What Does a Background Check Show?

Dave Moore - September 26, 2025

Background checks are reports that compile information from various public and private sources to give a snapshot of a person’s history. They can include criminal records, employment verification, education history, and more, depending on the type of check.

In most cases, however, the answer depends on the purpose of the check and the rules that govern it under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). This guide explains what information is reported on background checks, what factors influence the results, and the most common reasons people do not pass.

What Does a Background Check Show? Find Out Below

The scope of what exactly shows in a background check changes with the use case. For example, landlords focus on credit behavior, prior evictions, and housing-related court records. These types of background checks come with a narrower look at criminal history. 

On the other hand, a standard employment background check confirms identity details and looks for records tied to your name and date of birth. It can include criminal records at the local, state, and national levels. It might also include verification of past jobs and school credentials. To preview what’s tied to your name before you apply, run a quick background check on yourself using our people search tool.

A background check may include a motor vehicle record if the role involves driving, and a credit report for finance-sensitive positions. Civil court data, such as judgments, liens, and evictions, might appear when the job involves money handling or trust with client assets.

What Influences a Background Check

The content and the decision both hinge on scope. A hiring manager defines what to verify based on the job’s risks and responsibilities. For example, a bookkeeper might trigger credit and civil court searches, while a delivery role adds a driving record pull. When the report serves housing, firearms, or licensing, the data sources and pass-fail rules shift to match that use.

Law and time influence background checks as well. Many screens focus on the most recent seven years for criminal or civil records. However, bankruptcies and some serious convictions can reach further under certain rules. 

State and local limits can narrow what appears on a background check or how it can be used. There are many states, such as Georgia or Maine, that do not share criminal records right away. 

Accuracy plays a quiet but decisive role. Common names, prior addresses, and name changes can slow searches or split records. Typos in dates of birth, missing middle names, or a mismatch between application details and what databases return can cause delays or extra verification. 

What Does a Background Check Show When You Fail

If you’re wondering what does a background check show, note that you can fail a background check due to a variety of reasons. For example, providing falsified information on your application or resume, such as education or employment details, can lead to failing the background check. Here are the top ten reasons a background check may fail, allowing you to know what these checks show.

1. Undisclosed or Serious Criminal Convictions

A conviction that relates directly to the job’s duties often leads to rejection. Financial crimes carry significant weight in money-handling roles. Violent offenses are important in positions with public contact, and recent DUIs can disqualify candidates for driving jobs.

Old or minor matters may not carry the same weight, but silence does. When you fail to disclose what you know will appear, the decision maker may treat the omission as a trust issue. If a charge was dismissed or expunged, let your employer know and be ready with paperwork.

2. Pending Charges or Active Warrants

A pending case is not a conviction, but it creates an immediate risk for employers and landlords who have to make a decision quickly. Some choose to pause the process until the court resolves the matter, while others move on to a different candidate.

If the charge does not align with the role’s risk, context helps. Offer the facts you can share and show up with proof of court dates or legal counsel so the reviewer sees diligence rather than evasiveness.

3. Dishonest Employment Dates or Job Titles

Inflated titles and stretched timelines are easy to spot once verifiers contact past employers or payroll processors. A single exaggerated claim can sink an otherwise solid candidacy because it calls their credibility into question.

Keep your records straight. If a company rebranded or a role changed mid-stream, note the sequence in your resume and be consistent on forms. If you were a contractor through an agency, list the agency and the assignment client to avoid confusion.

4. Fabricated Degrees, Certificates, or Licenses

Degree mills and unverifiable courses pop up often, so screeners confirm schools, majors, graduation dates, and professional licenses. A mismatch between what you claim and what registrars or licensing boards report is a fast no in many fields.

If you are short of credit or you hold a certificate rather than a degree, let them know. For regulated professions, expired, suspended, or restricted licenses can also derail an offer until you resolve the status and provide proof.

5. Disqualifying Driving History for Driving or Equipment Roles

Hiring teams pull motor vehicle reports for anyone who will drive on duty or operate heavy equipment. Repeated moving violations, recent suspensions, major at-fault accidents, or DUI convictions can rule you out because they correlate with insurance risk and safety exposure.

For warehouse, mining, or construction roles, the bar is even higher. A clean recent period, safety training, and remedial programs can help rehabilitate a rough past.

6. Poor Credit Behavior in Finance-Sensitive Positions

A credit report does not show a FICO score in employment background checks. However, it does reveal accounts in collection, high delinquency, recent bankruptcies, and patterns of missed payments. Employers read those items as signals of reliability when the job involves money, access to client funds, or financial authority.

Bad credit on its own does not always equal failure, and many roles never look at credit. If your target job does, a short letter that explains a medical event, job loss, or identity theft, backed by documents, can reframe the narrative from risk to recovery.

7. Positive Drug Test in a Role With Safety or Compliance Duties

For safety-sensitive or strictly regulated positions, a positive drug test can stop hiring. Testing panels vary by employer and role, with some requiring longer detection windows. 

If using a legal substance under a prescription, provide documentation. Don’t disclose extra details yourself. Let the medical reviewer decide and communicate the clearance.

8. Eviction History or Housing-Related Judgments for Rental Decisions

Tenant screens highlight late housing payments, evictions, and court judgments that suggest trouble paying rent on time. A landlord may accept older issues that you have since cured, but recent housing court actions often lead to denials.

If your record shows an eviction that was settled or dismissed, bring proof. A higher deposit, a co-signer with strong credit, or employer-provided housing verification can also shift a borderline decision.

9. Identity Mismatch, Aliases, or Name Change Gaps

When your application name, prior names, and government ID don’t line up, the screener may pause or stop the process. Missing aliases can hide records unintentionally, which looks like you tried to avoid disclosure even when you did not.

List prior legal names and common variants, and confirm addresses you’ve used in the last several years. If you changed your name, add the effective date to help the researcher search under the right identifiers.

10. Red Flags From References or Public Online Conduct

References who cannot confirm your roles, dates, or performance raise doubts quickly. Public posts that demean clients or share private workplace information also alarm employers for reputational risk jobs. 

Choose references who know your work well and understand the role. Clean up public profiles, tighten privacy settings, and avoid content that questions your judgment or maturity.

FAQs About Background Checks

Here are some commonly asked questions about the background check process.

Why Do Employers Conduct Background Checks?

Employers use background checks to validate credentials, protect staff and customers, and meet industry requirements. A report helps confirm you are the person you say you are, that your dates and titles line up, and that no recent legal issues conflict with the job’s duties. Many employers will weigh context, recency, and relevance rather than treat every mark as an automatic rejection.

What Is a Level 2 Background Check?

A Level 2 background check is a thorough screen for roles involving vulnerable people. It examines detailed criminal history and related registries. This check often includes fingerprinting for precise record matching. Employers use it when the role’s risk requires a stronger review.

What Are Other Methods of Pre-Employment Screening?

Hiring teams often add steps beyond database searches. They use skills or cognitive tests to measure job ability and drug tests for safety-sensitive roles. Structured interviews and reference calls gather insights about fit and conduct. Some roles also require license checks, sanctions checks, and social media reviews when relevant to daily duties. 

What Does a Background Check Show? Depends on the Organization 

What appears depends on why the check is run: employment, housing, licensing, or firearms. It also depends on laws, lookback windows, and the data tied to your names and addresses. 

Based on these, your background check gathers identity verifications, criminal records, job and education confirmations. It may also include motor vehicle data for driving roles, credit behavior for finance-sensitive work, and civil court items when trust or money is involved.