How Long Do Background Check Take

How long does a background cheque take? Depending on the type of background check, information requested, and data sources, it can take merely a few minutes or as long as five business days.

Observe out what average turnaround times you tin expect for five common background checks (federal, employment, universal, criminal, and fingerprint) and what to exercise if a background cheque is taking too long.

How Long Does a Groundwork Check Take for a Job

At that place are many different types of background checks and the turnaround time for each varies based on the type of information requested, data source limitations, and legal requirements.

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

Learn average turnaround times for different background checks

What Are Turnaround Times for Employment Background Checks?

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

Employment background checks are mutual when you lot're applying for a job. Employers also oft run ongoing background checks on electric current employees through regular employee drug testing or annual criminal background checks to ensure a safe workplace.

An employment background check can include, simply is not limited to, your work history, education, credit history, driving tape, criminal record, medical history, employ 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 check generally takes between one to three business days, but tin exist returned much faster depending on the database that is beingness search, such as the National Criminal Database.

What is an Instant Background Bank check?

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

Since a background cheque service tin typically gather this information quickly, turnaround times are almost instant.

What Are Turnaround Times for Federal Background Checks?

A criminal background check may also search sexual activity offender registries, county criminal court records, domestic and global terrorist watch lists, and federal and land criminal records. Additional searches of these databases can take one to 3 days depending on manual search requirements.

The typical turnaround time for a federal background check is i day. A federal background bank check searches across the 94 U.S. federal courts for violations of federal criminal law, such as federal tax 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 land level, most employers will search both federal and state criminal records to get a comprehensive report on an applicant'southward entire criminal record, particularly if they are hiring for C-level executive positions, CPAs, public sector employees, or someone who volition have access to proprietary financial information.

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

Turnaround Times for Gun Background Checks

Universal groundwork checks, or gun background checks, are performed by the FBI and are processed in 2 to 3 minutes through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

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

If the NICS search returns a record that requires more than research, the check 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 bank check is delayed at the point of sale, you'll demand to wait 3 business days before you lot tin can consummate your purchase. If you're denied, y'all're allowed to request an appeal with the FBI.

Turnaround Time for Fingerprint Groundwork Checks

A fingerprint groundwork check submits and compares your fingerprints with the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), a database of fingerprints for more than 35 million Americans managed by the FBI. If there'south a successful lucifer, a response will be returned within three days.

A fingerprint background check is often used forth with another background check, most notably employment groundwork checks. The fingerprint cheque is required for authorities-run institutions such as public schools and airports, and also for constabulary enforcement agencies, burn down departments, and hospitals. Other employers may require a fingerprint background bank check if yous'll exist 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 outset over. It may also have longer if there's a criminal history tied to your fingerprints.

If yous've never been fingerprinted prior to a fingerprint background check, the check volition simply render 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 Filibuster

If your background check is taking longer than three to v days, here are a few reasons why it might be delayed:

The most common reason for a delay is inaccurate or incomplete cheque request forms, or failure past the employer to have the necessary authorization and release forms signed past a job applicant, which are required past federal police force. Agencies cannot starting time a groundwork check until they receive written consent.
Most county court records are not fully digitized. Therefore, those searches must typically be washed manually by a canton clerk or a courtroom runner. Depending on the county or example, it can have between 3 to 30 days to complete the manual portion of the search.
If you've lived in another country for school or work—for some employers, within the last x years—an international background bank check may be required. These checks commonly have four to five days depending on cooperation with the country; however, some countries have all-encompassing privacy protection laws and can take up to 20 days to complete.
Aliases and proper name variances (e.g., Steve, Steven, Stephen) can cause delays and requires a manual cheque past the groundwork check service to confirm your identity. Using different names in the past, or if your record is mixed up with someone else's who has a similar or same name, can also cause your background check to be delayed.
The background cheque service may need to search several sources for the information the employer needs, and some databases and sources, such every bit 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 can take up to v days, you lot may not hear dorsum from the employer immediately later on the check is complete. The recruiter may exist running multiple background checks for several candidates and wants to complete and review all of them before reaching out.

Alternatively, it's possible that an attribute of your background check is taking longer than anticipated for any of the reasons described above. If information technology's been longer than a calendar week, don't exist afraid to follow up with the recruiter.

If an employer finds something in your background bank check that could injure your chances of getting the job, the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires that employers let you know earlier deciding non to hire you.

In addition to sending you a copy of the background bank check where the negative information was found, an employer must also provide a copy of "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the organization that ensures groundwork check companies and credit bureaus are following the police, recommends that employers ship this notice inside v business days.

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

The Bottom Line

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

If you feel like your background bank check is taking too long, don't hesitate to reach out to the person or visitor who requested the check to decide why there's a delay. They may require more data from you lot, such equally previous addresses or aliases. Only if the delay is beyond your command—such as manual processing delays—then at least you may have some peace of mind knowing information technology's all part of the background bank check procedure.

Disclaimer

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

Virtually the Author

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