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What is covered in a background check?

Background checks are one important part of Sittercity's recommended four-step screening process. We've partnered with LexisNexis, one of the nation's leaders in background checks, to provide you with a easy-to-use tool that can get you a response in seconds but still preserves everyone's privacy with respect to personal information like Social Security numbers.

Here is what the standard background check includes:

 


1. Identity Check

 

This verifies the applicant's:

 

 

2. National Criminal Search

 

This checks for records appearing in: 

 

 

3. Traffic Violations

In the jurisdictions where traffic violations count as misdemeanors or felonies, traffic violations may appear on the National Criminal Search. Please understand that traffic violations are not checked unless a state reports these violations as a criminal offense.



Please remember that offenses for minors may not appear in the public record are therefore not accessible in the background check.

 

 

 

 

Not all arrest logs, sex offender registries and conviction records are available in all counties/states. Details below.

 

ALABAMA

  • Checks arrest logs in 6 counties, none with records before 2005
  • Statewide felony convictions updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registries updated twice a month


ALASKA

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions updated quarterly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


ARIZONA

  • 0 counties check arrest logs only, 2 counties check criminal court records/convictions, 1 county checks both arrest logs and court convictions
  • Maricopa Country records date back to 2003 (criminal court convictions) and 2006 (arrest logs)
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1983, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1985, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registries updated monthly


ARKANSAS

  • Checks arrest logs in 1 county only (Benton), dating back to 2006
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1984, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions updated weekly
  • Statewide inmate records date back to 1985, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


CALIFORNIA

  • 6 counties check arrest logs only, 9 counties check criminal convictions only, 5 counties check both
  • 12 of the 20 counties have records that go back 7 years or less
  • The only statewide check is the sex offender registry, updated monthly


COLORADO

  • 2 counties report arrest records (Pitkin and Weld), 1 county reports criminal court records (Denver County)
  • Pitkin and Weld Counties don't have records prior to 2005
  • Statewide criminal corrections date back to 2001, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


CONNECTICUT

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1987, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1988, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


DELAWARE

  • No county records
  • Only checks statewide sex offender registry, updated every other week


DC

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony conviction records only between 1986 and 2002
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


FLORIDA

  • 5 counties check arrest logs only, 14 counties check criminal convictions only, 5 counties check both
  • Broward County only has criminal court convictions between 1986 and 2007
  • Lee County only has criminal court convictions between 1983 and 2004
  • Palm Beach only has arrest logs between 6/1/2005 and 6/22/2005, and from 4/2006 to the present
  • Checks statewide administrative office for Florida Courts, records from 1989 to 2003
  • Statewide Department of Correction records updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions only reported between 1983 and 2004
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


GEORGIA

  • 5 of the 6 counties report arrest logs rather than criminal convictions
  • No county records date back earlier than April 2004
  • Statewide criminal court convictions updated twice a year
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1980, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


HAWAII

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court records updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registries updated every other week


IDAHO

  • Checks 2 counties (Ada and Canyon), reporting arrest records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1984, updated twice a year
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


ILLINOIS

  • 2 counties report arrest logs only (Peoria and Will), 1 county reports both arrest logs and criminal court convictions (Cook)
  • Cook and Peoria County arrest logs date back to 2006
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1982, updated quarterly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


INDIANA

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1989, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


IOWA

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1998, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions are historical only
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


KANSAS

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1994, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


KENTUCKY

  • No county records
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


LOUISIANA

  • 1 county reports arrest logs only (Lafayette Parish), 1 county reports criminal court records (St. Tammany Parish)
  • Statewide Department of Corrections Records updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


MAINE

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions only reported between 1991 and 2006
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


MARYLAND

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court records -- including traffic court -- date back to 1998, updated monthly
  • Statewide inmate records updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


MASSACHUSETTS

  • No county records
  • Only checks statewide sex offender registry, updated every other week


MICHIGAN

  • 2 counties report arrest logs (Kent and Oakland), 1 county reports criminal court convictions (Wayne)
  • Kent and Oakland County arrest logs don't go back further than 2005
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1980, updated quarterly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


MINNESOTA

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1987
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1978, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


