Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we need to conduct recurring background checks for our licensees?
Licensees commit dozens, perhaps hundreds, of significant criminal offenses every year that the board doesn't know about - because licensees often fail to self-report. Our service gives you the chance to investigate these offenses before they lead to a news story or a lawsuit.
We haven't monitored the criminal offenses of our licensees before - why should we start now?
Very few licensing boards were conducting recurring background checks five years ago, in part because the costs were prohibitive. However, costs have come down dramatically due to court system automation, and we believe that more and more licensing boards will see recurring background checks as part of their responsibility in protecting the public.
What does the service cost?
The cost is less than $1 per year per licensee, which is a dramatically lower price point than has previously been possible. Contact Us for price details specific to your state.
Why is this recurring background check service significantly less expensive than other alternatives?
Fulcrum receives data directly from the state court systems instead of using a third party data aggregator. This cuts out the middleman, which means our service is less expensive, more current, and more accurate. In addition, our service targets your specific state, which reduces costs for us and therefore reduces the cost of the service for you.
How often will we receive notifications from the system?
This depends on how often the court system in your state publishes data. Currently, North Carolina's updates are daily, and the updates for Arizona, Oregon, and Pennsylvania are monthly.
What do the offense notifications look like?
Our system sends you an email with a spreadsheet attached; here is an example. (The offense data in this example spreadsheet is ficticious.)
What's the difference between a traditional background check and your monitoring service?
A traditional background check only tells you what a licensee has been charged with in the past. Our licensing board screening service continuously re-checks the court data systems to tell you what a licensee is doing now, not just what they've done in the past.
Don't all background check services provide the same results?
No. In many cases, Fulcrum's proprietary smart search algorithms can locate offense records that other services won't find. For example, in North Carolina, our smart search algorithm locates 23% more offenses than traditional background checks, which rely only on matching a first name, last name, and date of birth.
Aren't background checks based on social security numbers? Doesn't that guarantee accuracy?
This is a common misunderstanding. In fact, most criminal records have no SSN information associated with them at all.
Can we talk to your current clients to hear what they think of the service?
Yes. We will be happy to put you in touch.
Does this process meet FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act) requirements?
Yes. Our existing clients have spoken with the Federal Trade Commission to make sure that this process complies with FCRA requirements. However, we are not attorneys, so we always recommend that you follow the advice of your board attorney.
What's the first step?
Let us know you're interested using our Contact Us page. We'll get right back to you.
