How Long Is a Background Check Good For? (Times for Each Type)

After going through the somewhat stressful process of undergoing a background check, the first question many individuals will have is, ‘How long is a background check good for?’

Although many jobs only require individuals to pass a background check as part of the initial hiring process, other industries will require that background checks are renewed every few years.

Since there are specific times for the various kinds of background investigations, dictating how often they must be renewed by industry, state and federal law, knowing the times for each type can help people prepare and comply with regulations quickly and easily.

This guide explains each type of background check and answers ‘how long is a background check good for,’ based on the profession and current guidelines.

How Long Do Background Checks Stay Valid?

How long is a background check good for? This will depend entirely on the type of background check that was performed.

For example, healthcare and childcare checks are performed more frequently than those for corporations, and government security checks are performed with more regularity than private sector screenings.

Generally speaking, a background check stays valid from one month (30 days) to up to five years.

Unofficial Background Checks (How Long Is a Background Check Good for Regarding Personal Use)

Unofficial background checks are essentially good until something changes. Since most unofficial background checks are performed to uncover information about a stranger or something similar, so long as the individual the check was performed on doesn’t commit a crime or anything else that could show up on a background check, the results of the check will be the same and therefore are still “valid.”

These checks are also called name based checks or level 1 check reports. Although they yield “official” results, they are not used to comply with regulations for industries that mandate fingerprint background checks that search a person’s national criminal history.

In other words, these are completely legitimate background checks, but they simply aren’t used for professional reasons such as hiring and tenant evaluation.

Pre-Employment Background Checks

Pre-employment background checks is where the validity question will start to come into play. Generally, the biggest factor in answering the question:  how long is a background check good for?  is the industry the job is in. Many industries have strict laws requiring certain kinds of background checks as well as laws that dictate how often these background checks are performed.

Since most of these industries have specific disqualifying offenses, the employer needs to ensure that an existing employee has not committed one of these offenses since passing their initial pre-employment background check.

Background check renewals are most common in industries that require security clearance and industries that deal with protected groups such as the elderly, children, or health- care patients.

Any position that deals with sensitive groups or requires security clearance will require a background check be performed on every employee every 2-5 years, depending on a few factors.

How Long Is a Background Check Valid For?

Besides pre-employment and personal background checks, there are tons of different reasons background checks are performed. Many of these background checks are only good for a certain amount of time.

Below are some of the more common reasons for a background check, and how long the check is valid.

How Long Is a Background Check Good for a Gun?

The NICS background check that is required to purchase a firearm is valid for 30 days from the first time the check is performed.

There may be other state and local laws that can affect an individual’s ability to purchase a gun within this 30 day period, however the NICS background check² itself will still be valid and an additional check will not be necessary.

How Long Is a Level 2 Background Check Good For?

Level 2 checks are usually good for 2-5 years. When many individuals ask How long a background check is good for, they may have heard of background checks requiring renewal for certain jobs. This is only the case with a handful of industries and most entry-level jobs will not require additional checks.

Even many jobs that require a level 2 background check will not require the background check to be renewed.

The exact amount of time a background check is good for will depend on the industry, federal laws, and state laws. For example the background check that is required for individuals that work in childcare,³ requires that employees and volunteers undergo a background check every 5 years at least. However, many states have laws that require child care employees to undergo the background check every 3 years.

How Long Is a Fingerprint Background Check Good For? (How Long Is a Background Check Good for a Gun?)

Fingerprint background checks themselves are valid indefinitely. However, many level 2 background checks require a fingerprint check, such as the FBI identity history summary check,¹ in this case it will once again depend on the industry but is usually 2-5 years.

How Long Is a Federal Background Check Good For?

Federal background checks vary dramatically due to the diversity of positions in the federal government. Entry-level jobs will likely not require additional background checks beyond the initial hiring check. Security Clearance jobs will vary dramatically and may require background checks closer to every 2 years.

How Long Is a Background Check Good for Nursing?

Most nursing background checks are valid for 2-5 years. This will depend mostly on the state that position is in. Some states will require nurses and other health care workers to undergo a background check every 2-5 years, whereas other states will not have requirements at all.

See the table below.

How Long Is a FBI Background Check Good For?

FBI background checks are a common type of check for level 2 background checks. Although there is no limit for how long the check itself is good for, it is usually associated with industries that require a new background check be passed every 2-5 years.

Other Kinds of Background Check

There are tons of different kinds of background checks available these days, making the question of How long is a background check good for? Extremely difficult to answer unless all the circumstances are known. Still, most individuals can expect most of the more intensive background checks to be good for 2-5 years.

Keep in mind that many industries that require more intensive checks do not have requirements for additional checks, regardless of how long the individual works there. This does not mean that so long as the individual passes the initial check that they can continue working with the company regardless of any criminal issues they encounter outside of work. Many companies will be made aware of felony charges against an existing employee, one way or another. This is especially true for jobs that require security clearance or jobs in law enforcement. In this case, even though technically a background check was not performed, criminal history information for employees is still monitored at all times.

Use the list below to figure out what to expect from different kinds of background check. Keep in mind that different jurisdictions and companies may have laws and rules that affect how long the check is valid for. Finally, many industries will monitor certain employee information for disqualifying offenses.

For example, if someone who is working in the child care industry is charged with a violent felony, the employer will likely be made aware of this, even if the employee is between background checks.

*Unofficial background checks can be performed again at any time.

Only the state of Florida has a legal distinction between a level 1 and level 2 background check. This makes the question of How long is a background check good for? Extremely easy to answer for the state as a level 2 background check is valid for 5 years in Florida for most industries that require it, such as healthcare.

Most other states have no firm laws regarding background check validity, outside of the industries that require multiple checks such as childcare. Use the table below to better understand what to expect from different levels of background check in your state.

How Long Is a Background Check Valid in My State

There are seemingly endless things to consider when undergoing a background check. Not only do applicants need to be aware of the type of background check being performed and any disqualifying offenses, but how long the check is valid for comes into play.

Knowing the background check related laws of your industry and state should help individuals answer the question, ‘how long is a background check good for?’

Frequently Asked Questions About How Long Is a Background Check Good For