San Diego County, California

At the extreme southern end of California lies San Diego County, an anchor to one of the state’s most significant metropolitan areas and home to 3.1 million people. Bordering San Diego are Imperial, Riverside, and Orange counties.  

With a GDP topping $200 billion annually, San Diego County boasts a highly diversified economy fueled by tourism, technology, and healthcare. Major employers in the region include Qualcomm, Intuit, Scripps Health, and Petco. 

With its large population and its status as one of the biggest metro regions in southern California, San Diego County plays host to a vibrant job market that often attracts professionals from nearby communities. As a result, businesses may find that their job openings receive a considerable number of responses. Not every individual who responds to an opening will be a suitable candidate, however.  When evaluating applicants, it is important to balance considering credentials with checking each individual’s background for safety.  

Consulting criminal records maintained in San Diego County is a savvy first step, but businesses should also consider the benefits of examining records in nearby counties. Consider why: a clean record in San Diego does not guarantee the same result in Orange County where an applicant may have resided in the past. During a more detailed search, you may discover that an applicant has a recent and highly relevant criminal record elsewhere in the state.  

With that in mind, it may be time for your business to reconfigure its hiring process to include a more comprehensive background check process. Before making any changes, understand how to formulate policies that are fully in line with fair hiring regulations. 

As of 2017, all private employers of more than five people in California are subject to the state’s “ban the box” law, which delays any background checks until an employer extends a conditional job offer. Employers are required to review each case individually, considering whether criminal records bear a direct relationship to the applicant’s ability to safely carry out job duties. To rescind a job offer requires written notice ahead of time to allow the applicant an opportunity to appeal or submit additional information. 

With legally-sound procedures in place, finding the right tools for conducting background checks should be your next step. backgroundchecks.com can provide valuable services to help you achieve your goals. With fast, responsive products intended to augment your hiring processes, our county-level background checks offer an instant window into San Diego’s criminal record systems along with Riverside and Orange counties. With our powerful US OneSEARCH, business users can enjoy instant access to this data.  

To ensure the fastest response time for our customers, we return the most recent information available from San Diego County. The databases we consult which contain criminal records are under the purview of local courts and state authorities, and those systems may record changes in between updates to online systems. For employers who require even greater certainty, we can directly search county courthouse records. This on-site process takes one to three business days to complete. 

When using an instant background check, results may come from sources including: 

• California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Felony records only, updated semi-annually
• California Sex Offender Registry – Updated bi-weekly
• San Diego County Superior Court – Felony and misdemeanor records from 1974 on, updated monthly 

Reports may include a subject’s: 

• Name
• Offense
• Filing Date 

Engage with motivated applicants throughout San Diego County with the confidence that comes from safe, compliant hiring procedures. Discover how to prepare your business to make the most of cross-county hiring opportunities with support from backgroundchecks.com.

Learn more about our county background check options