EmployeeScreenIQ

Employers in Ohio will now have an easier time performing criminal background checks on potential or current employees.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray recently announced that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the state Bureau of Motor Vehicles will work together to offer background checks at local deputy registrar offices throughout the state.

The new partnership will create a convenient and low-cost way to obtain background checks. The checks will be obtained through WebCheck, an electronic system that compares fingerprints and demographic data with state and national databases.

The BCI used $300,000 in federal grants from the U.S. Department of Justice to train local deputy registrars and provide equipment. Since October, the BMV has been offering background checks through more than 100 registrar offices and plans to make the service available at more offices during the near future.

"More and more organizations and employers are finding these checks to be an invaluable safety tool," Cordray said. "The range of Ohioans who must obtain these checks has become vast; from doctors to daycare teachers, from church volunteers to construction workers.

"Through our partnership with the Ohio BMV, people all across Ohio will be able to obtain a WebCheck close to home, at the lowest possible cost," he continued. "And that cost will be consistent from one location to the next."

A BCI or state-level background check through the BMV will cost $32, while an FBI or federal-level check will cost $34 and a background check through both databases will cost $61.

In the State of Ohio, background checks are required for employees and volunteers who work directly with children or the elderly, those in law enforcement and corrections; and those in a variety of licensed trades and professions.

Prior to the new collaborative effort, WebCheck was only available at a few BCI locations or through private companies.

Labels: Criminal background checks