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What Shows Up on an Employment Background Check

What shows up depends on which searches are ordered. Criminal searches can report convictions, pending cases and arrests. Federal law bars background check companies from reporting most negative items other than convictions once they are more than seven years old. Federal law sets no time limit for convictions. Some states limit reporting further. This guide walks through each search in Pact's Standard and Premium checks and the federal reporting limits. It is not legal advice.

Updated October 24, 2026 · Checked against the official sources listed at the end

What each search covers

Pact's Standard check ($32) includes the first four searches below. Premium ($70) adds the last two. These descriptions come from Checkr, the screening company that runs Pact's checks, and from the company that owns FACIS.

SSN trace: shows names, aliases and addresses linked to a Social Security number. It is a pointer search that shows where to look for records. Checkr says it does not confirm a person's identity.
National criminal search: queries over 2,500 databases from state and county agencies. Checkr says it is extensive but not necessarily complete. Results point to possible records to look into further.
Sex offender registry search: Checkr says it reviews registries from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and U.S. territories.
Global watchlist search: checks government lists, including the OFAC sanctions list, Interpol and FBI most wanted lists, and the State Department sanctions list.
County criminal search, last 7 years (Premium): searches county courts directly. Checkr says most felony and misdemeanor cases are filed in county courts.
FACIS Level 3 (Premium): a healthcare sanctions, exclusion and disciplinary action search. It is not a criminal search.

What a criminal search can report

Checkr says criminal record checks generally report felony and misdemeanor convictions, pending cases and arrests. A county record can include the charge, the outcome and the sentence.

Pact's checks don't include a credit report, a driving record, or employment or education verification.

The FCRA seven-year rule

The Fair Credit Reporting Act limits what a consumer reporting agency, the company that makes the report, may include (15 U.S.C. 1681c(a)). Unless an exception applies, the report may not include:

Civil suits, civil judgments and arrest records more than seven years old, or until the statute of limitations runs out, if that is longer (1681c(a)(2)).
Any other negative item more than seven years old, except records of criminal convictions (1681c(a)(5)).
Bankruptcy cases more than 10 years old (1681c(a)(1)).

Convictions have no federal time limit

The seven-year limit in 1681c(a)(5) expressly leaves out records of criminal convictions. So under federal law, a conviction can be reported no matter how old it is.

The "7 years" in Pact's Premium check describes how far back the county search looks. It is a search scope, not a legal limit. Other searches in a report, such as a national database search, may turn up older convictions, because federal law doesn't limit them by age.

The $75,000 salary exception

The seven-year limits in 1681c(a)(1) through (a)(5) don't apply to a report used for a job with an annual salary that equals, or may reasonably be expected to equal, $75,000 or more (1681c(b)(3)). For those jobs, federal law lets older non-conviction items be reported too.

State laws can limit more

Some states put tighter limits on what can be reported or how employers may use criminal history. Those rules differ from state to state. If you have a question about your state, talk to your attorney.

Employers that use a background report to make a job decision also have their own FCRA duties, such as giving the person a copy of the report and a notice before taking adverse action. Our guide to background checks for healthcare staffing covers those steps.

If something on your report is wrong

You have the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information with the consumer reporting agency. The CFPB's summary of FCRA rights says the agency must investigate unless the dispute is frivolous, and inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable information must be removed or corrected, usually within 30 days. For a Pact order, the consumer reporting agency is Checkr.

Common questions

How far back does an employment background check go?

It depends on the searches and on state law. Federally, most negative items other than convictions can't be reported after seven years, but convictions have no federal time limit. Pact's Premium county search covers the last 7 years.

Do arrests show up on a background check?

They can. Federal law bars reporting arrest records more than seven years old (or past the statute of limitations, if longer), unless the job pays $75,000 a year or more. State laws may limit this further.

Does Pact's Standard check include a county search?

No. Standard is four database searches: SSN trace, national criminal, sex offender registry and global watchlist. The 7-year county criminal search is in Premium.

Will my credit report or driving record show up?

Not on a Pact check. Neither package includes a credit report or a driving record.

Can a conviction from 15 years ago show up?

Under federal law, yes. The FCRA's seven-year limit does not apply to records of criminal convictions. Some states set their own limits, so check with an attorney about your state.

What can I do if my report is wrong?

Dispute it with the consumer reporting agency. For Pact orders that is Checkr. The agency must investigate unless the dispute is frivolous.