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Driving Records
Comprehensive Guide to Driving Record Background Checks
Many people are commercial drivers, from long-haul truckers to rideshare gig workers. While there are rewarding careers to pursue in this industry, it’s not without risks. According to federal statistics, there are roughly 18,000 car crashes daily. Some are minor, but some can be life-altering or fatal. Safety can't be an afterthought for businesses that employ people to drive on their behalf, but it has to be front and center during the hiring process. A driving record background check is the solution.
There are many reasons to make safe driving abilities the defining factor in your hiring process. Consider that it impacts others on the road and how the public might perceive your company. For example, despite years of efforts and public campaigns to improve measures, Uber remains in the spotlight for dubious safety practices. Because of its attitude towards safety in its earliest days, the company today still struggles with the same negative press.
What can you do as an employer hiring for a regulated transportation position? A review of your candidate's MVR report is step one. What is an MVR background check? It's simply a reporting tool that applies a license number to access an individual's driving history based on official driving records. MVR checks are essential to hiring people for transportation jobs and, in many cases, federally mandated by the Department of Transportation.
What do you need to know about the driver background check process? How can employers use these tools effectively? What do they contain, and how do you interpret the information a motor vehicle report reveals? Read on to learn more about MVR checks, the information that driving records can tell, and their value as part of a comprehensive background screening policy to identify suitable candidates for the job.
MVR Background Checks: What You Need to Know
MVR background checks offer a screening tool that examines a person’s record of operating motor vehicles. Employers often utilize this check during their pre-employment vetting process when filling transport or driving vacancies, such as driving a school bus, operating a tractor-trailer or using company vehicles.
Why Driving History Matters
Operating a motor vehicle is a privilege, not a right, and it comes with many responsibilities. Avoiding accidents is the minimum obligation. Drivers must also obey the road rules and observe safety laws. While there's no way to know how a candidate driver behaved on the road 100% of the time, minor infractions and serious incidents will appear in their driving history whenever law enforcement becomes involved.
Employers in different driving-related industries must review a candidate's driving history information. A driver's behavior in the past is more likely to indicate how they will continue to behave behind the wheel. Why is it so vital?
For Transport
Transporting freight is a massive business. From box trucks to 18-wheel tractor-trailers, the vehicles required in the transport industry are enormous and heavy, demanding special skills to operate. Putting someone behind the wheel of these vehicles means trusting them with a substantial responsibility.
It's not only the truck or its cargo on the line—it's the life of your drivers and everyone who shares the highways and interstates with them. A spotty driving history that reveals a pattern of indiscretion or lawbreaking should give every transport operator pause. Negligent hiring can extend liability to carriers if a driver with a poor record causes a serious accident. Running a background check using a driver’s license can reveal critical information that could protect the public from dangerous driving.
For Ride Sharing
It's no secret that the ridesharing industry has had more than its fair share of problems with driver vetting. Although it is not the company's vehicle at risk, but its reputation—the safety of all road users remains imperative. Improving rider confidence demands a thorough procedure that considers how safely someone drives. A history of DUI, reckless driving or excessive speeding could all be potential disqualifiers. Besides reviewing the driver's record, rideshare providers must include a criminal background check to protect passengers.
For Bus Drivers
Buses are large, unwieldy vehicles that require drivers to exercise many of the same skills they might use driving a big rig. More importantly, a full bus might have dozens of people on board—and every one of those passengers wants to know that the bus driver's employer took steps to ensure competency and safety. Whether a public school bus, a senior living center shuttle or a city's public transportation, bus driver background checks are essential.
What Is a Motor Vehicle Record (MVR), and What Does it Show?
What is an MVR? A “Motor Vehicle Record” is an account of an individual’s driving history behind the wheel. An MVR will typically include relevant facts about a candidate’s driving records, including their license class, current standing with driving authorities, license endorsements and restrictions, suspensions, and expirations. MVRs include information on infractions incurred by the driver. What shows up on such a driving record? Let’s examine what kind of infractions and traffic violations an MVR could reveal and what else shows up on a driving record.
