Greater Orlando

The Orlando metropolitan region, also called Greater Orlando, contains only four counties but boasts a dense urban population of approximately 2.4 million. Comprised of Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties, the Greater Orlando region is central Florida’s largest contiguous urban area. Aside from the eponymous city, Greater Orlando is also home to major communities in the cities of Kissimmee, Sanford, Apopka, and Clermont. 

Known worldwide as a major tourist destination, the Orlando metro area is best known for being home to theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Universal Studios Orlando. Far from being home only to the tourism sector, the Orlando area has a robust economy and serves as an anchor for several other major businesses. These include Minute Maid, Lockheed Martin, and AAA. 

With the Orlando area’s large population and robust job market stimulated by a constant flow of tourism dollars, businesses based in any of the region’s four counties are likely to encounter job seekers from across the metro. This can benefit a company, allowing for more diverse hiring opportunities, but it can also pose unique challenges for verification and vetting procedures. 

Though you may already use background checks when hiring, operating in Greater Orlando enhances the need to expand the scope of your search.

County-level background checks restricted to your area of operation can allow records in other adjacent counties to go unnoticed. In some cases, this could mean missing out on an opportunity to consider important records before making a final decision. To combat this problem, develop a metro-wide background check policy.

Such a policy must be implemented while respecting all relevant federal and state rules for fair hiring. In Florida, there are few guidelines and restrictions on how employers may consider an applicant’s criminal history. 

There is no state “ban the box” law nor any similar rules in place for private employers in Greater Orlando. The state also allows employers to ask applicants about arrest records, though these are not typically included in background checks. Otherwise, the state defers to federal legislation such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 

backgroundchecks.com provides employers with flexible options for instant record searches across all of the Orlando metropolitan region, including complete coverage for Lake, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. For these areas, a US OneSEARCH provides immediate criminal record search results while also searching records held in systems in all 50 states plus United States territories. Narrower Florida-specific record searches are also available, as are regional OneSEARCH products to allow you to investigate applicants in up to five states at once. 

These reports include information made available by the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) and the state’s sex offender registry. Each county contributes records from its own court system. The offender registry uses data available from 1998 forward, while the DOC makes records accessible beginning from 1989. 

Updated monthly, DOC data can include a subject’s:

• Name, date of birth, race, sex, and photograph
• Arrest date
• Criminal charges
• Sentence
• Disposition and disposition date

With this information available instantly to businesses in the Greater Orlando area, developing a more robust background check policy is a simple affair. Discover how backgroundchecks.com can help you assemble a well-qualified team.