Background Check Policy Generator
Generate a background check policy covering who is screened and when, consent, how records are evaluated, adverse action, disputes, data retention, and re-screening.
- Screening policy document
- Business or marketplace version
- Word, text, print
Not legal advice · Last reviewed Oct 2026
Loading tool
Why you'd use this
A written background check policy keeps screening consistent: the same roles get the same checks at the same point, records are evaluated the same way, and everyone gets the same notices. A program that treats like cases alike is far easier to defend if a decision is ever challenged.
This generator writes a policy for a small business or a gig marketplace covering scope, timing, consent, evaluation (including the EEOC's Green factors), adverse action, disputes, retention, and re-screening.
In your browser, nothing saved
Using it
- 1
Describe your organization
Business or marketplace, covered roles, and when screening happens.
- 2
Choose scope and cadence
Pick the searches for each role, a re-check interval, and a record-retention period.
- 3
Download and adopt
Review with counsel, fill in the appendix, and publish it internally.
What a good screening policy covers
- Which roles are screened and why each check is job-related
- When in the process screening happens (after a conditional offer where required)
- Disclosure and authorization
- How records are evaluated, with no automatic disqualification
- Pre-adverse and final adverse action steps
- Disputes, confidentiality, retention, and re-screening
Primary sources
Read the rules at the source. Laws and agency guidance change; last reviewed Oct 2026.
Questions people ask about this
Do small businesses need a background check policy?
No law requires a written policy in most places, but having one makes screening consistent and is strong evidence of a fair process if a decision is challenged.
How long should I keep background check records?
Retention rules vary. Keep reports and authorizations long enough to defend decisions (many employers use several years) and securely destroy them afterward, following the FTC's Disposal Rule.
Should the policy name a specific vendor?
It does not need to. Describe the checks and the process; name the consumer reporting agency in the disclosure instead.
General information only, not legal advice. Using this tool does not make a process compliant on its own, and federal, state, and city rules differ and change. An employment lawyer can apply them to your facts.
Pairs well with
Screening Requirements by Role
Answer five questions about a role's risk and get a recommended screening scope with the reasons.
Open toolIndividualized Assessment Worksheet
A fair-chance worksheet built on the EEOC Green factors, with California and NYC variants.
Open toolFCRA Disclosure & Authorization Form Generator
A standalone FCRA disclosure and a separate authorization, ready to download.
Open toolOr let PreHireBadge handle the paperwork
Every PreHireBadge order is an invite: the candidate gets the stand-alone disclosure, state notices, and e-sign authorization on their phone, and adverse action runs inside the product. $5 per report, no subscription.