Florida Background Check

How To Get a Florida Background Check Report

The Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Division of Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) is the government agency in charge of keeping all criminal records and providing official background reports upon request. They supply this information to the general public for a fee of $24 per search. Employers and government agencies can obtain full state and federal background checks for purposes of licensing and employment. The state maintains all criminal records via fingerprints using the LiveScan system.
The Statute 943.056 allows offenders to get a copy of their own criminal background report for free with a fingerprint card. For a federal copy of someone’s criminal records via fingerprints, users need to visit the FBI’s website and pay an $18 fee per report. 

What Does a Background Check Show?

FL background checks focus primarily on criminal history information including arrest records, warrants, court dispositions, police records, DUIs/DWIs, felonies, misdemeanors, convictions, driving infractions, incarcerations along with probation and parole violations. The reports will also show basic information such as name, address, physical description, age, date of birth, height weight and other details. 
The information contained within the reports come from the Department of Corrections, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and law enforcement officials. The state also maintains a sex offender registry database which the general public can use to search for free. 

Purpose and Reasons

The state has a lot of healthcare and retirement facilities. Healthcare providers employed at state facilities are required to undergo an official background check before being hired to protect the patients and residents. Some other reasons for an official Florida background report are tenant screening, obtaining financing or credit, getting a gun permit, applying for a security clearance, government employment, obtaining certification or purchasing insurance. 
Public background reports are easier to obtain and contain more information. The purpose for an informal background check is to find someone you lost track of, check out a potential date, before going into business with someone you don’t know very well, looking into a new neighbor or just finding someone’s contact information. Some of the additional information you will see in a public background check is: 

• Criminal Records
• Arrests and Warrants
• Bankruptcy Filings          
• Legal Judgments

• Liens 

• Birth Records

• Marriages and Divorces 

• Property Records

• Auto, Vessel, Aircraft Ownership

• Current and Past Addresses

• Phone and Email Address

• Professional Licenses

• Relatives and Associates

• Social Media Accounts and More

FL Criminal Background Checks

Employers most often use criminal background checks. FL has strict laws about how they can be used for employment. For example, the state prohibits government agencies from not hiring someone or licensing them based on a conviction in their background report. The only exception to this rule is felonies and first-degree misdemeanors. The state encourages companies to use background checks during the hiring process to protect themselves against “negligent hiring” laws. Employers are subject to federal regulations regarding background checks used during the hiring process. The two laws are The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Gun Background Check

The state is a point of contact for gun dealers in the state, and before selling any firearms, they must contact the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) to perform a complete background check. It is illegal to sell guns to anyone with a felony, mental illness or someone convicted of domestic abuse. Additionally, according to the extreme risk protection order law, local law enforcement has the power to label someone a danger or threat to others and prevent them from purchasing any guns. Local police can confiscate someone’s firearms on this premise as well. Private gun sales are not subject to background checks.

Gun Checks & Gun-Related Death Rate

On average 1,203,145 gun checks annually are being conducted through NICS in California.

State Firearms Background Checks Initiated Through the NICS

Background Check Laws

Florida’s background check laws pertain mostly to employment. Unlike many states that only protect applicants from misuse of background checks in employment, FL  actually recommends the use of background checks when hiring to avoid “negligent hiring,” and lawsuits if someone gets hurt. The state employers are still subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Public Background Check Reports Usage

According to The Fair Credit Reporting Act, when using sites like InfoTracer to obtain a background report, the information cannot legally be used to determine credit, employment, tenant screening or any other eligibility requirements for business or professional use. 

Online Romance Scam Statistics

In 2017, there have been 1,085 victims of online romance scams in Florida, resulting in $13.2 million adjusted losses associated with these complaints.

Victims by Age Group