MISSISSIPPI

  • Checks criminal court records in Harrison County (starting in 2000), and checks criminal court convictions in Hinds County (starting in 1996)
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1975, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


MISSOURI

  • Only checks St. Francois county records (arrest logs), dating back to 2006
  • Statewide criminal court records date back to 2000, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1979, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


MONTANA

  • Only checks Yellowstone County (arrest logs, beginning 2004)
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1982, updated quarterly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


NEBRASKA

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1977, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


NEVADA

  • No county records
  • Statewide inmate records updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender data is historical, up to Feb 2008


NEW HAMPSHIRE

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date to 2001, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


NEW JERSEY

  • No county records
  • Statewide inmate records for felony bookings historical records between 1976 and 2003
  • Statewide inmate records between 1976 and 2003
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


NEW MEXICO

  • Only checks Bamalillo County (arrest records, starting 2006)
  • Statewide inmate records date back to 1999, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


NEW YORK

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1987, updated quarterly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


NORTH CAROLINA

  • Checks arrest records in 3 counties (Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Rowan), 2 of which only go back to 2006 (latter two)
  • Statewide criminal court records date back to 1983, updated weekly
  • Statewide felony convictions date to 1973, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


NORTH DAKOTA

  • No county records
  • Only checks statewide sex offender registry, updated monthly


OHIO

  • Of 31 counties reporting offenses, 2 report arrest logs only and 29 report criminal court records only
  • 7 of those counties have records only dating back to 2001
  • 16 counties list dates for their records
  • Statewide felony convictions date to 1981, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


OKLAHOMA

  • None of the counties report arrest logs; all report criminal court records
  • None of the counties have dates listed for their records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions reported only between1998 and 2006
  • Statewide criminal court records date back to 1995, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1978, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


OREGON

  • None of the 9 counties report criminal convictions; they report arrest logs
  • None of the counties have reports prior to 2006 (though 3 counties do not list any dates at all)
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1988, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


PENNSYLVANIA

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court records date back to 2001, updated weekly
  • Statewide inmate records updated weekly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


RHODE ISLAND

  • No county records
  • Statewide criminal court convictions updated weekly (status is "historical")
  • Statewide traffic court convictions date back to 1977, updated weekly
  • Statewide inmate records updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


SOUTH CAROLINA

  • Checks only 2 counties (criminal court records), Greenville and York
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1975, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


SOUTH DAKOTA

  • No county records
  • Only checks statewide sex offender registry, updated monthly


TENNESSEE

  • Checks Shelby County arrest logs and Hamilton County criminal court records
  • Checks statewide registry for people with convictions of meth manufacturing, updated monthly
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1989, updated quarterly
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1992, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated every other week


TEXAS

  • 3 counties check arrest logs only, 17 counties check criminal convictions/records only, 5 counties check both
  • 7 counties have records only dating back to 2001
  • Statewide criminal court convictions have "historical" status
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1994, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


UTAH

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1982, updated quarterly
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1993, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


VERMONT

  • No county records
  • Checks statewide sex offender registry only, updated monthly


VIRGINIA

  • Only checks Fairfax county criminal court convictions, between 1979 and 2004
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 2002, updated monthly
  • Statewide criminal court convictions date back to 1993, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registry updated monthly


WASHINGTON

  • Checks arrest logs only in 4 counties (Kitsap, Okanogan, Pierce, Thurston)
  • Statewide felony convictions are historical only, between 1961 and 2006
  • Reports statewide criminal cases in limited jurisdiction courts, updated quarterly
  • Checks statewide criminal records and names defendants & associates in criminal cases, updated quarterly


WEST VIRGINIA

  • No county records
  • Statewide arrest logs date back to 1995, updated weekly
  • Statewide correction records back to 2006, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registries updated every other week


WISCONSIN

  • No county records
  • Statewide felony convictions date back to 1990, updated twice a year
  • Statewide criminal court conviction records are historical, from 1992 to 2002
  • Statewide criminal court records date back to 1995, updated monthly
  • Statewide sex offender registries updated every other week


WYOMING

  • No county records
  • Checks statewide sex offender registries ONLY, updated every other week

 

Related Questions

What if I want to dispute an error on my background check?