Fast, compliant background checks for Texas employers.

PBSA-certified screening built for Texas employers who need accurate results and full FCRA compliance without the wait.

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What is a Texas background
check?

A Texas background check is not a single database pull. It combines a criminal history search through the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) Crime Records Division with direct county-level court searches, national criminal database coverage, and an SSN identity trace. For employers in regulated industries, additional mandatory checks apply. Childcare, foster care, and child protective services roles require a DFPS background check under Texas state law. Healthcare employers participating in Medicare or Medicaid must run OIG and SAM.gov exclusion checks before every hire.

Texas employers answer to multiple regulatory bodies at once. The FCRA governs how you collect consent, deliver disclosures, and handle adverse action. EEOC guidance requires an individualized assessment before you disqualify any candidate based on criminal history. DOT 49 CFR Part 40 adds mandatory drug and alcohol testing requirements for safety-sensitive transportation roles. AccuSourceHR builds every Texas screening program to meet these current requirements, so you can move candidates through the process quickly without taking on compliance risk.

Explore the searches

DFPS Background Check

Required by Texas DFPS for anyone working in childcare, foster care, or child protective services roles under state law. It is important to note that as a third-party Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA), AccuSourceHR cannot conduct DFPS checks directly. This check can only be initiated by the subject themselves, who then shares the results with their employer or a third party as required.

OIG/SAM Exclusion Check

Mandatory for any role at an organization receiving Medicare, Medicaid, or other federal funding; recommended for all federally funded programs.

Drug Testing

Mandatory for DOT-regulated safety-sensitive positions under 49 CFR Part 40; recommended for other safety-sensitive roles.

Texas Statewide Criminal History Search (TxDPS)

Searches criminal records submitted by local criminal justice agencies throughout Texas via the Crime Records Division. It is important to note that the TxDPS search does not contain pending cases and may be missing minor cases housed at the Justice of the Peace Courts. For this reason, it is imperative to accompany any TxDPS search with county-level criminal court searches to ensure more complete coverage.

County-Level Criminal Court Search

Supplements TxDPS results by searching direct court records in specific counties where reporting gaps are known to exist.

National Criminal Database Search

Extends criminal history coverage beyond Texas for candidates who have lived or worked in other states.

SSN Identity Trace and Address History

Verifies candidate identity and produces a jurisdiction history that determines which locations require criminal searches.

Employment History Verification

Confirms the accuracy of candidate-reported work history and surfaces discrepancies that may warrant further review.

Education Verification

Confirms degrees and credentials listed by the candidate, including cases where school records take additional time to retrieve.

Driving Record (MVR)

Sourced through Texas DPS; required for any role that involves operating a vehicle as part of job duties.

Sex Offender Registry Search

Searches the National Sex Offender Registry, to which the Texas offender registry reports. Strongly recommended for any role involving contact with vulnerable populations.

Credit History Check

Recommended for roles with fiduciary responsibility, financial account access, or handling of sensitive financial data; subject to FCRA requirements.

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

hrs

First reply on every support request

days

Typical Texas county search turnaround

+ yrs

Screening employees since 1999

BAN-THE-BOX

There is no statewide ban-the-box law for private employers in Texas. Austin’s Fair Chance Hiring Ordinance restricts conviction inquiries for private employers with 15 or more employees, and state agencies have removed the conviction question from job applications.

Ban The Box Laws

REPORTING LIMITS

Texas follows the federal FCRA. Non-conviction records (such as arrests not resulting in conviction) generally cannot be reported after seven years for roles paying under $75,000; convictions may be reported without a time limit.

WHERE RECORDS COME FROM

Criminal records are sourced from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) via the DPS Computerized Criminal History (CCH), plus direct county, district, and federal court searches.

SOC 2 Type II Certification

Audited for security, availability & 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_Small-Business_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 does a Texas background check look for?