Speeding
Speeding tickets do appear on motor vehicle records and can help determine if a driver is trustworthy. One minor speeding ticket may be no reason for concern in the absence of other information. However, a pattern of speeding or a very serious charge, such as a felony speeding charge exceeding 100 mph on a public road, may indicate that a candidate is not the best choice.
Reckless Driving
"Reckless driving" typically refers to a wide range of irresponsible and dangerous behaviors. The exact definition varies between states. For example, some states include excessive speeding under the reckless driving umbrella. Eluding police, engaging in street racing, or causing an accident due to carelessness all classify as reckless driving you may see on an MVR.
Failure to Yield
Usually, minor infractions, such as failure to yield, may occur when someone does not appropriately cede the right of way to another driver or a pedestrian. This infringement, especially repeat violations, can indicate a disrespect for the rules of the road. For example, in some states, it’s illegal for vehicles to drive through a crosswalk if a pedestrian is at any point in the crossing. Running a stop sign and causing an accident could also be a failure to yield.
No Valid License or Proof of Insurance
This item speaks for itself. All drivers must have an active policy issued by insurance companies and keep their driver’s licenses with them. Failing to produce these items can result in license suspensions and fines. Sometimes, these infractions are due to difficult personal circumstances rather than active wrongdoing. If you see these items using their driver’s license on a background check, consider speaking to the candidate about what happened.
Related Post: How Your Driver’s License Status Affects Your Auto Insurance Rates
Seatbelt Violations
Some states allow officers to pull over drivers for seatbelt violations at any time; others only allow for seatbelt citations when the driver was stopped for another reason. Repeat seatbelt citations could indicate a disrespect for authority. As one of the most basic safety precautions, employers should hope to hire drivers that understand and respect such simple rules.
Non-Moving Violations
Non-moving violations are not strictly tied to the act of driving but still infringe on the law somehow. This could be burned-out headlights, a missing license plate, a broken turn signal, or many other violations. Because this infraction category has so much diversity, employers should look carefully to see why the citation was issued.
Related Post: What Do I Need to Know About Driving Record Insurance Points?
Driving Under the Influence or With a Suspended License
Although a DUI is often deemed a criminal offense, it also violates road laws. As such, DUI/DWI charges will appear on an MVR. Many companies find previous DUIs to be a disqualifying factor, especially if there was more than one incident. MVRs also report when someone is caught driving without a valid license, and both violations merit thoughtful consideration.
Related Post: Expecting a Driver’s License Check? Here’s What’s on Your Driving Record
Why Is an MVR Important During the Background Check Process?
Not all companies need an MVR check as part of their process. Running a background check on a driver’s license number is only necessary if a job always or frequently involves driving motor vehicles or operating heavy machinery. For example, a business employing someone working the cash register at a retail clothing store wouldn’t need to consider an irrelevant MVR during the hiring process.
With that in mind, who can expect to encounter a hiring process that requires MVR reports for employment purposes? Delivery drivers, ambulance drivers, public transit drivers, contract drivers, trucking or freight drivers, and some positions in the construction industry are just a few roles that involve driving as a core part of the job. Even a regular employee with access to company vehicles may need to submit to MVR requests.
Checking a candidate’s MVR report is as essential for these jobs as verifying a medical license for a physician’s job at a hospital. Failing to conduct a driving records check could violate the law in your area or grounds for future negligent hiring claims.
Companies must mitigate risks by ensuring that candidates for driving positions have a license in good standing. Furthermore, companies must identify candidates with the correct driver’s license type and the specific endorsements required for the job. Finally, hiring managers should verify that their applicant has no history of reckless or dangerous behavior behind the wheel.
Any industries regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT)—including trucking, freight, and logistics—face federal requirements to conduct MVR checks as part of their hiring process.
What Do Employers Look for in an MVR?
Running a background check using a driver’s license number is typical for a business to determine how qualified and responsible drivers may be for a job involving substantial transportation. When filling a driver position, companies hire an employee to drive on their organization’s behalf. On the road, those employees are your company representatives. The employer will be partly responsible for anything the driver does behind the wheel.
