A great hire shouldn't hinge on a guess. Our background check service gives you fast, accurate, FCRA-compliant background checks backed by something most screening companies bury in the fine print: real people who answer the phone. NCS Workforce is built on National Crime Search's 20+ years as a PBSA-accredited background screening company, and we still run on one simple promise — you're the priority. When you have a question, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office, not a bot or a queue.
Whether you're hiring your first employee or your fiftieth, we make employment background screening easy, compliant, and human.
Get a quote | Call us at (479) 695-2111
Choose the Employment Background Screening Package That Fits Your Hire
Most employers start with one of our three core employment packages. Each is priced per search, so you order a check when you actually need to run one. Need something specific? Every search can be ordered à la carte, or we'll build a custom package around the roles you're filling.
| Package | Price (per search) | What's included |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $29.95 | SSN Trace, Multi-State Criminal Database, National Sex Offender Registry, US Terror Watchlist (OFAC), 1 County Courthouse Search + verification of up to 2 additional counties, Federal Criminal (statewide) |
| Essential | $45.95 | Everything in Basic, plus added verification depth for a fuller picture of an applicant's history |
| Enhanced | $64.95 | Everything in Essential, plus deeper search coverage for higher-trust roles |
Need more? Add the Expanded package
For sensitive or high-responsibility positions, our Expanded package ($74.95 per search) is our most comprehensive employment option — the broadest search coverage we offer, building on everything in Enhanced. It's the right choice when the role demands the deepest possible look.
How pricing works
- Fewer than 12 checks a year? You'll use our standard per-search pricing — exactly what you see above.
- 12 or more checks a year? You likely qualify for a tailored volume-discount quote. Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll build pricing around your real usage.
Not sure which package fits the role? Tell us what you're hiring for and we'll help you choose.
What's Included in an Employment Background Screening
A background check is only as useful as the data behind it. Our employment background screening pulls from criminal, identity, and verification sources so you can make a confident, defensible decision. Depending on the package and role, a check may include:
- Identity & SSN Trace — confirms the applicant is who they say they are and surfaces address history to point searches in the right direction.
- Multi-State & National Criminal Database — a broad sweep across criminal records nationwide.
- County Criminal Searches — direct courthouse searches where records actually live, for the highest-quality results.
- Federal Criminal Searches — federal district court records that county searches won't catch.
- National Sex Offender Registry — a nationwide registry search.
- OFAC / Terror Watchlist — global sanctions and watchlist screening.
- Verifications — employment, education, and professional license verification when the role calls for it.
- Specialty add-ons — MVR (driving records), credit (where permissible), civil records, drug screening, and more.
Need a custom mix? Browse the full catalog and pricing on our All Services & Pricing page, or tell us about the role and we'll recommend the right searches.
FCRA-Compliant, EEOC-Aware Screening
Background checks touch someone's livelihood, so compliance isn't optional — it's the whole point. Every check we run follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and we help you stay on the right side of the rules without turning your hiring process into a legal maze.
- Proper authorization first. The FCRA requires a standalone written disclosure and the applicant's written consent — plus A Summary of Your Rights Under the FCRA — before any check runs. We can collect FCRA-compliant consent electronically on your behalf, so it's done right the first time.
- A guided adverse-action process. If a report leads you toward a "no," the law requires a two-step process: a Pre-Adverse Action Letter (with a copy of the report and the rights summary), a reasonable waiting period, and then a final Adverse Action Letter. We provide applicant-specific templates so each step is handled correctly.
- EEOC-aware decisions. EEOC guidance asks employers to weigh the nature of the offense, the time elapsed, and the job-relatedness of the record — not to apply blanket rules. We help you keep your process consistent and individualized.
- Applicant rights respected. Every applicant is entitled to a copy of their report and the right to dispute records. We handle disputes promptly and fairly.
Want the deeper dive on the rules? See our FCRA Compliance Guide and EEOC & Ban-the-Box Hiring resources.
Compliance guidance on this page reflects the Fair Credit Reporting Act and EEOC guidance and is reviewed by our compliance team. This is general information, not legal advice.
Turnaround and Accuracy You Can Plan Around
Speed matters when you're trying to fill a role — but accuracy matters more, because a wrong record on the wrong person is a problem for everyone.
- Many searches return instantly or within minutes — identity, database, watchlist, and registry checks.
- County criminal searches typically take a few days, and some jurisdictions run 5–7 business days depending on local court access.
- We set realistic expectations up front. When a specific court is running behind, we tell you — and we keep a current view of jurisdiction delays so there are no silent surprises. (See our Court Updates page.)
We pair powerful technology with real human support to deliver peace of mind. If something on a report needs a closer look, a real person on our team is already on it.
Industry Coverage
For 20+ years we've screened for businesses of every size and shape. Our packages and à-la-carte searches map to the screening that specific industries actually require:
- General employment — small businesses, franchises, and growing teams. See Employee Background Checks.
- Healthcare — OIG/SAM exclusion checks, abuse-registry searches, and license verification for compliant hiring. See Healthcare Screening.
- Property management — tenant screening with criminal, eviction, and credit data. See Tenant Screening.
