal background check is required for all private gun sales, including those at gun shows.
Commonly included information:
A personal background check is one that an individual runs on themself in order to see what personal information is available about them in the public record and/or to prepare for a background check run by a landlord, or financial institution. It may refer to a single background check online using a third-party company or a series of checks using a variety of sources.
Commonly included information:
A record check performed at a law enforcement agency using special fingerprint scanning equipment in order to match a person with their criminal record, if any exists. This type of check may be required for certain professions, or to work for ride sharing companies such as Lyft and Uber. A fingerprint background check is one of the most accurate and verifiable that can be done.
Commonly included information:
A professional license background check, or verification, is performed to confirm that a person holds the proper professional license, permit, certification or degree to hold a particular position, and that said license is currently valid. This check is run by searching the databases of state and federal agencies or educational institutions.
Commonly included information:
OIG is an acronym for the Office of the Inspector General, which is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Federal Government’s largest inspector general’s office.
An OIG background check searches the OIG exclusion list, which includes all individuals or entities that are excluded from federal healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.
A person or entity can appear on the OIG exclusion list for a number of reasons, including:
Commonly included information:
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law passed in 1970 to make sure that the information included in an individual’s consumer credit bureau file is accurate and fair. The law limits the ways that an individual’s information can be used by financial institutions, employers, and other organizations.
Enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the FCRA advances accurate and fair background checks and empowers individuals to know what is included in their credit report. Employers, creditors, financial institutions, property owners, and other organizations must comply with the FCRA and a violation of the act may result in a maximum civil penalty of over $3,500.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act gives individuals several key rights and powers to ensure that their credit history or other information is not used unlawfully. These rights include:
Depending on the type of information you are looking for, there are a number of options you can use to perform a background check. Consult one or more of these sources to get started:
Incorrect or inaccurate information that comes up during a background check can have potentially damaging consequences for one’s future propositions. Thankfully, there is usually a way to dispute and correct the information before it has a negative effect on a person’s life.
While the process of correcting background check information varies depending on the source of the information, here is the basic process for handling the issue:
