Arkansas Background Check (Criminal, Employment, Free): Search Now

For a background check, Arkansas provides a number of resources that can be used, especially for individuals who want to do their own Arkansas background check before a potential employer does.

By using local, state, or federal resources, anyone can analyze their employment history, educational background, criminal record, credit history, and much more. In fact, many of the aspects involved in a background check can be searched for free, and the results are instantaneous.

The following guide provides all the steps to conduct an Arkansas records check on yourself; it also outlines the timeframe of a background screening and the possible content of a background investigation report in Arkansas

How Far Back Does a Background Check Go in Arkansas?

How far does an Arkansas background check go? The FCRA has a 7-year look back period for the state of Arkansas. However, Arkansas does NOT have a law limiting how far back a background check can go in the state.

This means that employers can request 10 or more years of criminal and personal public records if desired.

Although most will not look farther back than 7-10 years, some positions, such as a federal background check for a government job, will likely examine a person’s entire history.

If the specific job position the individual is applying for contains a yearly salary of less than $75,000, the look-back period will likely be closer to 10 years as well.

Using the Online Criminal Background Check System: Arkansas Info and Public Records

There are different ways in which individuals can see what may show up on an Arkansas background check, whether the search is for criminal records or personal public records.

For example, with online criminal background checks, users can find a variety of records, including:

• Pending Charges and Pending Court Cases
• Misdemeanors
• Arrests without Convictions, Arrests, and Pending Arrests
• Probation Records and Convictions
• Charges without Convictions, Pending Charges, and Charges Filed Against an Individual
• Police Reports and Why Someone Was Arrested
• Warrants and Judgements Filed
• Deferred Adjudication
• Dismissed and Dropped Charges

But by understanding the process of how to use the online criminal background check system, anyone can figure out the fastest and most cost-effective way to garner criminal background information on themselves or another person.

Arkansas Background Check Form

The Arkansas background check form is an online criminal background check system run by the Arkansas State Police. ¹ Individuals can obtain information about a specific person with the signed written consent of the person in question.

In addition, FBI fingerprint-based checks are available for those who have prior access or limited authorization to the National record checks in accordance with Arkansas law or federal regulations.

Individuals can use this system by first understanding which category they fall into, either under entities that are allowed to perform the search with written consent or entities that are allowed to conduct a fingerprint-based record check. ² Both of these categories involve the person signing up via the ‘Subscribe’ button on the Arkansas State Police website.

For those who require written consent for a search, they can follow these steps:

1. Sign up and subscribe on the Arkansas state police website
2. Click on the ‘Search’ tab
3. Complete the ‘Subject Information’
4. Click on ‘Step 2’

Enter basic information like the subject’s first name, last name, date of birth, sex, race, social security number, address, purpose, and search options

5. Confirm the information entered was correct
6. Click on ‘Submit Search’
7. The results will either state No Arkansas Criminal History was found for this subject” or “A Criminal History was found for this subject”
8. Click on ‘Print’ to view the records

The method is also provided for people who want to perform a search on themselves.

Choose either option here. To complete the Arkansas background check for criminal records, detailed steps are provided below.

Find Arkansas Public Records Through County Clerks

Users can also find a host of public records, using the state’s individual county clerks’ offices and sheriff’s offices. These include:

• Bankruptcies
• Marriage Records and Middle Names
• Addresses and Property Ownership
• Professional Licenses
• Business and Tax Information
• Voter Registrations

Fortunately for individuals, the clerk’s court records are easy to find via the county’s online system which offers individual contact information for the county.

Circuit Courts usually contain the cases of individuals who have claimed over $100, criminal convictions, and arrests. The most common cases handled by Circuit Courts involve felonies and misdemeanors. Circuit Courts typically share jurisdiction with state claims up to $25,000. ⁴

The county clerk’s website for each county contains contact information, public records, and the circuit clerk’s information, making it easy for individuals to find what they are looking for.

Find Arkansas Court Records With Court Connect

The state court system also allows users to search public criminal records. Individuals can use CourtConnect to find case information for the local courts. Any public individual can find cases by searching for the person’s name or case number. ³ CourtConnect contains basic information regarding events, filings, case information, and statistical information.

Accessing CourtConnect is possible by doing the following steps:

1. Visit the Administrative Office of the Courts Public CourtConnect Website
2. Click on ‘Search by person name, business name, or case type’
   1. Individuals can also search based on case or docket filings by date search
3. Enter the search criteria

Furthermore, individuals can access public court records via the online federal system, known as PACER. This online database called the Public Access to Court Electronic Records, provides numerous public cases that make it easy for individuals to find a person through their case number or first and last name.

1. Register for a PACER account
2. Use the PACER Case Locator to find where the court case was filed
3. Input the search criteria
4. Pay the $3.00 fee per document

Other less common state and federal ways to find Arkansas public court records involve accessing paper case files where the case was filed, calling for access to court records, and researching older historical court records through the National Archives and Records Administration.

Criminal Records Search: Arkansas State Police Background Check

A state-level Arkansas background check requires using the state police site, whereas the county level requires contacting the local sheriff’s office.

The steps are outlined below:

Step 1: Visit The Arkansas Department of Public Safety Website

Step 2: Click On ‘Law Enforcement’

Step 3: Click On ‘State Police’

Step 4: Click On ‘Divisions & Directory’

Step 5: Click On ‘Criminal Investigations’ And Contact One Of The Criminal Investigation Workers.

