Most background checks include some type of criminal records check, but the term “criminal records” can be ambiguous. One common area of confusion is the differences between Federal Criminal Checks and National Criminal Database Checks. These are different from County Criminal Checks, where most detailed records are found.

What is a National Criminal Database Search?

A national criminal database search is a search of databases from a variety of publicly available information sources, including court and county records, state criminal databases, corrections information, watch lists, sex offender registries, and more, including:

A record found on a national criminal database search must be verified with the originating jurisdiction to confirm its accuracy and gather more information.

What Does a National Criminal Database Search Reveal?

This type of search might show the following types of information about an applicant’s criminal history, including the following:

  • Arrests
  • Charges
  • Offense types and levels
  • Convictions
  • Sentences
  • Placement on probation or parole
  • Other details

However, not all of the information revealed on a national criminal database search can be reported by CRAs to employers.

Instead, if records are found, ProVerify will use the provided information to conduct further searches to validate them.

Myth: Federal and National searches are the same.

Fact: Federal and National Checks are not one and the same. ProVerify’s National Check covers a collection of nationwide databases, while a Federal search specifically finds criminal records in Federal jurisdictions.

Myth: If you run a Federal or National search, you don’t need to run county searches.

Fact: Federal, National, and State Checks don’t supersede County checks. In other words, they won’t find everything that a county criminal check will. For many criminal records, the county courthouse is the source of truth.

Myth: The Federal search uses FBI or Department of Justice (DOJ) databases.

Fact: None of these searches are FBI or Department of Justice searches. Unless there is a statute authorizing private industries to have access, only law enforcement agencies and private industries authorized by law (childcare, financial institutions, healthcare) may access FBI data. FBI and DOJ searches can only be conducted through positive identification (such as fingerprinting), and have their own pros and cons compared to name-based background checks.

What it is: A database search of millions of records

What it is not:

  • An FBI or Department of Justice search
  • A thorough search of Federal Criminal records

Usage: Cast a wide net for potential records and serve as a “pointer” to other criminal checks.

The term “National Criminal Database” is a bit of a misnomer in that the check does not cover all of the United States, but it does query ~2,200 databases covering approximately 900 million records.

The National Criminal Database Check is used in virtually every criminal background check to find additional “hits.” Once a “hit” is identified, ProVerify dispatches researchers to the county where the national criminal check shows a possible record to obtain:

  • Additional identifiers to confirm it belongs to the individual in question.
  • Complete and up-to-date case information (such as disposition and status)

A search of the National Criminal Database without county-level searches would be inadequate — information found during the National Criminal Database Check is often not up-to-date or complete and is only used for pointer purposes. A county-level check would always be required to obtain complete and accurate information.

What it is: A search of statewide criminal databases

What it is not:

  • An FBI or Department of Justice search
  • A thorough search of all records in every county

Usage: To find additional criminal records in the candidate’s state outside of their home county.

A State Criminal Check uses statewide databases to discover criminal records. Many companies use State Checks to uncover additional records outside of the counties where the candidate has lived.

Not all counties report to state databases, and each state database functions differently. For example, New York’s state database includes reports from all counties by law, but California’s does not. Because the county courthouse is the source of truth for most criminal records, we recommend running this search in addition to a county check.

What it is: A thorough search of criminal records available at the county level, where most records occur.

What it is not:

  • An FBI or Department of Justice search
  • A search of federal criminal records or national criminal databases

Usage: Recommended for the candidate’s home county (and potentially past counties of residence) to find the most thorough information on potential criminal records.

County criminal records, which make up the majority of criminal offenses, are located in county courthouses across the 3,200 counties in the US. Thus, they will not be found in a federal check. Oftentimes the existence of a county criminal record is determined by conducting a search in the aforementioned National Criminal Database Check, which is used as a pointer to county or state records.

All felony and misdemeanor criminal records, regardless of disposition (guilty, dismissed, etc.) and whose cases are tried in local jurisdictions, are housed at the county court.

A comprehensive criminal background check should include county, federal, state, and national database searches, all of which are offered as part of ProVerify’s National Criminal packages.

Pre-Employment Background Screening Packages

Silver

$24.99

/ applicant

National Criminal Database Search:

  • Social Security Number (SSN) Trace

  • Address, Names, & DOB Verification

  • National Database Criminal Records Search

  • National Sex Offender Search

  • 2 County Criminal Search

  • 2 Federal District Criminal Search

Gold

$49.99

/ applicant

National & 7 -Year County
Criminal Database Search:

  • Social Security Number (SSN) Trace

  • Address, Names, & DOB Verification

  • National Database Criminal Records Search

  • National Sex Offender Search

  • Global, US & State Watchlist
  • 3 County Criminal Search
  • 3 Federal District Criminal Search

Platinum

$79.99

/ applicant

National & 7 -Year County
(Hits) Criminal Database Search:

  • Social Security Number (SSN) Trace

  • Address, Names, & DOB Verification

  • National Database Criminal Records Search

  • National Sex Offender Search

  • Global, US & State Watchlist

  • Unlimited County Criminal Record Search
  • Unlimited Federal District Criminal Search
  • Motor Vehicle Report

**County criminal searches may add passthrough surcharges by jurisdictions. *Additional county searches – $12.00 per county + surcharges** | Additional federal district criminal searches – 12.25 + surcharges