Why Should I Include a County Criminal Search in My Screening Process?
When you’re evaluating job candidates, you’re not just hiring for a role—you’re investing in your team, your company’s reputation, and your workplace safety. That’s why having a thorough, compliant, and accurate criminal background check matters more than ever.
County criminal searches help ensure your background checks don’t leave blind spots—something that’s easy to overlook when relying solely on criminal database searches. If you haven’t already, this is the check you need to prioritize.
What Makes County Searches So Critical?
Unlike criminal databases, county criminal searches pull records directly from the source—the county courthouse—where charges are first filed and processed. This provides:
- The most up-to-date conviction information
- Accurate insight into felony and misdemeanor offenses
- Localized data that may never be reported to broader databases
Most criminal activity is first recorded at the county level. If your screening process skips this step, you could be missing major red flags.
Database Gaps = Risk Exposure
Criminal databases are helpful for casting a wide net, but they’re not foolproof. Jurisdictions vary in how and when they report to national systems. Some counties don’t report at all.
Relying only on a database search is like assuming one phone carrier covers the entire country—it’s just not realistic. And in background screening, these coverage gaps mean risk.
That’s why NCS includes county criminal searches in our featured criminal packages based on the level of detail you need. And when a potential hit appears in a criminal database, we verify it through a live county criminal search before it’s ever reported to you—a requirement under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and a crucial layer of accuracy for your hiring decisions.
Three Reasons You Should Include County Criminal Searches in Every Screening
Protect Your Business and Team
A missed conviction or pending case could lead to safety issues, liability concerns, or even reputational damage. County searches help you avoid hiring risks you never saw coming.
Meet Legal and Compliance Standards
If you’re in an industry that requires extra scrutiny (healthcare, finance, education, transportation, etc.), skipping a county search may result in compliance gaps. Even if you’re not in a regulated industry, FCRA-compliant searches protect you from legal exposure.
Make Informed, Confident Hiring Decisions
When you’re working with incomplete information, it’s hard to be confident in your decision. County criminal searches give you a more complete picture—so you can move forward with peace of mind.
When Should You Use a County Criminal Search?
We recommend including a county criminal search in every screening process, especially if:
- You’re hiring for a position of trust or authority
- The role involves access to sensitive data, money, or vulnerable populations
- You want to demonstrate thoroughness and professionalism in your hiring practices
- You need to comply with industry-specific background check regulations
Want to Learn What a County Criminal Search Really Covers?
If you’re still learning the basics or want to explain it to a team member, check out our companion post:
👉 What is a County Criminal Search?
Why Choose NCS for County Criminal Searches
At National Crime Search, we don’t just check the box—we dive deep. We combine national database searches, address history tracking, and live county criminal verification to give you the complete picture.
Here’s what you get with NCS:
✅ Fast turnaround times
✅ FCRA-compliant processes
✅ Flexible screening packages
✅ Support from real people who care