The other option after step 4 is to do the following…

Step 5a: Click Criminal Background Checks at the Bottom of the Page

Step 7a: Click On ‘Go To Criminal Background Checks’ If The Search Is Mandated By Law, Or Click On ‘Go To Open Criminal History’ If It Is For a Personal Search

To perform ARCH criminal background checks, use this link.

To perform an ARCH background check on yourself, use this link.

Step 8: Enter Search Criteria (Last Name, First Name, Date Of Birth, Sex)

Step 10: Pay for the search.

Individuals may also use the county sheriff’s contact information to analyze court records, perform inmate lookups, or speak to an employee or probation officer regarding the records in need.

Arkansas Pre-Employment Background Check Types

In addition to learning what may show on Arkansas court public records, it can be helpful to understand that some occupations require pre-employment background checks to ensure a person is qualified for a specific job sector.

For example, healthcare workers often have to undergo pre-employment checks since they work with elderly or ill people, and church background investigations can help protect non-profits from liabilities.

Background Check Arkansas Educators and Teachers

Arkansas State requires background checks for all those doing an internship, first-time educator licensure, licensure renewals, change of employment within a public or charter school, or education service cooperative. ⁴

The online background check system is operated by the Arkansas Department of Education. This system utilizes Arkansas and federal criminal records for background checks on teachers, educators, and employment within the Arkansas school system. ⁶

Healthcare Background Check AK: Background Check System

Specific healthcare professionals require Arkansas background checks: home health agencies, private care agencies, and hospice services. Requests for criminal records can be sent to Health Facility Services in Little Rock, Arkansas, to obtain a background check on a specific person applying for a job in this sector.

The purpose of these background checks is to ensure the staff and employees working in home health, private agencies, and hospice sectors pass all criminal record checks. Businesses can submit a criminal record check by doing one of the following:

• Contact Health Facility Services at 501-661-2201
• Go to the Arkansas State Police website and click on the link for those ‘mandated’ to perform checks
  • Select ‘subscribe online’ and follow the prompts
• Print the Health Facility Services Background Check Application for the applicant to fill in

Level 2 background screenings for medical professionals are essential to ensure applicants’ information is correct, they received the claimed licensures, and they contain the proper education and training credentials. ⁷

Arkansas Child Care Background Check

Another sector in which an individual may need to obtain a pre-employment background check is in the child care and early childhood educational setting. The state of Arkansas has created portal access within the Information Network of Arkansas for childcare workers to submit their background checks.

Get Arkansas Dot Record

Individuals in specific professions, such as truck drivers or transportation services, may need to submit their Arkansas driving records before employment. However, before applying for an occupation, it can be helpful to know which type of driving record you need — an insurance driving record, commercial driving record or history driving record ⁸.

Fortunately, there are a few ways to obtain one or multiple of these driving records, either through the local Department of Motor Vehicles, Arkansas Driver Services website, or third-party service.

Arkansas Inmate Lookup and Sex Offender Registry Screening

Individuals should also learn how to use the state sex offender registry search to determine if a person in question has a blip on their background check.

Step 1: Visit The Arkansas Department Of Public Safety Website

Step 2: Click On Arkansas Crime Information Center

Step 3: Click On Sex Offender Information

Step 4: Click On Sex Offender Search

Step 5: Search For The Person In Question

Alternatively, to step 4, individuals can do the following…

Step 5a: Click On Sex Offender Registry Download To See The Entire List Of Names

Background Check for Gun Purchase in Arkansas

Before anyone can buy a firearm in the state of Arkansas, understanding the background check procedures in the state for purchasing and owning a gun is essential to follow the rules and regulations.

Federal law requires licensed firearms dealers to conduct a background check on the individual purchasing a gun prior to the sale of the weapon. Furthermore, states can also use their own background checks with local and state records and databases.

However, Arkansas chooses not to use this “point of contact” system for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System database. Instead, firearms dealers in the state must conduct a background check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation. ¹

In addition, federal law does not require a background check for firearms dealers if the person buying the firearm contains a permit to possess firearms. Lastly, Arkansas does not require private sellers to do a background check if they are transferring ownership of a gun to another person.

Arkansas Background Check Laws

Although there are free federal statutes regarding background checks, each state has its individual laws regarding the requirements for a records check. For example, pre-employment screenings must abide by the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the local state employer laws.

Fair Credit Reporting Act

This regulation states that specific procedures have to be followed when using screening purposes for employment. The employer must tell the candidate in question why they are conducting the background screening, what it includes, and how they will use the information in their decision-making process. ¹⁰

State Laws

The state of Arkansas does not allow the use of records of old arrests that did not result in a felony conviction in courts or records that have been sealed or expunged by the court. Furthermore, Arkansas requires background checks for specific professions (ex: education and healthcare). ¹¹
Lastly, employers must be aware of a few rules and regulations regarding their conduct when it comes to background investigations through social media: ¹²

• Employers cannot use an applicant’s social media profiles during the screening
• Employers cannot ask any potential employees for social media log-in information
• Employers must not require that current or future employees change their social media privacy settings

How Long Does Arkansas Background Check Take?

So, how long does an Arkansas records check take normally? The request will usually take between 7 and 10 days, excluding the mail-in time for the background check.

How Much Does an Arkansas Background Check Cost?

There are different Arkansas background checks that have different prices based on their scale.

Knowing how to use the ARCH system to conduct an Arkansas background check can help both organizations and individuals comply with laws for a background check, in Arkansas.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arkansas Background Check