How Much Does a Background Check Cost? 2026 Guide
A basic employment background check with database searches starts at about $30 per person on the published price lists we checked. Packages that add county court searches run from about $60 to $175. Court, DMV and database fees can be added on top. Checkr lists its Basic package from $29.99 and its Essential package, which adds county searches, from $59.99. Pact's Standard check is $32 and its Premium check is $70. Here is what each seller publishes and what changes the price.
Updated October 16, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end
Published prices from screening companies
These are the starting prices each company lists on its own pricing page as of October 2026. Most say the price does not include third-party fees. We name Checkr, which runs Pact's checks, and describe the others instead of naming them. Prices can change, so check a seller's current price before you order.
- Checkr Basic: from $29.99 per report. SSN trace, sex offender registry, global watchlist search and national criminal search.
- Checkr Essential: from $59.99 per report. Adds identity verification and unlimited county criminal searches.
- Checkr Complete: from $94.99 per report. Adds unlimited state criminal searches and a federal criminal search.
- A small-business screening brand that describes itself as a Checkr company: Basic from $29.99, Essential from $59.99 and Complete from $94.99 per check, with the same searches listed. It says its pricing varies by yearly volume.
- A national online testing and screening seller: Triple Database Package $99, Court Record Package $99, Platinum Background Package $175. It says its court record searches are included in the Platinum and Court Record packages.
- A large screening company: its small business page describes pay-as-you-go pricing with no setup fees or minimums, but we did not find per-check prices published on its site.
What a basic package covers
The lowest-priced packages are database searches. At Checkr and its sister brand, the basic tier is an SSN trace, a sex offender registry search, a global watchlist search and a national criminal search. Database searches are fast and cheap to run, but they are not the same as searching a county court directly.
County court searches are where the price jumps. Checkr's Essential package, which adds county searches, starts $30 higher than its Basic package. Checkr also sells a single county criminal search as an add-on for $25 per check, plus any court fee.
What raises the price
Each search you add has its own price. These are Checkr's published add-on prices, which give a sense of scale:
- County criminal search: $25 per check, plus any court fee.
- State criminal search: from $10 per check. Federal criminal search: $10 per check.
- Motor vehicle record (MVR): $9.50 per check, plus the state DMV fee.
- Employment verification: from $12.50 for the current employer up to $50 for 10 years of history.
- Education verification: $12.50 for one degree, up to $25 for three.
- Professional license verification: $12 per check.
- Healthcare sanctions (FACIS): Level 1 is $6 and Level 3 is $15.50.
- Searching other names the person has used: from $8 per candidate.
Pass-through court and database fees
Many quoted prices leave out pass-through fees. These are fees that courts, state DMVs and some databases charge to pull records. Checkr says these fees are standard across the industry and that it passes them through at cost with no markup.
How much you pay depends on where the person has lived and which searches you order. A few examples Checkr publishes: the Pennsylvania State Police charge $22 to search the state's PATCH criminal history database. Third-party databases used for employment verification charge $17.95 to $119.95. Schools and education databases charge $3.95 to $50 for degree checks. Every DMV charges a fee for a driving record.
Checkr's sister brand also says additional third-party fees may apply. When you compare prices, ask whether court and DMV fees are included.
Healthcare sanctions searches
Healthcare employers often add a sanctions search, such as FACIS, which checks exclusion, debarment and disciplinary sources. Prices vary widely. Checkr lists FACIS Level 3 at $15.50 as an add-on. The national testing and screening seller above lists FACIS 3, which it describes as federal and all 50 states, at $75 on its own. Our guide to FACIS Level 3 explains what the search covers.
Pact's prices
Pact sells two background checks, run through Checkr. You can order one online without opening an account.
When you order, Checkr emails the person being checked a secure link. They enter their own details and sign the disclosure and authorization on Checkr's site. Nothing runs before they consent.
Orders are taken now and start when Pact's Checkr account opens; Checkr then emails the person.
Some county courts charge a fee to search their records. If a search you order hits one, Pact will tell you before adding it. All sales are final, with no refunds.
- Standard, $32: SSN trace, national criminal search, sex offender registry search and global watchlist search.
- Premium, $70: everything in Standard, plus a county criminal search covering the last 7 years and a FACIS Level 3 healthcare sanctions search.
How to keep the cost down
- Order only the searches the job needs. A driving record matters for a driver, not for a desk job.
- If a school, client or licensing board names the searches it wants, order exactly those.
- Have the person enter their legal name, date of birth and address history correctly the first time. Mistakes can mean a second search.
- Ask up front whether court, DMV and database fees are included in the price.
Common questions
How much does a background check cost for a job?
On the published price lists we checked, a basic database check starts at about $30. Packages with county court searches run about $60 to $175, plus any court or database fees. Pact's checks are $32 (Standard) and $70 (Premium).
What are pass-through fees?
Fees that courts, DMVs and some databases charge to pull records. Screening companies usually add them to the bill on top of the package price. Checkr says it passes them through at cost with no markup.
Why does a county criminal search cost more?
It searches a county court's records directly instead of a database. Some courts also charge their own fee. Checkr lists a county search add-on at $25 plus any court fee.
Does Pact charge court fees?
Only if a search you order hits a county court that charges one. Pact will tell you before adding it.
Can I get a refund on a Pact background check?
No. All sales are final.
Is a cheaper check good enough?
It depends on what the employer, school or program requires. A database-only check does not search county courts directly. If someone names the searches they need, order those.