What Shows Up on an Employment Background Check?

Whether you’re an employer building a screening program or a candidate wondering what your future employer will see, the contents of an employment background check are governed by what the employer orders and what the law allows to be reported. Here’s a clear breakdown.

What a background check can include

A pre-employment background check is not one search — it’s a package of individual searches the employer selects. The most common components:

Identity verification

An SSN trace confirms the candidate’s identity and produces an address history, which tells the screening company which counties to search for records. It’s the foundation of an accurate report.

Criminal records

• County criminal records — felony and misdemeanor cases from the courts where the candidate has lived or worked
• Statewide and federal criminal records — offenses prosecuted at the state repository or U.S. District Court level (fraud, embezzlement, interstate crimes)
• National criminal database scan — a broad locator search across hundreds of state and federal sources, verified at the source before reporting
• Sex offender registry — all 50 states

Civil records

County and federal civil filings, bankruptcies, liens, judgments, evictions, and workers’ compensation records (where allowed) — most relevant for financial and executive roles.

Driving records

A motor vehicle record (MVR) shows license status and class, violations, suspensions, and DUI convictions. Essential for any role that involves driving, and required for DOT-regulated positions along with CDL verification and FMCSA checks.

Verifications

Employment history, education and degrees, professional licenses, certifications, references, and I-9 work authorization — confirmed directly at the source, not taken from the resume.

Sanctions and watch lists

OFAC, terrorist watch lists, healthcare exclusion lists (OIG/GSA/SAM), and banking sanctions (FFIEC) for regulated industries.

Drug testing and occupational health

Lab-based drug panels, DOT testing, physicals, and titer testing, scheduled at a collection site near the candidate.

What an employment background check can’t report

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state laws limit what a consumer reporting agency may include:

• Arrests that didn’t lead to conviction generally can’t be reported after seven years (full details in how far back background checks go) (convictions themselves may be reported indefinitely under federal law, though several states impose their own seven-year limits).
• Bankruptcies older than 10 years and civil suits, judgments, and most other adverse records older than 7 years are excluded for most positions.
• Expunged or sealed records should not appear.
• Many states and cities restrict the use of credit history in hiring and set “ban-the-box” rules for when in the process criminal history can be considered.

A compliant screening partner filters all of this automatically, so you only see what you’re legally allowed to use. (More on that in our FCRA compliance guide.)

Candidates have rights, too

Employers must get written consent before running a check, and candidates are entitled to a copy of their report and the chance to dispute inaccurate information. As a consumer reporting agency, we verify records at the source and route every report through our Quality Assurance team so candidates are represented accurately — details in our privacy policy.

Build a check that fits the role

With 400+ search options, you can build exactly the screening each role needs — from a fast criminal package to a full executive screen. Get started free, see transparent package pricing, or call 1-800-935-8537 with questions.