Criminal Background Check

DISA’s criminal background checks reveal county, state, and federal records to help employers hire safely, reduce risk, and ensure workplace security and compliance.

REQUEST A DEMO

Ensure You're Hiring the Right Employees

Employee Criminal Background Checks

A criminal history check helps to ensure that you’re hiring the right employee and creating a safe working environment. In addition, including this search on your background check will reduce risks, protect your organizations’ assets and reputation, reduce on-the-job incidents, and prevent lawsuits, fines, and fees.

By providing employers with the knowledge of an applicant's criminal history, they can make a more informed and safer hiring decision. A criminal history check reveals detailed information regarding an individual’s county, state, and federal criminal history by utilizing the applicant's personal information such as social security number, date of birth, and court records. Each record varies by the type of information it searches for and the results that are returned.

Each year, DISA fulfills millions of employer background check items through our system, paying close attention to laws and regulations. As an industry-leading screening provider, we ensure our customers' workplaces are safer and their hiring decisions are made with the most accurate and impactful information available.

County Background Checks

County background checks, or county criminal history search results, include information about criminal cases filed only in the county ordered. This is where you’ll find the most up-to-date case information as counties are where criminal cases begin. Depending on the county, reports may not have a quick turnaround time, which can cause delays with the reporting process.

Results include:

Case number
Offense type
Date of offense
Disposition date/specifics
Sentence
Confirmation of the current disposition

State Background Checks

State background checks, or statewide criminal history search results, include information as reported to a state by counties within the state.

Results may include:

Case number
Offense type
Date of offense
Disposition date/specifics
Confirmation of the current disposition

Results will not include cases reported on the County Criminal Record Search (if ordered by the client). Not all states have a statewide criminal record repository that is accessible to Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) like DISA.

Federal Background Checks

Federal background checks, or federal criminal history search results, include criminal court record information that can be accessed via one or more of the 94 U.S. Federal District courts across the United States. These searches are conducted online at Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER), which is a Federal government website that’s updated in real-time.

Results that reveal violations of federal law include:

Drug trafficking
Money laundering
Counterfeiting
Racketeering
Crimes committed across state lines

*This is not a nationwide search of state court records.

SPACER

Grading Scale

When conducting criminal background checks for consortium site access, DISA uses a grading scale ranging from 0 to 7 with each number corresponding to a category of offenses. This grade will only be known by the employee, his or her employer, and the TPA performing the criminal history screen. Background screen grade definitions are as follows:

Grade	Offense Category
0	Clear record, nothing was found.
1	One or more non-violent misdemeanors were found. This includes any misdemeanor not shown on the list of violent misdemeanors.
2	One or more “violent misdemeanors” were found.
3	One or more “lesser felonies” were found. This includes any felony not shown on the list of higher felonies (05).
4	One or more “violent misdemeanors” and one or more “lesser felonies” were found.
5	One or more “higher felonies” were found.
6	One or more “higher felonies” and one or more “violent misdemeanors” were found.
7	The person was found to be on the current Patriot Act List (specially designated nationals, terrorists, narcotics traffickers, blocked persons, etc.).

Explore DISA Services

Background Check Offerings

Explore all Services

job applicants sitting in a row waiting for interview

Pre-Employment Background Checks

DISA’s pre-employment background checks offer configurable, compliant screening solutions to help employers hire confidently and meet industry standards.

Civil Background Checks

(Federal & County) - DISA’s civil background checks reveal lawsuits, judgments, and liens to help employers assess risk, prevent liability, and make informed hiring decisions.

SSN Validation

DISA’s SSN Validity Check flags fraudulent Social Security numbers, helping reduce identity fraud and ensure applicants provide valid, SSA-issued SSNs.

woman holding up magnifying glass analyzing data

Employment Verification

DISA’s employment verifications confirm an applicant’s job history, helping employers ensure accuracy, assess trustworthiness, and make informed hiring decisions.

person entering credit card information onto website on laptop

I-9 & E-Verify

DISA’s I-9 & E-Verify solution streamlines workforce compliance with flexible, remote verification tools—ensuring fast, accurate employment eligibility checks.

closeup photo of a man driving a large vehicle

State Driving Records

DISA’s State Driving Record checks verify license status and driving history, helping employers ensure safe, qualified hires for transportation and driving-related roles.

stack of book with a graduation hat and diploma

Professional Licenses & Credentials

DISA’s professional license verifications confirm certifications directly with accrediting bodies, ensuring applicants are properly licensed, qualified, and free of disciplinary actions.

two people going over reports and calculating data

Credit Reports

DISA’s credit report checks support sensitive hiring decisions by verifying financial responsibility for roles with access to confidential data, cash, or fiduciary duties.

two business professionals exchanging paperwork

Adverse Action Notices

DISA supports FCRA compliance by helping employers issue required adverse action notices—ensuring candidates are informed and given a chance to dispute background check results.

above shot of people at a networking event making connections

Personal Reference Verification

DISA’s personal reference verifications provide insight into an applicant’s character, skills, and fit—helping employers make confident, informed hiring decisions.

Government Sanctions Lists

(OFAC/Patriot Act) - DISA’s government sanctions list checks, also known as Patriot Act searches, screen applicants against global watchlists to ensure compliance and prevent hiring prohibited individuals.

Sex Offender Search

DISA’s sex offender searches check state and national registries to help employers identify registered offenders—critical for roles in education, healthcare, finance, and more.

DOT Testing Records

DISA’s DOT testing records service helps employers meet compliance by retrieving drug and alcohol test histories for safety-sensitive roles—ensuring safe, qualified hires.

person holding a large sum of money / stacks of $100 bills

Financial Due Diligence

DISA’s Financial Due Diligence services deliver in-depth, courthouse-sourced investigations to uncover financial risks—protecting your company’s reputation and investment decisions.

stacks of books, a graduation cap, and a diploma

Education Verification

DISA’s education verification confirms degrees, dates, and credentials with schools or databases—helping employers ensure applicants meet job qualifications and hiring standards.

For Every Size Business & Industry In One Easy-To-Use Platform

Employment Screening

DISA is easily configurable to fit the way your company recruits. Whether you're a large company managing screening for multiple locations, or a small business needing to run a background check occasionally, we've got you covered.