That responsibility means it’s a good practice to scrutinize applicants who want to drive for your business carefully. Hiring drivers with a history of license suspensions or a long list of driving infractions creates legal and financial risks for an employer. Likewise, there can be severe consequences for hiring someone whose license doesn’t match the requirements of the position if they later cause a serious accident.
Aside from the risk of a lawsuit and financial damage, poor hiring practices can create a PR nightmare for companies and endanger the public. In 2019, four people died in a crash caused by an inexperienced driver with a history of safety violations and their employer’s poor hiring practices.
MVR reports make due diligence more convenient. Companies must look for red flags that indicate they should not trust a candidate with a company vehicle or representing their brand on the road. What questions should an employer ask when evaluating someone’s suitability? There are several angles to consider.
Is the applicant’s driver’s license in good standing, or is it invalid? Has it expired, been suspended or even revoked? Does the driver meet those requirements if the job requires a commercial driver’s license (called a CDL) or a higher license class or endorsement level? Has the driver been involved in a disproportionate number of accidents or received several speeding tickets? Has the driver ever been convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol or other road law infractions?
MVR checks can answer these questions and others, giving an employer a full picture of the candidate and how responsible they are as a driver.
How Far Back Does a Motor Vehicle Report Go?
There is no comprehensive national database for searching driving records, which means there is also no national standard for how far back MVR checks can go. Each state has a Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) laws that limit how far back a driving check goes.
In most cases, state laws limit the lookback period of an MVR check to three or seven years, though some states may go back ten years. Companies are encouraged to put more weight on recent history in a driving record background check, rather than on offenses from several years ago—especially if the individual has spent a few years maintaining a clean driving record.
Endorsements on Commercial Driver’s Licenses
Commercial driver’s licenses, or CDLs, can empower drivers to operate many vehicles, from buses to tractor-trailers. Because of this diversity—and the unique challenges and risks of some types of driving—CDLs often come with endorsements. Each endorsement signifies that the driver completed specialized training to earn the endorsement. Because CDLs require semi-frequent renewal, drivers must remain current with this additional status
When you review MVR background checks for CDL holders, what are some of the most important endorsements you might see?
Hazardous Materials
They are usually indicated as HAZMAT or “H” on a license. This endorsement requires a written test, a medical exam, and a Transportation Security Administration background check. “H” indicates drivers know how to safely transport hazardous goods such as flammable materials.
Tanker Trucks
The N-endorsement indicates a driver has taken a written test and practiced driving a tanker. Tankers carrying liquids or gases can behave erratically compared to dry freight due to forces influencing the tank’s contents. Only N-endorsed drivers can operate tankers. Transporting hazardous materials in a tanker truck requires an X-endorsement that requires a test and holding H- or N-endorsements.
Passenger Transit Vehicles
The P-endorsement equips drivers to operate vehicles that carry 16 or more passengers, such as the typical bus used for public transportation or inter-city travel.
School Bus Driving
The S-endorsement requires the P-endorsement, a written test, and a separate on-the-road driving test. Without it, drivers cannot legally operate school buses. Drivers must pass a background check, undergo a medical exam for safety and fitness, and periodically undergo specific school bus-related training to keep the endorsement current.
Double or Triple Trailer Driving
Many truckers look for high-paying jobs, and hauling more freight is one way to increase take-home pay. Double and triple trailering requires special skills to balance loads, maintain safe speeds, and protect other drivers on the road. The T-endorsement indicates that a driver took the steps necessary to learn how to trailer more cargo safely.
Driver Restrictions
Just as endorsements showcase when a driver has extra skills you can rely on, an MVR will also report the restrictions a driver has on their license. A restriction is not necessarily the result of a traffic violation; they often relate to physical limitations or other safety-related measures. Restrictions a driver may have on their license could include:
L-restriction. Driver did not pass the air brake exam and may not operate air brake-equipped vehicles. A Z-restriction indicates the driver passed their CDL exam using hydraulic brakes. Drivers may re-test to remove these restrictions.
