Nassau County, New York Court Records

Found on Long Island, Nassau County is one of the core components of the New York metropolitan area, with a dense population of almost 1.4 million. Nearby counties include Suffolk and Queens. Largely suburban, there are few major businesses still headquartered here. Notable employers include Northwell Health, Stop & Shop, and Walmart.

Home to some of the first planned suburban communities in America, Nassau County today is an exceedingly affluent and densely populated region. Attracting jobseekers from within the county, elsewhere on Long Island, and sometimes from NYC, Nassau County’s main transit connections to the region frequently bring new people through the area. As a result, employers must be mindful not to rely on a limited background check procedure that does not account for the complex patterns of living that occur in metro areas.

Screening job applicants and making strong hiring choices is even tougher in an ever-changing labor market such as Nassau County. Anyone you encounter might have left behind a criminal record in another county or state—you cannot assume anyone has a clean slate without first verifying it for yourself. Therefore, a comprehensive background check and verification workflow is a must-have for any business here. 

Before you can begin vetting anyone, you must be aware of the special compliance concerns in the New York metro area. This region restricts how one can order a background check; the core of the metro, including Nassau County, only makes records available through a specific program, not third parties. However, there are solutions to obtain records from elsewhere in New York and other states to provide your business with a complete picture of an applicant. Before you can begin, however, you must know how to stay on the right side of New York City law.

New York City has implemented a Fair Chance (or ban the box) law that applies to all forms of private employment. This includes companies operating on Long Island in Nassau County. Where the City government has no control, these rules do not apply; there is no statewide law with similar provisions. You must be sure you do the following:

• Before making any criminal history inquiries, you must provide a conditional offer of employment.
• You cannot withdraw a conditional offer without assessing the individual’s background information. Applicants must receive a copy of this report along with your analysis. You must then wait five business days for an applicant response and re-consider any additional info provided.
• You may never consider ACDs (Adjournments in Contemplation of Dismissal) or violations that have been unsealed.
• Prior convictions are only disqualifying if they are directly relevant to the job's duties or if the individual would pose an unnecessarily high risk to other employees or the public.

Drug testing is allowed in Nassau County, but you may not deny applicants based on a positive marijuana test. You may not test for cannabis at all. It is advisable to stay up-to-date on New York employment law, as these restrictions may change suddenly, and employers must maintain compliance through diligence.

Once you have the right support structure, you can begin using background checks. However, not every county, such as Nassau, is available through these methods. For a broad view of whether someone might have any criminal records nationwide, use our US OneSEARCH to enjoy instant results from a professionally-maintained database. Our coverage map contains more details.

Instead, you must go through the New York State Office of Court Administration for a multi-county background report covering 14 counties in the metro area. The fee is $95. You may request a background check online through the OCA website or by mail.

Background reports sourced from county court records may include the subject's:

• Name
• Offense/Charge
• Sentence
• Disposition

Keep your business staffed with employees you trust with support and learning resources from backgroundchecks.com.