EMPLOYMENT BACKGROUND CHECKS
Additional Employment Screening State And Court Access Fees Explained
Not surprisingly, New York Fees Are The Highest in The Nation.
Updated 05/2021
Sometimes, the fees charged by a few states are greater than our total charge for a comprehensive criminal record background check.
In these few isolated cases, we cannot absorb the charge as part of our normal process.
However, you are always given the option of declining these fees before ordering the report and removing the particular state or county criminal record background check from the requested screening.
Including recent 05/2019 price increases, New York state court record access fees are by far the highest in the nation beginning at $105.
The major Boroughs of New York each charge individual court access fees.
We use this statewide criminal records check at a fee of $115 plus a compliance surcharge of $10.00 for a total New York Criminal record check of $125.00, rather than paying separate New York County Fees For Each Separate Borough Or County. This is more like a tax they make us collect for them.
And, they know this leaves employers no choice but to pay these court access fees in order to obtain a valid criminal record check. However, unless required by a specific entity like TRI-CARE®, you are always given the option of declining these fees before ordering the report and removing the particular state or county criminal record background check from the requested screening.
Rather than paying a separate $95 each for a criminal records access fee for multiple New York counties, we have found the state of New York Unified Court System to be the most reliable and cost effective source of criminal records.
They can do this because the state and boroughs of New York have a monopoly on allowing access to these criminal records.
They know the importance of a criminal record background check.
Unless required by a specific entity like TRI-CARE®, the employer may always opt out of paying these fees.
But, the cost of doing so may be missing a significant criminal record and having no confidence in the background check results.
County and State Court Criminal Records
Some counties or states charge a separate fee for access to criminal records.
Other than generating extra revenue, there is no compelling reason that the two percent of counties, and the states noted below, charge these high records access fees.
This is really more like a tax that they make us collect for them.
So the choice is simple – take a chance on not knowing an applicant’s criminal history or pay these “Fees”.
Kentucky
Many Kentucky county courts are closed or have reduced staff due to the Pandemic.
The results from individual counties were taking several days or even weeks to be returned.
So, we are now ordering our criminal records directly from the state of Kentucky Court Of Justice .
Not only is this report faster it is a more comprehensive criminal record.
The state court data supplier charges us a $25 access fee for this report since it includes all counties in Kentucky, not just the county of residence. We must pass on this fee to our clients,
Massachusetts
Massachusetts charges a $25 access fee for CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information). We have to use this report for Massachusetts as the county reports are not up-to-date, fast or reliable.
Therefore, we must use this report in order to provide an accurate and comprehensive search of criminal records in the state of Massachusetts.
New York
Please be advised that legislation has passed as part of the 2019/2020 NYS budget, raising the cost of the criminal record search conducted by OCA’s CHRS Unit to $95 per name and date of birth.
New York state court record access fees are the highest in the nation at $95, plus a $35.00 court compliance fee.
We have to use this report for New York as the county reports are not up-to-date, fast or reliable.
Therefore, we must use this report in order to provide an accurate and comprehensive search of criminal records in the state of New York.
If a client elects not to run this report, we will remove it from the search, but any criminal activity in New York will be unreported to us or by us.
Michigan
The state criminal record database criminal offender record information is the most comprehensive way to search the state of Michigan when conducting a pre-employment criminal records background check.
The state of Michigan charges a fee of $10.00 to access the (ICHAT) criminal records database system. This fee is added to the regular cost of your search and is paid to the State of Michigan.
Turnaround times are typically same day to next day.
The Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) allows the search of public criminal history record information maintained by the Michigan State Police, Criminal Justice Information Center.
All felonies and serious misdemeanors that are punishable by over 93 days are required to be reported to the state repository by law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and courts in all 83 Michigan counties.
Puerto Rico
Criminal records in Puerto Rico are centrally maintained by the Puerto Rico Police.
The y charge an access fee of $50.00
https://policia.pr.gov/
California
California does not have a statewide criminal record database. Criminal records are only available from the counties.
Therefore, some California counties charge a county records access fee. Usually this fee is $5.00 or less.
Credential Verification Services
Colleges And Universities
All colleges and some employers and all schools utilize third party database services.
When charged to us as part of an education or previous employment verification, such “third party fees” are passed on to National Employment Screening clients at the actual cost imposed by the third party
Additional fees charged by these entities are beyond our control, and are in addition to the fees charged by any screening firm for services.
We only pass them on when we are charged and do not mark them up in any way.
You are always given the option of declining these fees and removing the verification from the requested screening.
Department of Motor Vehicle Driving Record Access Fees
All state DMVs charge a state fee to access driving record information.
The cost varies by state. Click Here for state driving record fees.
Our Automated Employment Screening provides an applicant controlled process that allows FCRA compliant background check forms, including Electronic Chain-Of-custody forms and releases to be completed online by the applicant.
We provide several short videos to easily acquaint you with the system.
This makes the background check process fast and easy.
Please Click or call for more information.
Call Us now at 800-459-3034 and begin ordering instant driving records and background checks within minutes or:
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Disclaimer
None of the information contained in this web site should be construed as legal advice.
All forms, policies, information and procedures should be reviewed by your legal counsel before being used in any way.