Thanksgiving Day Holiday Closure
In celebration of Thanksgiving, Universal Background Screening will be closed on Thursday, November 28th and Friday, November 29th.
Universal will resume normal operations at 8 AM Eastern on Monday December 2, 2024.
Delays may occur in court searches, verifications, drug testing and occupational health services during this time.
Universal will resume normal operations at 8 AM Eastern on Monday December 2, 2024.
Delays may occur in court searches, verifications, drug testing and occupational health services during this time.
New York Child Abuse Registry - Delays
Due to the high volumes New York Child Abuse is receiving, there is an ongoing delay averaging about 10-12 weeks as a TAT. NY does not currently have an ETA on resolution/lower volumes. Please continue to expect extended delays.
Michigan Clean Slate Law Search Restrictions
Due to the Michigan Clean Slate law, the following courts are limiting the scope of work that they will search:
Updated 4/22/2024:
Antrim (7-10 years District)
Bay (10+ years District)
Baraga (7 years District)
Cheboygan (10+ years District)
Clare (7 years District)
Gladwin (7-10 years District)
Grand Traverse (7-10 years District)
Kent (10+ years District and 2018-Present Circuit)
Leelanau (7-10 years District)
Ottawa (7-10 years and 10+ years circuit)
Presque Isle (10+ years District)
Saginaw (7+ years District and 10+ years Circuit)
St. Joseph (10+ years District and Circuit)
Schoolcraft (2008- Present Circuit)
Updated 4/22/2024:
Antrim (7-10 years District)
Bay (10+ years District)
Baraga (7 years District)
Cheboygan (10+ years District)
Clare (7 years District)
Gladwin (7-10 years District)
Grand Traverse (7-10 years District)
Kent (10+ years District and 2018-Present Circuit)
Leelanau (7-10 years District)
Ottawa (7-10 years and 10+ years circuit)
Presque Isle (10+ years District)
Saginaw (7+ years District and 10+ years Circuit)
St. Joseph (10+ years District and Circuit)
Schoolcraft (2008- Present Circuit)
Updated 11/27/2024 - Court Search Delays
Illinois Statewide:
10/15/2024: The Illinois State Police is working with limited staff and resources. Please expect extended delays.
Los Angeles County, California:
Updated 9/6/2024: Effective 2/23/2024 the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will no longer include the month and year of birth as criteria in its criminal name search engines. Courts are also setting limitations on file pulls based on staffing levels and service demands extending excessive delays. Please continue to expect extended delays. Information will be updated as it's available.
Berrien County, Michigan:
10/15/2024: Courts in Berrien County, MI have recently undergone a change in their case management system, however their files do not contain complete information past April of 2024. Searches cannot be completed at this time. We will provide additional updates as we receive them.
NSOPW:
8/16/2024: The NSOPW is back up and processing, however the database continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. These outages may cause minor delays in processing. We are monitoring the database and will provide updates if extended delays are to be expected.
Hood, TX:
10/30/2024: This county is experiencing outages due to the DOB being masked and has created delays in processing. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Washington State Counties and Statewide:
11/27/2024: The case management system is undergoing updates, and the courts are ensuring all files have been uploaded. The site is online; however, searches will be delayed until the site updates are complete.
Cascade County, MT:
11/12/2024: Courts have advised that the Justice Court clerk is unavailable to assist with background checks and are on hold until 12/30/2024. Please expect delays with Cascade County Justice Court searches through the remainder of the year. This county is fully a clerk assisted jurisdiction, and this is the only way to obtain information is through a court clerk. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Perry County, KY:
11/14/2024: Please expect delays as Perry County, KY will be closed the week of Monday, November 25, through November 29, to fix the elevator within the courthouse, and in observance of Thanksgiving, and will reopen on Monday, 12/2.
Caldwell County, TX:
11/14/2024: Caldwell County, Texas, courts are currently experiencing system issues on the Public Access Terminals (PAT), which are preventing searches from being completed. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We do not have a timeline for resolution of these issues. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Federal Criminal:
11/15/2024: Federal searches are currently experiencing system issues on the Public Access Terminals (PAT). Please continue to expect delays to work through the backlog when the system is up and running. The timeline for resolution of these issues is the week of 11/18/2024. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
MVR's:
11/19/2024: Please expect delays as the database continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. These outages may cause minor delays in processing. We are monitoring the database and will provide updates if extended delays are to be expected.
San Joaquin, CA:
Updated 11/19/2024: San Joaquin County systems are back up and running. Please expect delays while the courts catch up through the backlog.
