Massachusetts Employment Screening Menu And Pricing
- National* Criminal Records Search $29.50
- County* Criminal Search: $19.50
- State Wide Criminal Search provides very limited results. See below for more information: $25.00 We recommend running a Social Security Number Trace first to determine which counties the applicant may have lived in and then run county criminal history checks as needed.
- State Driving Record (MVR): $27.50
- Social Security Number Trace: $6.50
- Drug Testing: $32.00 (Includes cost of collection)
- Workers' Comp Claims History Report: $20.00
- Credit Report: $12.00 (FCRA Compliant)
- Employment Verification: $15.00 Per Employer
In order to comply with the FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT employers must certify to us that they are requesting these reports for employment purposes, will maintain certain records and comply with all employment laws.
State Laws concerning background checks:
Remember, some states have both statutes and agency guidelines; others have only one source of rules, and a handful are silent on the subject.
Massachusetts
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 151B, § 4; ch. 276, § 100A; Mass. Regs. Code tit. 804, § 3.02
GENERAL INFORMATION on Massachusetts statewide criminal search:
These searches are offered: 1) Personal, 2) Certified Agency, 3) Publicly Accessible (PUBAC).
Certified Agency requests are pre-approved via statute or the Board.
PUBAC is open to the public; data is limited.
Records are available for at least 50 years.
PUBAC requesters are limited to adult records; the crime must include a sentence of 5 years or more OR sentenced and convicted for any term if, at the time of request, the subject is on probation or has been released within 2 years of felony conviction.
Include the following in your request: name, date of birth. The Personal request (on one's self) requires a notarized signature. A "certified agency" search may include youth organizations, child care providers, and others approved by CHSB.
This agency does not conduct FBI fingerprint searches. Records are indexed on Inoue computer, file folders. It takes 1 day before records are available for inquiry.
The following data is not available -- pending cases; misdemeanor convictions or incarcerations beyond five years old.
Rules for employers:
If job application has a question about prior arrests or convictions, it must state that an applicant with a sealed record is entitled to answer, "No record."
Arrest records.
May not ask about arrests that did not result in conviction.
Convictions.
May obtain record of convictions occurring within the last 10 years.
May not ask about first-time convictions for drunkenness, simple assault, speeding, minor traffic violations or disturbing the peace; may not ask about misdemeanor convictions 5 or more years old.
Rights of employees and applicants:
If criminal record is sealed, may answer, "No record," to any inquiry about past arrests or convictions.
*National criminal records checks contains records from 38 states. it also includes registered sex offenders in those states.
*It is important to run a County criminal records check since about 30 to 40 % of county criminal records are not contained in the state criminal records and to insure the information is the most current available.
*County criminal records checks require a manual search of records and takes 12 to 36 hours.
*Background check Release/Authorizations signed by applicants must be separate from employment applications and are subject to FCRA audit.
Please keep them on file for a period of two years in case you are asked to produce them.
For questions regarding Human Resources or employment regulations you may want to contact Jennifer McBennett of Seay Management Consultants at 407-426-9484 or email her.