Alaska Background Check Essentials Guide (2023)

• June 8, 2023
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If you’re fortunate enough to live, work, and play in the great state of Alaska, then you know there are endless benefits and opportunities around every corner of The Last Frontier.  And if you are a hiring manager, business owner, or volunteer administrator – there’s more great news. Alaska has an incredibly appealing tax climate making the state incredibly attractive for doing business.  But what about finding the right employees or volunteers for your organization? That’s where getting an Alaska background check comes into play.  

The state of Alaska has specific laws and regulations regarding employment background checks, which every employer must comply with. Furthermore, employers should also comply with federal regulations when it comes to doing pre-hire screenings.  With this in mind, we’re here to help you understand Alaska background check laws, how to obtain background checks simply, and why these checks are so vitally important to the success of your business in Alaska.

How PreSearch Can Help With Employee Background Check Services in Alaska

PreSearch is a leading provider of employee background check services in Alaska. With our state-of-the-art technology and experienced team, PreSearch offers quick and fast background checks for employers who want to hire trusted employees.

One of the benefits of using PreSearch’s services is that we offer customized background checks and screening solutions for different industries. Whether you’re in healthcare, finance, or education, PreSearch can uniquely craft our services around your specific needs.

Moreover, with the ever-evolving landscape of regulations surrounding each employment background check in Alaska, it can be challenging for employers to keep up with the latest laws. That’s where PreSearch shines on your behalf. We stay up-to-date on all relevant federal and state laws, so you don’t have to worry about being out of compliance.

Even better, you can expect exceptional care and service when you partner with PreSearch Services for background checks.  Our experts make everything about getting a State of Alaska background check as simple, seamless, and smooth as possible. By partnering with us, you can be sure you’ll have the reliable information you need to make informed hiring decisions based on accurate information obtained through reliable sources.

What is a Background Check?

In simple terms, a background check takes a look into a person’s history. In terms of screening a candidate you’re considering for hiring or recruiting for your organization, an Alaska background check can reveal a wealth of information about a pre-hire’s educational history, past employment history, credit data, or criminal activity that might have taken place in the past. 

Importance of Alaska State Background Checks

Conducting background checks helps mitigate risks associated with hiring employees who’ve had legal problems, criminal history in the past, or potentially falsified information during the application process. By performing these screenings beforehand, companies can avoid negligent hiring practices which expose them to incidents like fraud or lawsuits.

For instance, if an employee has a history of violent behavior or drug abuse, they may not be suitable for certain roles within the organization.  In light of this, you can see that getting a background check and screenings for trusted employees is essential to assure you are hiring the right person for your vacancy or volunteer position.

Alaska Background Check Laws

Employers in Alaska need to be aware of both state and federal background check laws when hiring new employees. These regulations and laws are meant to safeguard job candidates as well as protect employers and businesses from possible missteps in the pre-hiring process.  Having said that, here are the most preeminent federal and state laws all employers and volunteer recruiters should be mindful of while screening applicants.

Federal Laws on Employment Background Checks

As mentioned, hiring and recruiting organizations need to heed and abide by federal background check laws just as much as state laws.  Here are the highlights of the top federal laws to be aware of before conducting an Alaska background check.  employers must also comply with federal laws when conducting these checks. 

Civil Rights Act, Title VII

One such federal law is Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. This act prohibits discrimination based on characteristics such as religion, race, color, gender, or national origin, to mention a few. Under Title VII, employers cannot use background check information to discriminate against potential employees. This means that hiring managers in Alaska cannot use background data unfairly or disproportionately based on an applicant’s personal characteristics.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

This is a federal law regulating how employers collect, distribute, and use consumer (in this case, the applicant) credit information. In the context of employment background checks, FCRA aims to protect job applicants from unfair or inaccurate information being used against them.

In the event a credit check turns up something unsavory, employers must follow specific procedures under FCRA before taking adverse action against an applicant. Adverse action includes not hiring someone, firing them, or denying a promotion due to their credit check report.

Before taking any adverse action based on a background check report, employers should provide a pre-adverse action notice to the applicant. This notice should include a copy of the report and inform them of their right to dispute any incorrect information in it. 

EEOC

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is a federal agency that enforces laws prohibiting workplace discrimination based on certain individual characteristics such as age, race, sex, religion, and disability. Alaska employers must comply with EEOC regulations when conducting background checks.

Alaska State Employment Background Check Laws

When conducting employee background checks in Alaska, employers must comply with the state’s specific laws and regulations. As such, here are a few Alaska state pre-screening regulations, procedures, and laws that every employer must be privy to:

Expunged Records

Expungement is a legal process through which criminal records are sealed or erased from official record-keeping systems. In Alaska, individuals can apply for expungement if they meet certain criteria. If they qualify and successfully have their records expunged, those records may not be accessed, viewed, or used to determine suitability for employment.

Non-conviction & Correctional Treatment

These types of records refer to instances where an individual may have been arrested or spent time in a rehabilitation program but was not actually convicted of any offense. Employers in Alaska should be aware that they are prohibited from discriminating against job applicants with non-conviction or correctional treatment records, as this could potentially violate state and federal anti-discrimination laws. However, employers are still within their rights to consider these records as part of their overall hiring process.

