How Long Does Background Initialization Take

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

Find out what average turnaround times you can expect for v mutual background checks (federal, employment, universal, criminal, and fingerprint) and what to do if a groundwork check is taking likewise long.

How Long Does a Background Check Take for a Job

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

This commodity provides insight into average turnaround times for v mutual background checks and includes what these checks are used for, how the information 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 type of information an employer needs, a background bank check tin can be ready in less than a minute, or it can take upwardly to five business days. It tin accept longer if it requires manual searches or cooperation from other organizations, such as professional license certifications, universities, and previous employers.

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

An employment background check can include, merely is not express to, your work history, instruction, credit history, driving record, 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 can be 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 bank check includes basic data that is searchable online through specialized databases to which a verified background check provider has admission. It often includes basic searches such as a Social Security number (SSN) trace, a national criminal database search, and a sex offender registry search.

Since a background check service can typically gather this data quickly, turnaround times are virtually instant.

What Are Turnaround Times for Federal Background Checks?

A criminal background check may also search sex offender registries, canton criminal court records, domestic and global terrorist watch lists, and federal and land criminal records. Additional searches of these databases can have i to three days depending on manual search requirements.

The typical turnaround fourth dimension for a federal groundwork bank check is one day. A federal background check searches across the 94 U.S. federal courts for violations of federal criminal police, such as federal tax evasion, mail fraud, embezzlement, identity theft, interstate trafficking, and crimes committed on federal property.

Since a federal background bank check only searches for crimes prosecuted on the federal level, and does not bank check for convictions at the land level, most employers will search both federal and country criminal records to get a comprehensive study on an bidder's entire criminal record, peculiarly if they are hiring for C-level executive positions, CPAs, public sector employees, or someone who will take admission to proprietary financial information.

The check typically includes records from vii years back or longer, depending on country laws and special circumstances.

Turnaround Times for Gun Background Checks

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

These checks are required by law if you desire to purchase a firearm from a licensed manufacturer, dealer, or importer to ensure y'all're eligible to purchase the gun. Earlier completing the sale of a firearm, the seller will telephone call the FBI or local state bureau to perform the bank check.

If the NICS search returns a record that requires more than research, the bank check can take up to three business days. If no determination has been fabricated by and then, the seller may legally transfer the firearm to y'all.

If your universal background cheque is delayed at the point of sale, you'll demand to wait 3 business days earlier you lot can complete your buy. If you're denied, you're allowed to asking an entreatment with the FBI.

Turnaround Fourth dimension for Fingerprint Background Checks

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

A fingerprint background check is oft used along with some other groundwork cheque, near notably employment background checks. The fingerprint check is required for government-run institutions such as public schools and airports, and besides for law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and hospitals. Other employers may crave a fingerprint groundwork check if you'll be caring for minors, the elderly, or other vulnerable people.

If the quality of your prints is poor, information technology may require longer processing times or that you start over. Information technology may as well take longer if in that location's a criminal history tied to your fingerprints.

If you've never been fingerprinted prior to a fingerprint background check, the bank check will only return no results, and your prints volition exist 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 groundwork check is taking longer than 3 to v days, here are a few reasons why it might exist delayed:

The most common reason for a delay is inaccurate or incomplete check request forms, or failure by the employer to have the necessary authorization and release forms signed by a job applicant, which are required by federal law. Agencies cannot start a groundwork check until they receive written consent.
About county court records are not fully digitized. Therefore, those searches must typically be done manually past a county clerk or a court runner. Depending on the county or case, it tin can take between 3 to 30 days to complete the manual portion of the search.
If you lot've lived in another country for school or piece of work—for some employers, within the last 10 years—an international groundwork check may be required. These checks usually accept four to v days depending on cooperation with the country; withal, some countries accept extensive privacy protection laws and can take up to 20 days to complete.
Aliases and name variances (e.g., Steve, Steven, Stephen) can cause delays and requires a manual cheque by the background cheque service to confirm your identity. Using unlike names in the past, or if your record is mixed up with someone else's who has a like or same name, can also cause your groundwork check to be delayed.
The background check service may demand to search several sources for the information the employer needs, and some databases and sources, such every bit schools or previous employers, may accept longer to search or verify than others.

Getting a Response from an Employer

While a groundwork cheque itself can take up to five days, yous may not hear back from the employer immediately after the bank check is complete. The recruiter may be running multiple background checks for several candidates and wants to complete and review all of them before reaching out.

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

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

In addition to sending you a copy of the background cheque where the negative data was constitute, an employer must also provide a copy of "A Summary of Your Rights Nether the Fair Credit Reporting Human activity." The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the organization that ensures background check companies and credit bureaus are post-obit the police, recommends that employers send this discover within five concern days.

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

The Lesser Line

While the majority of groundwork checks are returned inside the expected turnaround times, there are situations where unexpected delays tin occur.

If y'all 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 determine why there'due south a delay. They may require more than information from y'all, such as previous addresses or aliases. Only if the filibuster is beyond your control—such as manual processing delays—then at least y'all may have some peace of mind knowing it'southward all part of the background cheque process.

Disclaimer

The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal communication. Nosotros suggest you to consult your own counsel if you take legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicative laws.

Most the Author

Every bit GoodHire's managing editor, Sara Korolevich produces educational resources for employers on a diverseness of employment screening topics, including compliance and screening best practices, and writes about GoodHire's visitor and product news. Sara'south feel stems from 20+ years working as a B2C and B2B PR and communications professional.