Pick the plan that fits how you hire — and always reach a real person when you call.
Background check pricing should be easy to understand, and so should the people behind it. At NCS Workforce, you pick the plan that fits how you hire, and you always get real human support to back it up. Run a single check or protect an entire team. Whichever you choose, when you call, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office — not a bot, not a phone tree, not a ticket queue.
We've spent 20+ years screening for 20,000+ customers nationwide. We're FCRA compliant and SOC 2 compliant, we hold a Better Business Bureau A+ rating, and we were one of the first CRAs to earn PBSA accreditation — accreditation we renewed in 2026. We pair powerful technology with real human support, because behind every great hire, there should be people who care. Peace of mind, powered by people.
Below you'll find three plans built around one simple question: do you need a fast, simple criminal check, or a workforce platform that grows with your team?
NCS Lite — criminal background checks, simple and fast
Who it's for: Small businesses, franchises, nonprofits, churches, and anyone who hires occasionally and wants a clean, straightforward criminal background check.
The headline benefit: Run a criminal background check in minutes — simple, fast, and exactly what a smaller or occasional hirer needs.
NCS Lite is the simplest way to screen a candidate. It's criminal background checks only — no extra moving parts, just the search you need to make a confident hiring decision. Many searches come back instantly or within minutes, so you're not left waiting. And even on our most self-serve plan, support isn't an afterthought: if you have a question, a real person in our office is one call away.
- Criminal background checks — the core search, done simply
- Fast turnaround — many results in minutes; county criminal searches typically a few days
- Tools that help you stay FCRA-compliant — including electronic collection of applicant consent
- Built on 20+ years of NCS screening expertise
- Real human support included — yes, even here
Pricing: Contact us for pricing. We'll talk through what you need and build a quote around how you actually hire.
Talk to a real person
NCS Workforce Pro — build the plan you need
Who it's for: Growing teams who hire regularly and want to add the workforce capabilities that fit how they actually hire — without paying for things they won't use.
The headline benefit: À la carte. You start with the essentials and add the workforce capabilities you want, so the plan matches your hiring instead of the other way around.
A point-in-time check tells you who someone was the day you hired them. NCS Workforce Pro lets you go further — on your terms. Choose the capabilities that matter to you and leave the rest. Want ongoing protection after the hire? Add continuous criminal monitoring. Want a hands-on AI HR assistant in your command center? Add Hailey. Build the plan you need, and lean on a real team whenever you want a human in the loop.
Capabilities you can add with Pro:
- Continuous criminal monitoring — ongoing alerts so new activity doesn't slip past you
- Hailey, your AI HR assistant — a conversational assistant that lives in your command center and helps with screening questions, understanding results and charges, and guiding applicants
- Electronic authorization — collect applicant consent electronically
- Smart forms — streamlined intake that moves candidates through quickly
- Dashboards & analytics — visibility into your screening activity
- Review & approval workflows — consistent, repeatable steps for your team
- Real human support included — a knowledgeable team that answers the phone
Pricing: Contact us for pricing. Tell us which capabilities you want and we'll build a quote around them.
Get a quote
NCS Workforce Platinum — everything included, built for scale
Who it's for: Larger organizations and multi-location teams that want every workforce capability included and the enterprise controls that bigger operations rely on.
The headline benefit: Everything Pro offers, fully included — plus enterprise capabilities for organizations hiring across many teams, sites, and roles.
When you're hiring across many teams, sites, or roles, you want everything working together without picking and choosing. Platinum includes every capability Pro offers — continuous criminal monitoring, Hailey, electronic authorization, smart forms, dashboards and analytics, and review and approval workflows — with nothing left as an add-on. On top of that, it adds the enterprise structure larger organizations need. And no matter how large your organization gets, the promise never changes: real people who care, ready to help, every time you reach out.
- Everything in Pro, fully included — every workforce capability, no à la carte add-ons
- Organization hierarchy & waterfall permissions — structure and access that mirror how your organization actually works
- Advanced Hailey — deeper assistance across complex, high-volume hiring
- Continuous criminal monitoring, included — ongoing protection across your whole organization
- Dedicated human support — a real team that knows you and answers the phone
Pricing: Contact us for pricing built for your organization.
Get a quote
Plans at a glance
A high-level look at what each plan includes. For pricing on any plan, just reach out — we'll build a quote around how you actually hire.
| Highlights | Lite | Workforce Pro | Workforce Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Smaller or occasional hirers | Growing teams building their own plan | Larger, multi-location organizations |
| Criminal background checks | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Continuous criminal monitoring | — | Add à la carte | Included |
| Hailey, your AI HR assistant | — | Add à la carte | Included (advanced) |
| Electronic authorization | — | Add à la carte | Included |
| Smart forms | — | Add à la carte | Included |
| Dashboards & analytics | — | Add à la carte | Included |
| Review & approval workflows | — | Add à la carte | Included |
| Organization hierarchy & waterfall permissions | — | — | Included |
| Real human support | Included | Included | Included (dedicated) |
The clearest way to choose: if you want a simple, fast criminal check, start with Lite. If you want to build the plan you need, that's Pro. If you want everything included plus enterprise controls, that's Platinum.
