What is a background check? A background check is the checking of your criminal records, employment record, educational record, driving record and even your financial records.

Those types of records are probably one of the most important records, which are required during employment. Background checks are very useful especially for large companies. One of the most important records that companies require these days is the criminal background check. This is very helpful for companies because this type of record ensures them that they are not hiring a crook in their company.

In U.S. criminal background check are necessary especially if you are applying for positions on educational institutions, adult health care centers and nursing homes.

There are particular firms that conduct criminal background check upon request of the client. These firms are legal and they have access to various records from country courthouses’ database. They will search if you have any record or you have been convicted for criminal acts and transgressions. What is the necessary information needed to start a criminal background check? Complete name, date of birth, Social Security number and country of residency. This information will enable the investigators to access your account completely. The resources used are from the state’s records and the federal records.

Usually the records that can be obtained from a criminal background check are found in county courts. The primary information will include the criminal charges, disposition and the date of the criminal case. The firm may ask for additional information for the background check. The additional information may include police records and other court records.

If the offense was committed outside the state, federal records are used. Examples of such cases are arson, drug trafficking, smuggling, stealing and kidnapping. The request for records from states varies. It could be two to three days for federal and country courts.

You can also request criminal background check from the government organizations like the Department of Justice. However, the information that can be obtained from this organization is limited because there is no national database for criminals. Still, the most effective way to get information is for companies to do a personal communication to the court house. Even if it may seem as a slow move, it is still the best way to access the information needed by clients.

Before, this was the scenario for criminal background check. You had to spend time and effort just to obtain the information you needed. Now there is a more convenient way to do a background checking. With the advancement of the technology these days, particularly with the Internet technology, background checking is easy. Now, you can do criminal background checks for persons from US, Canada and UK. Public records are accessible to everyone so whether it is a simple traffic violation or any other crimes, it can easily be found and recorded.

Criminal background check is very important when we are talking about the safety of ourselves, our loved ones and our company. With the new technology, it is difficult for someone to know that you are conducting an investigation about him or her, so it is possible to do some background checking. Remember that it is for your own good.