Oregon Background Checks

From individual organizations to human resources (HR) and recruiting professionals, background checks in Oregon help to enhance workplace safety and employee reliability. Oregon background checks enable employers to identify potential concerns related to criminal history or applicant detail verification during the employment screening process. However, employers must remain mindful of Oregon background check laws so as to not run into any state compliance concerns.

Health Street makes background checks in Oregon easy with a complete array of comprehensive, precise and detailed employment background screenings. Our Oregon background checks start with simple, fast criminal database checks and can be extended for a full view of a person's history by looking at local and national records, educational records, past jobs, and more. Oregon background checks ensure you and your workforce are protected from an employee who lies on his or her job application or worse

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What background checks in Oregon does Health Street offer?

Health Street's criminal background check packages always start with a Social Security Number Trace. From there, you can add specific background checks, choose from one of our most popular packages, or build your own.

Court Record Package

(starting at $99)

Search the Court Record Repository at the state or county level. This background check is an investigation of court records in the counties or states that a person has used their Social Security Number.

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Platinum Background Check Package

(starting at $175)

Includes:
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Everything in Triple Database Package plus Courthouse Repository (State and/or County level)
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Ultimate Package

(starting at $250)

Includes:
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Everything in Platinum Package plus a 10 panel drug test.
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Build Your Own Package

(prices vary)

Mix and match a variety of our background screening services to create your perfect package. This can include criminal database checks, sanctions, resume verifications, and drug testing.

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Resume Verification

(starting at $39)

Check a person's job history, degrees, references, and certifications.

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DOT Background Check

(starting at $39)

Ensure DOT compliance with our driver screening services.

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City Background Checks

For information regarding background checks in a specific city, click the relevant link below:

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Why Health Street For Oregon Background Checks?

Health Street combines industry knowledge, a commitment to accuracy, and a spirit of fairness when performing background checks in the Beaver State. Comprehensive employment screenings keep you and your business from stumbling into legal problems. A thorough background screening is essential to confirming that your new hires in are qualified and honest.

Health Street's combination of high tech and high touch make background checks in fast and reliable. We offer simple, secure web technology matched with local court runners to protect your company.

Due diligence is critical. Poorly performed background checks can expose you in the following ways:

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Not uncovering a past criminal record.
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Revealing personal or excess information that cannot, by employment law, be taken into account.

In either case, you could be held legally liable. It is critical that you stay in compliance with local labor laws. Let Health Street's experts conduct your background checks in New Mexico so you'll know that your candidates have been fully and properly vetted before hire.

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DOT Background Screening Services

If your business hires truck drivers, DOT regulations require that you reach out to prior employers as well as check the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse for violations. You also need to run a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) to ensure that your drivers have a clean, safe driving record.

Health Street takes this work off of your hands and stores your Oregon background checks securely in the same convenient online portal where you can manage your DOT drug testing and random pool. We contact prior employers, check the Clearinghouse on your behalf, and report it all back to you in a comprehensive background check report, that includes:

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Conducting historical research of Oregon driving record.
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Contacting prior employers from before the Clearinghouse began in January 2020.

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Resume Review and Verification Checks

Education verification and reference checks are also critical to the pre-employment background checks in Oregon. Employers should also verify an applicant's resume, confirming their:

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education and degrees
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job history
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professional licenses and certifications
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references

Calling all of the schools and employers on a person's resume to confirm if your applicant is telling the truth could take hours. Fortunately, Health Street can easily handle your Oregon resume and employment verifications quickly and effectively. We will flag any discrepancies and report them back to you.

Oregon Background Check Laws

As an Oregon employer, it is essential to consider the following background check laws prior to using background checks throughout your employment screening process:

Ban-the-Box Law

Alongside numerous other states, Oregon follows "ban the box" legislation, which requires employers to follow specific guidelines when seeking details regarding criminal records during the job application process. Under Oregon ban-the-box legislation, it is unlawful for an employer to inquire about or conduct a criminal background check for an applicant during the hiring process.

An Oregon employer is only able to inquire about criminal records once a conditional job offer has been made. If the applicant's criminal history is used to make the employment decision, employers must follow a good faith determination that demonstrates a specific offense is job-related and could pose a risk to the business. In certain instances, the Oregon "ban-the-box" law will not apply to positions relating to Oregon law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and educational entities.