Screening packages
Looking for our criminal and employment screening packages? These are the à la carte check products you can run, each with a clear price. Most customers start with one of our three core packages, and step up to Expanded when a role calls for a deeper look.
Basic — $29.95
A solid starting point for straightforward roles.
- Core criminal background screening to support a confident hiring decision
Essential — $45.95
Our most popular package for everyday hiring.
- Everything in Basic, plus the added searches most employers want for standard roles
Enhanced — $64.95
A more thorough package for roles that warrant extra diligence.
- Everything in Essential, plus deeper screening for greater peace of mind
Need more? Step up to Expanded — $74.95
Our most comprehensive package, built for sensitive, high-trust, or higher-risk roles that call for the deepest level of screening we offer. Everything in Enhanced, plus our most extensive set of searches. If you're not sure whether a role needs Expanded, just ask — a real person will help you choose the right fit.
Talk to a real person about packages
For a full breakdown of individual searches and bundle pricing, see our Services & Pricing page.
What does a background check cost?
It depends on how you hire and what you need. A single criminal background package can be as straightforward as one of the prices above. A workforce plan is built around the capabilities you choose. The honest answer is that the best way to know your price is a short conversation — we'll size a quote around your actual hiring, not a one-size-fits-all sticker.
A lot of pricing in this industry is hard to pin down, hidden behind sales calls. We do it differently: you talk to a real person, you tell us how you hire, and we build a quote that fits. Nothing padded, nothing you don't need.
- Simple criminal checks start with our screening packages above
- Workforce plans are quoted around the capabilities you choose
- Human support included at every tier
- A real conversation is the fastest way to a clear price
Volume & quote path
Hiring at scale? Let's talk through it. Here's how we handle different kinds of hiring:
- Hiring occasionally? NCS Lite is the simplest path for a fast criminal check.
- Hiring regularly? NCS Workforce Pro lets you build the plan you need, and Platinum includes everything plus enterprise controls. We'll quote it around your hiring.
- International screening is priced per country and varies, so reach out and we'll walk you through it.
Getting a quote is easy, and it starts with a real conversation — not a form that disappears into a queue. Call us at (479) 695-2111, email support@nationalcrimesearch.com, or request a quote and we'll get right back to you. Our team is available Monday–Thursday 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CST and Friday 8:00 AM–4:00 PM CST.
Get a quote
Want to see how Hailey works? Visit the Meet Hailey page. New to the rules? Start with our Compliance overview. Already a customer? Log in to your command center at mycommandcenter.com.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a background check cost?
It depends on how you hire. Our screening packages have clear prices — Basic at $29.95, Essential at $45.95, Enhanced at $64.95, and Expanded at $74.95 for the deepest level of screening. Our plans — Lite, Workforce Pro, and Platinum — are quoted around how you hire and the capabilities you want. The fastest way to a clear number is to contact us and talk to a real person.
What's the difference between Lite, Pro, and Platinum?
NCS Lite is criminal background checks only — simple and fast, ideal for smaller or occasional hirers. NCS Workforce Pro is à la carte: you build the plan you need by adding capabilities like continuous criminal monitoring, Hailey, electronic authorization, smart forms, dashboards and analytics, and review and approval workflows. NCS Workforce Platinum includes everything Pro offers, fully included, plus enterprise capabilities like organization hierarchy and waterfall permissions and advanced Hailey — built for larger or multi-location organizations.
What are the screening packages, and how are they different from the plans?
The packages (Basic, Essential, Enhanced, and Expanded) are the actual criminal and employment check products you run, each with its own price. The plans (Lite, Pro, Platinum) are how you work with NCS Workforce over time and which capabilities you have available. Most customers pick a package for the check itself and a plan that fits how they hire.
What is Hailey?
Hailey is a full, conversational AI HR assistant that lives right inside your NCS Workforce command center. She's not a behind-the-scenes algorithm — she's an assistant you actually interact with. Hailey helps with screening questions, understanding results and charges, choosing the right package, and guiding applicants, with advanced adverse-action guidance available too. Most providers bolt AI onto the back end. We give you a hands-on AI assistant in your command center, with real people always a call away.
Do I get human support on every plan?
Yes. Real human support is included at every tier. When you call, you'll quickly reach a live person in our office — not a bot or a phone tree. It's the same standard that's served our 20,000+ customers for 20+ years.
Is NCS Workforce FCRA compliant and accredited?
Yes. We're FCRA compliant and SOC 2 compliant, we hold a Better Business Bureau A+ rating, and we were one of the first CRAs to earn PBSA accreditation — accreditation we renewed in 2026. We also give you tools that help you stay FCRA-compliant, including electronic collection of applicant consent — though your own disclosure, authorization, and adverse-action steps remain your responsibility.
Peace of mind, powered by people
Talk to a real person.
You're the priority. Call and you'll quickly reach a live person in our office — not a bot, not a phone tree, not a ticket queue.