New Jersey Background Check

How To Get a New Jersey Background Check Report

The State Police handle background checks for the state. According to the Administrative Code (N.J.A.C.) 13:59-1 et seq., they are authorized to disseminate criminal history information to certain parties for non-criminal purposes. Only authorized employers, agencies, attorneys and private detectives have the right to request someone’s background information. Any individual may also request a copy of their own record. When doing so, they will have to be fingerprinted and pay a fee of $40.66. For employers, government agencies and others, they do offer a name-search option as well. The cost is the same at $40.66. For a state and federal background report the fee is $53.91. They provide detailed instruction and downloadable forms on their website. 

What Does a Background Check Show?

A New Jersey background check will show a person’s entire criminal history plus personal details as well. First, it will include name, address, aliases, gender, race, age, date of birth and social security number plus fingerprints and photos. Then it will list every criminal event, such as arrests, warrants, convictions (felonies and misdemeanors), incarcerations, parole, and probation. Court dispositions and fines paid, fees, bail and bond will also show up.

Purpose and Reasons

The most common reason for an NJ background check is for employment purposes. After that, they are used for licensing, certification, volunteer work, adoption, foster care, immigration, obtaining visas for travel, for foreign business and for the purposes of expungement. 
The public also has access to other background reports that are compiled from various public and private sources and include a lot of information such as:

• 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

These types of reports are informal and are used for finding displaced friends or relatives, checking out a potential business partner or date, vetting a new roommate or even looking up your own information to see what comes up.

NJ Criminal Background Checks

NJ criminal background checks are processed through the State Police, and they only provide them to someone with a tangible interest in the subject. Most often this is for employment, licensing or government purposes. The reports provided include everything in the person’s criminal history except for expunged records. 

Gun Background Check

In compliance with the Brady Act, the state is a full point of contact for gun dealers, and all background checks must go through The New Jersey State Police (NJSP). Additionally, all buyers of firearms must have either a license to purchase or a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card (FPIC). Both of which are supplied by the NJSP or local police. This rule applies to private sales as well. The state has processed 103,739 background checks so far this year. More than half (58,989) were for handguns, and the rest were for long guns. 

Gun Checks & Gun-Related Death Rate

On average 93,124 gun checks annually are being conducted through NICS in California.

State Firearms Background Checks Initiated Through the NICS

Background Check Laws

New Jersey does not allow public access to criminal history in a background check. Only authorized personnel such as government agencies, licensing organizations, attorneys, employers, private investigators and the person themselves can access a copy of someone’s background report. The state also has strict laws about how an employer can use the information contained within a background check when evaluating the viability of a new employee. 

Employment Protection

New Jersey has strict laws about how employers with 15 or more employees can use a background check during the hiring process. Their New Jersey Opportunity to Compete Act is essentially a ban-the-box law that prohibits employers from advertising that a criminal record will disqualify you from a position and they cannot ask about your criminal history until after they have interviewed you. The only exceptions are positions with law enforcement or something that directly relates to the job position. Employers are also subject to federal law and must comply with both 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 288 victims of online romance scams in New Jersey, resulting in $4.8 million adjusted losses associated with these complaints.

Victims by Age Group