Pennsylvania Background Checks

Health Street's line of background checks in Pennsylvania delivers fast, meticulously researched data on an applicant's criminal history, references, education and employment. We pride ourselves on providing what employers need to inform their decisions about the people they hire. Pennsylvania employment background checks give companies the assurance that their new hires have been fully vetted and won't pose a risk. Verify if someone is being honest with you before you hire them - with Pennsylvania background checks from Health Street.

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What background checks in Pennsylvania does Health Street offer?

Health Street's criminal background check packages always start with a Social Security Number Trace. From there, you can add specific background checks, choose from one of our most popular packages, or build your own.

Court Record Package

(starting at $99)

Search the Court Record Repository at the state or county level. This background check is an investigation of court records in the counties or states that a person has used their Social Security Number.

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Build Your Own Package

(prices vary)

Mix and match a variety of our background screening services to create your perfect package. This can include criminal database checks, sanctions, resume verifications, and drug testing.

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City Background Checks

For information regarding background checks in a specific city, click the relevant link below:

Why Health Street For Pennsylvania Background Checks?

Criminal background check in the Keystone State must be done in accordance with state law. There are very specific requirements that companies must follow in order to perform a legally compliant background check, and it varies by state. Health Street's understanding of local laws combined with advanced technologies help keep you in compliance with background check laws.

A Credit Reporting Agency, or CRA, should do more than just checking a public database on your behalf. Running background checks present a pair of equally troublesome risks:

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Not uncovering criminal activity
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Revealing too much information, including things that by law cannot be considered during the hiring process

If you receive information from your CRA that you are not permitted to include in your hiring decision, you can run afoul of laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). On the flip side, if you miss a critical criminal record, it can be even more devastating. For these reasons, it's critically important to work with a CRA with experience performing comprehensive employment background checks in .

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DOT Background Screening Services

If you hire truck drivers or other vehicle operators covered by DOT, then you know you have to comply with the Department of Transportation's FMCSA modality regulations. To comply with DOT regs, you must:

  • Contact previous employers (from before January 2020)
  • Review the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for January 2020 and later.
  • Run the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Report (MVR).

These measures ensure that your new hire has a safe Pennsylvania driving record and no drug or alcohol violations in the past three years.

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Resume Review and Verification Checks

Sometimes, the job candidate who seems to be most qualified is lying on his or her resume. In fact, it is quite common for people to misrepresent their education, degrees earned, and work history in order to qualify for a job that they otherwise would not obtain. An unqualified employee—especially one who forges aspects of their experience—creates serious risks for business leaders and HR executives.

Health Street's background checks in Pennsylvania can verify a person's resume, confirming the information that they have provided to you about their education, employment history, professional licensure, and degrees earned. We can even check references. Including these options on your background check in Pennsylvania gives you and your business the protection it deserves and the knowledge that you are hiring honest, qualified candidates.

Information Specific to the State of Pennsylvania

Relevant Statistics on Crime in Pennsylvania

As an employer, it can be difficult to decide between hiring when an otherwise ideal candidate has a felony or misdemeanor charge on their record. However, it's your responsibility to protect not only your customers but also your staff.

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In 2018, Pennsylvania had an estimated 39,192 violent crime incidents, with the majority of those registered as aggravated assaults.
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Property crime state-wide occurred more than 190,000 times, with 13,000 of those incidents related to motor vehicle theft.
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Overall, arrests decreased by 16% from 2012 to 2016, although 12.7% more offenders entered state supervision within the same time frame.
Background Checks Protect Employers and Their Staff in Pennsylvania

In Pennsylvania, state law limits when background checks may be conducted on applicants, as well as what information gleaned from the background check can be used to make a final hiring decision.

A criminal history check is just one of five background checks that may be conducted on a potential new hire. The other checks validate education, licensure, experience, and state tax compliance. The most basic criminal history check is available through State Police Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History (PATCH), but employers may conduct more detailed background checks through private companies if they require more information.

A background check is only permitted once a conditional offer is extended to an applicant. Unless an exemption has been granted under the state's Fair Chance Hiring Policy, employers are not able to conduct background checks before this conditional offer.

If a background check comes back with no criminal history, the employer is free to extend a formal offer of employment. However, if there are felony or misdemeanor charges on the background check, the employer must do their due diligence, and determine whether the charges affect the candidate's suitability for the position. They can do this by asking the applicant to undergo an assessment, or by asking for an explanation of the charges. If the applicant is found to be unsuitable for the position, the employer must inform them in writing.

One new bill that affects background checks and employee hiring in Pennsylvania is the Clean Slate bill, which was signed into law in June 2018. This law "allows minor, non-violent cases to be automatically sealed from public view after time has passed without conviction of a felony or a misdemeanor." Misdemeanors are sealed from public view after 10 years without reoffence, and for summary offenses, that time drops to 5 years.