In the Complete and Professional packages, county searches are based on the 7-year address trace we conduct, not on the state you or your applicant entered on the order. If the trace includes an address in another state, we search there too, and that state's surcharges may apply. In some states, when the county surcharges add up to more than the state's statewide surcharge, we run one statewide search in place of those county searches. That is why an order can show a New York statewide surcharge for an applicant who lives in another state today.
Where the addresses come from
Every package includes an SSN trace. In Complete and Professional, county searches are based on the address trace we conduct. The trace returns names and addresses tied to your applicant's Social Security number. For the Complete and Professional package county searches, we don't use addresses entered on the order or the application. The trace does not confirm that the number belongs to your applicant, so it can include an address your applicant doesn't recognize. See What the results on your SSN & Address Trace mean.
How we choose where to search
Complete and Professional include unlimited county criminal searches in the counties from the 7-year address trace we conduct.
Some courts and other jurisdictions charge pass-through surcharges for county and statewide searches. We don't mark up these surcharges. They are pass-through fees we don't control.
For each state in the address trace, we compare the total of that state's county surcharges with the state's statewide surcharge.
If the county surcharges total more than the statewide surcharge, we run the statewide search in place of those county searches. The statewide surcharge is lower, so you pay less in surcharges than the county searches would have cost.
If the two amounts are equal, or the county surcharges total less, the county searches run.
A statewide search is a different search from a county search. The records it returns depend on what each county within the state makes available. It follows the same lookback rule as county searches: up to 15 years where federal and state law allow, with a 7-year limit in CA, CO, KS, MD, MA, MT, NH, NM, NY, TX and WA.
Which orders this applies to
The statewide swap applies only to the county searches included in the Complete and Professional packages. It does not apply to:
County searches you add per county to a Basic order.
County searches you add à la carte to any order.
Those run as the county searches you ordered.
Example: New York
New York's statewide surcharge is $98.00. If the New York counties in your applicant's address trace carry surcharges that add up to more than $98.00, we run the New York statewide search in their place. Your order then shows one $98.00 New York statewide surcharge instead of several county surcharges. Rates can change, so check the current amounts in County Criminal Search Surcharges by State.
If your applicant never lived at that address
Only an applicant can open a dispute on their report. An employer cannot initiate this process on their behalf. Our support team does not remove addresses from a report outside that dispute process. If your applicant believes an address on their report is wrong, share these steps with them:
Email [email protected] or call 1-800-942-1366.
Include their full name, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, and a short description of the information they want to dispute.
Once we receive the dispute, we review the specific items they identify and begin a reinvestigation. Depending on the information being disputed, the reinvestigation may take up to 30 days to complete. In limited circumstances, it may take up to 45 days. The applicant can view the outcome through their report link.
Your applicant can also read My employer ran a background check on me. What if there is incorrect info on my report?
Can I get a refund of the surcharge?
Filing a dispute does not, by itself, lead to a surcharge refund. Under our Terms of Service (Section 8b), BackgroundChecks.com will not refund passthrough surcharges from federal, state, and county courts, employers, educational institutions, or state Departments of Motor Vehicles to the extent that BackgroundChecks.com has already been billed for the surcharge. For any refund question, contact Customer Support at [email protected] or 1-800-942-1366.
Before you order
The order page links to the list of surcharges and estimated turnaround times. Check the surcharge list on the order page before you order.
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