Fort Bend County, Texas

Fort Bend County is a part of the Houston metropolitan area with a population of 810,000. Adjacent counties include Austin, Brazoria, Harris, Waller, and Wharton. Key regional employers are Schlumberger, Minute Maid, and Nalco. Once a rural region and now a significant suburb to Houston centered around Sugar Land, Fort Bend County has experienced consistent growth for decades. With new residents arriving and putting down roots all the time, jobs are in high demand.  

Businesses based here can take advantage of that demand to reduce time-to-hire while identifying talented individuals. However, that strength is also a potential weakness: the influx of frequent new arrivals means that some unsuitable candidates are likely to arrive, too. How can you know whether an applicant is worth your investment if you can’t make the determination from a resume or interview? 

Effective hiring in a modern work environment demands the use of criminal background checks. Examining criminal record information and using it in your decisions is the only way to engage in smart and safe hiring. You have the right to use all the tools at your disposal to make such choices if you stay within the boundaries established by the law. 

How do you begin? Acquire criminal history data on your applicants. The local courthouse is the best place to start. Search for records held by the courts in Fort Bend County. If you uncover negative information, it may be time to consider another applicant. Even if you find nothing here, your job isn’t over: you must look beyond a strictly local perspective to gain a national point of view on your applicant. 

Always operate in a legally compliant manner. Texas does not impose many restrictions on how businesses consult or use criminal records, and there are no local “ban the box” laws. Federal law, including the Civil Rights Act and the FCRA, provides the necessary guidance on non-discrimination, including that applicants must give their consent before you perform a background search. 

With an understanding of how to operate legally, empower your business to consider criminal records fully: use the backgroundchecks.com county-level criminal record search to begin your vetting efforts, and when you need a wider perspective on an applicant, move on to our US OneSEARCH. Both of these highly streamlined products enable hiring without unnecessary delays. 

These resources use data from state and local authorities with no affiliation with backgroundchecks.com or its products. Data is subject to change. For hiring sensitive positions, the most up-to-date information is available upon request through our on-site courthouse record searches. We offer results within three business days. 

These reports use information from the: 

• Texas Department of Public Safety – Felony and misdemeanor records from 1975-present, updated weekly
• Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Data from 1979-present, updated monthly
• Texas Sex Offender Registry – Data from 1951-present, updated bi-weekly
• Fort Bend County Courts – Misdemeanors from 1982-present, updated monthly 

These reports may contain a subject’s: 

• Name
• Offense
• Sentence  

Make the best use of Fort Bend County’s vibrant labor market and ongoing growth with responsible hiring, and propel your business to the next level.

Learn more about our county background check options