Instant Criminal Background Checks

Criminal Background Checks
  • ACCOUNT SIGN IN
  • ORDER LOOKUP

  • CREATE AN ACCOUNT
  • ORDER NOW
  •    
Criminal Background Checks for Employment Screening
BBB Accredited Business  SSL Security 
  • Home
    • About Instant Criminal Checks
    • Testimonials, Reviews and Endorsements
    • Contact Instant Criminal Checks
  • Order Now
    • Use PayPal
  • Services
    • State Criminal Background Checks
    • 3 State Criminal Background Check
    • National Criminal Background Check
    • County Criminal Background Checks
    • Federal Background Check
    • SSN Verification and Address History Trace
    • National Sex Offender Search
  • Services By State
    • States: A-L
      • Alabama Criminal Background Check
      • Alaska Criminal Background Check
      • Arizona Criminal Background Check
      • Arkansas Criminal Background Check
      • California Criminal Background Check
      • Colorado Criminal Background Check
      • Connecticut Criminal Background Check
      • Delaware Criminal Background Check
      • Florida Criminal Background Check
      • Georgia Criminal Background Check
      • Guam Criminal Background Check
      • Hawaii Criminal Background Check
      • Idaho Criminal Background Check
      • Illinois Criminal Background Check
      • Indiana Criminal Background Check
      • Iowa Criminal Background Check
      • Kansas Criminal Background Check
      • Kentucky Criminal Background Check
      • Louisiana Criminal Background Check
    • States: M-O
      • Maine Criminal Background Check
      • Maryland Criminal Background Check
      • Massachusetts Criminal Background Check
      • Michigan Criminal Background Check
      • Minnesota Criminal Background Check
      • Mississippi Criminal Background Check
      • Missouri Criminal Background Check
      • Montana Criminal Background Check
      • Nebraska Criminal Background Check
      • Nevada Criminal Background Check
      • New Hampshire Criminal Background Check
      • New Jersey Criminal Background Check
      • New Mexico Criminal Background Check
      • New York Criminal Background Check
      • North Carolina Criminal Background Check
      • North Dakota Criminal Background Check
      • Ohio Criminal Background Check
      • Oklahoma Criminal Background Check
      • Oregon Criminal Background Check
    • States: P-W
      • Pennsylvania Criminal Background Check
      • Puerto Rico Criminal Background Check
      • Rhode Island Criminal Background Check
      • South Carolina Criminal Background Check
      • South Dakota Criminal Background Check
      • Tennessee Criminal Background Check
      • Texas Criminal Background Check
      • Utah Criminal Background Check
      • Vermont Criminal Background Check
      • Virgin Islands Criminal Background Check
      • Virginia Criminal Background Check
      • Washington Criminal Background Check
      • Washington DC Criminal Background Check
      • West Virginia Criminal Background Check
      • Wisconsin Criminal Background Check
      • Wyoming Criminal Background Check
  • Resources
    • FCRA Compliance and Forms
    • FAQ and Questions
  • Employers
    • Health Care Background Check Solutions
    • Education Background Check Services
    • Staffing Background Check Services
  • Landlords
    • Tenant Credit Score and Credit Report
  • Samples
  • Press
  • Blog
You are here: Home / blog / Why it is a Mistake to Rely on the FBI Fingerprint Database

Why it is a Mistake to Rely on the FBI Fingerprint Database

March 8, 2017 by criminalchecks Leave a Comment

One could be forgiven for thinking that an FBI fingerprint database check is the creme de la creme of background checks, the figurative gold standard of all that is out there. Though popular due to being well-known, such background checks are intended for law enforcement, not as an employment screening tool. Consequently, there are numerous oversights that employers should be aware of prior to relying on the FBI as the sole pre-employment background check.

FBI Fingerprint Database

As a pre-employment and tenant background screening service, Screening Intelligence is dedicated to protecting the safety of employees and landlords. While state legislators are to be applauded for their efforts at mandating background checks for many industries, the FBI screening tool should be supplemented with other, more comprehensive measures in order to lessen risk.

Here are three of the primary reasons why FBI fingerprint database isn’t sufficient on its own.

1. Incomplete

Although television shows such as “Criminal Minds” and “CSI” perpetuate this notion that the FBI fingerprint database is all-encompassing, it simply isn’t true. One of the most egregious mistakes is that the FBI doesn’t always offer information about the outcome of a case. For instance, there aren’t details stating if a case was dismissed, or a record expunged. In 2013, the National Employment Law Project released a report indicating that such inaccuracies are potentially preventing 600,000 Americans from being hired at jobs they otherwise would be perfectly suited for on an annual basis.

2. Inaccurate

Roughly half of all final outcomes from criminal cases are missing from the FBI fingerprint database simply because some states aren’t required to report them. A 2015 Government Accountability Office Report underscored this point by stating that 10 states reported that their databases were 50 percent or less complete; 13 states reported a completion of only 50 to 75 percent; while a mere 20 states reported 76 to 100 percent completion. Seven states didn’t offer any information.

3. Applicant protections

FBI fingerprint database reports do not provide applicants with the sorts of protections that the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and similar state laws mandate. Ordinarily, applicants have the right to know what is on their record and then dispute it. Without exercising that right, a person may be excluded from a job due to an error or oversight.

Consumer reporting agencies (CRAs), including Screening Intelligence, go far beyond fingerprint databases to ensure accuracy. Many CRA services will include using personal identification information to examine hundreds of primary sources, such as education, employment, driving records, and criminal history backgrounds with outcome data. When you’re trying to decide what background checks service to use, consider one that provides you with the whole picture.

Disclaimer: The information on InstantCriminalChecks.com is governed by our Terms of Use and is never intended as legal advice.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Print
  • Email

Filed Under: blog

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Background Check Order Options


Instant Background Checks
State Criminal Checks $24.95
National Criminal Check $59.95

Other Background Checks
County Criminal Checks $24.95
Federal Background Check $29.95
SSN Trace - Address History $14.95
Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)

Recent Blog Posts

  • 4 Revealing Interview Tips to Help You Choose the Right Candidate August 15, 2022
  • The Importance of a Diverse Hiring Panel and 4 Common Hiring Process Mistakes February 28, 2022
  • Guide to Performing Reference Checks When Hiring September 30, 2021
  • Recruiting In a Time of High Unemployment: What You Need to Know February 23, 2021
  • 5 Employment Red Flags That May Show Up on a Background Check October 30, 2020

Recent Blog Posts

  • 4 Revealing Interview Tips to Help You Choose the Right Candidate
  • The Importance of a Diverse Hiring Panel and 4 Common Hiring Process Mistakes
  • Guide to Performing Reference Checks When Hiring
  • Recruiting In a Time of High Unemployment: What You Need to Know

Tweets by iCriminalChecks

Follow InstantCriminalChecks.com

  • Email
  • Flickr
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Follow Instant Criminal Checks
Search Instant Criminal Checks
Instant Criminal Checks Site Map

© Copyright 2003-Present www.InstantCriminalChecks.com by Screening Intelligence LLC " All Rights Reserved | Security | Privacy | Terms of Use |
The information on InstantCriminalChecks.com is governed by our Terms of Use and is never intended as legal advice.