Fast background checks for employers. 85% complete in under 24 hours.

Bchex provides FCRA-compliant background check services for employers of every size: criminal, identity, employment, education, and driving record checks.

  • 99.99% accuracy, with a person reviewing every report
  • 12-hour average turnaround
  • Live phone support in under 2 minutes

From $26 per check. No contracts or subscriptions.

Not an employer? See personal background checks.

The Bchex background check status dashboard, listing candidates with their order date, ETA, and package A Bchex background report showing county and federal searches cleared and one record to consider

Trusted by 2,000+ school districts, nonprofits, and US businesses

  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
  • Cincinnati Children’s
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of America
  • BNY Mellon
  • Lowes Foods
  • Charter Schools USA
  • University of North Carolina Charlotte
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters
  • Green Bay Area Public School District
  • Cleveland County Schools
  • Chiquita
  • Harris Teeter
  • Bethel Redding
  • City of Monte Vista
  • Cabarrus County Schools
  • Mr. Handyman
  • Plant Partners
  • The Krazy Coupon Lady
  • Set2Close

Background checks that are actually fast, not just advertised that way.

Bchex background checks are fast because we’ve spent 30 years building direct courthouse relationships, proprietary data sources, and a review process that doesn’t create bottlenecks. You see estimated turnaround times by jurisdiction before you order, so there are no surprises.

  • 70%of checks done in under 6 hours
  • 12-houraverage turnaround on background checks
  • 85%of checks done in under 24 hours

Employment background checks for every role.

Build a custom pre-employment background check package for each role, from volunteers to executives, and order every search from one platform.

  • Candidates
  • Employees
  • Volunteers
  • Vendors
  • Contractors
  • Students

Types of background checks

Need drug testing or I-9 and E-Verify? See all Bchex screening services.

The Bchex Triple Guarantee

Your job is to hire great people and keep your organization safe; ours is to make sure we never let you down. View the terms and conditions.

  • Satisfaction guarantee

    Not satisfied? You don’t pay. We’ll make it right or refund your payment.

  • Rapid delivery guarantee

    85% of checks are done within 24 hours. If a qualifying order runs late, the report is on us. See what qualifies.

  • Best price guarantee

    Find the same service for less? We’ll match the price.

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HR teams rate Bchex 4.7 out of 5 on G2.

Verified on G2 Rated 5 out of 5 on SHRM, 160+ reviews
5 stars

In the world of education, we need to hire fast, and knowing that Bchex can generate a report in 24 hours or less makes us feel confident that we can hire the right talent quickly.

Jakob TisdaleTalent & HR Coordinator, Carmen Schools of Science and Technology
5 stars

I highly recommend Bchex services to any professional looking to do background checks. It’s convenient, it’s fast, it’s reliable, and it’s a great asset to any company.

Kristin KidwellOwner, First Choice Sitters
5 stars

We would highly recommend Bchex for several reasons. The first, of course, is customer service. The next is timeliness in terms of how quickly you need your results. The portal is very easy to navigate. You can reach a live person on the phone.

Ava GreenVP of Legal and HR, AdvisorHR

How a Bchex background check works

Send one invite and Bchex does the rest. Most reports come back the same or next day.

  1. The Bchex applicant portal, where candidates sign in and enter their own information

    Invite your candidate

    Just enter a name and email, or send a link. Our patented ID scanning captures accurate information instantly, eliminating up to 95% of data entry errors from the start.

  2. Live status in the Bchex dashboard: fingerprinting complete, drug screen pending

    Track progress in real time

    No more black box. See the status of every check in your dashboard, with proactive notifications at every stage. You’ll always know exactly where things stand.

  3. A sample Bchex background report, with each search marked cleared or to consider

    Get actionable reports fast

    Receive comprehensive, easy-to-read reports the same or next day, with built-in adverse action tools for the FCRA steps that follow.

Works with the hiring tools you already use

Order and track background checks inside your applicant tracking or HR system, with 100+ ATS and HR integrations and an open API.

See all integrations
  • Workday
  • Ashby
  • Oracle
  • Recruitee
  • PlayerSpace
  • Taleo
  • iCIMS
  • Bullhorn
  • Paradox
  • Volunteer Matters
  • SmartRecruiters
  • Avature
  • Greenhouse
  • Jobvite
  • Eightfold
  • SAP SuccessFactors
  • Teamtailor
  • Jobylon
  • Lever
  • Planning Center
  • UKG
  • VOLY
  • Frontline Education

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99.99% accuracy, powered by 5,000+ data sources.