K-restriction. No interstate travel allowed–often applied to young drivers until they exceed the age of 21.
V-restriction. Medical variance. This could be poor vision when uncorrected or other medical conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and so on. V-restrictions are informational and do not necessarily prohibit driving.
How to Get a Motor Vehicle Report
The best way to obtain a candidate’s motor vehicle record (MVR) is by working with a reputable background check company that can deliver a fast turnaround time. Background screening providers know which Department of Motor Vehicles databases to search and understand the unique “language” of driving history reports. Such assistance makes acquiring and interpreting results a simpler process. Otherwise, you may not recognize unsafe driving records.
The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) is a nationwide organization governing DMVs nationwide. The AAMVA has established a “code dictionary” for MVR check reports with a code for every driving infraction or conviction. A background check company can provide the guidance and resources hiring managers need to translate, interpret, and understand driving records and their codes.
Note that, like other types of background checks, motor vehicle records qualify as consumer reports. Because of this classification, MVR checks are subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), like searches for criminal records, resume verification checks, and other background screenings. Non-discrimination rules the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission set will also come into play.
As a result, you must meet the FCRA’s requirements, such as providing a standalone disclosure form stating your intent to order MVR records. If you regret an applicant based on their adverse report, you must provide a “pre-adverse action notice” and a copy of the report. After allowing a reasonable time for the applicant to respond with clarifying information, you can issue a final “adverse action notice” and conclude the hiring process for that individual.
Define Your Company’s Driver Record Process
Understanding what's on an MVR and why it’s important to use these checks as a transportation provider is only the beginning. As with a criminal background check, a written policy defining how you will acquire, evaluate, and ultimately use driving background checks to hire individuals is essential. Instead of referring to a driving record FAQ page every time you need to make a choice, recruiters and hiring managers can refer to the policy.
Specify what endorsements your fleet of drivers must have and decide which restrictions you cannot accept. You may declare some infractions and violations, such as DUIs, and automatic disqualifiers–the same way a positive drug test would disqualify an application immediately. You can lay out guidelines for evaluating the severity of problems on someone's record and create an effective filter for choosing safer drivers.
You may even want to include your road test in the hiring process. Seeing firsthand how someone operates their vehicle or truck can prove very illuminating about the individual’s driving record background check. By taking the time to lay out the entire process from start to finish, you create a seamless hiring pipeline for your business that keeps you consistently moving toward the next step.
Background Screening FAQs
Read on for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions about vetting employees with help from background screening companies.
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This common abbreviation is short for “Motor Vehicle Record.” An MVR report summarizes a person’s driving history, including their license status, class, endorsements, driving violations, and more.
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A motor vehicle record (MVR) check is a reporting tool that provides employers access to an individual’s motor vehicle record. All businesses under the federal Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations must use an MVR background check, meaning all trucking companies and other commercial operators face this mandate. Like a criminal background check, a motor vehicle record check is critical to a safe and well-informed process for hiring drivers. Related Post: What Do You Need To Know About the Driver Background Check?
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The term “real estate background check” can refer to two things. In one context, a real estate background check is the screening landlords use to vet prospective tenants. In another, it can be the pre-employment background check that a real estate agency uses when hiring a real estate agent. These checks often focus on many overlapping aspects, including criminal history and employment background.
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Ideally, you should see no red flags on an MVR background check, meaning there are no serious infractions, accidents, or vehicular crimes (such as DUI) in the report. “Clean” most often means that the driver has had no driving violations and hasn’t been involved in any accidents for the entire reporting period of the record. This period could be as short as three years or as long as ten years of driving. However, a clean MVR report does not guarantee suitability. Before hiring drivers, you must investigate the individual’s endorsements and on-the-road skills to confirm that they match your business purposes.
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Checking driving records is only a part of the pre-employment screening process. If companies need to hire for driving jobs, they may use these checks to protect the company from liability risk, property damage, public image fallout, and other concerns. An employer could use an MVR check to mitigate risk by determining if a driver has the requisite license classification for the job or red flags like unsafe driving records that make them a risky hire. They may assess if an individual has a current license and confirm they are a safe driver.
