Fast, compliant background checks for Colorado employers.

PBSA-certified screening built for Colorado's layered FCRA and state requirements — without slowing your hiring.

Book a Demo

What is a Colorado background check?

A Colorado background check is not a single search. It is a coordinated program that satisfies both federal requirements under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Colorado-specific criminal history laws, including candidate rights around record sealing. Colorado employers have access to two distinct criminal history pathways through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI): the Internet Criminal History Check (ICHC), a name-based search, and the Colorado Applicant Background Services (CABS) program, a fingerprint-based search transmitted through a CBI-approved vendor. It is important to note that AccuSourceHR currently does not run or facilitate fingerprinting or fingerprint-based searches. Employers subject to CABS requirements should work directly with a CBI-approved vendor to fulfill this obligation. The right pathway depends on your industry, role, and whether a licensing body requires fingerprint-based identity certainty. Beyond criminal history, a complete program typically includes an SSN trace, national criminal database search, employment verification, and education verification.

Colorado employers face compliance obligations at two levels simultaneously. Federally, the FCRA requires a standalone written disclosure, written authorization from the candidate, and a two-step adverse action process — pre-adverse notice with a copy of the report, followed by a final adverse action notice. At the state level, Colorado law governs which records are legally reportable, including the rights candidates have regarding sealed records, and EEOC guidance requires that criminal history decisions be applied in a non-discriminatory manner. AccuSourceHR builds every Colorado screening program to meet current federal and state requirements, returning only legally reportable records and supporting your FCRA adverse action workflow at every step.

Explore the screening package

SSN Trace and Identity Verification

The SSN address history functions as a pointer tool to help determine which jurisdictions should be searched for criminal records. It is not a validation product and the data is not provided on the final report. This can be discussed further with your AccuSourceHR representative.

Criminal History Check (Name-Based, CBI ICHC)

Searches Colorado Bureau of Investigation records directly using the official Internet Criminal History Check System for general employment screening.

National Criminal Database Search

Expands coverage beyond CBI state records to capture multi-jurisdictional criminal history data from counties and jurisdictions outside Colorado.

Employment Verification

Confirms job titles, dates of employment, and work history accuracy against what your applicant self-reported.

Education Verification

Confirms degrees, diplomas, and attendance dates directly with issuing institutions to catch credential misrepresentation.

Credit History Check

Available for roles with financial responsibility; delivered in full compliance with FCRA disclosure requirements and EEOC non-discrimination guidance.

OIG/SAM Exclusion Search

Screens candidates against federal exclusion lists; recommended for healthcare and government-adjacent roles with federal program exposure.

Sex Offender Registry Check

Searches the National Sex Offender Registry, to which the Colorado sex offender registry reports, for candidates in roles involving minors, vulnerable populations, or access to sensitive environments.

Drug Testing

Supports employer drug screening policies, coordinated with awareness of Colorado's cannabis legalization and applicable statutory limitations on adverse action.

Calls answered live by a U.S.-based specialist

hrs

First reply on every support request

days

Typical Colorado criminal search turnaround

+ yrs

Screening employees since 1999

BAN-THE-BOX

Colorado's Chance to Compete Act (C.R.S. § 8-2-130) is a real ban-the-box law, and unlike most states AccuSourceHR serves, it reaches private employers too. Every employer in the state, regardless of size, has been covered since September 2021.

Ban The Box Laws

REPORTING LIMITS

Colorado runs its own seven-year reporting rule under the Colorado Consumer Credit Reporting Act. It's stricter than the FCRA in one key way: Colorado's seven-year limit on arrests, indictments, and convictions applies regardless of salary.

WHERE RECORDS COME FROM

Colorado is an open-records state, and AccuSourceHR pulls criminal history through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Internet Criminal History Check (ICHC). ICHC is the state's name-based CHRI database.