Our screening engine reaches more than 5,000 data sources, including direct-to-courthouse records and real-time criminal justice feeds, and a person reviews every report before it reaches you. Our SOC 2 Type 2 audited platform keeps it all secure.

Map of the United States showing Bchex data sources across the country

Courthouse records

Real-time criminal justice feeds

DMV records

  • AICPA SOC for Service Organizations
  • FCRA compliant
  • PBSA Accredited
  • SHRM Recertification Provider

Personal background checks for individuals

Checking yourself, or someone you’re hiring at home? Order the same professional-grade background check employers use in about five minutes, and get most results within 24 hours.

Compare personal background check packages

What is an employment background check?

An employment background check reviews a job candidate’s identity, criminal history, and credentials before hiring, with the candidate’s written consent under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). A Bchex check searches county, state, and federal criminal records, verifies identity, and can confirm employment, education, and driving records, with most reports back within 24 hours.

How long does a background check take?

Most Bchex background checks are completed within 24 hours, with an average turnaround of about 12 hours. About 70% finish in under 6 hours and 85% in under 24 hours. Searches that need a court clerk to pull records by hand, international checks, and employment or education verifications can take longer. See the full timeline.

What does a Bchex background check include?

A Bchex employment background check includes identity verification, county, state, and federal criminal searches, a multi-jurisdictional criminal database search, a national sex offender registry search, and global watchlist checks, with coverage in all 50 states. You can add employment and education verification, driving records, drug testing, fingerprinting, I-9 and E-Verify, reference checks, credit checks, and social media screening.

What background check do most employers use?

Most employers run a criminal background check: a county criminal search, a multi-jurisdictional database search, and a national sex offender registry search, plus identity verification. Many add employment and education verification, driving records for driving roles, and drug screening. With Bchex, you build a package for each role and order every search from one platform.

How much does a background check cost?

Bchex employer background checks are priced per check, with no subscription or long-term contract, starting at $26 for Basic, $37 for Standard, and $50 for Advanced. Organizations running more than 50 checks a year get volume discounts, and smaller teams can order from the Small Biz store with no minimums. County and state searches may add government fees. See pricing.

Can I run a background check on myself or someone I’m hiring at home?

Yes. Bchex personal background checks start at $19.99 to check your own record and $29.95 to check someone else, such as a babysitter, caregiver, contractor, or tutor. The person being checked gives consent and verifies their identity online in about five minutes, and most results are ready within 24 hours.

How far back does a background check go?

Most employment background checks search the last 7 years of criminal history. Under the FCRA, convictions can generally be reported no matter how old they are, while arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction usually can’t be reported after 7 years. Some states set tighter limits, so we help you set the right lookback for each role and state.

Are Bchex background checks FCRA compliant?

Yes. Every Bchex background check is fully compliant with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and Bchex is accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA). Built-in adverse action tools help you manage each step of the FCRA process when a report affects a hiring decision. See the FTC and EEOC guidance for employers.

How accurate are Bchex background checks?

Bchex background checks are 99.99% accurate. Automated verification matches every record to the right person across 5,000+ data sources, including direct courthouse records, and a human expert reviews each report before it reaches you. If there’s ever an error on our part, we re-run the check at no cost.

What information do you need from the candidate?

Just the candidate’s name and email address. Bchex sends them a secure link to give consent and enter their own details, such as their Social Security number and date of birth, and they can scan their driver’s license to fill it in automatically. That cuts your data entry and helps ensure accuracy.

Can a candidate dispute their background check results?

Yes. Under the FCRA, candidates have the right to dispute any information in their report they believe is inaccurate. Bchex gives them a straightforward way to file a dispute and works to resolve it promptly.

How quickly can we start running background checks?

Most organizations are up and running within 24 to 48 hours. An onboarding team sets up your packages, and a dedicated account manager makes sure everything matches your hiring process. There are no long-term contracts or subscription fees; you pay per order.

How do I choose a background check company?

Look for five things: PBSA accreditation, FCRA compliance with adverse action tools, fast, accurate turnaround, integrations with your applicant tracking or HR system, and transparent pricing without long-term contracts. Bchex is PBSA accredited and FCRA compliant, completes most checks within 24 hours at 99.99% accuracy, integrates with 100+ ATS and HR systems, and prices per check. Compare background check companies.

Start running background checks in 24 to 48 hours.

Join 2,000+ organizations running 500,000+ background checks a year with Bchex.