Drug Testing

Drug testing is a common practice in background checks for many employers in Alaska. It helps to ensure that the employees they hire are not using illegal substances, which could potentially impact their job performance and safety.

Mandatory Background Check

Mandatory background checks are a requirement for certain types of employment in Alaska. In some cases, such as government positions or jobs working with vulnerable populations like children or seniors, mandatory background checks are required by law. Employers who fail to comply could face legal consequences.

Consequences to Employers Who Are Not Compliant With Federal and Alaska Background Check Laws

Employers in Alaska should take the state’s background check laws seriously. Failure to comply with these regulations can lead to severe consequences, including lawsuits and fines. Employers should be aware of the specific requirements for conducting background checks on potential employees to avoid potentially disastrous missteps in the pre-screening process.

Types of Background Checks in Alaska

As an employer or volunteer recruiter in Alaska, you have options as to what types of background checks you can conduct on candidates, and here are a few of the most common checks available to you:

Criminal Background Checks

These types of checks are an essential aspect of the hiring process because they allow employers to verify that a potential employee has not been convicted of any crimes that could be detrimental to the company or customers.

An Alaska criminal background check can include information on misdemeanors and felonies from local, state, and federal databases. This information is crucial for employers when making hiring decisions, especially for positions that involve working with vulnerable populations.

Employment Background Checks

The most common of all background checks, an employment overview is essential in that it validates and confirms whether or not a candidate has previous work experience, what positions he or she has held, what kind of functions were performed, etc. 

How to Get a Background Check in Alaska

If you need a criminal background check in Alaska, you can send a request for a fingerprint-based or name-based search for criminal history to the Alaska Department of Public Safety.  

If you are an employer who is certified or licensed by the Dept. of Health and Social Services, you may also submit a request for pre-hire background check requests to the Division of Health Care Services.

Bear in mind, however, that these state government-sourced reports will only provide you with criminal background activity in the state of Alaska.  You will not receive other vital details such as criminal activity (if any) committed in other states or internationally.  Furthermore, you will not receive any information integral to hiring an applicant, such as employment history or educational background.

The best way to get a background check in Alaska is to go through a trusted provider such as PreSearch.  This way allows you to pick and choose the information you want.  We provide you with the most comprehensive and thorough information. 

How Long Does an Alaska Background Check Take

The fastest way to get your background checks is by using PreSearch.  All of our reports give you all the information you need – and we get it to you fast.  In most cases, our turnaround time is a day or two, and sometimes we can get you results on the same day.

We all know that time is money – especially when you need to hire good workers fast.  So, be prepared to be disappointed if you opt for the DIY (do it yourself) route.  Why? Because doing background checks in-house can use a lot of manhours (and an expensive proposition), and it can take a surprisingly long time to get the results you need.  

First off, state and federal governments are not the quickest at returning criminal background checks.  Secondly, it takes time for your human resource department to track down all the information you need for a pre-screening check.  You could be faced with several days or weeks until you receive the data that will allow you to make an informed hiring choice.

That’s why we urge you to partner with PreSearch because we get you results faster than any other method.

How Far Back Do Background Checks Go in Alaska?

Alaska abides by the FCRA lookback guidelines when it comes to how far back pre-hire background checks go.  The FCRA establishes seven years as the standard review period for history checks.  That means any activity that happened prior to seven years of obtaining a background check in Alaska will either not be shown or should not be considered.

This seven-year lookback period deals with accessing criminal history information.  Other information, such as employment and educational history, can look past seven years.  Furthermore, if an applicant stands to earn $75,000 or more if hired, the FCRA states that an employer may go past the seven-year lookback period when assessing credit report information.

What Shows Up on an Alaska Background Check?

The answer to this is based solely on what kind of information you request. At PreSearch, you can elect to receive criminal history (if any) in the state of Alaska and also any criminal activity in other states or internationally. We also provide you with a plethora of other information such as sex registry status, driving record history, education background data, educational histories, and more.

Basic criminal background checks in Alaska will show past convictions or pending charges within the state including felony and misdemeanor convictions. It will also show the severity of charges, arrest dates, and sentencing results.

Credit reports will show any bankruptcies, fraudulent charges, liens, collections, and other insightful data that may be useful in a pre-hire background check.

How Much Does a Background Check Cost in Alaska?

If you go through the Alaska State Department of Safety as we talked about earlier, the current fee is $20 per each name-based request for a criminal background check.  The fee is $30 for a fingerprint-based criminal background check.  

The best value for your business or volunteer organization is with PreSearch.  We will give you full-spectrum reports including any information you need, and we do it quickly with laser accuracy, and all in compliance with state and federal laws.  

We make getting a background check in Alaska simple, affordable, and incredibly easy.  After all, when it comes to hiring the ideal employee, you have better things to do with your business’s time and money than waste it on subpar, inaccurate, or slow background check services.  Eliminate the hassle, save money, and get the information you need on your pre-hires now by contacting us today.