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Background Check Services

How Background Check Services Are Priced

How background check services are priced: the pricing models you will meet, what drives the cost and the fees that are easy to miss.

By LeadChange Research TeamUpdated Based on 8 sources, facts checked Report an error

How much background check services cost

Common pricing models: per report package, A la carte, subscription plus report fees, and volume contract. Too few vendors publish comparable list prices for us to give a price range; the models and cost drivers below explain what you will be quoted.

Pricing models explained

  • Per report package. A fixed price for each package, such as identity plus criminal plus verifications. This is the most common and easiest to compare.
  • A la carte. Each search is priced separately, which suits targeted checks but can add up. Ask for the price of each component.
  • Subscription plus report fees. A monthly platform fee plus per-report charges, often with volume discounts.
  • Volume contract. Negotiated rates for high volumes, with service levels and integration terms.

Extra and hidden costs

  • Checkr

    Third-party court and database access fees passed through at cost, not included in package prices, Motor vehicle record: $9.50/check plus state DMV fees, Continuous MVR: $2.50 per enrolled driver per month, Identity verification: $4.99/check, Drug screening: from $10/test, Employment verification: from $12.50/check, Social media search: $29.99/check, Assess Standard: $2.49/report; Assess Premium: $4/report, Postal adverse action: $7/letter, Form I-9: $7/form, International background checks: from $32/check, County criminal search add-on: $25/check plus court fees1

  • Certn

    County searches on the US Core Criminal Check: $9.99 each where applicable, Third-party pass-through access fees may apply, Additional state fee may apply for US Motor Vehicle Records, Employment, education and credential verification priced case by case («Price Varies»)2

  • Turn

    Continuous MVR monitoring is a separate subscription3

  • ClearStar

    County court pass-through fees4

  • GoodHire

    Court fees: some state and county courts charge a fee to retrieve criminal records, invoiced at cost, DMV fees: every state DMV charges a fee to retrieve a driving record (MVR), invoiced at cost5

  • First Advantage

    Small business accounts: no setup fee and no minimums; checks are paid as you go6

  • Backgrounds Online

    Additional county court fees beyond the counties a package includes, Third-party verification fees charged by employers or schools7

  • Trusted Employees

    Apply Now service fee of $2.00 per applicant, County court and motor vehicle department processing fees, added at cost without markup, Employer and school verification fees, added at cost without markup, Add-on checks: credit report $12, driving record $19.95, financial or health care sanctions $9 each, education or employment verification $14.95 each8

What drives the price

  • Number and type of checks per candidate
  • Number of counties and jurisdictions searched
  • Employment and education verification, which depend on third parties
  • Driving record, drug screening and credential checks
  • Hiring volume
  • ATS integration and account setup

Fees to ask about before you sign:

  • County court and third-party access fees passed through to you
  • Fees for each additional jurisdiction or past address
  • Charges for rush turnaround
  • Platform, integration or account setup fees
  • Fees for re-running or re-issuing a report after a dispute
  • Minimum monthly volumes

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free employment background check?

Not a complete one. Some courts and state agencies let the public search their own records online, but a search of one court misses records held elsewhere, and doing it yourself does not remove your duties. The EEOC says background information must not be used to discriminate however you got it, and if you buy a report from a company in the business of compiling background information, the FCRA notice and permission rules apply. Candidates have more free options: they can request their file from screening companies, and some providers offer a free personal profile.

How much does an employment background check cost?

Self-serve providers publish a price per check for each package, and contract providers quote by volume. On top of the package price, expect third-party court and database access fees passed through to you, plus separate charges for verifications, driving records, drug tests and rush service. Request the full price for the package your typical role needs, including pass-through fees, rather than the advertised starting price.

Do background check services publish their prices?

Of the 23 background check services we track, 0 publish a list price we can compare and 15 are quote-only (Accurate Background, Accurate C&S Services, Asurint, Cisive, and 11 more).

Do background check services charge an implementation fee?

Certn, Turn, Veremark, and Zinc state no implementation fee. InfoMart lists one; ask for it in writing with the quote.

Can I pay for background check services month to month?

Backgrounds Online, Checkr, Verified First, and Zinc bill month to month.

How this page was made

  • What it is built from

    17 verified facts, each checked against the vendor's own pages or another primary source, most recently on Oct 24, 2026.

  • Method

    Scored and compared with the LeadChange methodology, version 1.3. Read the methodology

  • Independent review

    Not reviewed yet by our independent reviewer. How we review

  • Hands-on testing

    We have not tested these products hands-on: this page uses public information only.

  • Who made it

    The LeadChange Research Team, following a written research process. No named expert has reviewed this page. About us

  • Independence and errors

    Who pays us never changes a score or a rank. If something here is wrong, tell us and we correct it publicly. Request a correction

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Sources

The 8 pages this page's facts come from, with the day we last checked each one. The numbers beside the figures above link here.

Quotes from the sources
  1. Checkr checkr.com/pricing“*Standard third-party court and database access fees may apply, passed through at cost with no markup.”
  2. Certn certn.co/us/pricing“*Certn automatically completes county searches where applicable at a charge of $9.99. Additional third-party pass through access fees may apply.”
  3. Turn turn.ai/pricing“Enhance safety through Continuous MVR Monitoring which is available through a subscription and diligently tracks information from state DMVs and county courts.”
  4. ClearStar clearstar.net/pricing“First 3 county court criminal record checks (pass-through fees apply)”
  5. Checkr checkr.com/pricing/passthrough-fees“These surcharges are included on your invoice as non-marked up, third-party fees. … Some state and county courts charge a fee to retrieve criminal records; all DMVs charge fees to retrieve driving records.”
  6. First Advantage fadv.com/solutions/small-business-background-checks“Start screening quickly with online, pay-as-you-go background checks and no setup fees or minimums.”
  7. Backgrounds Online backgroundsonline.com/products-and-services“* Up to 5 counties/districts. Additional county court fees may apply. ** Additional third party verification fees may apply.”
  8. Trusted Employees trustedemployees.com/pricing-packages“* Apply Now service fee = $2.00 per applicant * Some counties and motor vehicle departments charge processing fees to access criminal records. These fees will be added and are not marked up.”