Primary Source Criminal Record Research

The criminal search process requires the most thorough research to ensure a criminal record belonging to your candidate is not missed.

Additionally, great care is taken to ensure that an inaccurate criminal history is not reported to the client that would negatively affect the candidate’s onboarding experience.

 

  • Our office will only report criminal records developed in a search that include at least two personal identifiers that match the candidate and are reportable under FCRA and individual state reporting guidelines.

 

  • Statewide criminal record research is available in forty-two states though primary sources such as the State Police and State agency repositories. TABB INC. is registered with these states, and we have direct electronic access to each state’s criminal record database. In most cases, TABB INC. personnel actually conduct the criminal search through the state database. The vast majority of criminal record checks we conduct across all clients are statewide searches

 

  • A statewide search is not available in the remaining eight states. Individual county criminal record checks are conducted in these states through web-based court portals in the counties where the candidate has lived. When online access is not available, court researchers personally visit the court to conduct the research.

 

  • Our office does not immediately run criminal record checks upon entry of the background request within our reporting system. Research is withheld until a thorough and systematic review of the employment application, authorization, all attachments and the Social Security trace results to confirm the exact spelling of the candidate’s name(s), other surnames used and personal identifiers.

 

  • When a criminal record is developed, our office confirms personal identifiers in the record matches your candidate and that the record is reportable under state and federal law. Dispositions are often incomplete and inconclusive. Additional research will be conducted at the court where the offense occurred to confirm final dispositions. Accuracy is a key concern.