SOC 2 Type II Certification

Audited for security, availability, and data privacy

PBSA Founding Member

Among the accredited 5% of screeners

Overall Enterprise Pre-Employment Screening Leaders

HRO Baker's Dozen

Top-rated enterprise screening provider

BackgroundCheck_HighPerformer_Enterprise_HighPerformer

G2 High Performer

Consistently named a G2 High Performer

I appreciate that AccuSourceHR, Inc. consolidates all the information in one spot and does the research for us. The detailed reports make it very easy to review and decide, and it's easy to find people and their attempts to complete their portions. I also find it helpful that you can search either by person or by order type. The initial setup was very simple, and the customer care team was very helpful and informative.

Arij V.

★★★★★

The ability to check the status within the AccuSourceHR portal. It shows exactly when the ETA is and which counties/cities are still pending. Customer Service is always prompt, efficient and very helpful!

Laurie L.

★★★★☆

What checks are included in a Colorado background check for employment?

Compliant Colorado employment background check typically includes more than a single CBI search. Most employers order a combination of an SSN trace and identity verification, a national criminal database search, and at least one jurisdictional criminal history search. For roles requiring a higher level of identity certainty or where a licensing body mandates it, a fingerprint-based CABS search through a CBI-approved vendor may be required. AccuSourceHR currently does not run or facilitate fingerprinting or fingerprint-based searches, so employers with this requirement should work directly with a CBI-approved vendor. Employment verification, education verification, credit history, and a sex offender registry check are also common components depending on the position.
How long does a Colorado background check take?

Most criminal history searches close in one to two business days, but total turnaround depends on which checks you have ordered. The name-based CBI Internet Criminal History Check is typically fast, while fingerprint-based CABS searches add coordination time with the CBI-approved vendor. Employment and education verifications are the most common sources of delay. AccuSourceHR monitors open verifications and follows up proactively to keep your process moving.
How far back can a Colorado background check go?

Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, the seven-year reporting limitation applies to non-conviction data, which AccuSourceHR does not report. Criminal convictions can be reported back indefinitely, with felony convictions exempt from the seven-year limit. Colorado state law adds another layer because candidates have rights around record sealing, which affects what is legally reportable in a background check. AccuSourceHR recommends consulting qualified legal counsel to understand how Colorado record sealing laws apply to your specific screening program.
How much does a Colorado background check cost?
What happens if I do not follow FCRA requirements when running a Colorado background check?

Skipping or shortcutting FCRA requirements exposes your organization to federal liability, including statutory damages, actual damages, and attorney fees. At minimum, you are required to provide a standalone written disclosure to the applicant, obtain their written authorization before ordering the check, and follow the two-step adverse action process if you decide not to hire based on the results. Colorado's record sealing laws add a second compliance layer, because using a sealed record that should not have been reported can create additional legal exposure.

Fast, compliant background checks for Colorado employers.

Add a headline.

What is a Colorado background check?

Build the right Colorado background check screening package

SSN Trace and Identity Verification

Criminal History Check (Name-Based, CBI ICHC)

National Criminal Database Search

Employment Verification

Education Verification

Credit History Check

OIG/SAM Exclusion Search

Sex Offender Registry Check

Drug Testing

Stay compliant with Colorado screening rules

BAN-THE-BOX

REPORTING LIMITS

WHERE RECORDS COME FROM

Every county in Colorado

Colorado background checks don't have to be this complicated.

Colorado screening programs built for your industry

Healthcare

Staffing

Transportation

Government

Education

Manufacturing

Hospitality

Small Business

Connects to the ATS & HRIS you already use

More than a vendor, a true screening partner

SOC 2 Type II Certification

PBSA Founding Member

HRO Baker's Dozen

G2 High Performer

Trusted by employers who hire at scale

Arij V.

Laurie L.

Colorado background check questions

What checks are included in a Colorado background check for employment?

How long does a Colorado background check take?

How far back can a Colorado background check go?

How much does a Colorado background check cost?

What happens if I do not follow FCRA requirements when running a Colorado background check?

Ready to run faster, compliant background checks in Colorado?