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The answer to this question varies based on the employer’s jurisdiction. Department of Transportation regulations require employers to check driving records for every state where someone held a license for the previous three years. You may need to order an MVR for multiple states in these cases. Local laws will govern the “lookback period” for driving records. A typical average for reporting is about five years, but each state’s Department of Motor Vehicles may vary.
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Driving record information is not classified as public information in the same way as criminal records, even though their use in individualized assessments is very similar. We retrieve MVR results directly from the respective state institution, which requires additional legal agreements.
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What does your driving record show if you were arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI)? DUI convictions will appear on MVR reports because they are traffic-related convictions. However, if you want more specific information about an individual’s criminal past or to uncover other, possibly older, DUI offenses, we recommend ordering other screenings, for instance, a criminal search. Related Post: Will Your Driving Record Affect Your Life Insurance Rates?
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Yes, as part of a driving record report, we relate the type of licenses the individual holds, including commercial license status.
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No, these vary by state and are subject to change without notice. These access charges range from a few dollars to over $20. Before you finalize your order, we will show the exact access fee for that state at that time.
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When employers review an MVR, they will see a driver’s name, date of birth, license number, current license status (e.g., valid, suspended, or revoked), and any restrictions or endorsements. It contains a record of past suspensions, traffic citations, DUI convictions, and reports related to any accidents the driver was involved in where police intervention was necessary. They may also report how many infraction points a driver has in a state system, which is essential when considering how your driving record affects your car insurance rates as a commercial business.
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What does your driving record show? In addition to enabling employers to vet a candidate’s motor vehicle record/MVR, backgroundchecks.com offers a way for drivers to get a motor vehicle record that summarizes their own driving record. Whether you are an employer checking a candidate’s driving history or a driver interested in obtaining a copy of your personal driving report, sign up today to start ordering driving record background check reports with a fast turnaround time. Explore more information on our dedicated driving record FAQ page.
Additional Resources
Sex Offenders Have an Open Door in Florida Thanks to Weak Law
James Roy Melton Jr. is a convicted child sex offender in the state of Florida. Even after his conviction, however, he had been able to secure work as a camp counselor and sadly, it is unknown exactly how many children may have been abused by him. The summer of 1997 was the summer that Melton Jr. was able to work at the summer camp and the laws have still not been changed.
The state of Florida does have laws in place to protect children from sex offenders, but in one of the most obvious places, summer camp, laws don’t provide or mandate any type of reporting or enforcement. Though it has been almost 15 years since Melton Jr. worked at the camp and he has been in prison ever since, Florida residents are puzzled as to why nothing has been done to change these laws. When earlier reports surfaced in 2010 lawmakers like Senate President Mike Haridopolos; Stuart Rep. William Snyder, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee; and Sen. Ronda Storms, head of the Senate’s Children and Families Committee all promised swift change, but didn’t follow through in 2011
As it stands, Florida summer camps are effectively unregulated in regards to licensing and screening of employees and volunteers. In fact, the state has no idea how many camps there are in Florida nor do they have any information on the people who run them. Once James Roy Melton is released he could set up a camp without any license, invite children in and who knows what may happen. It is thought that Melton Jr. abused at least 12 children when he was at the camp in 1997, but even now, since nothing is regulated when it comes to camp, it is unknown if there were just 12 or possibly more.
There are only six states in the nation who do not regulate camps and Florida is by far the largest of them. It is known and on record that lawmakers have been made aware of this situation since at least the mid 1980s. The legislature could decide to authorize third party screening companies like backgroundchecks.com to carry out and certify checks. This company has dedicated programs allowing sponsoring organizations to set screening standards and compel employees and volunteers in participating organizations to go through basic or advanced background checks, which nearly always includes a product like the US Offender OneSEARCH which instantly checks sex offender registries throughout the US.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
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Source: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/weak-laws-pave-way-for-child-sexual-abuse
Massachusetts School District Performing “Flash” Background Checks on Visitors
In an effort to protect students, the Medford, MA school district has launched a new background check system in their schools. All visitors of any of the Medford schools will need to show ID at the school office. At that point, the office will run an instant background check on the person which will show any criminal history. The person’s name will also be run though the state sex offender database.
