When it comes to hiring, small businesses and HR managers need a screening option that’s both reliable and cost-effective. At National Crime Search (NCS), our Basic Background Check is the starting tier in our Pre-Employment Featured Packages — designed to give you essential information on your candidates.
For $29.95, the Basic Background Check provides three key components:
- SSN Trace
- Multi-State Criminal Database Search
- One County Criminal Search (based on the applicant’s current residence)
This package is an excellent choice for businesses that want to cover the most important screening basics before making a hiring decision. For employers needing broader coverage, NCS also offers higher-tier packages — the Essential and Enhanced Background Checks — which we’ll touch on later in this post.
Nationwide median turnaround time: just 38 minutes.
SSN Trace: The First Step in Any Background Check
The Social Security Number (SSN) Trace helps verify that the SSN provided by your applicant is valid and issued before their date of birth. More importantly, it can reveal address history, which is critical in guiding where further criminal record searches should be conducted. If the SSN trace identifies addresses outside the current county, you may choose to expand your search for a more complete picture.
For a detailed explanation of how this works, see our blog: What is an SSN Trace?
Multi-State Criminal Database Search: Wide Coverage, Fast Results
The Multi-State Criminal Database Search offers a broad view of potential criminal records from across the country. Unlike a county criminal search, which looks in a single jurisdiction, this database compiles records from multiple sources, such as:
- State and county court records
- Department of Corrections records
- Sex Offender Registries
- OFAC and other Security Watchlists
While this search casts a wide net, it’s important to understand its limitations. Not every jurisdiction reports to a national database, which is why pairing it with a County Criminal Search is so valuable. For more detail on database searches and their role in pre-employment screening, see our blog: What is a Multi-State Criminal Database Search?
County Criminal Search: Local Accuracy
Every Basic Background Check also includes one county criminal search based on the applicant’s current residence. County criminal searches are considered one of the most accurate sources for criminal record information because they’re conducted directly at the local courthouse.
For a deeper dive into why this matters, check out our articles: What is a County Criminal Search? and Why Should I Include a County Criminal Search in My Screening Process?
Why Choose the Basic Background Check?
The Basic Background Check is ideal if you:
- Need a quick, affordable way to screen potential hires
- Want essential criminal history coverage
- Prefer a package that can be expanded later if needed
It’s an effective first step in maintaining workplace safety, protecting your business, and making informed hiring decisions — all while keeping costs under control.
Looking Ahead: Essential & Enhanced Background Checks
If you like the Basic Background Check but want additional coverage when the database search finds records, the Essential Background Check might be right for you. It includes everything in the Basic package plus two County Criminal Verification searches if hits are returned on the Multi-State Criminal Database Search.
For even deeper coverage, the Enhanced Background Check goes beyond the applicant’s current residence. It includes County Criminal Searches based on previous addresses identified in the SSN Trace — which is great for applicants who have moved in the past 7 years.
We’ll cover both the Essential and Enhanced packages in detail in upcoming blog posts.
