Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ page). Below, we have tried to answer the most common questions visitors to our web site may have. If you find that your question is not answered on this page, please email us ann@erscheck.com or call us during business hours (9-5 M-F Mountain Time) at (505) 275-5640 or 866-488-1058.

Isn’t there a national crime database that employers can use?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. While some law enforcement agencies may maintain large-scale national crime databases, no such database is available to the general public for commercial use.

What can ERS find out about an applicant or employee's criminal history?

ERS provides a variety of services to discover various aspects of applicant and employee’s criminal history. The basic approaches we use and their limits are described in our Criminal Court History FAQ

What can ERS find out about an applicant or employee's civil court history?

Civil case history reports include a record of any past or current liens, any civil litigation filed by or against the subject. ERS can search court records for bankruptcies and civil actions. An important limitation in civil court history records is that lawsuits are only filed by name. As a result, it can be costly and time consuming to research civil court histories for people with common names.

Why are social security traces important?

A social security number trace is an important fraud prevention tool. It is a fast and inexpensive way to verify names, dates of birth, addresses and social security numbers. The information found on a social security number trace can help verify identity; if a job applicant is not who he or she claims to be, the trace is the first place we may begin to see inconsistencies. (See Social Security service page.)

What should I know about the Fair Credit Reporting Act?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act limits the information that reporting agencies such as ERS may provide. For example, ERS complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act by only publishing information on civil cases, liens and bankruptcies that were disposed of within seven years from the date of our report. Less restrictive conditions apply to providing records of criminal acts. More restrictive conditions apply to providing workers compensation information. Click here to read the Fair Credit Reporting Act

What can a potential employer find out about an applicant’s Workers Compensation history?

The Fair Credit Reporting Act restricts companies like ERS from reporting a person’s history of workers compensation claims unless our customer has extended an offer of employment to that person. In addition, some states, including New Mexico, have additional restrictions preventing use of this data for employment purposes. ERS complies with the Fair Credit Reporting Act by including a worker’s compensation history information on a customer’s report only if the subject of the investigative report has received a job offer from our customer. ERS does not provide worker compensation information where not allowed in specific states.