Resources for Background Checks (2024)

General Information Concerning Criminal History Research

Key points

  • There is no such thing as a complete nationwide criminal history check.
  • State criminal histories generally only report offenses for which the defendant was fingerprinted at the time of arrest.
  • Many criminal charges may not show up on criminal history reports.
  • Basic background investigation is still the most effective tool for an employer.
  • The simplest, quickest, and cheapest steps should be taken first.
  • Research may be needed if arrests are revealed by your background checks.

A criminal history is a listing of arrests, charges, and their disposition. In Nebraska, criminal history information is defined at regulated byNebraska Revised Statutes, Section 29-3515, et seq.. There is no such thing as a complete nationwide criminal history. Criminal history information is held by individual court systems, law enforcement agencies, and prosecutors.

The FBI maintains a repository of records pertaining to fingerprints submitted to the FBI in connection with an arrest. Any person may obtain his or her ownFBI Identification Recordfor review from the FBI, but this is not available to others in the general public.

The most comprehensive criminal history record in Nebraska is the record maintained by theNebraska State Patrol. This is a listing of arrests by any law enforcement agency in the State when the person arrested was fingerprinted, and the fingerprint card was submitted to the State Patrol. This should include most arrests for felony crimes, and some arrests for misdemeanor crimes. It would not include, however, many misdemeanor crimes for which the person was not fingerprinted. Cases where the defendant was issued a citation and released after the arrest would be unlikely to appear. It would also not include cases where the prosecutor filed the charge, and the defendant made a voluntary court appearance but was never arrested and fingerprinted. It would not include any arrests outside the State of Nebraska.

The termarrest, for the police, means the act of depriving someone of their freedom for an alleged violation of the law. The general public probably associatesarrestwith someone being jailed for an offense. But most people who are arrested are never jailed rather, they are released shortly after their arrest with a citation that orders them to appear in court at a later date. This is true for the vast majority of misdemeanor crimes.

Not all people who are charged with crimes were arrested first. Prosecutors sometimes file charges when the defendant has never been taken into custody. You need to know about both arrests and charges, because the two may not be the same. The police may arrest someone for one crime, but he or she is charged by the prosecutor with something different. Plea bargaining is also quite common, where the defendant agrees to plead guilty to some offense other than the one he or she was originally arrested or charged with.

There are a variety of pre-trial diversion programs around the country. In most of these programs, the charge is dismissed in exchange for the defendant's agreement to enter into and successfully complete some kind of program. These cases will not show up.

Not all misdemeanors are minor. Stalking is a misdemeanor, as is third degree sexual assault, violating a protection order, impersonating a peace officer, third degree assault, and public indecency. Conversely, some felony crimes seem pretty tame by comparison: rolling back an odometer is a felony, as is acting as a used car dealer without a license.

Step One: Ask the Applicant

This is free and simple, and surprisingly effective. If the person tells you about an arrest for an offense that would be a bar to employment, you can save yourself the time and effort or further inquiry. Most people will truthfully answer questions on an application. How you phrase the question, however, is important. We suggest something like this:

Have you ever received a ticket, been charged with an offense, or been arrested for anything other than a minor traffic violation? List and explain.

Step Two: References and Resumes

There is no substitute for talking personally with previous employers, and doing your own checking of key points on a resume or application. Do these fundamentals early in the process. If you get poor references or find fictitious information in the resume, you can spare further efforts and the time and cost of detailed criminal history research.

Step Three: Free Online Resources

Start your research by looking for free information. A few minutes spent on the Internet could save you time and effort. A simple Google search with the person's name and keywords such as the town where they most recently lived would be a good starting point. Many states have online records of inmates, parolees, and sex offenders. The state sex offender registry and department of corrections for each state where you believe the person has lived would be good starting points.

Check these readily available free online resources:

Local Arrest Warrants

A name search here will show any active arrest warrants held by the Lincoln Police Department or the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office. These are updated daily. Typically, there are about 8,000 arrest warrants active at any given time.

Nebraska Sex Offender Registry

A search of this Nebraska State Patrol registry will include sex offenders who were either convicted or released from correctional control after Jan. 1, 1997.

National Sex Offender Registry

This U.S. Department of Justice site allows searches from all state sex offender registries. The laws of each state vary concerning which offenders are subject to registration and what information is released to the public.

Nebraska Inmate Locator

A name search in this database maintained by the Nebraska Department of Corrections will reveal whether an individual has been an inmate at a State correctional facility at any time since the late 1970's. If you know the person has resided in another state, check to see if that state also maintains an online inmate locator.

Federal Inmate Locator

A name search in this database will reveal whether an individual has been incarcerated in a federal correctional facility at any time since the late 1982.

Step Four: LPD Criminal History

Run a $10 Lincoln Police Department criminal history. This is a listing of arrests by the Lincoln Police Department since 1980 and the disposition of the case. It isavailable instantly onlinewith a Visa or MasterCard, orin person and by mail(PDF,87KB)at the Police Department's Records Unit. Since it is only arrests by LPD, you can probably save the ten dollars if the subject is not and has not been a Lincoln resident. Be sure to read the FAQs for more detailed information.

Step Five: State Criminal History

Run a State Patrol Criminal History check, if you have any reason to believe the person has resided in Nebraska during the past. Details about this can be found on theState Patrol's website. Keep in mind that these are onlyNebraskaarrests where the defendant wasfingerprinted.

