The following guide outlines steps recruiters can take to ensure the quickest possible background check turnaround. Small details on consent forms and applicant submissions make a significant difference in processing speed.
General Best Practices
- Use paperless release options to eliminate handwriting legibility issues.
- Confirm applicants have signed all forms — signatures are the most frequently overlooked step.
- Verify applicants have included essential identifiers: date of birth, social security number, address, and year of birth. Note that applicants often enter the current year instead of their birth year.
Employment Verifications
- Confirm the applicant has granted permission to contact their employers.
- Include the applicant's resume or employment documentation with the submission.
- Specify exact employer locations — not just company names, as large companies may have many branches.
- Ask whether a temporary agency was involved in any employment history listed.
Professional References
- Confirm that references listed are professional, not personal.
- Advise applicants to notify their references to expect a call from us.
- Request email addresses for all references — many people screen unknown numbers as potential spam calls.
Education Verifications
- Note whether the applicant received a diploma, GED, or degree.
- Indicate if the diploma was earned through adult education.
- Include the year of graduation or last year attended.
- Specify school locations when the institution name alone may be ambiguous.
DCF Reports
Physical signatures are required for DCF reports — digital signatures are not accepted. A minimum of five years of address history must also be covered on the authorization form.
Driver History Reports
- Compare the license number on the consent form against the applicant's actual license to catch transposition errors.
- Always include the state of issuance.
- Follow state-specific license format requirements — the table below shows the correct format for each state.
Driver's License Format by State
Use the table below to verify that an applicant's license number matches the expected format for their issuing state before submitting.
| State | License Format |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 1–8 Numeric |
| Alaska | 1–7 Numeric |
| Arizona | 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Arkansas | 4–9 Numeric |
| California | 1 Alpha + 7 Numeric |
| Colorado | 1 Alpha + 3–6 Numeric OR 9 Numeric OR 2 Alpha + 2–5 Numeric |
| Connecticut | 9 Numeric |
| Delaware | 1–7 Numeric |
| District of Columbia | 7 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Florida | 1 Alpha + 12 Numeric |
| Georgia | 7–9 Numeric |
| Hawaii | 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Idaho | 2 Alpha + 6 Numeric + 1 Alpha OR 9 Numeric |
| Illinois | 1 Alpha + 11 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 12 Numeric |
| Indiana | 1 Alpha + 9 Numeric OR 9 Numeric OR 10 Numeric |
| Iowa | 9 Numeric OR 3 Numeric + 2 Alpha + 4 Numeric |
| Kansas | 1 Alpha + 1 Numeric + 1 Alpha + 1 Numeric + 1 Alpha OR 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Kentucky | 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 9 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Louisiana | 1–9 Numeric |
| Maine | 7 Numeric OR 7 Numeric + 1 Alpha OR 8 Numeric |
| Maryland | 1 Alpha + 12 Numeric |
| Massachusetts | 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Michigan | 1 Alpha + 10 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 12 Numeric |
| Minnesota | 1 Alpha + 12 Numeric |
| Mississippi | 9 Numeric |
| Missouri | 1 Alpha + 5–9 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 6 Numeric + R OR 8 Numeric + 2 Alpha OR 9 Numeric + 1 Alpha OR 9 Numeric |
| Montana | 1 Alpha + 8 Numeric OR 13 Numeric OR 9 Numeric OR 14 Numeric |
| Nebraska | 1 Alpha + 6–8 Numeric |
| Nevada | 9 Numeric OR 10 Numeric OR 12 Numeric OR X + 8 Numeric |
| New Hampshire | 2 Numeric + 3 Alpha + 5 Numeric |
| New Jersey | 1 Alpha + 14 Numeric |
| New Mexico | 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| New York | 1 Alpha + 7 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 18 Numeric OR 8 Numeric OR 9 Numeric OR 16 Numeric OR 8 Alpha |
| North Carolina | 1–12 Numeric |
| North Dakota | 3 Alpha + 6 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Ohio | 1 Alpha + 4–8 Numeric OR 2 Alpha + 3–7 Numeric OR 8 Numeric |
| Oklahoma | 1 Alpha + 9 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Oregon | 1–9 Numeric |
| Pennsylvania | 8 Numeric |
| Rhode Island | 7 Numeric OR 1 Alpha + 6 Numeric |
| South Carolina | 5–11 Numeric |
| South Dakota | 6–10 Numeric OR 12 Numeric |
| Tennessee | 7–9 Numeric |
| Texas | 7–8 Numeric |
| Utah | 4–10 Numeric |
| Vermont | 8 Numeric OR 7 Numeric + A |
| Virginia | 1 Alpha + 8–11 Numeric OR 9 Numeric |
| Washington | 1–7 Alpha + any combination of Alpha, Numeric, or * totaling 12 characters |
| West Virginia | 7 Numeric OR 1–2 Alpha + 5–6 Numeric |
| Wisconsin | 1 Alpha + 13 Numeric |
| Wyoming | 9–10 Numeric |
Ready to Get Started?
Apply these tips and experience faster turnaround times. Create an account or contact us with any questions about your submission process.