Do Only Convictions Show Up On Background Checks?

Many people don't really know what kind of information can show up on a private investigator background check. Many people give private investigators consent for these checks, assuming that certain events in the past don't show up on any record.

However, depending on how thorough the private investigator is, it can be difficult to know exactly what information will show up. This is usually the case when a private investigator is asked to perform a criminal background check. Because there are different levels of these checks, some levels can reveal a lot more to the private detective than just your convictions.

When someone asks a private investigator to perform a background check, they're usually looking for information that has some sort of relevance to them. This limits the scope of the private detective's check.

However, this could also mean that the private detective may go much deeper into those individual checks. For example, a check into your employment history may only go back two years or the private detective could go as far back as five years.

As long as the information is contained in a record somewhere and your consent covers going through these records, you shouldn't eliminate the possibility that the information you wouldn't want to be seen will be uncovered by the investigator.

In a basic DBS disclosure, only unspent convictions will show up. However, a standard disclosure will show the private detective both spent and unspent convictions. This type of disclosure is the one that most employers ask private investigators to check. In addition to spent and unspent convictions, the private investigator will also be able to see final warnings, reprimands and cautions.

Many private investigators will tell you that someone is more likely to commit a crime if they've committed such crimes in the past. This may not be a major issue for petty crimes, however, for violent crimes this is a huge concern for landlords, employers and many others. Private detectives will typically make a note of such crimes.

Private investigators will also take keen interest in financial crimes if the client is an employer looking for an employee who will have access to cash. The final decision in such cases is usually with the client, however, the private investigator will attempt to shed as much light on these issues as possible.