If you have heard the words “all we need is a background check” you may be wondering how that job offer is going to hold up. If you have a bad mark on your history, then it may show up and cause you to lose the job. How many years does a background check go back?

The amount of time a background check goes back depends on what is being checked. If the check is for a credit check, most of the information is held by the credit reporting agencies for less than seven years. There are two exceptions, the bankruptcies and judgments. These may be reported by the credit reporting agencies for up to ten years. In addition, court actions are permanently recorded in the County Court Records so they could come up, although it is unlikely.

If you have a criminal record, the amount of time the record is kept varies by jurisdiction. Typically, felonies are kept much longer than are other misdemeanor charges. In addition, if you were found innocent, the charges should not be reported. If you were pardoned from the crime, they also should not be reported on the report.

Some of the background check will be looking for such thing as social security scams. If this is a part of the background check, the information is looking for current reports. If the incident took place several years ago and there were no criminal charges filed, it is likely that the information will not be reported.

Most records used for employment verification report information that is less than seven years old. Certain employers may keep records for a longer time, however the background check is normally only interested in this amount of time.

Education background checks often are only to see if you have the degrees that you claim to have. This makes it very important that you tell the truth in applications and in your resume. If you do not have a degree, do not claim that you do have it.

If you have marks against you that are within the time included in how many years a background check goes back, the best policy is to be upfront with an employer about the situation. Let them know how you have learned your lesson and have turned over a new leaf. It is possible that you will still get the job you seek.

Want to find out more about online background checks, then visit Kinkada Pillosa’s site on how to choose the best background check search sites for your needs. Don’t reprint this exact article. Instead, reprint a free unique content version of this same article.

Comments are closed.