CUSTOMER RESOURCES
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
Legislation and Compliance Update: EEOC Issues Guidance on Employers' Use of Criminal History in Employment Decisions
The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission has issued new enforcement guidance on employers' use of criminal history in employment decisions. The Commission adopted the new guidance by a vote of 4 to 1 on April 25. The new guidance and related documents are available on the EEOC's website at:
Industry and legal commentary on the new guidance has generally found that the guidance does not prohibit employers use of criminal history and does not pose severe barriers. Thus far, commentary notes that employers will need to review their policies and processes and raises concerns about potential conflicts between state laws and the EEOC guidance. These commentaries include:
· Commentary from a Human Resources Executive;
· Detailed Commentary from Seyfarth Shaw;
· Society for Human Resource Management Regulatory Alert, and
· Commentary from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Exchange Students will not be Protected from Criminal Host Families
The US State Department was at first entertaining the idea of requiring host families to undergo background checks in order to protect students, but they have recently decided not to continue with those plans. Due to budget restraints, the State Department feels it would be too much of an undertaking for states to put host families through checks. It’s already difficult to find enough families willing to host the 30,000 high school exchange students visiting our country each year. Adding the background check requirement would likely limit them even more. Unfortunately though, dozens of cases of abuse, including sexual abuse, have been reported in host family situations.
Some districts do require a local or state background check, but none require a national check and so miss many crimes committed by hosts who have fled their original states. One sponsor, in fact, was discovered to have a murder conviction on their record. Many of the organizations who carry out the process of finding host families were found to be in noncompliance, having not gone through the proper procedures like checking references and normally did not offer checks through reputable companies like backgroundchecks.com.
It seems school districts and these organizations both should be concerned with checking databases like US Offender OneSEARCH to make sure a potential host is not a registered offender anywhere in the nation, or even US OneSEARCH which checks for criminal convictions records in multiple jurisdictions across all 50 states. Although budget concerns are a big priority right now, there are affordable alternative for traditional background checks that can uncover criminal records fast and easy. It would be sad to think that the biggest impression our country leaves on a foreign exchange student might be such a terrible one because we chose not to take any steps to protect them.
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.
Veterinary clinic Employee with history of drug-related criminal convictions scammed customers to support drug habit_12416
After the suspicious death of his dog, an Akron man decided to look into his vet’s credentials and found that she had none. After further investigation authorities, it was found that she had been posing as a vet at the C&D Animal Hospital for about a year. During that time, she accepted only cash from customers and then did not give real care to their pets. Instead, she used the money to feed her drug habit. It turns out she had several previous drug-related convictions on her record as well. Other employees were often on assignment for short periods at the hospital and so didn’t notice that Brandi Tomko was a fake. Instead, when they stopped getting paid for their time there, they simply stopped accepting hours there. After the deaths and mistreatment of several animals, she is now facing charges, including animal cruelty and without a license.
Because veterinarians work with animals and not humans, some may not go through background checks upon hiring. Of course, they do have to meet rigorous medical standards, but since Tomko successfully faked her certification, nobody thought to look any further. By working with a background check company like backgroundchecks.com, institutions like C&D Animal Hospital can get access to products like Education Verification and Professional License Verification to ensure their vets are truly qualified for that career. And they could opt to have prospective and current employees screened for drug use. The owners of the pets who suffered at the hands of an unlicensed will certainly hope that this will be the case from now on.
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 ’ offerings, please visit www.backgroundchecks.com.
City Garbage Truck Driver with Criminal History Caught Stealing City Time
At a time when cities across the country are low on funds, they can’t afford to have any employee shirking responsibilities, let alone using city time and resources to take care of their own personal business. In Albuquerque, New Mexico though, a city garbage truck driver was caught doing just that. While on the clock, it was found that he was running a tire recycling business out of the city’s truck. At certain points along his garbage pick-up route, shop owners would dump tires, and the city employee, Rick Koppos, would charge a fee to pick them up. Upon investigating his activities, which later led to conviction, they found Koppos had a previous felony conviction on his record for the embezzlement of over $14,000 from a former employer. It turns out, Koppos was hired before the city’s background check process was put in place for new hires, so nobody found out about his criminal history.
