State Background Check – Pennsylvania
In addition to other indispensable parts of the background screening process, a state background check gathers all available records of an applicant’s criminal history—even if they’ve lived in several jurisdictions within a state.
Please view our Services & Pricing page to view our products, pricing, and turnaround times.
Background Checks
NCS makes hiring easy for our Pennsylvania customers! Whether you work in health care, retail, tourism, construction, agriculture, financial services, mining, manufacturing, or another industry, background checks are a critical part of the hiring process.
Accessing Criminal Records
In Pennsylvania, it is legal for all private and most public employers to conduct inquiries about an applicant’s criminal history during the pre-employment background screening process. However, summary offenses and misdemeanor or felony arrests and court proceedings that did not lead to a conviction must be disregarded.
NCS makes reading reports easy. Our criminal background checks report convictions and serious pending cases that belong to your applicant.
Criminal History Packages
Our services have you covered with comprehensive, affordable pre-employment screening services. Choose one of our featured criminal history packages and add optional individual services.
Recommended Packages
- Essential
- Enhanced
- Expanded
- Motor Vehicle Reports
- Employment Credit Reports
- Education Verification
- Employment Verification
- And much more…
Volunteer Screening and Tenant Screening packages are also available.
Continuous Monitoring
We now offer Continuous Monitoring, which helps you stay on top of your employees’ criminal record activity post-hire. New arrests, pending cases, and convictions will be reported.
Employers must thoughtfully consider EEOC recommendations and FCRA anti-discrimination guidelines before disqualifying a candidate. All decisions should be documented and based on the relevancy of the conviction to the job.
What May Be Reported on a Record
- Charge
- Charge degree (e.g., misdemeanor or felony)
- Charge date
- Filing date
- Disposition
- Disposition date
- County where the offense took place
- Sentence
How Far Back Do Records Go?
National Crime Search reports all convictions within 7 years.
Drug Screening
Note: Philadelphia County and the City of Philadelphia have adopted laws banning drug testing for marijuana use for many job applicants.
With a few easy steps, your employees can schedule their drug screen at a collection site that works best for them. DOT and random testing options are also available.
Electronic Form I-9 & E-Verify Management
NCS can help you comply with employment eligibility laws using our guided online system that stores I-9s and returns E-Verify results instantly.
Ban the Box Policies – State, Municipal and County
Pennsylvania enforces a ban-the-box law that prohibits public service employers from conducting background checks until a conditional job offer is made. Offers can only be rescinded if the background check reveals issues directly relevant to the job position.
Several municipalities and counties have also adopted public sector ban-the-box laws, including:
- Allegheny County
- Allentown
- Bethlehem
- Lancaster County
- Montgomery County
- Northampton County
- Philadelphia County
- Philadelphia
- Reading
- York
Since these laws vary, employers must stay informed about distinctions that apply in their jurisdictions.
Navigate State Background Checks and Compliance with NCS
Enjoy an expedited, compliant, and informed hiring process with National Crime Search’s comprehensive Criminal Background Checks.
Contact us today to learn how our services can seamlessly integrate with your HR needs and help you hire with confidence.
