Background Check in California: Everything You Need to Know

Richard Grey - October 25, 2024

Background checks have become a staple of the hiring process in just about every industry. It doesn’t matter if you want to drive a truck for Amazon, or work at your local McDonald’s, there’s a good chance that you’ll have to consent to a background check at some point. 

For employers, running background checks has never been more important, especially in California due to a large population and a wide range of employment opportunities. 

While the background check process may seem simple, it’s a lot more than Googling someone’s name or hiring a company to run a check; it’s important to understand the entire process from start to finish, whether you’re an applicant or an employer. 

The good news is that we’re here to help you do exactly that. Read on to learn more about background checks in California.

What Is a Background Check in California?

A background check in California is a comprehensive method of collecting information about someone. In California, this tends to be a search that compiles everything publicly available. This includes criminal records, civil court records, and sometimes even personal information like websites, social media accounts, and more. 

Ultimately, the goal of a background check in California is to find all possible information about someone to help a company or government agency decide between them.

Background checks in California tend to be run prior to employees being hired for a specific job. However, there are also background checks that apply to driving specific vehicles or background checks that have to be run before someone buys a firearm. That said, most background checks look for the same information but with some slight variations. 

What Information Shows up on a Background Check in California?

A lot of information shows up on background checks in California. While criminal records are the first bits of information that people think of when it comes to these checks, it doesn’t stop there. In fact, criminal records and identity verification are only the tip of the iceberg.

• Identity Verification: One of the first parts of a background check is identity verification, which includes looking through Social Security information and records to ensure it matches.
• Drug Screening: five-panel or ten-panel drug tests are run to ensure that applicants don’t abuse drugs.
• Criminal Records: Including arrest records, convictions, sentencing, probation periods, jail time, and much more.
• Education History: Records about someone’s high school, college, and other types of education.
• Work History: Previous jobs and details about those jobs like when they were done, why someone left, and current employment information.
• Civil Court Records: Some civil court records may appear on background checks.
• Financial Records: Information about bankruptcies, credit history, and liens will show up on some background checks – mostly in the financial sector.
• Driving Records: On some background checks, motor vehicle records will show up – common for CDL applications and jobs that require driving.
• Social Media Accounts: During some background checks employees will look into social media accounts, websites, and additional online content that’s available.

Depending on the type of background check, you can expect some or all of this information to show up. Ultimately, it depends on the position.

How Far Back Does a Background Check Go in California?

California is a state that follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) closely. So, expect a background check to only go back five to seven years for financial records and most criminal records that aren’t violent. 

California also has Ban-the-Box Laws, which are outlined in the Fair Chance Act. With these laws, people who have criminal records can sometimes avoid mentioning it until the end of the interview process. Keep in mind, that this doesn’t impact how far back the check can go, just when the information becomes available.

That said, some background checks will go back further. Background checks for federal positions that require special clearance, for example, may go back more than a decade. Military background checks and checks for firearms may also go back further. It’s important to note that protections in the Fair Chance Act can be limited in some scenarios.

How Much Does a Background Check Cost in California? 

Background checks in California can cost a lot of money or just a few bucks. In fact, with the right tools you can start the process for free! That said, background checks in California tend to cost between $5 and $500 per applicant.

More expensive background checks are due to working with larger companies, while you can find more affordable options online for only a few bucks. However, working with a background check company does make sense if you’re running checks on dozens of applicants because it can speed up the process and bulk pricing deals tend to be available.

Drug screenings, motor vehicle reports, and other information can also increase the cost of background checks.

How Long Does a Background Check Take in California?

A background check in California shouldn’t take too long. On average, you can expect the process to take around three to five business days. How long it takes to run a background check depends on several factors like the type of background check, whether or not someone has a criminal record, and the standards of the company. 

For example, if someone has a criminal record it might delay the process while the company looks into it. 

Another factor that might delay the process is something like a drug screening, which is common for many state and federal employment roles in California. While someone can be found clean or positive right away, sometimes it’s a false positive and has to be sent back to the lab for further testing. In these cases, it can add several days or even weeks to the process.

More detailed background checks, like level 2 background checks, may also add time to the process. So, you shouldn’t panic if you don’t have your results within the first week or two. Anything after that and it’s time to start looking into the issue.

How to Run a Background Check in California 

There are a handful of methods you can use to run a background check in California. You can work with a background check company or you can use an online tool like the background check tool we offer at CheckPeople.com. You can also do some digging yourself with Google, social media, and other online resources. Learn more about each method below.

CheckPeople.com 

Running a background check with CheckPeople.com is always one of the best ways to get the job done in California. Our tool is simple, free to start with, and faster than most comparable online tools. That said, what makes our tool the best choice is its efficiency and accuracy.

Our background check tool combs through millions of public records databases across the United States to compile a full report that includes everything publicly available about someone. This includes the following information:

• Criminal records 
• Civil court records
• County records 
• State and federal records 
• Marriage and divorce records 
• Sex offender status 
• Full name 
• Date of birth 
• Relatives 
• Contact information 
• Websites
• Social media accounts 
• Dating profiles 

Depending on the person, you may find some or all of this information when you run a search with CheckPeople.com. 

You can always use our tool for background checks, but it’s important to note that you shouldn’t run checks on domestic help or employees/applicants who haven’t given you consent. Doing so can result in fines, penalties, and other legal problems.

Work With a Background Check Company 

When you want to run a background check in California you can also work with a background check company. These are agencies that only run background checks, so they can help you find what you’re looking for. Background check companies in California are accurate and fast, but you have to pay the price. 

For example, most companies will cost several hundred dollars per applicant, unless you’re buying in bulk. It’s better to use a simple online tool like CheckPeople.com if you’re a small business or not a company with a high turnover.

Run a Search Yourself Online 

Another way to run a background check is to run a search yourself online. In fact, there are some parts of the process we recommend doing yourself, like reaching out to references. You can Google someone’s name, see what comes up, and check for their presence on social media platforms or online forums. 

This can give you an idea of the type of person they are and it’s completely free to search this way. Websites and anything else online are also fair game, along with references listed on someone’s resume. 

While you’ll never get the complete picture this way, it’s a good idea to see some of these records for yourself.

Be Prepared for Background Checks in California 

Now that you know all about background checks in California, you can prepare for your own or get an employee screening process underway. Using our guide, you can go into the background check experience with confidence and anticipate what a check in California will uncover.