Criminal Records Search Key Terms

Get acquainted with criminal records search key terms to optimize your research strategies

It has become standard practice in today's marketplace for businesses to perform a criminal records search on job applicants. Criminal convictions and incarceration are not the only undesirable traits in a job applicant's past that should preclude their employment at your company. Other behaviors, such as domestic violence situations or the failure to pay child support, might also cause you to be concerned about the applicant's moral character. Learning the key terms relating to criminal records searches can help you make informed hiring decisions.

 

FCRA

The FCRA refers to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, a law regulating access to an individuals credit history.
Try: Access the FTC website for the Notice of User Responsibilities. Find out the specific obligations companies have when they perform criminal searches for an individual's credit history and do it for business reasons.

Federal criminal court dockets

Federal criminal court dockets maintain records related to claims brought in federal courts.
Try: Employ Secure explains the particular situations you might encounter when performing criminal records searches through federal criminal court dockets.

Identity verification

Identity verification is particularly necessary when investigating an individual's suspected past criminal activity.
Try: How to Investigate lists the elements of a comprehensive identity verification. It also explains the steps you can take when searches turn up multiple names associated with an individual.

County criminal check

Perform a county criminal check by visiting an actual court and searching through its paper files.
Try: Easy Backgrounds presents a comparison between county and state criminal checks and why the former is considered more thorough. Find out whether you need a release from an applicant in order to search county criminal records.

Criminal background check

Criminal background check refers to the particular search through criminal records that HR departments in many companies perform on a routine basis.
Try: The Criminal Lawyer Group explains why a criminal background check is particularly helpful in the business world. Check out the detailed discussion of the information you'll need to perform a comprehensive criminal background check in any jurisdiction.

Criminal history records

Criminal history records come mostly from federal agencies. These searches identify all adverse history documented against an individual including arrests, incarceration and the dispositions of criminal complaints.
Try: Check out the discussion at the U.S. Department of Justice which identifies six ways in which criminal history records can prevent you from hiring workers with criminal backgrounds.

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