Written by Background Check Repair
Background Checks | May 15, 2024
Table of Contents
When conducting a background check, Georgia has a number of methods that can be employed to get a Georgia background check. Searching criminal records, employment histories, and licenses, as well as public records, is only a few clicks away.
In fact, there are a number of Georgia background check steps that won’t cost a penny…they’re completely free.
The following guide provides detailed, how-to steps for finding official public records in the Peach State, as well as official government links to many background check forms and search platforms.
In Georgia, public records (including criminal records) can be accessed using many different sources. For example, any person can visit their local sheriff’s office, or state police law enforcement agency, or use Georgia background check online services to obtain a copy of a criminal history report.
Likewise, public records such as birth records, marriage records, voter registration, and history, as well as business and professional licenses can be searched using the local county clerk or state online platforms.
Depending on the records that are needed, individuals can access the information by paying as little as $15.1
However, many of the platforms that are searched in a criminal history check can be accessed for free. Prison searches and sex offender registries are free to search using names and addresses, and users can also access child abuse registries and other platforms that catalog criminal convictions that can disqualify someone from some employment positions (like a nanny background screening).
One of the best ways that individuals can find public records and background information on an individual is by using Georgia county clerks.
The Clerk’s Authority provides an online database through the Georgia Superior Court Clerks Cooperative Authority that provides information for individuals to browse files, search for public records, and learn about the court system. 3
This section directs searches to Civil Reporting Forms, Deed Files, Family Violence Forms, Notary Forms, eFiling, Fines & Fees Forms, and UCC Forms.
This section directs individuals to the Premium Search section, Real Estate Index, UCC Index, Lien Index, Plat Index, and Notary Index
These tools can be used to find:
This button provides individuals with the information required to know more about the supreme court system in Georgia, the Superior Court Clerks, Search Systems, Premium Search tools, Projects & Programs, eFiling information, Certification Programs, Press Releases, and Online Training.
Individuals can browse the ‘Featured Clerks’ by clicking on the ‘Clerks’ button at the bottom of the page to contact a specific court clerk in the state of Georgia.
Furthermore, if individuals know the county in which the person was arrested or may have a record, they should visit that specific country’s website. For example, Cherokee County, Georgia, should do the following steps:
Step 1: Visit the Clerk of Courts website from Cherokee County, Georgia
Step 2: Click one of the court clerk’s offices to visit the respective site
Step 3: Alternatively, click on ‘Case Search’ on the top bar
Step 4: input information regarding the specific case in question (civil, criminal, or magistrate)
The state of Georgia makes finding public criminal records very simple.
However, if the records are sealed, such as juvenile records, access will be denied. Searchers can then contact the respective county clerk to find out why the documents have been sealed. 4
Individuals can access court records in the state of Georgia by utilizing two methods: in-person at the state courthouse or through an online request.
In-person at the Courthouse
Step 1: Individuals must determine the location in which the case was filed (check online using the superior court website) 5
Step 2: Visit the courthouse in person to complete her necessary authorization form or request the written records from the court clerk’s office.
Step 3: Be specific about the court records required by giving enough details to spur the search
Step 4: Contact the local court clerk’s office where the case was filed to find more information pertaining to the case.
Online Method
The alternative method to finding Georgia court records through the state system is by using online methods, which can be faster and more convenient.
Step 1: Access the E-Access Court Records Portal 4
Step 2: Register an account with first name, last name, email, and password
Step 3: Click on the specific court and follow the prompts
Step 4: input the information (person’s name or case number)
Use the following table to access specific county information:
Being able to use the Georgia criminal background check online system is essential to find out more about a person’s criminal past. The online system, called GCHEXS, is provided by the Georgia Department of Community Health to aid in healthcare facility regulation and facility licensure.
Since its inception in October of 2019, the state of Georgia has required all workers in healthcare fields, including directors, owners, administrators, and managers to have undergone a criminal background check through the statewide system and the FBI fingerprint check.
Furthermore, beginning in 2022, all current owners and employees must complete a criminal background check before working in the healthcare field.
The occupations and sectors in which individuals and owners must undergo a background check include:
Individuals can access this online system by doing the following steps:
Step 1: Click On The GCHEXS 65 Website
Step 2: Request A Username And Password Via The secure link 66
Step 3: Input The Required Information
The required information for the username and password form includes the User Type (Director, Owner, Employee, or Other), Full Name of User, Phone Number, Email, Facility Name, Address, License Number if applicable, Facility Type, Name of Owner, and Signature.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) is a useful resource for obtaining criminal history and arrest records for a specific individual. Individuals can easily access their own records through the Sheriff’s Office or local police departments by contacting the respective agencies and obtaining a copy of their records.
However, for individuals who wish to obtain a record of someone else’s information, it requires contacting a local law enforcement agency or using the Georgia Felon Search 67 website.
