Orange County, California

One of the most significant counties in Southern California is Orange County. It hosts a population of about 3 million in one of the core areas of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Four counties border Orange County: Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside. 

A hub for tourism, Orange County is home not only to many attractions but also to a significant number of corporate headquarters for multinational businesses. Alongside tourism, other sectors represented in the local economy include tech, finance, and apparel. Major employers include The Walt Disney Company, Boeing, and Walmart.

The combination of a robust economy and high-density cities create an environment that encourages commuting to seek work in Orange County. Businesses based in the county often enjoy rapid, high-volume responses to job openings, but narrowing down the applicant field can be challenging. 

County-level background checks are the ideal tool for putting employers on firmer footing as they screen potential employees. These employers must avoid tunnel vision when using background checks. Focusing solely on Orange County may not be enough: what if an applicant has a criminal record in Los Angeles County, but recently moved to Orange County? Without checking records in Los Angeles, you may not find out in time.

In light of these facts, it may be time to re-examine and reconfigure the policies that your businesses uses to govern background checks. First, however, be aware of the “ban the box” rules that are applicable to private employers in California.

Orange County businesses must provide applicants with an initial interview and make a conditional employment offer before asking any questions about criminal history. If a background check reveals a criminal past, employers should look at additional factors, including time elapsed since conviction and relation between the charge and the job, before making a decision. Applicants must receive, in writing, early notice of the intent to rescind a conditional offer after a background check; they may then appeal.

Once you understand these obligations, your task is to select the tools that you’ll use for vetting applicants. backgroundchecks.com can fulfill that role with an array of powerful products built from the ground up for business. To start, order county-level background checks and receive an overview of an individual’s Orange County criminal history. For the big picture, take advantage of instant results from our US OneSEARCH and view records from Los Angeles, San Diego, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties at once. 

For rapid background check results, the US OneSEARCH is ideal. Note that because county and state authorities have the responsibility of maintaining these databases, periodic updates may change the data held in these systems. For clients who need the most thorough search possible, backgroundchecks.com offers direct on-site courthouse record searches, which we complete within one to three days.

Sources providing data for an instant background check include the:

• California Department of Corrections – Felony records for paroled offenders, updates semi-annually
• California Sex Offender Registry – Updated bi-weekly
• Orange County Superior Court – Felony and misdemeanor records, updated monthly

Information in a report may include the subject’s:

• Name
• Offense
• Sentence length

Take full advantage of Orange County’s lively labor pool without making critical errors during the hiring phase with robust county-level background checks from backgroundchecks.com.

Learn more about our county background check options