Complete Guide to Maine Background Checks

Maine employers typically run background checks to confirm that a candidate has the necessary qualifications for a role. Pre-employment screenings offer insight into a candidate's history beyond what shows up on a resume or application, like criminal history or professional references.

Background checks may help employers maintain a safe and productive work environment, mitigate risk, and protect their reputation. Some Maine employers may be required by law to conduct background checks, particularly in healthcare, education, or childcare settings that serve vulnerable populations.

Ideally, running a background check helps a business with the following four objectives:

Even when not required by law, many employers choose to conduct comprehensive background checks in Maine to make informed hiring decisions.

Maine background checks must follow both federal laws and state laws. Two to know are the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which is a federal law, and Ban the Box, which is a statewide law.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs how employers use third-party background checks to make hiring decisions. Employers working with a background check provider, or consumer reporting agency (CRA), must provide a clear, stand-alone disclosure and receive the candidate’s written permission before conducting a check.

If a report may lead to a no-hire decision, the employer sends a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and rights summary and waits for a reasonable time. After that time period, the employer sends a final adverse action notice if the decision stands.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces anti-discrimination laws. These laws bar decisions based on protected traits like race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, or genetic information.

Maine's Ban the Box law, officially titled An Act Relating to Fair Chance in Employment, limits criminal history questions on initial job applications. Employers cannot put criminal history questions on the first application except in the cases of legally disqualifying offenses, industry requirements, or specific employment programs. They also cannot state in their job postings that applicants with criminal records will not be considered, unless a law clearly bars candidates who’ve committed certain offenses from the role.

Employers may ask about criminal history during an interview, after deciding an applicant is qualified, or after making a conditional offer. These rules apply to private and public employers, with exceptions where federal or state law requires early screening.

Industries like healthcare, long-term care, residential care, home health, and behavioral health follow additional screening rules. Many of these employers use the Maine Background Check Center (MBCC), a state system that coordinates registry checks and criminal history reviews for direct access workers.

The Maine background check center is a secure, web-based system operated by Maine DHHS to run background screenings for certain licensed care providers. State law designates MBCC use for regulated employers that hire direct access workers in licensed health and human services settings.

Regulated employers include organizations where workers have face-to-face, hands-on, or unsupervised access to clients or residents:

Direct access workers commonly include certified nursing assistants (CNAs), direct care workers, home health and personal care aides, behavioral health technicians, and similar staff.

A Maine background check compiles records from multiple sources to help confirm details about an individual’s identity and their history. The specific information that’s reported depends on the type of check ordered and the purpose of the screening.

Criminal background checks show felony and misdemeanor convictions, arrest records, and pending criminal cases. Reports can list charging details, disposition (convicted, dismissed, or acquitted), disposition dates, and sentencing information. Sealed or expunged records, as well as sealed juvenile records, are typically excluded from employment reports.

Employment verification confirms employer name, position or title, dates of employment, and employment status when available. Education verification confirms institution name, credential type, major or program, and completion dates.

Motor vehicle records show license class and status, violations and citations, points, suspensions or revocations, and DUI/OWI convictions. Sex offender registry searches return records that match the individual's identifiers, including registration status and offense information where provided.

Lookback periods vary by record type and data source. Criminal record searches commonly cover seven to ten years, but convictions—especially serious felonies—may be reportable beyond ten years, unless a law or employer policy limits the scope of the search.

Under the FCRA, non-conviction adverse information like arrests, civil suits, and civil judgments is generally limited to seven years. Criminal convictions do not have a set federal time limit for reporting.

Background check costs vary by data source, search scope, and pass-through fees from courts or state agencies. Pricing also changes based on volume and whether the background check is conducted for employment, licensing, housing, or regulated programs.

There are a couple of different pricing options for running a background check in Maine, depending on the type of search you perform:

Fingerprint-based checks may include a state fee plus the FBI fee, so combined totals could fall in the $50–$90 range. Certain regulated programs may use designated vendors and include program-specific portal or appointment fees.

Comprehensive employment background checks from private consumer reporting agencies generally range from about $30 to $100 per candidate for a core criminal package. Final costs depend on included searches and any court or state pass-through fees.

Common add-ons are priced separately: motor vehicle reports often run $5–$20 plus any state fee, employment verification is commonly $10–$20 per verification, and drug testing panels may range from $30 to $80.

Checkr offers background checks with transparent pricing designed for employers of all sizes:

Third-party pass-through fees apply separately when applicable. Package configurations may include additional services like motor vehicle reports, drug testing, and employment or education verification.

The turnaround time for a background check depends on the types of searches conducted and how specific records are accessed in Maine and other jurisdictions. Some information may return the same day, while items that require manual courthouse work or third-party responses might take longer. Here are a few estimates based on the source:

Turnaround time can extend due to court schedules, clerk backlogs, holidays, severe weather, or common-name records that require additional review. Multi-jurisdiction searches often move at the pace of the slowest record source.

Checkr's platform processes background information in hours, with same-day results common when sources are digital and available. In one customer story, Purple achieved under 24-hour average turnaround on criminal and MVR checks after switching workflows.

Running a compliant background check in Maine requires employers to follow a consistent process under both federal and Maine state laws. The steps below summarize key actions and required notices for conducting employment background checks.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires employers to provide a clear, stand-alone disclosure and obtain written permission from the candidate before ordering a background report from a third-party screening provider.

Maine's Ban the Box law limits criminal history questions on initial job applications, with exceptions when another law requires early criminal history inquiry. If your team plans to ask for written permission to run a background check, you’ll need to wait until a later stage than the application.

Employers in healthcare and similar "direct access" settings that are regulated by state law should place screening requests through the Maine Background Check Center portal. Other employers may conduct background checks through a qualified consumer reporting agency or through specific sources like state driving records.

The best way to use a background check to make hiring decisions includes considering criteria related to the specific role, as well as the time that an offense occurred. Also, allow candidates to provide context or corrections when appropriate; not all records are fully accurate.

If the information reported in a background check may lead to a no-hire decision, the FCRA adverse action process applies. Send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights, and allow a reasonable time for the candidate to dispute or explain findings on the report. If you decide not to hire the candidate, send them a final adverse action notice.

Comprehensive employment background checks are not available for free. You may be able to view some public records—like certain court dockets or property records—online without charge, but coverage is often limited, and that information may be incomplete or out of date.

Candidates can file a dispute directly with the background check provider that prepared the report. Under the FCRA, providers re-investigate disputes, correct verified inaccuracies on their report, and share updated results with the candidate and employer when applicable.

Sealed juvenile records do not appear on standard employment background checks. These records are generally not publicly available.

The Maine Background Check Center (MBCC) is a state system used by licensed healthcare and human services providers to screen direct access workers. The system coordinates registry checks and criminal history reviews for employees who work with vulnerable populations in regulated settings.

Yes, as an individual, you can run a background check on yourself to see what information may be reported to employers or other organizations. Personal checks help individuals understand their records and identify any errors that need to be corrected with the CRA that conducted the report before applying for jobs or housing.

Employment background checks are an important part of Maine hiring practices, but staying fully compliant under Maine law can be challenging, and mistakes may lead to legal issues.

Partnering with Checkr for Maine background checks gives you a process that’s tailored for the state’s rules. This can include Maine’s Fair Chance law, restrictions on initial applications, and other state obligations. Checkr’s expertise and advanced technology help your business run background checks that are thorough, compliant, and efficient so you can hire with confidence in Maine. Get started today.

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