Screen & Verify
$5 per reportA national criminal background check for $5. No subscription.
Every PreHireBadge report is an FCRA employment report furnished by ScreenForge Labs: a national criminal search plus address history, for one flat $5 — whether you hire one person a year or onboard a thousand contractors a month.
- National criminal search and address history
- Most clear reports the same day
- Records verified at the source within 72 hours
Jordan Lee
Delivery driver · Austin, TX
No reportable record was released for this search.
Illustrative example with sample data.
- flat, per employment report
- $5
- named sources in our public register
- 3,241
- typical turnaround for clear reports
- Same day
- to verify a record at its source
- 72 hrs
How it works
From invite to report, without touching an SSN
Why it matters
What you get with national criminal check
One flat price
$5 per report, every time. Credits are used when an invite is sent and refunded if the check is never run, so an expired invite does not cost you.
Same-day clear results
Most clear reports are ready the same day. When a record turns up, it is verified at the source within 72 hours instead of being released on a database hit alone.
Human review before release
Clear means no reportable record was released. Records found means a person at ScreenForge Labs confirmed at least one record. Nothing reportable skips that review.
Lookback rules applied for you
Work state and pay band decide which records may be reported. ScreenForge applies those limits — including California's seven-year cap — before a record reaches you.
A report you can actually read
A plain-language summary up top, every record laid out with its source, the searches that were run, the identity result, and the FCRA notices at the end — on screen and as a PDF.
The price is the search, not a seat license
Most background check vendors sell packages: a monthly minimum, a per-seat fee, an identity add-on, and a criminal search priced by tier. PreHireBadge prices one thing — the search. A standard employment report is $5. Packs are 10 credits for $45, 50 for $200, and 100 for $375. There is no monthly fee, no contract, and no separate identity-verification fee.
Each report runs a national criminal records search and an address-history search. ScreenForge Labs, the consumer reporting agency, applies employment lookback limits and sealed-record suppression before anything is released, and a person at ScreenForge confirms any record before it appears on the report. What you read is a plain-language summary, then each reportable record with the court, case number, charge, level, disposition, dates, and source.
The report never says pass, fail, or eligible. It shows what was released so you can make the decision — and if that decision might go against the candidate, the FCRA adverse-action steps are already built into the same page.
FAQ
Questions employers ask about national criminal check
Still unsure? Ask Peter, our assistant, in the bottom-right corner, or browse the help center.
What is in a $5 PreHireBadge report?
A national criminal records search and an address-history search, furnished as an FCRA employment report by ScreenForge Labs. Identity verification is included at no extra fee. Optional searches such as employment history are not offered at launch.
How long does a national criminal background check take?
Most clear reports are ready the same day. A report with records is verified at the source within 72 hours. If a search runs past 72 hours, ScreenForge Labs sends a delay note.
Is there a monthly fee or contract?
No. You pay $5 per report, or buy a pack — 10 credits for $45, 50 for $200, or 100 for $375. There is no subscription.
Why might a record I expected not appear on the report?
Sealed records, records outside the reporting time limit, and records barred for the job's pay band and state are not shown. ScreenForge Labs applies those limits before release. Absence from the report is not a statement that a court case never existed.
Does the report tell me whether to hire someone?
No. The report shows what ScreenForge Labs released. It never says pass, fail, or eligible. If the report could lead you to pass on someone, the FCRA adverse-action steps open right on the report page, in order.
Pairs well with national criminal check
Every featureYour next candidate is one $5 report away.
No credit card to sign up, no expiration on what you buy. Run one report for $5, or stock up with the 10-pack for $45 and use them whenever hiring picks up.
- No monthly fees
- FCRA compliant
- Most clear reports same day. Records verified within 72 hours.
- No contracts