What is a County Criminal Search?
A county criminal search is one of the most essential components of a pre-employment screening background check. It searches public records directly at the county courthouse, where many criminal cases are first filed and processed.
County-level records can include:
- Felony convictions
- Misdemeanor convictions
- Pending criminal cases
- Sentencing details
Because so many criminal records are first documented at the county level, this search provides the most accurate, up-to-date information about an individual’s criminal history.
Why National Criminal Databases Aren’t Enough
If you’re already ordering a national criminal database search, you may wonder if a county search is necessary.
Here’s the key: Criminal databases have gaps. Not every jurisdiction reports regularly, and some don’t report at all. Think of it like cell coverage—just as Verizon and AT&T don’t always overlap, national databases can leave blind spots.
That’s why NCS includes county criminal searches in our packages to varying degrees—because a criminal database search alone isn’t enough.
And more importantly, as a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), NCS is required to verify any potential hits found in a criminal database with a live county criminal search before reporting that hit. This helps ensure accuracy and keeps NCS clients compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
How a County Criminal Search Works
When NCS performs a county criminal search, we use a combination of:
- Applicant-provided information
- Social Security trace data
- Residential history
- Package configuration
Some counties have electronic access, but others require in-person searches by a trained court researcher. Turnaround time varies, but the accuracy of results makes the effort worthwhile.
Why It Matters for Hiring
Let’s say an applicant has a recent conviction in a county that doesn’t contribute data to criminal databases. A criminal database search might miss it entirely. A county criminal search wouldn’t.
Whether you’re hiring for a warehouse role, a financial position, or anything in between, this level of detail helps you make safer, more informed hiring decisions—and demonstrates your commitment to due diligence.
What Comes Next?
Understanding what a county criminal search is only gets you halfway there. To see the full business case for using them in your hiring process, read our companion post:
👉 Why Should I Include a County Criminal Search in My Screening Process?
Why Choose NCS for County Criminal Searches
At National Crime Search, we design background screening packages to fit your risk profile—with the right mix of national databases and county-level verification.
With NCS, you get:
✅ Fast results
✅ FCRA compliance
✅ Affordable pricing
✅ Real people who care