- Volunteers & nonprofits — affordable SafeChoice packages for churches, youth programs, and community organizations. See Volunteer Screening.
- Transportation & drivers — MVR and DOT/non-DOT drug screening. See Drug Screening.
- High-volume hiring — sourcing and screening together through our Find, Connect & Screen hiring flow. See Find, Connect & Screen.
Not sure where you fit? Call us. We'll point you to exactly the right searches — and only the ones you need.
Trusted, Accredited, and Here for the Long Haul
We don't ask for your trust — we've earned it, one customer at a time, for more than two decades.
- PBSA Accredited. NCS was one of the first consumer reporting agencies to earn accreditation from the Professional Background Screening Association, meeting its rigorous standards for data security, compliance, and quality — and we renewed that accreditation in 2026.
- SOC 2 compliant. Independently validated controls for security and data protection.
- A+ BBB rating. A long-standing, accountable Better Business Bureau member.
- FCRA compliant. Screening built around the federal rules that protect employers and applicants alike.
- 20+ years in business. Over two decades of full-service background screening.
- 20,000+ customers nationwide. Businesses across the country count on us.
- 50+ years of combined industry expertise and active membership in NDASA, The Payroll Group, and IPPA.
This is what real legitimacy looks like — verified credentials, real tenure, and a team that's still answering the phone.
Plans That Grow With You
Beyond individual screening packages, NCS Workforce comes in three plans so you can match the platform to how your team actually hires.
- NCS Lite — criminal background checks only. Simple and fast, it's the right fit for smaller or occasional hirers who just need clean, compliant checks without the extras.
- NCS Workforce Pro — build the plan you need. Start with screening and add the workforce capabilities that matter to you, à la carte: continuous criminal monitoring, the Hailey AI assistant, electronic authorization, smart forms, dashboards & analytics, and review/approval workflows. You shape the platform around your hiring.
- NCS Workforce Platinum — everything Pro offers, fully included, plus enterprise capabilities like organization hierarchy with waterfall permissions and advanced Hailey. Built for larger or multi-location organizations that need depth and structure out of the box.
Every plan is backed by the same real, on-call NCS team. Pricing depends on what your organization needs, so let's talk it through.
Get a quote | Talk to a real person at (479) 695-2111
Real Human Support, When You Need It
Here's the part most of our competitors can't say: when you call us, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office. Not a phone tree. Not a ticket queue. Not a chatbot with "no option to speak with someone."
Hiring is too important to hand off to a phone tree. You're the priority — so our team is responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely glad to help, because behind every great hire there should be people who care.
We also put smart technology to work for you. Meet Hailey — a full, conversational AI HR assistant who lives right inside your NCS Workforce command center. Hailey isn't a behind-the-scenes algorithm; she's an assistant you actually talk to. Ask her your screening questions, get help understanding results and charges, figure out which package fits a role, guide applicants through the process, and (in advanced plans) get help navigating adverse action. Most providers bolt AI onto the back end — we put a hands-on HR assistant right in your command center, with real people always a call away.
Reach a live person:
- Phone: (479) 695-2111
- Email: support@nationalcrimesearch.com
- Hours: Mon–Thu 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CST, Fri 8:00 AM–4:00 PM CST
Curious how AI and human support work together? Meet Hailey.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a background check cost?
Our employment packages are priced per search: Basic $29.95, Essential $45.95, and Enhanced $64.95, with our most comprehensive Expanded package at $74.95. You order a check when you run one. If you screen 12 or more applicants a year, you likely qualify for a tailored volume-discount quote — give us a call and we'll build pricing around your real usage.
How long does a background check take?
Many searches — identity, database, watchlist, and registry checks — return instantly or within minutes. County criminal searches typically take a few days, and some jurisdictions run 5–7 business days depending on local court access. We tell you up front when a court is running behind so there are no surprises.
Are your background checks FCRA compliant?
Yes. Every check we run follows the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We can collect FCRA-compliant applicant consent electronically on your behalf, and we provide pre-adverse and adverse action templates so the two-step adverse-action process is handled correctly.
What's included in a basic background check?
Our Basic package ($29.95 per search) includes an SSN Trace, Multi-State Criminal Database search, National Sex Offender Registry, US Terror Watchlist (OFAC), one County Courthouse Search plus verification of up to two additional counties, and a statewide Federal Criminal search.
Which NCS Workforce plan is right for me?
It depends on how you hire. NCS Lite covers criminal background checks for smaller or occasional hirers. NCS Workforce Pro lets you add the workforce capabilities you want, à la carte. NCS Workforce Platinum includes everything Pro offers plus enterprise capabilities for larger or multi-location organizations. Contact us and we'll help you pick — and quote — the right fit.
Can I talk to a real person if I have a question?
Always. When you call, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office during business hours — not a bot or a queue. You're the priority.
Build Safer, Smarter Teams
You bring the open role. We'll bring 20+ years of screening expertise, PBSA-accredited standards, and a team that actually picks up the phone. Fast, compliant, and human — that's how we strive to exceed your expectations.
Get a quote | Talk to us | (479) 695-2111
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