Although the current city administration claims to believe strongly in using background checks for some new hires, they do not plan to check current employees who have been with the city since before those requirements were put in place, because it would be “difficult.” In fact, many of their positions still do not require a background check of any kind. Instead, these checks are carried out on a case-by-case basis. They didn’t explain the rationale for which employees would receive background checks and who wouldn’t. This means there may be other criminals in their employment who will also slip under the radar and who could potentially be committing crimes that cost the city money.
The background check process does not have to be “difficult” though. There are many reputable background check companies who offer cost-effective packages that are both instant and easy to carry out. By using an instant product like US OneSEARCH for instance, the city could search 400 million criminal records across all 50 states with a single search. With nothing more than a name social security number and a date of birth, they could search US AliasSEARCH, giving them quick and easy access to criminal records that may be harder to find due to name changes. By partnering with an experienced company like backgroundchecks.com, city organizations could work with professionals to tailor an affordable package that isn’t too “difficult” to carry out on all employees, whether current or newly hired.
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.
Once Prison Guards are in, Their Corruption Goes Unchecked
When we think of prisons, we often think of all the corrupt convicts living behind bars. According to the LA Times though, corruption is also on the rise among prison guards. An FBI sting resulted in the conviction of three Sheriff’s guards and the firing of one. It also led to video-taped confessions and prisoners informing of other possible corruption. While most cases of this sort have been found in California prisons, the problem isn’t limited to that state. In fact, arrests of Federal Prison Guards increased nationwide by 90%. Although not all of these ended in convictions, the prevalence does lead officials to believe that the number of guards they have discovered smuggling drugs and other contraband into prisons is just the tip of the iceberg.
In order to become a prison guard, applicants must go through rigorous background checks. They are subjected to criminal background checks, credit checks, and character investigations. So why aren’t these catching the corruption before they enter the force? Most of these guards have clean records leading up to their application. Once inside prison walls though, they are influenced by the manipulation and money of the inmates. Some say that poor salaries and a bad economy puts financial strain on prison guards, and this leads them to be more likely to get involved in criminal activities.
While the investigation of potential guards seems extensive at first, some background checks can be misleading in scope. Unless an organization is using the right sources, they could miss past crimes altogether. For instance, if they use a County Criminal search, they would find crimes committed in the selected counties where the person lived in the last seven years. If the person committed any crimes in other counties or states, they might miss those, unless the search was complemented with a national focused multi-jurisdictional search like the USOneSEARCH from backgroundchecks.com.
Additionally, by only checking their employees when they first apply, prisons miss noticing any corruption that follows after the hire date. By running regular background checks throughout the term of employment, they could find red flags for criminal behavior they could then keep an eye on. Also, by offering guidance when problem signs start showing up, they could actually prevent corruption before it starts.
By teaming up with companies like backgroundchecks.com, prisons would have access to one of the largest databases in terms of criminal conviction sources, helping them to quickly implement a monitoring program. Using the Ongoing Criminal Monitoring product, backgroundchecks.com can alert them to any new records they discover for an employee.. We have a dedicated data acquisition team constantly working to keep our databases current so that our information is as accurate as possible. As one of the leading background check companies in the nation, backgroundchecks.com may be a valuable partner for prisons to have on their side.
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.
: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-jail-contraband-smuggle-20111002,0,4648531.story
Employee Fraud Becomes an Added Concern for Today’s Small Businesses
As if the slow economy wasn’t already enough for small business to deal with, they now have to keep a closer watch over their employees. According to the Wall Street Journal, employee theft, fraud, and other crimes are rising among small businesses. They attribute this to the struggling economy, saying that when employees struggle, they turn to their workplace for fast cash.
One business owner in particular, owner of Page and Palette Inc., found that vendors would no longer extend her credit for books her struggling store was running low on. At first, she assumed it was because of the economy. Months later, she found that her bookkeeper had been using company money to pay for their personal spending. After $150,000 in discovered losses, the employee was charged with 25 counts of forgery. If this kind of activity goes unnoticed long enough, employers like this either have to shut down their businesses or reduce their workforce. Ultimately, this hurts the business and all of its employees.
