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First Advantage

My Background Check

We’re working hard to get your employment or residential background check results completed quickly and efficiently.

My Report

How Can I Get a Copy of My Report?

If you are a U.S.-based candidate, you are entitled to one free copy of your First Advantage report in any twelve-month period or if you meet the following criteria: 

  • You have been notified of an adverse action or been denied housing or employment based on information in your consumer file within the past 60 days 
  • You reside in a state where you are entitled to more than one free copy in any twelve-month period 
  • You suspect that your file may contain fraudulent information, or you are a victim of identity theft 
  • You are unemployed or you currently receive public assistance 

If you are NOT a U.S. candidate, reports are not automatically available to provide based on local laws, regulations, or employer requests. If you have additional questions, please contact your regional data privacy representative:

* Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, French Polynesia

** Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, S. Korea, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam, Bhutan, British Indian Ocean Territory, Kazakhstan, Macau, Mongolia, Nepal

Report Copy Request Instructions For U.S.-Based Candidates

To request a copy, please complete the following form, or you can call our toll-free number: 800.845.6004, or email at consumer.documents@fadv.com.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

You may write to us at First Advantage Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105292, Atlanta, GA 30348-5292

If you believe there’s an error in your report, complete the following form, or call our toll-free number 800-845-6004, or email us at consumer.documents@fadv.com.

A reinvestigation will be completed within 30 days from the date we receive your request and you will be notified in writing with the results. 

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You may write to us at First Advantage Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105292, Atlanta, GA 30348-5292.

Complete the following form, or call our toll-free number 800-845-6004, or email us at consumer.documents@fadv.com:

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

You may also write to us at First Advantage Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105292, Atlanta, GA 30348-5292.

If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, you should contact the credit bureau(s) for information on how to place a fraud alert or file block on your consumer credit file. To place a security freeze on your First Advantage consumer files, view the previous question and answer. For U.S.-based candidates, additional information on identity fraud may be found on the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse Web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft

There are multiple ways you can provide your information. Use the link provided by the employer or property manager to submit the requested documentation. If you have not received a link, please contact your prospective employer or property management company.

You can always visit help.fadv.com and click to chat with a live agent for assistance.

We’re here to help. Visit help.fadv.com and click to chat with a live agent for assistance.

About Background Screening

Background screening, a.k.a., background “checking” or a background check, is the process of researching, consolidating and verifying a variety of employment, educational, criminal, financial and personal records about an individual or organization for the purpose of evaluation for employment or residential purposes. Typically, this includes a criminal record search, education or employment verification and may include some type of verification of your social security number. The employer or property selects to be performed by First Advantage. The information you may be asked to provide to complete a check can depend upon the skills, licensure, and experience required for the position.

Delivery time varies based on the requested searches and locations. Reports can be returned in as little as a few minutes or they may take up to several weeks.

Definitions

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is a federal law that gives you the right to know what Consumer Reporting Agencies (CRAs) have on file about you, as well as outlining your right to dispute errors contained in your consumer file. It sets tight restrictions for CRAs about the circumstances under which a consumer report may be obtained and disclosed. The FCRA gives you the right to receive a free copy of your consumer file if you are denied credit, housing, employment or had any other adverse action as a result of information obtained from a consumer reporting agency. For additional information on the FCRA visit the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at www.ftc.gov.  

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) was enacted in 2003 and amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that regulates, in part, who is permitted to access your consumer report information and how it can be used. The FACT Act entitles consumers to obtain one free copy of his/her consumer file from certain consumer reporting agencies during each 12-month period. 

A consumer report as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is any written, oral or other communication by a consumer reporting agency bearing on a consumer’s credit worthiness, credit standing…general reputation, or character that is used or expected to be used in whole or in part for the purpose of establish a consumer’s eligibility for credit…or employment. In short a background check report is a consumer report. Under the FCRA, First Advantage is called a consumer reporting agency providing this consumer report—and individuals who are subjects of this report are called “consumers”  While this feels like a lot of government jargon—the FCRA is in place to protect individuals who are the subject of these reports. This law gives you rights to get a copy and where needed, time to identify and address report errors. 

A consumer report may contain information from public record sources, creditors, and other data furnishers, which prospective housing providers and employers use to evaluate a candidate. A consumer report may also show whether or not a person has been sued, filed for bankruptcy, or has a criminal or civil court record.

A full file disclosure is a request made by a consumer to have  all the information on an individual held by a consumer reporting agency delivered to the requesting consumer. First Advantage does not maintain a “consumer file” on individuals, but we may have information in the form of a consumer report or may have data in its databases on individuals which include criminal, and civil court record histories including landlord-tenant records.

“Eligible” means that the returned report meets the employer’s or property’s criteria for hiring or housing.

“Decisional” means that the First Advantage customer has configured the results in the background check to require additional review by them. First Advantage does not have anything to do with the criteria used to make their decisions. If you have questions about your background check results, please contact the employer or property manager.

Background Check Resources

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