Finding that new employee is more important these days than just finding someone to fill the position or finding a person with the correct qualifications for the job. California companies may need to do a background check on potential employees through the state of California public records because of the nature of the employees' interaction with others.
People who work with children or the elderly must have a record that is clear of abuse. Likewise, an employer may be wary of a person who has a record of sexual assault or violence, because the employer can be held responsible for the person’s actions on the job if a California background check turned up problems. On the other hand, the employer must be cognizant of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which sets the U.S. standard on employment background checks, and the California version, which gives the employee greater rights.
Check California public records for the following information:
- Convictions for sexual or child abuse.
- Birth records to establish residency.
- California divorce records and alimony payments.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Contact the county or state for California public court records
You can obtain an informational copy of California birth records, death records and marriage records, as opposed to an authorized copy to establish identity, under the Public Records Act in California. While you can ask for the information over the phone for free, you must pay fees set by the state if you want a copy of California public court records.
I recommend: You can contact the
California Department of Public Health, Office of Vital Records for birth, death, marriage and divorce records, but the backlog can be as much as two years. A quicker course is to contact the
county recorder’s office for birth, death and marriage records, and the
California Superior Courts for divorce records.
Search online for CA public records
Several online services provide information to employers that can verify basic information as well as provide a California background check on potential employees. This all-inclusive approach can turn up California criminal records without the effort of contacting individual counties and piling up separate fees.
I recommend: Visit
Net Detective for California criminal records, birth, marital and motor vehicle records, legal judgments or information regarding California divorce records and compliance on alimony and child support. It has an annual fee, but also a money-back guarantee. Input the person’s name or address to the
Family Watchdog site to check for sex offenders on the national sex offender registry.
Be aware of employee rights
California law has been amended so that both job applicants and current employees have greater rights to see information contained in background checks. Know your responsibilities as the business doing a California background check as well as hiring a third party to do the check.
I recommend: Tips on a California background check for employers and employees can be found at the
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. Pick up tips from the
Federal Trade Commission to deal with reports on potential employees.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Be aware that online sites offering California public records information are not always up-to-date because of the massive amount of personal information processed. Always double-check information whenever possible.
The official source of California Public Records is
the California Public Records page at Business.com
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