A Complete Guide to Teacher Background Checks

In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at the screenings included in a teacher background check, what laws apply, how long a background check takes, and how to order background checks as an educational institution.

A teacher background check provides information about a school job candidate or employee’s eligibility and qualifications for a role. Depending on the scope of the screening, this may include a search of public records, databases, and other information sources to learn about a candidate’s criminal history, education, employment history, professional licenses, driving record, and more. 

Some states require teachers to undergo background checks every few years to ensure no disqualifying convictions have occurred since their initial pre-employment screening and that any professional licenses remain active. Others may even require educational institutions to run continuous criminal background checks that automatically notify the employer if a teacher is arrested or convicted for certain offenses.

Schools often conduct the following screenings to gain additional information about job applicants:

Teacher background checks must comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations. Here's a closer look at some common teacher background check requirements in the US.

No federal laws require school systems to run background checks on teachers, but all 50 states have laws that do. Employers that work with a consumer reporting agency (CRA) to facilitate the background check process must adhere to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).

The FCRA requires employers to provide candidates with written notice of their intention to conduct a background check, get written consent from the candidate before ordering the report, and provide the candidate with a summary of their rights. If you decide not to make a candidate a job offer due to information included in a background check, you should follow the adverse action process.

The FCRA also limits the reporting of arrests not resulting in a conviction, civil judgments, lawsuits, and liens to seven years for jobs with an annual salary of less than $75,000. The restriction does not apply to jobs with a yearly salary over $75,000, and the FCRA doesn't limit the lookback period on other searches, including education, professional license, employment verification, and criminal convictions.

Employers may also prioritize following guidance provided by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which enforces federal laws against workplace discrimination. If a candidate has a criminal conviction that doesn’t automatically disqualify them from working in a school based on the laws that apply to the school, the EEOC encourages employers to consider the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and how relevant it is to the position before making an employment decision. 

School employers should make sure to review state or local jurisdiction laws that apply to the hiring or background check process, and consult with their legal counsel to help mitigate risk when conducting background screenings for educators and school employees.

Here are some examples of laws governing teacher background checks by state.

The information a background check shows varies based on the screenings you conduct. States generally require employers to check the criminal records of teachers, which may show misdemeanor and felony convictions, arrests, and incarceration history. Criminal history searches may include a state or FBI fingerprint check, a review of local and state court records, and a search of state abuse and neglect registries.

The state board of education in many states also requires teachers to have an educator certification before they begin working in the classroom. Employers often need to verify the status of candidate certifications, which may include a search of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Clearinghouse. The NASDTEC Clearinghouse is a database that includes state-reported information about teachers who lose their licenses because of abuse or sexual misconduct.

Schools may verify the colleges or universities a candidate attended, enrollment dates, graduation dates, degrees earned, and professional development opportunities the candidate has participated in. Employers may also check professional references and speak with former employers to confirm previous positions and employment dates. A teacher background check may also include drug testing for current and prior substance use, depending on local and state regulations. 

One of the reasons school systems conduct teacher background checks is to help maintain a safe learning environment for students. There's no universal standard about whether a person with a felony conviction can be a teacher because laws about what disqualifies someone from working in a school vary from state to state. However, convictions for sex offenses, violent crimes, certain drug offenses, child abuse, and other serious felonies typically result in disqualification for employment in a school.

The average turnaround time for completing a background check is three to five business days, but it can take longer, depending on the records you search and whether you conduct the check directly or work with a third-party professional background check vendor, also sometimes referred to as a consumer reporting agency (CRA). If you handle background checks in-house, you must verify each piece of information separately, which is time-consuming and may increase your risk for errors. 

Working with a CRA, like Checkr, to search public records, check references, and verify a candidate's education, employment, and professional licenses can help speed up turnaround times without sacrificing safety. 89% of Checkr criminal checks complete within one hour, and simplified compliance workflows help keep your team on track and manage risk.

There are two primary ways to get a background check for teachers. Your team can do the work yourselves or you can work with a background check vendor. Handling background checks directly is labor intensive. You’ll likely need to manually order and track each candidate's background check from government agencies, courthouses, and other public records and databases, and manage all candidate communication along the way.  

Employers that conduct background checks internally may need to contact every educational institution, previous employer, and professional reference separately to confirm each piece of information a candidate provides. A best practice is to keep candidates informed on the progress of their background check, and be prepared to answer any questions they have. Employers must also stay up to date on all the local, state, and federal guidelines for background checks to avoid compliance violations.

A CRA like Checkr can give you access to streamlined workflows that help simplify and expedite the background check process from start to finish. Easy-to-use ordering processes, automated notifications, and adjudication and compliance tools can reduce turnaround times—and your organization's level of risk. Plus, a background check partner like Checkr's support team can help field candidate questions, minimizing the workload put on your human resources team.

Keep in mind that most educational institutions require teachers to get a fingerprint check through their state agency, and this will most likely need to be done in-person no matter what approach you take to background checks.

Background checks are an important part of the application process that can help employers make more informed hiring decisions. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about background checks for teachers.

The purpose of a teacher background check is twofold—to maintain a safe learning environment and to ensure candidates are qualified for their roles. Background checks typically include reviewing the candidate's criminal history, education, professional licenses, and previous employment. Candidates may also need to pass a drug test.

Background checks for school employees can range from about $30 to over $100, depending on the screenings you order, the state where you operate, document fees, the cost of labor, and more. For example, in Ohio, a state criminal background check costs about $37 per candidate, plus the cost of labor required by hiring teams ordering, following up on, and reviewing every report. 

CRAs often offer custom background check packages with tiered pricing based on the screenings you include and the volume of checks, along with dedicated support for your candidates. At Checkr, background check packages start at $29.99.

Working with Checkr for your teacher background checks can help you maintain a safe learning environment for your students and support compliance with the latest local, state, and federal regulations and fair hiring laws. Checkr's advanced technology improves efficiency and accuracy by replacing many manual processes with simplified, automated workflows that keep candidates moving through your hiring process. Choose from customizable screening packages for school employers, including criminal record and sex offender checks, employment verification, education verification, driving record check, professional license verification, reference checks, and more. Get started with Checkr today.

The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. We advise you to consult your own counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.

About the author

Jennifer writes about a variety of topics, including background checks, employee benefits, small business insurance, risk management, workplace culture, and more. Her work includes educational articles, blogs, e-books, white papers, and case studies.