Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Home to Cleveland, Ohio’s second-largest city, Cuyahoga County has a population of 1.2 million. Nearby are Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties, which form a portion of the Cleveland metropolitan area. A significant logistics hub owing to its position near the Erie Canal, Cleveland’s robust economy features vibrant shipping, healthcare, and technology industries. Key regional employers include Sherwin-Williams, Progressive Insurance, and Nestle.  

With an expansive regional population and no shortage of economic opportunities in Cleveland, many area residents will search for work outside of their immediate area. For employers in Cuyahoga, this trend often translates into high levels of interest and demand for job openings.  

On the one hand, residents’ willingness to travel can dramatically shorten the time that it takes to identify talent and fill a position. On the other hand, the risk of encountering unsuitable applicants grows. Leveraging opportunities successfully requires reducing risk and promoting safe hiring, and background checks lie at the heart of that process. 

As an employer, you must use the right tools to conduct background checks if you desire to proceed with all the facts. Where should you begin?  

We recommend beginning with a basic county-level record search, which will allow you to see if an applicant has a criminal past in Cuyahoga County. If that report comes back clear, you should broaden your search to include nearby counties such as Lorain or Geauga—you may discover that someone with no record in Cuyahoga has a troubled past in Geauga County.  

To use background checks effectively, you must understand how to use them legally. Ensure that you know local and federal law applicable to your business. In Cuyahoga County, there are no “ban the box” rules that apply to private employers. You may ask about felony convictions on job applications and proceed with a background check at any point after securing consent to do so from the applicant.  

Once you have guidelines for fair and equitable hiring practices, then it is time to power up your policy with the right tools. backgroundchecks.com is the ideal partner with an array of fast and useful search tools to enable employers and organizations to assess applicants. Try our county-level background check in Cuyahoga first for that all-important first look, then rely on the US OneSEARCH for bigger-picture results. With results instantly available in an easy-to-read report, the US OneSEARCH allows you to quickly gather answers from records held in Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, and Summit counties. 

These reports draw upon information held in state and local electronic databases maintained by corresponding agencies. backgroundchecks.com only provides access to, and does not maintain, this data. Records are subject to change. For the most up-to-date information possible, ask about ordering an on-site record search—we make reports available within three days through a direct search by a court runner. 

Instant background checks source data from databases that include the: 

• Ohio Department of Corrections – Felony conviction records, updated monthly
• Ohio Sex Offender Registry – Updated biweekly
• Franklin County Courts – Felony and misdemeanor records from 1999-present, updated monthly
• City-Level Courts – Misdemeanor and local traffic records only, typically updated monthly 

This report may include the subject’s: 

• Name
• Arrest Date & Offense Degree
• Sentence & disposition 

Explore the diverse talent available in Cuyahoga County equipped with tools for the modern employer, available now from backgroundchecks.com.

Learn more about our county background check options