The Best Background Check Services for Employers of 2026

They are consumer reporting agencies that verify identity and history for hiring, including criminal records, employment, education and credentials. Because their reports are consumer reports, employers must give written disclosure, get authorization and follow adverse action steps when a report influences a decision.

No single company is best for every employer. Self-serve providers with published per-check prices and built-in forms suit small teams that hire now and then. Contract providers suit high-volume, multi-state or global hiring that needs custom packages, ATS integration and an account manager. The ranking above scores each provider from facts we checked on its own pages: verified capabilities, published pricing, integrations and security reports. The most reliable choice for you is the one that searches the right courts for your candidates, confirms database hits at the source and handles disputes well, so ask each finalist for a sample report and its written dispute process.

There is no official count, but most employment packages are built from the same parts: an SSN trace that finds past names and addresses, a national criminal database search, county court searches where the person lived, a sex offender registry search and often a global watchlist search. Employers then add checks that fit the job, such as employment and education verification for professional roles, a driving record for drivers, drug tests where policy or regulation requires them, and a credit report for roles that handle money. Each provider's page on this site lists the core searches we verified for it.

Only what the employer orders and the law allows. Criminal searches can show convictions, pending cases and some arrest records. Verifications confirm past employers, job titles, dates of employment, degrees and licenses. A driving record shows license status, violations and accidents. A credit report for employment can show accounts, collections and public records such as bankruptcies. Medical and genetic information is restricted by federal law and is not part of a standard check. If you are the candidate, you have the right to see the report before an employer rejects you because of it.

The FCRA stops screening companies from reporting arrest records, civil suits and most other negative items once they pass a set age, unless the job's expected salary is above a federal threshold. Convictions have no federal age limit, so they can be reported however old they are, but state and local laws can restrict what an employer may consider. Employment and education verifications go back as far as the employer asks, and some providers price them by how many years they cover. Ask each provider which lookback each search uses in your hiring states.

Database searches, such as the SSN trace, national criminal database and sex offender registry, often return within minutes. County court searches take longer when a court has no online records and a researcher has to visit it. Employment and education verifications depend on how fast past employers and schools respond, and drug tests depend on when the candidate visits a collection site. Missing candidate details and possible name matches that need review also add time. Ask each provider for turnaround by check type, and treat a single average as a rough guide only.

For most jobs there is no federal list of disqualifying records: the employer decides, within the law. Records an employer may weigh include convictions related to the job's duties, a driving record for a driving role, a failed drug test where its policy requires testing, and false statements about past jobs or degrees. EEOC guidance warns that excluding everyone with any criminal record can be discriminatory, and asks employers to consider the nature and gravity of the offense, the time that has passed and the nature of the job. Before a final decision, the employer must send a pre-adverse action notice so the person can point out errors.

Yes. Under the FCRA you can ask a screening company for the information it holds on you, and after an adverse action notice you can get a free copy of the report from the company that supplied it if you ask within the deadline the notice gives. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes a list of employment screening companies with contact details for requesting your file. Some screening companies also sell personal background checks that run the same kinds of searches an employer would order. Checking yourself first lets you fix errors before an employer sees them.

Yes, if you use a screening company. Before you order a report, the FCRA requires a written disclosure, in a stand-alone document, telling the person you may use a consumer report for employment decisions, plus their written permission. The permission can be on the same form as the disclosure, but neither can sit inside a job application. If you want to run checks again during employment, say so clearly in the authorization. Most screening companies deliver the disclosure and authorization through their online consent flow, and some publish sample forms. Have counsel review any form, because some states and cities require extra notices.

They are state and local laws that limit when, and sometimes whether, an employer may ask about criminal history. Many move the question until later in the hiring process, and some add their own notice and waiting steps before an employer withdraws an offer. Because the rules depend on where the job and the candidate are, choose a provider whose adverse action workflow applies the right rules for each location. Several providers in our ranking state that theirs does; each provider's page shows whether we verified it.

Location matters less than coverage. The providers in our ranking take orders online and serve employers across the United States, and they reach county courts through online access or court researchers. What matters is whether a provider searches the courts where your candidate lived, follows the rules for your hiring locations and connects to your hiring software. To find accredited firms, use the PBSA directory, then compare their published coverage and turnaround.

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, send a pre-adverse action notice that includes a copy of the report and a summary of rights, so the candidate can review and dispute it. After a final decision, send an adverse action notice with the provider's contact details and dispute rights.

EEOC guidance says an arrest alone does not establish that criminal conduct occurred. Employers may consider conduct underlying an arrest only if it makes the person unfit for the position. For convictions, consider the nature and gravity of the offense, the time elapsed and the nature of the job.

Yes. The FTC says employers must tell the applicant in writing, in a stand-alone format, that a consumer report may be used for employment decisions, and must get written permission first. You must also certify to the screening company that you did so and will not misuse the report. If you want ongoing access during employment, say so clearly in the authorization.

It is risky. Inconsistent searches can introduce information you should not use and produce unequal treatment. A documented process with a consistent set of checks by role is easier to defend. Where a third-party report is used, FCRA notice steps apply.

They are worth it for roles with access to money, vulnerable people, sensitive data or property, and when customers or insurers expect screening. Value depends on a consistent process and on following notice rules. For low-risk roles, limit checks to what is job-related.