How Long Does The Typical Tpre Emp;loy,ermt Background Check Take?

How long does a background cheque accept? Depending on the type of background bank check, data requested, and information sources, it can take simply a few minutes or equally long every bit five business days.

Notice out what boilerplate turnaround times yous can wait for five common groundwork checks (federal, employment, universal, criminal, and fingerprint) and what to practice if a groundwork cheque is taking likewise long.

How Long Does a Groundwork Check Take for a Task

There are many different types of groundwork checks and the turnaround fourth dimension for each varies based on the blazon of information requested, data source limitations, and legal requirements.

This article provides insight into average turnaround times for five common background checks and includes what these checks are used for, how the data is accessed, and possible reasons why turnaround times might be delayed.

Learn average turnaround times for different background checks

What Are Turnaround Times for Employment Background Checks?

Depending on the blazon of information an employer needs, a background check tin be ready in less than a minute, or it tin can take up to five business concern days. Information technology tin can take longer if it requires transmission searches or cooperation from other organizations, such equally professional license certifications, universities, and previous employers.

Employment groundwork checks are common when you're applying for a job. Employers too often run ongoing background checks on current employees through regular employee drug testing or annual criminal groundwork checks to ensure a safe workplace.

An employment groundwork bank check can include, but is non limited to, your work history, education, credit history, driving record, criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening.

GoodHire's background check platform makes it easy to order reports and review results.

What Are Turnaround Times for Criminal Background Checks?

A criminal background cheque by and large takes betwixt one to three business days, but can be returned much faster depending on the database that is beingness search, such equally the National Criminal Database.

What is an Instant Background Bank check?

An instant groundwork check includes basic data that is searchable online through specialized databases to which a verified background check provider has access. It often includes basic searches such as a Social Security number (SSN) trace, a national criminal database search, and a sex activity offender registry search.

Since a groundwork check service tin can typically gather this information speedily, turnaround times are almost instant.

What Are Turnaround Times for Federal Background Checks?

A criminal groundwork cheque may as well search sex offender registries, canton criminal court records, domestic and global terrorist watch lists, and federal and state criminal records. Additional searches of these databases can take 1 to 3 days depending on manual search requirements.

The typical turnaround time for a federal background bank check is one 24-hour interval. A federal background check searches across the 94 U.South. federal courts for violations of federal criminal law, such as federal revenue enhancement evasion, mail fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, interstate trafficking, and crimes committed on federal holding.

Since a federal background check only searches for crimes prosecuted on the federal level, and does not check for convictions at the state level, well-nigh employers will search both federal and state criminal records to get a comprehensive written report on an applicant'due south entire criminal record, particularly if they are hiring for C-level executive positions, CPAs, public sector employees, or someone who volition accept admission to proprietary fiscal information.

The cheque typically includes records from seven years dorsum or longer, depending on land laws and special circumstances.

Turnaround Times for Gun Background Checks

Universal background checks, or gun background checks, are performed by the FBI and are candy in 2 to three minutes through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

These checks are required by police if you lot want to purchase a firearm from a licensed manufacturer, dealer, or importer to ensure you lot're eligible to purchase the gun. Before completing the sale of a firearm, the seller will telephone call the FBI or local state agency to perform the check.

If the NICS search returns a tape that requires more research, the check tin can take up to three business days. If no determination has been made by then, the seller may legally transfer the firearm to you.

If your universal background check is delayed at the bespeak of sale, you'll need to wait iii business days before yous can complete your buy. If you're denied, yous're allowed to request an appeal with the FBI.

Turnaround Time for Fingerprint Background Checks

A fingerprint background check submits and compares your fingerprints with the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification Organisation (IAFIS), a database of fingerprints for more 35 million Americans managed past the FBI. If there's a successful match, a response will be returned within iii days.

A fingerprint groundwork check is frequently used along with another background cheque, most notably employment groundwork checks. The fingerprint check is required for regime-run institutions such as public schools and airports, and also for law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and hospitals. Other employers may require a fingerprint background bank check if you lot'll be caring for minors, the elderly, or other vulnerable people.

If the quality of your prints is poor, it may require longer processing times or that you lot start over. It may also take longer if there's a criminal history tied to your fingerprints.

If yous've never been fingerprinted prior to a fingerprint background check, the cheque will simply return no results, and your prints will be submitted to the IAFIS at that time.

find out the top 6 reasons for a background check delay

Possible Reasons for a Delay

If your background check is taking longer than 3 to 5 days, hither are a few reasons why it might be delayed:

The nigh common reason for a delay is inaccurate or incomplete bank check request forms, or failure by the employer to accept the necessary authorization and release forms signed by a task applicant, which are required by federal law. Agencies cannot outset a background cheque until they receive written consent.
About county court records are not fully digitized. Therefore, those searches must typically be washed manually by a county clerk or a court runner. Depending on the county or instance, it can take between 3 to 30 days to complete the manual portion of the search.
If you've lived in another state for school or work—for some employers, inside the concluding 10 years—an international background check may be required. These checks normally take 4 to five days depending on cooperation with the land; however, some countries have extensive privacy protection laws and can have up to 20 days to complete.
Aliases and proper noun variances (east.g., Steve, Steven, Stephen) tin can cause delays and requires a manual check by the background check service to confirm your identity. Using different names in the past, or if your tape is mixed up with someone else's who has a similar or same name, can as well cause your background bank check to exist delayed.
The background check service may demand to search several sources for the information the employer needs, and some databases and sources, such as schools or previous employers, may take longer to search or verify than others.

Getting a Response from an Employer

While a groundwork check itself tin accept upward to v days, you may not hear back from the employer immediately after the check is complete. The recruiter may exist running multiple background checks for several candidates and wants to complete and review all of them earlier reaching out.

Alternatively, it'southward possible that an aspect of your background check is taking longer than anticipated for whatsoever of the reasons described higher up. If information technology'south been longer than a week, don't be afraid to follow up with the recruiter.

If an employer finds something in your background check that could hurt your chances of getting the chore, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that employers let yous know before deciding not to hire yous.

In improver to sending y'all a copy of the groundwork bank check where the negative information was found, an employer must also provide a re-create of "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Human activity." The Federal Merchandise Commission (FTC), the organization that ensures background check companies and credit bureaus are following the law, recommends that employers send this notice inside five business days.

This advance notice provides an opportunity for you to correct errors or explain negative information, such as criminal records, gaps in employment history, or unfavorable items on your credit history report.

The Bottom Line

While the majority of groundwork checks are returned within the expected turnaround times, in that location are situations where unexpected delays can occur.

If y'all feel like your background check is taking too long, don't hesitate to achieve out to the person or company who requested the cheque to determine why in that location's a delay. They may crave more information from y'all, such equally previous addresses or aliases. But if the delay is beyond your control—such as manual processing delays—and then at least you may take some peace of heed knowing it'due south all part of the background check process.

Disclaimer

The resources provided here are for educational purposes but and do non constitute legal advice. We advise you to consult your own counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.

About the Author

As GoodHire's managing editor, Sara Korolevich produces educational resources for employers on a diversity of employment screening topics, including compliance and screening best practices, and writes about GoodHire's company and product news. Sara'south experience stems from xx+ years working as a B2C and B2B PR and communications professional.