How to Conduct an Alabama Background Check

Checking out the background of a prospective employee is increasingly becoming the norm as it helps to provide the employers with a means of safeguarding their workplace. The State of Alabama has an official Internet resource in place which enables the employers to obtain details of the criminal records of a prospective employee.

Not all individuals are permitted to access the Alabama background check system, as the state government requires a specific authorization from the concerned individual. The entire system is managed by the Alabama Criminal Justice Information Center. working in close conjunction with administrative wings of the court offices in the state of Alabama as well as the Department of Public Safety of Alabama.

Background Check Laws in Alabama

The Alabama background check laws make it necessary for an individual or a business enterprise to comply with the existing federal legalities which are imposed in accordance with the FCRA regulations. Complying with the local laws of the state is also necessary in order to conduct a background check. The requirement of a signed waiver is strictly enforced before the process of searching through the records can be initiated.

No consumer report is given out until and unless the subject of background checking specifically authorizes the person or an office to obtain the report from the Alabama background check system. This is done in compliance with Section 604(a) of the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. §1681b(a).Seeking to obtain a consumer report on basis of the background check results is strictly controlled in accordance to the Section 604(a) of FCRA, 15 U.S.C. §1681b(a) as well. The law also emphasizes using the information for employment purposes only and any instance of violation of the law calls for harsh punitive measures.

The confidentiality of the consumer report as well as the information obtained by conducting a background search is extremely important. The criminal records accessed through the system are not allowed to be shared, sold or divulged to a third party. Violating these regulation also makes the subscriber liable to penalties imposed by the state authorities.

Information Included in the Background Check

Various personal identifiers like the first and last name and the date of birth are included in the record. The driver's license number as well as the last 4 digits of the individual’s Social Security number are revealed as part of the information given out. Instances of fingerprinting are also available by conducting a search through the system. The entire criminal record is divided into two distinct categories with the arrest segment providing the arrest date, cause of arrest, as well as the time of the arrest.

The court segment, on the other hand, provides all information involving the court: namely the trial date, name of the court, the charges and decisions given by the court. All court cases that have been handled by the courts of Alabama for the last seven years, including details of pending cases. are available by subscribing to the following resource: https://www.alabamainteractive.org/acjic_background_check.

Every effort is taken to authenticate the information as well as keep it up to date. However, there may be gaps in information or inaccuracy in a few of the records. Taking action based solely on a background check is not recommended by the Alabama background check system. Details from municipal or city courts of the state are not included in the database, and employers seeking specific information are advised to contact the administrative divisions of the concerned local court.

Subscriber Eligibility

A person operating an agricultural business and retaining at least 10 workers paying a total of $200,000 as yearly wages is eligible to access the background checking services. This holds true for non-farming businessmen as well as domestic business enterprises. The amount of yearly wages varies with each category. The details can be viewed on the website http://background.alabama.gov/FAQ.pdf.

All governmental agencies, whether federal, state or from a political division within the state, are permitted to use the system for screening of their employees. The service is not entirely free of charge; a fee of $ 14.99 is required for using the system. Inquiries about conducting a background check can be made over the telephone at 1-866-740-4762 or 334-517-2470 or by e-mail at background@alacop.gov.