A thorough Texas background check covers several layers of information depending on the role. The core of most packages includes a criminal history search through the TxDPS Crime Records Division, supplemented by direct court record searches and a national criminal database search to catch records that may not appear in the state system. Beyond criminal history, employers commonly add SSN identity trace and address history, employment verification, education verification, and sex offender registry searches. The exact combination of checks depends on the position, the industry, and any mandatory requirements that apply to your organization.
How long does a Texas background check take?

Turnaround time depends on which checks are in the package and how quickly third parties respond. Criminal database searches and sex offender registry searches typically return results quickly, often within one business day. The checks that slow things down are employment and education verifications, because turnaround depends on how fast former employers and institutions respond. At AccuSourceHR, we use a digital consent and document collection workflow to eliminate the manual back-and-forth that causes delays at the start of the process.
Do I need to use a Consumer Reporting Agency to run a background check on Texas candidates?

If you are running background checks on job applicants or employees, federal law under the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires you to use a Consumer Reporting Agency and follow specific compliance steps throughout the process. That means providing a standalone written disclosure to the candidate, obtaining written authorization before the search begins, and following a two-step adverse action process before making a negative hiring decision based on the report. The self-service TxDPS Criminal History Name Search is designed for personal record reviews, not employer use under the FCRA. Using it as a substitute for a CRA-conducted background check exposes your organization to serious compliance risk.
How much does a Texas background check cost, and how do I build the right package?

AccuSourceHR prices background check packages based on the specific combination of checks your roles require, not on a flat rate that bundles services you may not need. A basic package for a general employment role looks different from a package built for a DOT-regulated driver or a DFPS-regulated childcare worker, and the cost reflects that. There is no minimum order requirement. Contact our team directly and we will build a custom package based on your industry, role types, and any mandatory check requirements.
What is the DFPS background check requirement, and does it apply to my organization?

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services requires background checks for individuals working in regulated childcare, foster care, and child protective services roles in Texas. The DFPS process includes fingerprint-based screening conducted through the FACT system, the Fingerprint-Based Applicant Clearinghouse of Texas, which runs prints against state and federal criminal history databases. It is important to note that AccuSourceHR currently does not conduct or facilitate fingerprinting or fingerprint-based searches. If your organization operates in a DFPS-regulated environment, this check is not optional and cannot be substituted with a standard criminal history search from a CRA alone. Employers should work directly with the appropriate state agency to fulfill this requirement.
What happens if I skip the OIG exclusion check when hiring in a healthcare role?

Skipping the OIG exclusion check when your organization participates in Medicare, Medicaid, or other federally funded healthcare programs is a significant compliance risk. The Office of Inspector General maintains the List of Excluded Individuals and Entities, updated monthly, and employers who hire or retain excluded individuals in these programs can face civil monetary penalties. The risk does not end at the point of hire: the OIG recommends that participating employers check the LEIE at hire and monitor it on a recurring basis, because exclusions can be added after an employee is already on staff.

Fast, compliant background checks for Texas employers.

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What is a Texas backgroundcheck?

Build the right Texas background check screening package

DFPS Background Check

OIG/SAM Exclusion Check

Drug Testing

Texas Statewide Criminal History Search (TxDPS)

County-Level Criminal Court Search

National Criminal Database Search

SSN Identity Trace and Address History

Employment History Verification

Education Verification

Driving Record (MVR)

Sex Offender Registry Search

Credit History Check

Stay compliant with Texas screening rules

BAN-THE-BOX

REPORTING LIMITS

WHERE RECORDS COME FROM

Every county in Texas

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

Texas 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.

Texas background check questions

What does a Texas background check look for?

How long does a Texas background check take?

Do I need to use a Consumer Reporting Agency to run a background check on Texas candidates?

How much does a Texas background check cost, and how do I build the right package?

What is the DFPS background check requirement, and does it apply to my organization?

What happens if I skip the OIG exclusion check when hiring in a healthcare role?

Ready to run faster, compliant background checks in Texas?

What is a Texas background
check?