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands:
11/20/2024: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands searches are currently experiencing delays this month with turnaround times. Please continue to expect delays to work through the backlog. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Ravalli, MT:
11/21/2024: Please expect delays as the Ravalli, MT Justice court clerk will be out until Tuesday, December 3rd. We will provide updates as they become available.
Madera, CA:
11/21/2024: Please note Madera Courthouse will be closed the week of Monday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/29 and will re-open on Monday, December 2nd. Therefore, please expect delays in this jurisdiction until their reopening.
Fresno, CA:
11/21/2024: Please note Fresno Courthouse will be closed the week of Monday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/29 and will re-open on Monday, December 2nd. Please expect delays in this jurisdiction until they reopen and catch up on backlog.
Wexford, MI:
11/22/2024: Courts in this county have advised that the Public Access Terminal (PAT) is currently down due to a cyber-attack. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We do not have a timeline for resolution of these issues. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Missaukee, MI:
11/22/2024: Please expect delays as courts in Missaukee County, MI. The Public Access Termina (PAT) is down. Searches are unable to be completed during this time. We will provide updates as they become available.
10/15/2024: The Illinois State Police is working with limited staff and resources. Please expect extended delays.
Los Angeles County, California:
Updated 9/6/2024: Effective 2/23/2024 the Superior Court of Los Angeles County will no longer include the month and year of birth as criteria in its criminal name search engines. Courts are also setting limitations on file pulls based on staffing levels and service demands extending excessive delays. Please continue to expect extended delays. Information will be updated as it's available.
Berrien County, Michigan:
10/15/2024: Courts in Berrien County, MI have recently undergone a change in their case management system, however their files do not contain complete information past April of 2024. Searches cannot be completed at this time. We will provide additional updates as we receive them.
NSOPW:
8/16/2024: The NSOPW is back up and processing, however the database continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. These outages may cause minor delays in processing. We are monitoring the database and will provide updates if extended delays are to be expected.
Hood, TX:
10/30/2024: This county is experiencing outages due to the DOB being masked and has created delays in processing. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Washington State Counties and Statewide:
11/27/2024: The case management system is undergoing updates, and the courts are ensuring all files have been uploaded. The site is online; however, searches will be delayed until the site updates are complete.
Cascade County, MT:
11/12/2024: Courts have advised that the Justice Court clerk is unavailable to assist with background checks and are on hold until 12/30/2024. Please expect delays with Cascade County Justice Court searches through the remainder of the year. This county is fully a clerk assisted jurisdiction, and this is the only way to obtain information is through a court clerk. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Perry County, KY:
11/14/2024: Please expect delays as Perry County, KY will be closed the week of Monday, November 25, through November 29, to fix the elevator within the courthouse, and in observance of Thanksgiving, and will reopen on Monday, 12/2.
Caldwell County, TX:
11/14/2024: Caldwell County, Texas, courts are currently experiencing system issues on the Public Access Terminals (PAT), which are preventing searches from being completed. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We do not have a timeline for resolution of these issues. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Federal Criminal:
11/15/2024: Federal searches are currently experiencing system issues on the Public Access Terminals (PAT). Please continue to expect delays to work through the backlog when the system is up and running. The timeline for resolution of these issues is the week of 11/18/2024. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
MVR's:
11/19/2024: Please expect delays as the database continues to experience intermittent outages that occur when individual jurisdictions go down. These outages may cause minor delays in processing. We are monitoring the database and will provide updates if extended delays are to be expected.
San Joaquin, CA:
Updated 11/19/2024: San Joaquin County systems are back up and running. Please expect delays while the courts catch up through the backlog.
Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands:
11/20/2024: Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands searches are currently experiencing delays this month with turnaround times. Please continue to expect delays to work through the backlog. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Ravalli, MT:
11/21/2024: Please expect delays as the Ravalli, MT Justice court clerk will be out until Tuesday, December 3rd. We will provide updates as they become available.
Madera, CA:
11/21/2024: Please note Madera Courthouse will be closed the week of Monday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/29 and will re-open on Monday, December 2nd. Therefore, please expect delays in this jurisdiction until their reopening.
Fresno, CA:
11/21/2024: Please note Fresno Courthouse will be closed the week of Monday, 11/25 - Friday, 11/29 and will re-open on Monday, December 2nd. Please expect delays in this jurisdiction until they reopen and catch up on backlog.
Wexford, MI:
11/22/2024: Courts in this county have advised that the Public Access Terminal (PAT) is currently down due to a cyber-attack. Searches are unable to be completed at this time. We do not have a timeline for resolution of these issues. We will continue to closely monitor and provide updates as they become available.
