Illinois Background Check: What to Expect

Lily Evans - June 24, 2025

It’s no secret that undergoing an Illinois background check can be stressful. After all, the results of your background check might determine whether or not you are able to secure a specific job, or if you are eligible for a certain opportunity in your Illinois community. 

Knowing what to expect from your Illinois background check can make it easier to prepare for this process, which is where we come in. Our article tells you all about Illinois background checks and how to prepare for one of these looks into your personal history.

What Is an Illinois Background Check?

An Illinois background check is a state-level background check that looks at all of your personal history, criminal history, and civil court history, among other details. Illinois background checks are given to any individual in the state of Illinois who is required to consent to a background check for employment purposes or general screening purposes. Every Illinois background check must follow state law and federal laws in regard to consent, disclosure, and the process for appealing a background check.

How Do I Prepare for an Illinois Background Check?

You can prepare for your Illinois background check by taking the time to review your background check report and look for any errors or inconsistencies. Oftentimes, names may be confused with background checks and this can lead to errors on your report. 

If you do find an error on your Illinois background check report, you can contact the reporting agency for an adjustment. Be sure to follow all requested steps and provide information that backs up your request for an adjustment.

We recommend reviewing your report several weeks ahead of when you might be required to submit an official Illinois background check as errors may take a few weeks to correct.

Who Needs an Illinois Background Check?

Anyone in Illinois may be requested to submit a background check at some point in their life. While these checks are typically used as part of the hiring screening process in Illinois, they could also be used to evaluate someone’s suitability for a higher education program or professional licensing program, initiation into a church ministry, or as part of a general safety check.

Even if you are not likely to undergo an Illinois state background check by a potential employer or landlord any time soon, it is still a good idea to be aware of what shows up on your own background report. It’s possible to run a background check on yourself in Illinois, which allows you to see everything that shows up on your background report and what is included in the public record that can be traced back to you. This allows you to become aware of any mistakes on your report, including those due to identity fraud, and quickly resolve the issues before someone requests your report and find wrong information out about you and your history.

Why Are Illinois Background Checks Important?

Illinois background checks are important because they help individuals evaluate whether or not someone is being truthful about their identity, if a person is qualified for a job they are applying for, or if a person presents a safety risk to a workplace. Many companies and employers will implement background checking policies to ensure that they can maintain a safe workplace and that they adhere to any state laws surrounding due diligence practices.

On a personal level, background checks can be important to ensure that others are safe to be around and that any person working with a vulnerable population such as children or the elderly is qualified to do so.

What Is Included On My Illinois Background Check?

Your Illinois background check will include several different types of information that can help someone evaluate your history and your suitability for a certain position. In addition to personal information, details about your civil and criminal history may also be included. Your Illinois background check will look at between 7 and 10 years of history depending on how in-depth it is.

Details that might be viewable on your Illinois background check include the following:

• Criminal history
• Civil court history
• Name and birthdate
• Social Security Number
• Address history
• Employment history
• Educational history
• Professional licensure or certification information 
• Driving record

Because the Illinois background check is a state-level check, it will generally only show details about your history that occurred in Illinois, with the exception of significant criminal history that occurred outside the state, and your address history as this is part of your personal information. You can also speak to the person requesting your background check report to learn what might be visible. 

Can I Remove Items From My Illinois Background Check?

You cannot remove items from your Illinois background check. The information on your background check report is your personal history, and there is no way to hide it or remove parts you don’t like. This is especially true when it comes to criminal record information or civil court history you would rather not show.

The only time in which you might be able to alter your record is when you pursue sealing or expungement of criminal records through the court. These processes are only eligible for certain types of criminal records, and you will need a lawyer to help you figure out your eligibility and pursue sealing or expungement.

Keep in mind that violent crimes, federal crimes, terroristic crimes, sexual offenses, and registration on the U.S. sex offender list are indefinite and you cannot remove these from your Illinois background check.

How Long Does an Illinois Background Check Take?

Your Illinois background check shouldn’t take too long to complete – these reports may be finished the same day in some cases. For most people, you can expect to wait between one and three business days for your report to be completed, and then a few days for the requester to review your background check report. 

If there is an issue with your report such as identification information missing or discrepancies on your provided information, it may take a week or two for your report to be completed. Sometimes, the requester may need you to clarify information or try again before your report can be evaluated and either passed or failed.

Do I Need to Pay for an Illinois Background Check?

Most of the time you won’t need to pay for your Illinois background check. If an employer is requesting a pre-hiring screening or if you need a background check for a specific volunteer opportunity, the cost will be covered by the requester. 

However, some agencies, schools, and volunteer opportunities in Illinois require that you fund your own background check. In these cases you will work with the background check agency directly and request your report to be submitted to the requester. On average, this will cost you between $15 and $50.

Are Federal and State Background Checks the Same?

Federal and state background checks are not the same, though there may be some overlap in the information found in these two reports. For example, your name, Social Security Number, and address information are the same on all types of reports; this is personal identifying information and is used to ensure that the background check is looking at the right person.

However, federal background checks will look primarily at your federal history, notably your federal criminal history. If you are applying for a job in the federal government or if you are in need of a federal security screening, this is the background check you will need to consent to. Any federal crimes or other notable federal history will be listed.

On the other hand, state background checks typically only look at your state-level history. This may include information about you sourced from the state records of your current state or states you have lived in previously. If there are significant items on the federal level, such as a federal conviction for a violent crime, it may still be shown on your state report as a matter of security.

Getting Ready for Your Illinois Background Check

Getting ready for your Illinois background check doesn’t need to be a long, drawn-out process. Instead, you can properly prepare for your background check by accessing an unofficial online copy to ensure that everything about your report is up to date and accurate. From there, you can make adjustments as needed and be informed of everything an employer or another individual might see when requesting your Illinois background check.