Update on Background Check Delays in California

Posted: December 16, 2021

We have been closely following recent legislation in California and Michigan that is having a significant impact on how criminal records are reported for background checks. In September of 2021, California began removing date of birth PII from their public access terminals in the courthouse and from online court records that are accessible to the public. The new legislation, which is designed to prevent identity theft, is making things very difficult for consumer reporting agencies (CRAs), including Info Cubic.

As a result of the California legislation to remove PII from court records, there are extensive delays, along with a massive backlog of requests in many California counties. Unfortunately, there is no statewide repository in California, so consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) are at the mercy of the courts’ schedules in each California county. In particular, the biggest pain points for turnaround time in California are currently Santa Clara and San Joaquin counties, where it can take up to two weeks to receive results and hits can average up to 90 days plus.

We will be monitoring this situation as it continues to unfold and we communicate any updates made to court procedures that negatively impact our ability to obtain records with our clients as they are encountered. Please reach out to us at (877) 360-4636 if you have any questions regarding the delays in California.