Fingerprint Background Check and Criminal Screening

Fingerprint background checks are commonly performed for screening criminal history records. Law enforcement agencies in the United States and many parts of the world use fingerprints as the key to link and maintain criminal records.

For example, Federal Bureau of Investigation has more than 70 million criminal records in its Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS). Fingerprint based background checks enable law enforcement agencies to avoid pitfalls of regular background checks performed using demographic details such as name, address, date of birth, social security number, etc.

When it comes to criminal record screening, fingerprint background check is considered being superior to the regular background check due to its immunity against manipulated demographic data. However, both the methods are used widely for performing background checks in different applications.

Fingerprint background checks have been mandated by the government to perform criminal background screening in many applications. However, many organizations rely on demographic data based regular background checks for different background check applications.

Criminal history records maintained by the law enforcement agencies are linked with fingerprints and other biometrics. However, that may not be the case with other types of records such as education, certification, job history, etc. This is where regular background check can help.

For example, certain employment types may be concerned about your public image and may want to know what you post on the social networks. Since this information is not linked with your fingerprint, the only way to perform this kind of background screening is name based search on public domains.

There is important to understand that fingerprinting does not always mean that a background check is underway. Term “fingerprinting” and “background check” are sometimes used interchangeably to refer background check.

However, fingerprinting may or may not be a part of the background check process. For example, in name-based regular background checks, no fingerprinting is required.

Fingerprint background check can go pretty far back. Law enforcement agencies in the United States keep records of all arrests and prosecutions, which contain both misdemeanors and felonies taking place in their respective jurisdiction.

If you have been ever been arrested or convicted, it is almost certain that there will be criminal history records within the law enforcement system.

Law enforcement agencies do not delete the criminal records except in special circumstance (such as a court order, national security issue, etc.).

So if you have committed a crime years ago and if it was recorded by a law enforcement agency, chances are that it will be show up in the fingerprint background checks.

Law enforcement agencies may maintain criminal history of an individual throughout his/her life and beyond. However, there are laws how this information should be shared.

For example, when performing criminal background check for employment purposes, only a certain years’ of information is shared with the employer.