1980s
How Far Back CT Records Go
5
Screening Gaps Covered Below
30 Years
Experience Closing Loopholes
Your company's reputation is built on the people you hire. A single bad hire — one with a criminal history that a surface-level background check missed — can damage client trust, expose you to liability, and cost far more than a thorough screening ever would. The problem is that most employers don't realize how many gaps exist in standard background checks until something goes wrong.
Here are the five most common loopholes we see — and how a comprehensive screening program closes them.
1. Skipping Federal Criminal Reports
The Loophole
County and statewide criminal searches only capture crimes prosecuted at the state level. Federal crimes — including drug trafficking, embezzlement, wire fraud, and kidnapping — are filed in a completely separate court system and will not appear on a state criminal search.
The Fix: A federal criminal search runs the candidate through U.S. District Court records nationwide. We've seen cases where two employees — both with federal records — were hired at the same company and later conspired together. Neither record surfaced on the standard state search.
2. Artificially Limited Connecticut Criminal Records
The Loophole
Most consumer reporting agencies limit Connecticut criminal searches to 7 or 10 years. This isn't required by law for most positions — it's simply a business decision by the vendor. Employers using these services may be unaware that serious offenses from 15 or 20 years ago are being excluded from the report.
The Fix: Research Services searches Connecticut criminal records as far back as the 1980s, accounting for name variations, maiden names, and common misspellings. Our statewide criminal search is thorough by design, not truncated by convenience.
3. Multi-State Criminal History Gaps
The Loophole
A candidate who lived in three different states over the past decade may have a criminal record in any — or all — of those states. Searching only the state where they currently live, or where your company is located, misses everything else.
The Fix: We run searches in every jurisdiction where the candidate has lived, worked, or spent significant time. Crimes committed during vacations, temporary relocations, or short stays in other states are not overlooked. A national criminal index search provides broad coverage as an additional layer.
4. Social Security Verification Gaps
The Loophole
Many employers assume that if a candidate provided a Social Security number, it's valid and belongs to them. In practice, our firm regularly encounters fake, forged, or borrowed Social Security cards during the screening process.
The Fix: A Social Security trace verifies that the number was legitimately issued, is associated with the candidate's name, and surfaces any additional names or addresses linked to that number — revealing aliases or identity inconsistencies that other searches would miss.
5. National Criminal Index Limitations
The Loophole
The national criminal index is a useful tool, but it is not a substitute for direct county or statewide searches. Connecticut stopped contributing records to the national index years ago. Clerical errors, reporting delays, and incomplete submissions mean that records present at the county level may never appear in any national database.
The Fix: We use the national index as a pointer — a starting point to identify jurisdictions worth searching directly — not as a standalone result. Every national hit is verified at the source before it's included in a report.
We will never use inflated language to make our searches sound more comprehensive than they are. Our commitment is to tell you exactly what each search covers, what it doesn't, and what combination of searches gives you the most complete picture for your specific hiring situation.
FCRA Notice: All background checks conducted by Research Services comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Permissible purpose and candidate authorization are required before any search is initiated.
Heather F.D.
Assistant Manager — Research Services
Close the Gaps in Your Screening Program
We'll review your current background check process and identify where loopholes may exist — at no cost to you.
