A National Criminal Database Search can be an important component of an employment or volunteer background screening program. However, not all national criminal database searches provide the same level of coverage.
One important difference is whether the search is conducted using only an individual’s current name or includes aliases and other names associated with the individual.
At CoreScreening, we generally recommend a National Criminal Database Search with Aliases because searching additional names can provide a broader screening scope and help identify potential records that a current-name-only search could miss.
What Is a National Criminal Database Search?
Despite the name, a National Criminal Database Search is not a direct search of every courthouse in the United States.
Instead, national criminal databases aggregate records obtained from numerous sources and jurisdictions into searchable databases. Depending on the database and available coverage, sources may include:
- State and local criminal record repositories
- County and municipal court records
- Department of corrections records
- Administrative Office of the Courts records
- Other available criminal justice records
- Sex offender registry information
The result is a broad search that can identify potential criminal records across multiple jurisdictions.
This makes a national database search an excellent discovery tool, particularly when an individual has lived, worked, attended school or traveled outside of the jurisdictions an employer might otherwise search.
However, it is important to understand its limitations.
What Is NOT Included in a National Criminal Database Search?
There is no single database containing every criminal record from every courthouse in the United States.
Not every county or state makes its criminal records available to national database providers. Jurisdictions can also vary in how frequently their information is updated and what information they make available electronically.
Therefore, a National Criminal Database Search should not be represented as a search of every courthouse nationwide.
Depending on the screening program, additional searches may be appropriate, such as:
- County criminal court searches
- Statewide criminal searches
- Federal criminal court searches
- Sex offender registry searches
- Government sanctions and watchlist searches
- Other position-specific searches
The appropriate combination depends on the organization, position, applicable laws and level of risk involved.
Current Name Only vs. National Criminal Database Search With Aliases
Consider an applicant named:
Jennifer Marie Smith
Her current legal name may be Jennifer Smith, but during the applicable screening period she may previously have been known as:
Jennifer Marie Johnson
If a criminal database search is conducted only under Jennifer Smith, a potentially relevant record associated with Jennifer Johnson may not be discovered through that search.
An alias-inclusive search allows additional developed names to be searched, subject to the information available and applicable reporting requirements.
This can be particularly valuable for organizations screening employees and volunteers who work with:
- Children
- Students
- Elderly individuals
- Patients
- Individuals with disabilities
- Other vulnerable populations
When safety is the objective, broader name coverage can be an important part of a comprehensive screening program.
Why Aliases Can Improve Background Check Coverage
People can have multiple names associated with their identity for perfectly ordinary reasons.
These can include:
- Marriage or divorce
- Previous legal names
- Hyphenated or alternate surnames
- Other developed names associated with an individual’s identity history
If the background screening package searches only the current name, records indexed under another relevant name may not appear in the database results.
A National Criminal Database Search with Aliases helps broaden the search by checking additional developed names rather than limiting the search to the name appearing on the application today.
That does not mean every alias will produce additional records. It means the screening program is looking across a broader set of identifying information.
A National Database “Hit” Is Not Necessarily a Reportable Criminal Record
This is one of the most important distinctions for employers to understand.
National criminal databases are powerful tools for locating potential records, but a possible match should not automatically be treated as a confirmed criminal record belonging to the applicant.
Why?
Because criminal records can involve:
- Individuals with the same or similar names
- Limited identifying information
- Records that have subsequently been dismissed
- Cases with updated dispositions
- Records that may have been sealed, expunged or otherwise restricted from reporting
- Information that may no longer be reportable under applicable law
This is where working with an experienced Consumer Reporting Agency, or CRA, becomes critical.
Why CoreScreening Verifies Potential Criminal Records
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires Consumer Reporting Agencies to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information they report.
When potentially adverse public-record information is identified through a database search, simply passing an unverified database result to an employer can create significant accuracy concerns.
At CoreScreening, potential criminal records identified through database searches are subject to additional review and, when appropriate, verification at the jurisdictional source before reportable information is provided to the client.
This additional step helps determine important details such as:
- Does the record actually belong to the individual being screened?
- What is the current disposition of the case?
- Was the charge dismissed?
- Was there a conviction?
- Has the record been updated?
- Is the information legally reportable?
The objective isn’t simply to find more information.
The objective is to provide accurate, legally reportable information that actually belongs to the person being screened.
Why Database Coverage and Accuracy Must Work Together
An effective background screening program needs both breadth and accuracy.
A National Criminal Database Search with Aliases provides breadth by searching across a large collection of criminal record sources using more than just an individual’s current name.
Jurisdictional verification provides another layer of accuracy by helping confirm potentially reportable records against the appropriate source.
Think of the national database as a broad net.
It can help identify where a potential record may exist. The verification process then helps determine whether that information belongs to the applicant, is current and can appropriately be included in an employment background report.
Is a National Criminal Database Search With Aliases Better Than Current Name Only?
For organizations seeking broader criminal record coverage, we generally recommend including aliases rather than limiting the national database search to the individual’s current name.
A current-name-only search can be less expensive, but the difference in screening scope is important to understand.
If an organization believes it is purchasing a comprehensive national criminal search, it should ask its background screening provider:
Are you searching only the applicant’s current name, or are you also searching developed aliases?
It should also ask:
What happens when your national criminal database identifies a potential criminal record? Is that information verified before it is reported?
Those two questions can reveal significant differences between background screening providers.
Choosing the Right Background Screening Program
Background screening should not be based solely on checking the most boxes at the lowest price.
Organizations should understand what is actually being searched, which names are being searched, where the information comes from and how potential records are verified before they are reported.
This is particularly important for schools, churches, dioceses, nonprofit organizations, healthcare organizations and other programs responsible for protecting children and vulnerable populations.
CoreScreening combines technology with an experienced screening team to help organizations develop background screening programs focused on coverage, accuracy, compliance and responsive service.
If you would like to compare your current background screening package with CoreScreening, contact our team. We can review the searches you are currently purchasing and provide an apples-to-apples comparison of coverage, search methodology and pricing.
This article is provided for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. Organizations should consult qualified legal counsel regarding their specific background screening program and applicable federal, state and local requirements.