Furthermore, individuals can obtain a Georgia fingerprint-based records check for employment or other non-criminal purposes by following these steps:
Step 1: Provide A Fingerprint-Based Request Using The Fingerprints Of The Person In Question
Step 2: Request The Records Via A Georgia Background Check Form
Step 3: A Business Requiring A Background Check Must Use The Georgia Applicant Processing Service 6
Step 4: A Business Requiring a Background Check for Licensing Must Access a Gaps Number
Step 5: Click on ‘Become a Requesting Agency’
Step 6: Fill Out the Required Information
Some jobs require pre-employment background checks to ensure the person in question is reputable and has integrity for the job at hand. Since some professionals require extensive background training, such as healthcare professionals, teachers, and government officials, doing an extensive background search is necessary to ensure the person in question is qualified and reputable.
However, it’s important to note that public employers are not allowed to ask about convictions during the hiring process in Georgia, and new laws like the Second Chance Act (which allows offenders to expunge misdemeanors and felonies from their records) and the First Offenders Act (which allows first offenders to resolve their case without convictions and have the records sealed) help make Georgia a felon friendly hiring state.
Conducting a background check on prospective and current teachers is necessary to ensure the person in question for the job is safe and reliable to work with children in an educational setting.
Regarding education in the state of Georgia, FBI background checks are necessary for professional employment in public, strategic waiver system, charter, or waiver system schools. 7 Georgia background checks are required every 5 years to renew educator certificates and must be confirmed by the school system.
In addition to education workers, healthcare workers must undergo an extensive background check to ensure they are qualified to deal with patients in a sensitive setting. Healthcare background checks involve more than just criminal charges or convictions — instead, they include additional imperative information like an identity verification check, drug screening, verification of past employment, verification of educational history, national sex offender search, and character references. 8
The healthcare background check abides by the rules set forth by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which states that most information can only be reported on a permanent” record for 7 years. The only discrepancies to this rule are jobs that pay over $75,000 in annual salary. 9
The Georgia childcare background check is similar to the healthcare background check.
The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act Of 2014 required all staff members and future staff members of childcare providers to undergo a criminal background check at the time of employment and every five years thereafter. 10
Individuals can obtain a person’s driving information by filling out an Open Records Request 68 on the Georgia Department of Transportation website.
Individuals can use the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Sex Offender Registry 69 to find the person’s record and determine if they have any criminal history, without charge.
They can then input the necessary information to find the person, such as their first name, last name, offender type, offense, gender, race, county, and address.
Inmate lookup can be done using the county sheriff’s office (listed in the table above), or by accessing the Georgia Department of Corrections, 70 also free of charge.
Step 1. Click the inmate lookup tool, “Find an Offender.” 71 This page provides a link to find Georgia’s parole status or Georgia pardon status.
Step 2. Agree to the disclaimer.
Step 3. Fill out the Offender Query search form 71 and submit. The platform allows users to search by name, case number, or ID number.
For Georgia residents, there are typically only federal laws that regulate the sale and purchase of guns.
When a resident of Georgia purchases a gun, all they have to do is bring government identification to purchase the weapon. 11
There are federal laws regulating the Georgia background check regulations. Background checks in Georgia for future employers and organizations must comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act which limits the lookback period for crimes to 7 years.
The “ban-the-box” law prohibits Georgia employers from running criminal background checks on the person in question during the initial application phase. 2
The average turnaround time for most background checks in Georgia takes between 1 and 3 business days to complete. 12
When performing a background check, Georgia provides a number of free tools that can be used to search for both criminal and public records in a Georgia background check.
There are a few ways to obtain a background check in Georgia — going in-person to the local sheriff’s office or local police department or using the state system online.
A Georgia background check will include an applicant’s driving record, credit history, past education, references, and criminal record.13
Wondering how far back a records check can go in Georgia? A background check in Georgia goes back 7 years, according to the FCRA, but there is no state law that prohibits the check from examining records indefinitely.
Georgia is an open-carry state, but individuals must have a permit or license to carry a firearm openly.
An employer can only go back seven years on the look back period in Georgia, and public employers (like a government job) are forbidden from asking about previous convictions during the hiring process.
The 7-year background check in Georgia looks for any convictions or arrests within seven years from the search date.
The O.C.G.A. Section 16-13-2 law, also called the first offender act, permits some people who have been charged with a “first” misdemeanor or felony to get the crime ‘fixed’ without a conviction. the proceedings are also “sealed” once the terms of the probation are done.
The Second Chance law in Georgia was passed and signed in 2020, and allows previous felons to remove misdemeanors and felonies from the record using an extended expungement process. The law also provides additional protections for employers in Georgia that hire felons.
Obtain a background check for a real estate license through the GBI, and to apply for a real estate license, visit the Georgia State Department website.
A background check in Georgia will cost anywhere from $20-$50, depending on the number of records needed.
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65Georgia Department of Community Health. (2021). August 27, 2021. Georgia Criminal History Check System (GCHEXS). Retrieved May 02, 2022, from <https://www.dch.gchexs.ga.gov/Auth?ReturnUrl=%2f>
66Georgia Department of Community Health. (n.d.). Georgia Criminal History Check System (GCHEXS) Request for Username and Password Form. Division & Offices. <https://dch.georgia.gov/georgia-criminal-background-check-system-gchexs/georgia-criminal-history-check-system-gchexs>
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