McHenry County, Illinois Court Records

Located to the north of Chicago, McHenry County is a sprawling suburb with a population of about 310,000 and is an outer part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Nearby counties include Boone, Cook, DeKalb, Kane, and Lake counties in Illinois and Kenosha and Walworth counties in Wisconsin. Major employers in McHenry county include Northwestern Medicine, Snap-On Tools, and Stryker.

Previously a major farming destination in the area, McHenry County today remains roughly evenly split between Chicago suburbs and rural land that remains primarily focused on agriculture. Due to its nature as a growing suburb that continues to put up new homes, it is an attractive destination for jobseekers from the city of Chicago and could attract jobseekers from all around the region. Chicago-area employers may more often encounter individuals from McHenry and other metro counties. As such, your hiring processes must take this complex environment into account.

To choose the best candidates in a metro area, you must have as much information as possible about your candidates. Because people often move within metro areas, they are more likely to leave behind criminal records in places other than your county of operation. It is vital to uncover all potential criminal records during the hiring process to ensure proper due diligence, guard against negligent hiring, and make fully informed decisions. Developing a policy focused on the unique aspects of metro-area hiring is the solution.

Supplementing the interview process with this step ensures that you don't leave any critical information on the table, such as a violent felony conviction or a pattern of driving under the influence. Assessing an individual's risk level and suitability for your business is easiest when you choose modern vetting solutions powered by advanced technology and professional insight. With backgroundchecks.com, creating a process you can use reliably for every applicant is quick and simple.

Before ordering any background checks, you must be sure that the law allows you to do so; all employers of 15 or more people in Illinois fall under its ban the box law. Note that employers in Chicago itself face a stricter law that expands to include all employers, including those exempted by the state law. If you use background checks without following this law, your business could face civil penalties and fines.

The law states that all applicants must first receive a conditional job offer or a job interview before asking criminal history questions. In 2021, the law was strengthened to make it illegal to deny any job solely based on a criminal conviction except in very specific circumstances. These circumstances include:

• When the past criminal conviction directly relates to the job being sought
• When hiring the individual would put the safety of the public or other employees at serious risk
• When the job would provide a specific opportunity to commit the same crime or to otherwise re-offend

Illinois mandates that every applicant receive an individual assessment by the employer, during which you must consider the person's age when the crime was committed and any rehabilitative efforts. Employers may deny jobs based on a positive pre-employment marijuana drug test but cannot fire existing employees for off-duty use. No other drug testing laws apply in the area.

Once you've completed the process to meet your legal obligations, you can order a background check on those who now have conditional offers. Beginning with the US OneSEARCH provides near-instant results from our database of nationwide criminal records, which includes McHenry County and all of the Chicago metro. See more about our resources on our online coverage map.

Don't overlook the importance of county court records, especially in metro areas where individuals may move frequently. Checking court records directly offers the most up-to-date picture of criminal records at the local level. This process is beneficial for checking the status of open or pending cases, ensuring you have a complete picture of someone's Chicago-area history.

Background reports generated by backgroundchecks.com include information from the following:

• McHenry County – Felony and misdemeanor records from 1999-present
• Illinois sex offender registry
• Methamphetamine offender registry
• Child Murderer and Violent Offender Against Youth Registry 

These reports can include the subject's:

• Name
• Offense/Charge
• Sentence
• Disposition

Hire with greater confidence in safety and reliability when you screen your job applicants with help from backgroundchecks.com.