If a person who is at the office has a suspicious record, administrators are immediately notified and the person is asked to leave school property. Though the system was $10,000, something that many schools may not be able to afford, Medford schools feel as if it was a good investment. In addition to keeping their visitors on track when it comes to these instant background checks, all staff and volunteers are put through a more extensive background check like those you may find at third party companies.
One of these third party companies, backgroundchecks.com, offers several products that can offer such instant checks to help keep their schools safe. One of the instant products is called US Offender OneSEARCH.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Oregon Makes Background Checks Easier for Service and Education Volunteers
In the state of Oregon, new legislation has been passed that will make background checks for education and service volunteers easier. The new bill will also make it mandatory for some people who work for the state government to go through background checks who were never required to get background checks before. These new requirements are important as they will make it harder for criminals to get access to important state information as well as access to children and the elderly.
Per the new regulations, any employee who currently works or volunteers in service or education in the state will be required to go through a background check. Prior to the passing of this legislation, the system was extremely confusing as there were several tiers and requirements depending on the position. Some examples of those who will now be required to get background checks are custodians, home care employees, and volunteers at schools. The new background check requirements will streamline the way hiring and processing employees are done.
Now that the state is checking all of their service and education employees and volunteers, they are taking a great step towards making sure all state employees are covered by background checks. There are definitely certain things that the state could to do make these background checks even more effective however. Making policies to run background checks on all employees every year or every five years would be an excellent way to ensure safety in the work place. When these policies are enacted, companies and organizations will be able to ensure that the people they hire have clean backgrounds. This will also protect organizations from any liability they may face should an employee commit a crime.
When organizations and companies are looking to do a thorough and extensive background check, hiring a third party background check company like backgroundchecks.com will likely be able to make this process easy and make sure that all employees are compliant with policies. There are many products available from backgroundchecks.com including Multi-State OneSEARCH. This product is great as it allows companies and organizations to search records in up to five states. The records that are available include criminal records at the county and state level as well as a search of state sex offender registries.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Safe Churches are a Priority for Seven-Day Adventists
The Seventh - day Adventist church is taking a step that many other corporations have done: they are putting their employees through background checks in an attempt to help keep children safe. Though the Seventh-day Adventists are technically a religious organization, they have employees just like any other corporation and they are taking on the responsibility of performing background checks on their employees in order to keep their churches safe from misconduct and abuse, something that has plagued other religious organizations in recent years.
In addition to performing background checks on employees and volunteers, the church is also using education in order to teach both children and adults what is right or wrong when it comes to conduct and interactions with each other. They want to make sure that the church is a safe place for children to be and have really made a lot of progress, more so than other churches, when it comes to making sure they are covering all the ground they can.
Some of the other things that the church is doing, short of background checks and education, is making many of their employees mandated reporters, which means they are obligated to report any misconduct or wrongdoing to the powers that be. This includes anything that can be seen as a crime against a child. The great thing about this is that it has been in place since 2003, much sooner than many corporations began doing this. Though the check on volunteers was not added until 2011, the church, overall, has been very proactive about setting up a very safe environment for children. Volunteers include those members of the church who teach religious classes to children, those who work with church youth groups and anyone involved in the youth programs of the church.
Organizations, like the Seventh-day Adventist church, who are taking the responsible route when it comes to background checks could really benefit from using a third party like backgroundchecks.com. This background check company has many products that really help organizations get a thorough view of their employees. One of these products is known as the US Offender OneSEARCH and would be very helpful to the church as it searches for matches against sex offender databases all over the country. The church has a responsibility not to allow sex offenders near children and using these products is an excellent way to go about it.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Rhode Island Background Check Law Has Passed
After a week of debate, Rhode Island lawmakers have passed a new background check law that will make it mandatory to perform a criminal background check on adult volunteers who wish to participate in youth mentoring. This law would require all applicants who want to work with children through state programs to undergo a full criminal background check.
