RESOURCES & SAMPLE FORMS
You will find sample documents and various information below – we provide these as a courtesy, and we are not providing legal advice on whether these forms are appropriate for your business use. You should not assume that they are adequate to protect you legally. You should consult with your own attorney to determine whether these forms are suitable for your purposes. By using them you agree that we are not liable for your use of them, and compliance is the sole responsibility of the user and the entity they represent.
Criminal Report Terms & Definitions
A glossary of court-related terms and definitions which may appear on criminal reports.
FAQs – Background Checks
A list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding criminal background checks, including ‘What is the difference between an Instant and Thorough search?’, ‘What is the best kind of background check?’, ‘What does an ‘Unspecified’ record mean?’, ‘Why am I seeing Alias/other names on a report?’ and more.
Pre-Employment Authorization Release Template
This is a FCRA compliant template which should be used to obtain authorization to perform a background check on your applicants. Once the applicant has signed release you should provide the Consumer Notification and the Summary of Your Rights under the FCRA.
Pre-Adverse Action Letter
If you believe that you may make an adverse decision based in whole or part due to the information contained in the report, you are required to provide a copy of the consumer report (the actual background report that we sent to you) to the Candidate, a pre-adverse action notice (samples enclosed titled, Pre-Adverse Letter. This letter should be used prior to taking adverse action, a copy of the Summary of Your Rights under the FCRA, and the dispute form).
Dispute Form
This is the form that is provided to consumers or applicants who wish to contest the accuracy of a criminal report that we provided.
Adverse Action Letter
Use when the decision is final not to hire, based in whole or part due to the information contained in the report, you are required to provide oral, written or electronic notice of the adverse action to the consumer.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
The Fair Credit Report Act.
Summary of Consumer Rights Under the FCRA
Users of Consumer Reports, it is your responsibility under the Fair Credit Reporting Act to provide the applicant a copy of their rights.
Notice to Users of Consumer Reports: Obligations Under the FCRA
The following is a summary of the amendments to the Fair Credit Reporting Act and their impact on both providers and end users of consumer reports. These changes were effective September 30, 1997 and require both parties to adhere to strict notification guidelines.