How Long To Get Background Check Back For Name Change

Do Previous Legal Names Show up on Background Checks?

One of the biggest areas of confusion regarding background checks is how they consider name changes. Some estimates point to l,000 people irresolute their legal names each year in the The states. Since criminal records are typically filed based on proper name, there is some worry amidst employers that standard background checks won't find information associated with a candidate's previous name. At the aforementioned time, some job seekers wonder if they tin can avert carmine flags on a groundwork cheque (such as criminal history) by listing a false name on a job application.

The good news for employers is that running an alias background cheque on a candidate is an easy, affordable, and effective choice.

People change their names for many different reasons. Marriage and divorce are the most common reasons for name changes, but they aren't the only ones. Actors, musicians, and other performers often adopt "stage names," whether officially ( legally) or unofficially. Transgender individuals typically adopt new names that match the gender with which they identify. Some people just change their names considering they don't similar the name that they were given at birth.

In employment situations, the question is, what happens to all the history that is associated with a person's old proper name?

Some elements of a person'due south by are easier to link to their new legal proper noun than others. For instance, when a person changes their proper name and gets a new commuter's license, the DMV will update the proper noun across that person'south driving history. If an employer runs a DMV groundwork cheque on that person, all their past tickets, license suspensions, and other infractions—from earlier and later on they inverse their proper name—should bear witness up on the background check.

Other types of background information are less likely to be linked to a new proper noun. For instance, if you want to verify a candidate'south work history every bit an employer, yous may have problem doing so if the individual has changed their name recently. By managers or HR departments know your candidate by a different name and likely have that person'due south employment records filed under that proper name, non the one that you know.

These situations can cause some confusion when employers verify employment history or education. Professional licenses, in most cases, volition update to match the candidate's new name.

While some people assume that all criminal records are linked to a person'southward Social Security Number, that is not the example. Considering criminal records are a part of the public tape, they can't include any sensitive data—which ways no SSNs. The top pieces of information most a person that will be linked to their criminal tape are proper name, birthdate, and address. For this reason, nearly criminal history searches are name-based. If a person has changed their name and an employer runs a background cheque using their new name, the check won't notice whatsoever information associated with the candidate's old name.

There are solutions for this conundrum. When a candidate fills out a job awarding, they are typically asked for a wide variety of information, including name, electric current accost, birthdate, past names (including maiden names), SSN, and even past addresses. With these pieces of information, employers tin widen the scope of their background checks to find more than authentic information. Instead of looking for criminal records in just 1 place or under 1 name, the employer can order background checks in multiple locations and for multiple names.

Getting this information directly from applicants—and trusting them to provide it—isn't the only choice. At backgroundchecks.com, we always ask the employers that nosotros serve to provide SSN details for their candidate background checks. This data helps us to link a person's truthful identity with their criminal history records. It also enables us to run an accost history bank check or alias background check, both of which tin can help us dig deeper into a candidate'south history.

While name changes can complicate certain parts of a background check, they aren't a permanent barrier. Employers should utilize tools such as our alias background check to avoid imitation negatives when they vet their candidates. Chore seekers, meanwhile, should be honest about maiden names and other by names. Not disclosing this information upfront could crusade delays in the groundwork check process, frustrate hiring managers, and even be viewed as a way to evade background checks.

In the wake of COVID-19 and the high unemployment rates that it has acquired, job seekers could be more desperate than usual to discover work. This situation could pb to increased dishonesty in the hiring process, including lies most proper noun and identity that are meant to hide criminal history or other elements of a person's background.

Contact backgroundchecks.com for help designing a thorough background check process that includes failsafe protections against candidate lies.

Sources: https://dmv.ny.gov/address-alter/how-modify-information-dmv-documents

https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-proper noun-changes-0815-story.html

https://info.legalzoom.com/article/does-proper noun-change-affect-employee-background-bank check

Michael Klazema

About Michael Klazema The author

Michael Klazema is Chief Marketing Technologist at EY-VODW.com and has over two decades of experience in digital consulting, online product direction, and technology innovation. He is the lead author and editor for Dallas-based backgroundchecks.com with a focus on man resource and employment screening developments.