Currently, Rhode Island requires background checks for all adults who work in schools, but mentor programs are not included in that law, though some of the mentor programs do take place in school locations. Lawmakers believe that the expansion of the previous law will help keep children safer both during the school day as well as when participating in afterschool activities.
Many companies, as well as schools, all over the country use third party background check companies like backgroundchecks.com for their background checks. This company in particular has a wide variety of products that would be great to use when checking the backgrounds of those who work with children. One of them is called US Offender OneSEARCH and it will be able to show companies if the person in question has a history of sexual crimes anywhere in the US, as well as in some US territories.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Lawsuits Filed Against Schools Due to Changes in Background Check Policy
The state of Pennsylvania have been sued by four teachers who are fighting to save their jobs after new laws have been put in place to protect children. Under a new Pennsylvania state law, all school employees, including teachers, administrators, contractors and support staff, must report certain arrests or convictions within three days. The crimes that must be reported include physical assault, sexual assault, homicides and kidnapping. In total, there are 28 crimes that must be reported to authorities.
Four separate lawsuits have been filed against the state due to this new law as the interpretation of the law seems to be causing problems. The language of the law states that anyone who is convicted of one of these 28 crimes would be terminated from their job immediately. However, it seems to imply that this is only for future employees, not those who are already employed by Pennsylvania schools. It is important to note that those who are filing lawsuits are those who have been convicted of one of these 28 crimes and are at risk of termination due to this new law. If they lose the lawsuits, they will lose their jobs as teachers.
The teachers will be fighting that the law is unconstitutional and that the results of these background checks should not apply to current employees. They state that it violates the due-process rights of the employees and they should not have to suffer further for these crimes as they have already paid their dues to society for the crimes that they have committed. This will be a hard sell in court, however, since many schools have programs where criminal monitoring is done continuously and most companies in the US have similar policies as Pennsylvania schools have. In general, most people believe that this is the right thing to do in order to keep school children safe while in a learning environment.
When it comes to the companies who do these background checks, many of them, like backgroundchecks.com, offer some excellent products that allow companies to make sure they are hiring and retaining employees who have a clean criminal background. There are even products like Ongoing Criminal Monitoring that will be used as an add-on to their other products. When used in conjunction with their other products, criminal monitoring can be used to continuously scan a person’s name and report when new crimes appear on their records. Using these tools can help keep children safe and well while they go through their school day.
Some Pre-Schools are Not Performing Background Checks on Volunteers
It has just been uncovered by a local television station that some Washington state pre-schools are not performing background checks on their volunteers. Parents are, of course, outraged by this development and many are calling for action to be taken. Though there are some pre-schools that are making the responsible choice and performing background checks on everyone who is in contact with children, those who are not area only putting kids and other employees at risk.
According to news reports, the schools that have been found to be lax in their background check policies are those in the Pasco, WA area. The television station who has released this information state that their research yielded the frightening statistic that only 4 out of 7 pre-schools that were contacted actually check their volunteers against criminal databases. For the 3 that are not performing these checks, the children who attend these pre-schools could be in a lot of danger.
Those schools who are currently performing background checks on volunteers and employees like Small World Learning Centers, has a defined process that everyone must go through who will be working with children. They need to get a background check done though the Department of Early Learning then send the official information back to the Small World Learning Center where they will be working. Only then will they be able to volunteer their time.
