Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Does a Background Check Take?

The average turnaround time for a Commercial Investigations background check is one-and-a-half business days.

A completed background check is one where every inquiry is completed with the appropriate details.  We do not close verifications as unreachable on day three, like some background check companies do to keep their turnaround time down.  We do not close an education or employment verification without the client's approval unless there is no way the information can be obtained, e.g., the company went out of business and no one has any records, etc.

At Commercial Investigations LLC, we will do everything in our power to turn around all background checks within three business days or less. Every inquiry is addressed daily and most two times a day. We are more heavily staffed than most background screening companies so we can have all the manpower necessary to deliver a quality report in the least amount of time.

When it ends up out of our control and an inquiry will not be relayed in a timely fashion, we indicate this by putting a note in the executive summary of the report which can be viewed as it is in progress. This notifies our clients that we expect a delay.

What Could Cause a Delay?

Court systems across the country vary in the amount of time they take to deliver certain information we need to complete background checks.  We have developed direct relationships with many of them that help to speed up the process of obtaining criminal records.

We also deal with many different schools and employers across the nation that have their own processes for education and employment verifications. We have developed systems to speed up the process and are proud of our quick turn-around time.

When employment applications are incomplete or a subject has not properly filled out a consent form, we may need to reach out and acquire additional information to complete the investigation.

What Does a Typical Background Check Include?

Our Best Practices is a great place to begin any background investigation.  Origin™ is a very robust and inclusive social security, address, and national criminal search.  That, partnered with criminal and sex offender searches, makes for a great accumulation of key data.

From there, individual organizational needs will determine the best searches to add to your package.  Federal criminal, motor vehicle reports, and healthcare-related inquiries are among the most popular.