In addition to state code, Portland City Code 23.10.030 also prevents employers from using arrest records that did not lead to a conviction, or records of convictions that have been expunged, for employment decision purposes. When determining if an applicant's criminal history is job-related and a reason for employment denial, Portland employers are required to complete an assessment of:

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The nature of the criminal offense.
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Length of time from which the criminal offense took place.
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The nature of the job position being sought.

In the event an employer rescinds a conditional job offer due to criminal findings, they will also need to notify the applicant in writing on which convictions the decision to deny employment was based upon.

Pay Equity Law

Under the Oregon Pay Equity Law, employers are required to follow specific regulations throughout the hiring process when discussing salary history. Under this law, an employer is forbidden from asking about an applicant's salary and pay history prior to making an employment offer.

Likewise, employers cannot screen applicants for a job position on the basis of current or past salary, nor can they base compensation for a job on applicants' current or past compensation. It is only until a conditional job offer and compensation offer have been made that an employer can confirm a candidate's salary history.

Credit Reporting Law

According to Oregon background check law, there are also employer restrictions when it comes to inquiring about an applicant's credit history. Under Oregon labor code 659A.320, it is unlawful for an employer to obtain or use credit history for hiring decision purposes. In certain employer situations, such as federally insured banks or law enforcement, where employers are required to use credit history for employment purposes, this ruling does not apply.

Oregon Crime Statistics and Trends
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In 2021, the state of Oregon reported approximately 178,565 property crimes, of which the top offense was larceny/theft with more than 81,390 recorded instances.
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An estimated 41,601 crimes against people were recorded in Oregon in 2021, of which the highest recorded offense was simple assault with upwards of 19,142 instances.
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Out of all of the Oregon counties, Multnomah County had the highest number of recorded offenses in 2021 with approximately 78,983 incidents.
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In 2020, Portland law enforcement seized roughly $38,802,633 worth of illegal drugs as well as $1,985,722 in drug trafficking revenue.
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In 2020, Oregon ranked number 36 in the United States for the highest violent crime rate, with a rate of 291.9 per 100,000 people.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does a Background Check Show in Oregon?

When an employer conducts an Oregon background check, they will receive details regarding an applicant's criminal history, including date of arrest, the offense that caused the arrest, involved law enforcement agency, and disposition details.

What is Included in an Oregon Background Check?

A typical Oregon background check will include various historical details related to an applicant, including employment history, education history, criminal history, national sex offender registry details, and identification verification.

How Many Years Are Included in a Background Check in Oregon?

Under the Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a background check can only access information up to 7 years old from the requested date. Positions with salaries greater than $75,000 are exempt from this law.

When Can You Run an Employment Background Check in Oregon?

Oregon background checks are typically run on a subject following a conditional job offer. Oregon ban-the-box laws prohibit employers from inquiring about criminal history until a job offer has been made.

Citations

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"Hiring discrimination and 'Ban the Box.'" Oregon Department of Labor and Industries, https://www.oregon.gov/boli/workers/Pages/hiring-discrimination.aspx
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"23.10.030 Use of Criminal History in Employment Decisions." City of Portland, https://www.portland.gov/code/23/10/030
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"Equal Pay." Oregon Department of Labor and Industries, https://www.oregon.gov/boli/workers/pages/equal-pay.aspx
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"659A.320 Discrimination based on information in credit history prohibited." Oregon Legislature, https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors659A.html#:~:text=Discrimination%20based%20on%20information%20in%20credit%20history%20prohibited%3b%20exceptions.%20%281%29
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"Fair Credit Reporting Act." Federal Trade Commission, https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/statutes/fair-credit-reporting-act/545a_fair-credit-reporting-act-0918.pdf
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"Offenses Dashboard 1/1/2021 to 12/31/2021." Oregon Uniform Crime Report, https://www.oregon.gov/osp/pages/uniform-crime-reporting-data.aspx
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"Narcotics and Organized Crime Statistics." City of Portland, https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/article/34023
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"How the Violent Crime Rate in Oregon Compared to Other States." The Center Square Oregon, https://www.thecentersquare.com/oregon/how-the-violent-crime-rate-in-oregon-compares-to-other-states/article_9d829c4e-d8d8-5a81-b076-bd146108a3c4.html
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"Criminal History Record Checks." Criminal Justice Information Services, https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/cjis/Pages/CCH.aspx