While the informational value of a criminal background check is minimal, it comes as a need for many jobs. It’s down to pure statistics. You will need to have a criminal background check conducted by a company for safety reasons. Learn about the things you need to know about a criminal background check in the post below.
Not All States Share Criminal Records
If you are a resident of one state but live in another, your criminal record might not be accessible there. Thus, regardless of whether you have a conviction in your home state, it can be hidden in the second state. In another form, you might go to jail for a crime and never have any record of it.
The only way to determine whether your criminal record is accessible to law enforcement in another state is by contacting them.
You Won’t See It Before a Job Offer
When you apply for a job, the employer will ask you to sign a form authorizing the company to conduct a criminal background check. Their purposes are to verify the validity of someone’s criminal record, education, employment history, and past activities. It is essential to know that a criminal background check does not guarantee that you will lose your job. It means that someone else is looking into everything in your past.
Criminal background checks protect both the company and its employees from potential problems. Employers want to ensure your record is free of felonies or crimes of violence, along with any other issues they might not uncover through the interview process.
It is possible to find employment with an employer who understands what happened in your past. Here’s why it shouldn’t affect your ability to do your job well today, whether you have a conviction for a crime and live an authentic life.
It Might Not Be Complete
Knowing that many factors can affect your criminal background check is essential. The first step is to determine the date of the crime. It wouldn’t appear on your criminal background check if it were more than five years ago.Â
Another factor could be if the crime happened in another state or country. It would also affect the results of your criminal background check because they would not have access to those records.
A further factor that might affect your criminal background check is if you were charged but never convicted of a crime. It will also not show up on your criminal background check. If you were found guilty, it would show up on your record unless you received an expungement or pardon from the court system, which will also remove it from your catalog.
You Can Find Out What’s in Your Records for Free
It’s important to know if you have any criminal history. Whether you’re applying for a job, renting an apartment, or getting a loan, knowing what’s in your records will help you make informed decisions about your future.
Your criminal history is made up of arrest records and court convictions. There are other types of documents that might appear on your records, such as juvenile delinquency records and restraining orders. You can find out what’s in these records by getting a free background check online.
You Don’t Need To Bring It Up
Your criminal background check is a piece of paper; the only thing it says about you is that you have a criminal background. It doesn’t say what your crime was, and it doesn’t tell how long ago it happened (or if it happened at all).
It’s also not something employers ask for as part of their hiring process—they only use it when checking to see if you’ve been convicted of a crime against children, sexual assault or violence, or illegal drug use in the past seven years.
If someone brings up your criminal background check before you do, there’s no reason to feel embarrassed or defensive. Remember: You don’t need to bring it up unless someone asks you —and even then, there’s no need to go into detail about what happened or why.
There May Be Inaccuracies
There might be some inaccurate information about you in the system or you could have a conviction for a crime but it hasn’t appeared on your record. Furthermore, your record could contain information from other state or federal law enforcement agencies. Data updates can take up to two years across all systems, so be aware of this when reviewing your results.
If you find something that seems inaccurate on your record, you can request an amendment to the form with local law enforcement agencies or courts.
Your Credit Is Not Included
The criminal background check includes any arrests, convictions, and charges filed against you. A criminal background check will not include other aspects of your life, like whether you have good credit.
A credit report includes information on any loans or credit cards you have taken out in the past and how well you pay them back. A credit report will also include information about your current financial situation and how it affects your ability to get loans or credit cards in the future.
Restrictions Apply to Some Information
There is a restriction on some criminal background check information, which might surprise you. It’s not available to you, even though you paid for it. You cannot see it, find out about it, or access it. The reason for this is that some information must remain confidential by law. That means you can’t find out what’s on their criminal background check, even if you know them.
Don’t Miss To Check Your Criminal Record
If you’ve never done a background check, it’s always good to know what to expect. Whether you’re a current or would-be employee, keeping your criminal records clean is crucial for getting the job and staying employed. If there are certain records that you’d rather keep under wraps, a background check could be the way to do it.
