Criminal Background Check Policy & Consent Form – Employee Screening Authorization, HR Hiring , Volunteer Form | PDF and Word

Create a clear and professional screening process with this Criminal Background Check Policy & Consent Form.
Designed for employers, small businesses, HR departments, nonprofits, contractors, volunteer organizations, and service providers, this customizable template combines an internal background screening policy with an applicant authorization form for criminal background checks.

The policy is designed for screening potential employees, independent contractors, volunteers, and other individuals associated with an organization, with the stated goal of supporting workplace safety, trust, and integrity.

WHAT’S INCLUDED
This Criminal Background Check Policy & Consent Form includes:
• Background Check Policy Purpose
• Policy Scope
• Employee Screening Procedures
• Independent Contractor Screening
• Volunteer Screening
• Criminal Records Search Procedures
• Written Consent Requirement
• Conditional Employment / Placement Terms
• Confidentiality Requirements
• Criminal Background Check Authorization
• Applicant Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Last 4 Digits of SSN
• Applicant Signature
• Authorization Date

BACKGROUND CHECK POLICY
Establish a written policy for conducting criminal background checks within your organization.
The template applies to:

✓ Job Applicants
✓ Independent Contractors
✓ Volunteers
✓ Other Individuals Seeking a Role or Association With the Organization

The policy also states that background checks will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

BACKGROUND SCREENING PROCEDURES
Clearly communicate your organization's general screening procedures.
The template provides that a criminal background check may include searches of:

• National Criminal Records
• State Criminal Records
• County Criminal Records

It also requires individuals to be notified of the background-check requirement and provide written consent before the check is conducted.

EMPLOYEE, CONTRACTOR & VOLUNTEER SCREENING
This versatile form isn't limited to traditional employees.
Use it as part of your organization's screening process for:

• Employees
• Job Applicants
• Independent Contractors
• Volunteers
• Organizational Placements
• Other Applicable Roles

This makes the template useful for businesses and organizations that work with multiple types of workers or volunteers.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF BACKGROUND CHECK INFORMATION
Protect sensitive screening information with a dedicated confidentiality provision.
The policy states that background-check information will be kept confidential, used for evaluating an individual's suitability for the applicable opportunity, and accessible only to authorized personnel involved in the hiring or placement process.

WRITTEN BACKGROUND CHECK CONSENT
The included Consent for Criminal Background Check section provides a structured authorization for the individual to permit the company or its authorized agent to conduct a criminal background check.
The authorization specifically references criminal records maintained by federal, state, and local agencies.

APPLICANT INFORMATION & SIGNATURE
The consent section includes fields for:
• Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Last 4 Digits of Social Security Number
• Signature
• Date

PERFECT FOR
• Small Business Owners
• Human Resources Departments
• HR Managers
• Hiring Managers
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Volunteer Coordinators
• Independent Contractor Screening
• Staffing & Administrative Offices
• Service Providers
• Employee Onboarding
• Volunteer Onboarding
• Pre-Employment Documentation
• Internal HR Forms
BUILD A MORE ORGANIZED SCREENING PROCESS
Use this template to help your organization:
✓ Establish a written background-check policy
✓ Document screening procedures
✓ Obtain written authorization
✓ Establish confidentiality expectations
✓ Maintain organized hiring documentation
✓ Create consistent employee screening procedures
✓ Document contractor and volunteer authorization

CUSTOMIZABLE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION
Personalize the template with your:
• Company / Organization Name
• Internal Screening Procedures
• Hiring Policies
• Applicant Information
• Contractor Information
• Volunteer Information
• Authorization Details

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
This is a digital product. No physical item will be shipped.
Your purchase includes a customizable Criminal Background Check Policy & Consent Form in PDF and Word formats.

Download the files, customize the company information and applicable policies, and incorporate the document into your organization's hiring, onboarding, contractor, or volunteer screening process.

IMPORTANT LEGAL & FCRA DISCLAIMER
This template is provided for general informational, administrative, and HR documentation purposes only. It does not constitute legal, employment, background-screening, privacy, FCRA, or regulatory advice.
Use of this template alone does not guarantee compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) or applicable state and local background-check laws.

If an employer obtains a background report from a third-party consumer reporting agency for employment purposes, federal law can impose additional requirements involving disclosure and authorization, certification to the reporting company, and pre-adverse and adverse-action procedures. State and local laws may impose additional restrictions or requirements.

The included consent language should therefore not be represented as a universally sufficient FCRA authorization or disclosure form without review for the employer's specific screening process and jurisdiction.

Employers should also review whether their jurisdiction restricts the timing of criminal-history inquiries or background checks before using the template's current pre-offer screening language. The uploaded template presently states that a criminal background check will occur before an offer of employment, contract, or placement.

Organizations are responsible for customizing their screening procedures and obtaining any additional disclosures, notices, authorizations, or forms required by applicable law.

Due to the nature of digital products, all sales are final.