Step Six: Other Local Records

Check with the local court system and/or law enforcement agencies in the other places the person has lived. This can be a tedious process, since it can often require several inquiries, and since records are not always easily or quickly accessible.

Step Seven: Follow-Up Inquiries

Sometimes you will need more information about the specific circ*mstances of an arrest in order to make an informed decision. Get any follow-up information from the appropriate sources for any arrests that concern you, but that aren't necessarily a bar to employment. This may require seeking public record court documents, or finding someone in the arresting agency that is willing to talk to you about the details of the case. Be sure to ask the applicant first. If he or she was not truthful about the circ*mstances of the case, don't take the chance.

Resources for Background Checks (2024)

FAQs

What is the best website for a criminal background check? ›

9 Best Criminal Background Check Sites of 2024
  • Intelius.
  • Instant Checkmate.
  • Sterling.
  • Spokeo.
  • Accurate.
  • HireRight.
  • FAQs About Criminal Background Checks.
  • Get A Criminal Background Check With GoodHire.
Mar 29, 2024

What is better than TruthFinder? ›

PeopleFinderFree. A people search query provides vital background information about a person. This information could include financial, professional, or personal details, depending on the service. PeopleFinderFree is your best friend when you need to find someone or gauge their trustworthiness.

What is the most thorough background check company? ›

The best background check site overall is BeenVerified. BeenVerified offers a simple and easy-to-use interface, ensuring that it's easy to find the information you need without having to spend too much time clicking around.

What matters most in a background check? ›

Criminal History Matters Most

Criminal history is significant regarding background checks as it directly influences an employer's assessment of a candidate's suitability for employment. Employers often prioritize this aspect due to its potential impact on workplace safety, security and overall risk mitigation.

Is TruthFinder a legitimate site? ›

Is TruthFinder accurate? TruthFinder is not 100% accurate because it is a search engine and not a private investigator, but it gets the job done for many customers. The software compiles the public data it gets access to and creates reports that include the available information.

Are background check websites legit? ›

They sometimes offer a free trial for 24 hours or one search. They also sometimes offer deals like $1 for 24 hours or 3 searches or something like that. These sites are not 100% accurate on everything but usually they are correct on criminal backgrounds. The results are pretty instant.

Is Checkmate or TruthFinder better? ›

Conclusion. It's as clear as day that between the two TruthFinder is the better choice. Everything Instant Checkmate has to offer is available with TruthFinder but it also adds deep web scanning into the mix.

What are the pros and cons of TruthFinder? ›

Positive reviews indicate people who found old friends and got lots of detailed information. The users also like how easy it is to use the site. However, some negative reviewers anticipated TruthFinder data to be more inaccurate, while others were bothered by all the promotional emails they received.

Is TruthFinder completely free? ›

For its services, TruthFinder costs $28.05 each month, or $46.56 for two months at once. Users may also be able to purchase a one-time trial of five reports for $1. Background check data, such as contact details, location history, and criminal histories, is often a paid add-on with person search solutions.

What software do private investigators use for background checks? ›

Private Investigators use various software tools to conduct background checks on individuals they are hired to investigate. Some commonly used software include Tracers, Checkr, Trans Union(TLO)IDI Data, and EZ Screen[1].

Which two types of background checks are most commonly used by organizations? ›

The most common background check that employers use is a criminal background search. 6 Other common types of background checks include identity verification, credit checks, and employment and education verification.

What percentage of people fail background checks? ›

What percent of people fail background checks? According to the Sterling Talent Solutions' Background Screening Trends & Best Practices Report, most employers only disqualify 5% or less of applicants based on past criminal convictions.

What stuff pops up on background check? ›

An employer can discover any prior criminal convictions through a background check. Things such as pending charges, misdemeanor convictions, felony convictions, dismissed charges and acquitted charges show up on this screening process. Having this knowledge is important for companies that have any liability concerns.

What typically shows up on a background check? ›

A background check can yield basic information about a person (such as their full name, aliases and age), but can also show an individual's education history, past employment, criminal history and credit reports.

Which type of information should you avoid collecting in a background check? ›

Focus on job-related information

For example, if the job requires driving, the employer should check the candidate's driving record. Avoid collecting irrelevant information that is not relevant to the job, that may be considered or discriminatory.

2 Best Background Check Companies ...ConsumerAffairshttps://www.consumeraffairs.com ›

Background check companies compile information on the background and history of individuals, such as their employment, criminal and education history, as well a...
What is a background check? It can mean many things: criminal history checks, employment verification, and more. See what employers look for today.
DISCLAIMER: You may not use TruthFinder or the information it provides to make decisions about consumer credit, employment, insurance, tenant screening, or any ...

What is the most common criminal background check? ›

County criminal history searches are the most common form of criminal background check. These searches allow employers to pull reports from court records of specific counties.

Is Intelius a legit website? ›

Intelius is widely respected as a platform that boasts a collection of more than 20 billion public records. While there are mentions of inaccuracies and incomplete data in some reviews, Intelius shines when it comes to providing detailed information about a person's educational achievements.

How do I look up someone's criminal record in New York? ›

Procedure and related information is as follows:
  1. Submit your request electronically by using our on-line Direct Access application. ...
  2. Complete the Criminal History Record Search (CHRS) Application Form. ...
  3. Include the individual's full name and date of birth you want searched.

What is the best free website for public records? ›

All Federal court records are available online at PACER.gov, an electronic public access service that is overseen by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts. This includes all Federal civil court cases, criminal charges, as well as bankruptcies. In all, there are over 500 million documents on PACER.

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