Background Checks: What You Need to Know

Most jobs nowadays, from cashier to a senior executive, require a background check. And more employers are vetting longtime employees, too. These investigations are done increasingly by outside screening companies. Here's some things applicants and employers need to know:

Check prior background reports. Under federal law, you are entitled to a copy of any background report that had been done on you, for a minimal fee of $10 or less. In three states, California, Minnesota, and Oklahoma, they're free. You need to know which screening firm out of the nearly 2,000 nationwide did the report.

OSBI Doesn't Expect Great Impact From Closure of Court Records

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation doesn't expect a large increase in requests for background checks because of proposed rules taking some court records off the Internet.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court issued rules earlier this month that would remove several records from the Internet and require documents with personal identifying information to be redacted or filed under seal.