Why Is My Background Check Taking So Long? Everything You Need to Know

Dave Moore - April 12, 2024

Background checks are a part of life in our modern world. Companies, universities, and government agencies run background checks on people to ensure that they’re a good fit for a specific role.

These background checks might check for criminal records, your driving records, or something simple like identity verification. Ultimately, the type of background check and the length of the background check varies depending on the company running it, the tools used, and how extensive someone’s criminal records might be.

So, you might be wondering; why is my background check taking so long? Unfortunately, it can be due to many factors, so it’s important to understand them all. This article takes you through everything you need to know about background checks, including what they are and the types of information available on them. Read on to learn more.

What Is a Background Check?

To understand how long a background check can be and the factors that might influence how long they take, it’s important to know what they are first. Typically, a background check is a public records search that verifies information about someone. These checks verify a person’s identity, work history, criminal records, and sex offender status.

However, some background checks can be more in-depth and go back further than others. In fact, the depth of a background check can influence how long it takes. For example, people who apply to work for the FBI might have to undergo a rigorous year-long background check process.

How Long Does a Background Check Take?

Background checks vary in the amount of time needed to complete them. Some background checks can be done in about 3-5 days, while others can take more than a year.

The average background check will take about two weeks. This applies to most types of background checks and most jobs that you could apply for.

However, if you apply for a position with the federal government or for a government agency like the FBI, a background check can take months or even years. Therefore, sometimes a longer background check process is completely normal.

What Are Red Flags on a Background Check?

Red flags are one of the most common reasons to fail a background check. Furthermore, red flags can slow the process down if potential employers have to look into them, especially if you don’t notify them beforehand. Some common red flags that can cause you to fail a background check include:

• Gaps in your resume or lying on your resume
• Multiple jobs where you only worked for a few weeks or months
• Missing past jobs or work experience you purposely left out
• Criminal records
• Court records that involve sexual offenses, felonies, or misdemeanors
• Poor credit history
• Bad driving records

Refusing a background check will also lead to you failing; it’s also a red flag. Always notify employers of potential red flags to avoid any problems.

6 Reasons Your Background Check Is Taking So Long

Background checks aren’t an instant thing, and sometimes background check agencies won’t have all of the information necessary to move forward.

While a lack of information is a common reason for a background check delay, there are also some other reasons you should familiarize yourself with. Learn more about some of the most common background check delays and how you can navigate them below.

1. Incomplete Information on the Applicant’s End

The biggest cause for a background check delay is a lack of the correct information being submitted on the applicant’s side of the process. When getting a background check, there is paperwork you have to fill out.

Additionally, you might have to provide additional documentation of certain events or places you worked to have the background check process begin. If you fail to include this information, it can cause a delay in the background check process, and it might not get fixed until you provide the right paperwork.

Furthermore, applicants may leave things off of their background check accidentally or fail to send in all the required authorizations. In these cases, the delay will persist until the applicant provides the necessary information.

When submitting information for your background check make sure you send in everything that’s required to make sure the process moves quickly.

2. Inconsistencies on Request Forms

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows background check agencies to view anything that’s a public record about an applicant with written consent. This also allows for the release of more niche paperwork, including driving records or someone’s credit profile.

While a basic background check verifies someone’s identity, more information has to be sent over in the form of request forms in order to get additional documentation.

A great example of this is how driving records are handled. Driving records aren’t part of traditional background checks, so you’ll have to have the applicant sign another authorization form. Failing to provide them with this form can prevent you from getting any information from the DMV.

Additionally, you may need different forms for different states. If you’re worried about why a background depends on taking a long time on the person you’re checking, it’s possible that this is the reason.

3. Work and Education References or Institutions Taking a Long Time

Sometimes, past employers and schools might take a long time to get back to the background check agency. While many work history and education records are public, checking references or verifying identities can be more challenging.

Additionally, there might be days where people don’t answer the phone, so the background check agency will have to reach out one more time.

Depending on when the background check is being conducted, this can also have an impact on response times for certain information. For example, requesting transcripts from a school during the summer or over winter break might delay the process.

This applies to workplaces too, requesting information over holiday breaks, like Christmas, can result in delays in information.

4. Court Closures

When the court system is closed it can cause delays on your background check. This is because background check agencies have to contact the courthouse to get the appropriate records for specific cases. For this reason, during events like the Covid-19 pandemic records weren’t updated as quickly, and there were delays in the process.

Court closures over holidays can also cause delays in your background check. For these reasons, we recommend using some of our tips for finding court records on a person to get the job done when you can’t get in contact with courts.

Most courts have their records public, so you can find them in databases, which makes this one of the rarer things to cause a delay in background checks.

5. Common Names

People with common names can slow down the process. This is less common than most background check problems, but someone with a name like John Smith can make it harder to find someone’s records. Depending on the background check software used, a name like that can generate a lot of hits and make it difficult to find the right person.

Whether you’re an applicant or someone who needs a background check, we recommend using our background check tool to narrow down the search results. It will ask you questions about the person, including where they live or if they’re been arrested. These simple questions can help you discover results faster and with more accuracy.

6. Waiting on Results for a Drug Test

Drug tests can take time to process. Typically, the drug test administrator will notify the company or organization of the results promptly, but there can be delays. On average, drug tests take about 24 to 48 hours to process. In some cases, it might take 72 hours or longer, but this is for more niche drugs or specific industries like transportation.

Also, it depends on the type of drug test. It can take longer to verify hair samples compared to urine samples. Either way, results go to a lab where everything is processed. From there, the applicant has to wait to hear the results. If there is any delay in this process, it will take longer for your background check to be completed.

Should You Worry About a Background Check Taking a Long Time?

More often than not, background checks taking an extended amount of time are nothing to worry about. If the information you presented is accurate and you have a clean record, sometimes it just takes longer for companies to verify the information.

The only time you should worry is if you submitted the wrong information or if you’re lying about something on your record. If the process is taking too long and you’re uncomfortable, you can always reach out to the company to ensure that the process is going smoothly and that they don’t need anything else from you.

How Do You Know if You Failed a Background Check?

The company that’s hiring you will likely let you know if you failed the background check. However, if you never heard back from them you can reach out to the company running the background check. They will notify you of your full report and highlight any red flags that may have led to your failure.

Make sure you have the contact information of the company running the check to ensure that you can remain updated throughout the process if you need to.

Prepare for a Background Check With Information.com Today

Background checks might take a few days or weeks, so it’s important to be prepared. After all, you don’t want to be nervous throughout the entire process.

The good news is that you don’t have to be because you can know what will show up on a background check before you take one. Tools like our public records search tool to view anything about you that’s a public record.

We also recommend learning more about specific employees to see if they’ll hire you based on what you might find in your records. For example, Family Dollar is known for hiring felons but the type of felony can make an impact.

Doing your due diligence before applying can speed up the process and leave you feeling more comfortable if you’re nervous about getting hired.