Missaukee, MI:
11/22/2024: Please expect delays as courts in Missaukee County, MI. The Public Access Termina (PAT) is down. Searches are unable to be completed during this time. We will provide updates as they become available.
CBSV (Consent Based Social Security Verification) searches per the Social Security Administration going offline:
Please plan for the following timeframes when CBSV Servies will be unavailable:
Friday, November 29, 2024, from 11:00 PM. ET through Monday, Dember 2, 2024 at 6:00 AM. ET.
Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 9:00 PM. ET through Monday, Dember 30, 2024 at 6:00 AM. ET.
Please expect delays during these times. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Friday, November 29, 2024, from 11:00 PM. ET through Monday, Dember 2, 2024 at 6:00 AM. ET.
Thursday, December 12, 2024, from 9:00 PM. ET through Monday, Dember 30, 2024 at 6:00 AM. ET.
Please expect delays during these times. We do apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Vendor Fee Increase
Universal Background Screening strives to bring its clients the highest quality and value, and as the #1 ranked enterprise CRA in the screening industry, we use our buying power to keep our prices as competitive as possible.
Over the past few quarters, consolidation among major data vendors has resulted in price increases across our industry. In May 2024, Experian enacted a significant price increase for uConfirm, a service used to support your account. Since then, we have been absorbing this cost increase but find we must now adjust our pricing in order to maintain the level of service you expect from us.
With effect from December 1, 2024, the rate for Experian Verify (formerly uConfirm) will be $77.95 plus applicable tax (if any). You will see this rate as of your December billing.
Thank you for your understanding and please let us know if we can answer any questions.
Over the past few quarters, consolidation among major data vendors has resulted in price increases across our industry. In May 2024, Experian enacted a significant price increase for uConfirm, a service used to support your account. Since then, we have been absorbing this cost increase but find we must now adjust our pricing in order to maintain the level of service you expect from us.
With effect from December 1, 2024, the rate for Experian Verify (formerly uConfirm) will be $77.95 plus applicable tax (if any). You will see this rate as of your December billing.
Thank you for your understanding and please let us know if we can answer any questions.
Marin County, California
As of April 17, 2024, the clerks in Marin County confirmed that all cases currently on Diversion, dismissed after successful completion of Diversion, and cases that have been dismissed per P.C. 1203.4 record clearances are designated as “Confidential” in the court computer system. Clerks will not have access to the DOB information for any of these cases marked “Confidential." Please expect delays as Marin County adjusts to this change. We will provide new information as we receive it.
Bangladesh - Education Verifications
7.31.24 - We have been advised there is an indefinite strike in public universities and schools, and we are facing severe processing delays. We will post any updates we receive.
California Delays caused by DOB Redaction
On June 21, 2021, several CA courts have redacted DOB from their public index and files due to a 4th Appellate District Court, Court of Appeal, Division One, State of CA opinion.
We are still able to conduct name-based searches. Due to the redaction, researchers are having to use alternative methods to obtain DOB, where possible, therefore causing delays. These delays will impact County Criminal searches and Nationwide Database searches.
Counties with redactions: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernadino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Tulare, Ventura
We are still able to conduct name-based searches. Due to the redaction, researchers are having to use alternative methods to obtain DOB, where possible, therefore causing delays. These delays will impact County Criminal searches and Nationwide Database searches.
Counties with redactions: Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Kern, Lassen, Los Angeles, Merced, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, San Bernadino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Siskiyou, Tulare, Ventura
Clean Slate Initiative
The Clean Slate initiative automatically seals certain non-violent conviction records if a person has remained conviction-free for a period of time (seven years for misdemeanors, 10 years for felonies).
Universal will continue to provide information that is reportable by state and federal laws.
States that are part of this initiate are as follows:
• PA
• UT
• NJ
• MI
• CT
• DE
• VA
• OK
• CO
• CA
• MN
• NY (Effective November 2024)
Please click on the below link for additional information by state.
Learn more
Universal will continue to provide information that is reportable by state and federal laws.
States that are part of this initiate are as follows:
• PA
• UT
• NJ
• MI
• CT
• DE
• VA
• OK
• CO
• CA
• MN
• NY (Effective November 2024)
Please click on the below link for additional information by state.
Learn more
SUSPENDED SERVICES
All verification services out of the following countries are suspended:
Afghanistan, Haiti, Ghana, Russia, Sudan. Syria, Ukraine.
Criminal searches are currently not available in Afghanistan and Palestine at this time as well.
We will continue to monitor the situation and notify you when we are able to reinstate services.
Criminal searches are currently not available in Afghanistan and Palestine at this time as well.
We will continue to monitor the situation and notify you when we are able to reinstate services.