Many employees who give in to this kind of temptation have done it in the past. While some employers do require background checks to prevent hiring criminals, small businesses don’t tend to spend money in this regard. They might find however that by investing in comprehensive criminal background checks, they could save more by not losing as much to criminals they’ve unknowingly hired.
Small businesses already using background checks, but who have missed criminal activity among their employees could find it surprising that their current checks only use one database or do not seek crimes committed out of state. By expanding procedures to include affordable products that have national focus like backgroundchecks.com's US OneSEARCH, they can prevent hiring employees convicted of crimes like fraud and theft whether in or out of the state. They might also consider including US AliasSEARCH in case a potential hire has changed names.
Small businesses would be wise to partner with comprehensive background check companies like backgroundchecks.com for employement background screening. As a leader in the criminal data aggregation industry, we have over 12 years of experience bringing together the information businesses need and currently offer instant database searches providing you access to over 300 million records from more than 600 sources. Although we do serve Fortune 500 firms, we certainly can create flexible plans for small business budgets too, offering a variety of packages that allow any company to hire only the kind of employees that will help their business grow.
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.
The Backgrounds of 40,000 Teachers in Kansas are Still Unknown_12328
When you entrust your child into the hands of educators, you probably assume those employees are upstanding citizens without criminal histories. If your child goes to school in Kansas though, you could be wrong. Although high standards for education and background checking has been initiated for teachers in most states these days as a result of No Child Left Behind, teachers who were already in the education industry were grandfathered into the system with the earlier, less strict requirements. That means they have not undergone any kind of background investigation to make sure they haven’t committed any crimes, including crimes against children.
The Topeka Capital Journal reports that approximately 40,000 teachers in Kansas have not been checked. Due to increasing sex abuse crimes in schools, parents and state education board members are concerned about this number. The Director of Teacher Education and Licensure is pushing for the fingerprinting of all teachers. Additionally, she would like to see teachers getting background checks every time their teaching license is renewed, which is every five years. Some are unhappy about the proposal, claiming it to be an invasion of privacy, but because it deals with the safety of children, it’s likely to pass.
While fingerprinting might be a good first step, it doesn’t necessarily catch potential all threats. Most people are fingerprinted when they are arrested, and the FBI database then relies on the court to provide updates as the case moves forward. But those updates are not guaranteed, and neither is the timing of those updates leaving questions about conviction or dismissal status. Organizations like schools, that have such important jobs, should make sure they’re using criminal databases that are extensive and constantly updated and can automatically be monitored for updates. After all, if catching criminals before they affect children in schools is really a priority, why wait to check backgrounds every five years, when Ongoing Criminal Monitoring can be performed by background check companies who could then alert them immediately of any criminal activity among their teachers?
backgroundchecks.com has access to more than 355 million records across 600 criminal conviction sources, including sex offender registries. We also employ a skilled data acquisition team that keeps our records up to date to ensure the highest accuracy possible. With experience and resources like this, backgroundchecks.com could help schools keep an eye on their teachers, which could alleviate the fears of parents and State Education Board members.
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.
: http://cjonline.com/news/2011-04-13/criminal-teachers-focus-initiative
States are Requiring Background Checks for Locksmiths
Throughout the US, several states are now requiring locksmiths to not only be licensed, but to undergo state regulated background checks. Even when states don’t have requirements for locksmiths, some cities, like New York, NY, has made their own regulations on locksmiths. Currently there are eleven states that have some type of regulation for locksmiths. Many wonder why locksmiths are being regulated as they are but these professionals have skills that enable them to open locks that most people would have no idea how to manipulate. This gives them an open door for crimes such as theft and robbery.
Nationally, locksmiths that are members of the professional organization, Associated Locksmiths of America, are required to undergo background checks as well, but every locksmith is certainly not a member of this organization. The organization prides itself on high ethics and asks that their members do not use their skills in a way that would compromise public safety.
For companies who wish to background check their locksmiths, hiring a third party company like backgroundchecks.com can make the process easier. This company has several products, like their US OneSEARCH which will search criminal records from all over the US, including terrorism lists. This product allows organizations to quickly search across the nation for criminal records, which lowers the odds of hiring somebody with a criminal past.
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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