It is important to note that only parents and guardians of other students at pre-schools are generally allowed to volunteer for things, but these people can certainly have criminal backgrounds that many people would not be comfortable letting their young children communicate with. Gateway, another pre-school in the area does not background check any of their volunteers. According to a representative of the school, volunteers are not allowed to be in the classroom without a teacher, so they do not feel the need to background check everyone. However, just because there is a policy that a volunteer cannot be in the classroom alone, doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
For those pre-schools that are not performing background checks, hiring a third party company like backgroundchecks.com would be extremely beneficial to them. There are several great products that backgroundchecks.com offers like US Offender OneSEARCH which searches all sex offender registries nationwide. With this and other products that backgroundchecks.com provides, these schools could be thoroughly checking volunteers as well as employees, which can help keep children safer.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Source: http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/No-background-checks-on-volunteers-139410258.html
Oklahoma Lawmakers Considering Forcing Volunteers to Pay for Their Own Background Checks
Lawmakers in Oklahoma are seriously considering a bill that would make it legal to force volunteers who work with children to pay for their own background checks. Some of the background checks, which cost about $40, could be paid for by organizations, but the organizations would not be responsible for the payment and would have the option to pass the fee along to the volunteers. Currently, Oklahoma law does not make it mandatory for volunteers to undergo a background check, but this bill aims to change that as well.
Oklahoma State Rep. Joe Dorman, who initiated this bill, states that he wants to make sure that honest adult volunteers are not swayed from volunteering because of this charge, but also wants to make sure that quality adults with no criminal history are the ones who are mentoring Oklahoma’s children. He additionally states that these volunteers would only need to go through a background check one time and stressed that organizations have the choice to pay for the background check, so the fee may not even be applicable.
These background checks would cover any adult who volunteers to work in any capacity where they would be with a child overnight or someone who volunteers to be in any position where they would be with a child in a locker room.
Though some opponents of this bill believe that the biggest problem is the cost, others say that this bill is simply not enough and other measures should be put into place in order to protect the children in Oklahoma State. For example, it is stated that anyone who works with children, such as a coach, who may be with children overnight will have to have a background check, but other volunteers, who may be with children during the day would not have to go through a background check.
For those organizations who want to perform background checks on volunteers, third party companies offer dedicated programs like backgroundchecks.com’s selectCHECK tailored to volunteer screening. Screening packages can be customized for each organization’s standard, including the addition of the US OneSEARCH which will be able to instantly search criminal records across all fifty states and several US territories. This product also includes a search of sex offender registries, which is always a high priority for screening solutions targeted towards subjects working with children.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
Iowa Lawmakers Re-Evaluate Background Checks for Nursing Home Workers
In the state of Iowa, the law that requires nursing home workers to go through background checks is fourteen years old and many believe these requirements are outdated and need an update. A new bill has been introduced into legislation that would alter the way that background checks are done on nursing home employees. These new changes are supported by both state regulators as well as by the nursing home industry.
Currently the background check done on new nursing home workers only takes a few seconds and is simply an initial search for records. If there are no matches for felonies, certain misdemeanors or abuse, the job applicant can be hired at that time. If there is a match during the few seconds that the background check is going on, the applicant will go through a more stringent process where it will be determined how serious the previous crimes are and if these crimes would be detrimental to the position or would lead to putting patients in danger.
Though this background check system is thorough, each time a person switches agencies or gets a new position, they must go through the background check again, including the extra work if any crimes are found. This wastes a lot of time and money as it is estimated that about 22% of all applicants need to go through the second background check. Lawmakers in the state believe that eliminating the second check and focusing on automatic elimination on some results would be a more efficient process when checking the backgrounds of potential hires.
Another way to streamline the hiring process would be to partner with a third party background check company like backgroundchecks.com. Due to the enormous volume of searches they perform they have already perfected the re-verification process of instant searches that result in hits and brought the research time down to just a few days instead of a weeklong process. During that re-verification backgroundchecks.com can also apply standardized grading criteria so that offenses that would NOT lead an applicant to be barred from working in an Iowa care facility would be removed. That way the nursing homes would know that in the final reports they would only be looking at criminal records that according to predefined criteria would typically lead the nursing home to bar the applicant. Saving the nursing home time and ensuring the consistent application of screening standards within and across nursing homes in the state of Iowa.
backgroundchecks.com - a founding member of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS®) - serves thousands of customers nationwide, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies by providing comprehensive screening services. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with an Eastern Operations Center in Chapin, S.C., backgroundchecks.com is home to one of the largest online criminal conviction databases in the industry. For more information about backgroundchecks’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
