Michigan Background Check

• Michigan Background Check

Procedure to search criminal history records for employment/licensing when fingerprints are required by law:

The search is for arrests with conviction unless the governing statute requires arrests without conviction to be provided:

• Obtain a Live Scan request form from your employer/licensing agency.

• Complete the center section of the form.

• Contact approved Live Scan vendor.

• The Live Scan site will collect the State and FBI search fee.  Plus a fee for the service will be set by the Live Scan vendor.

• Other Live Scan sites may be available through the sheriff or local police departments.

• Turn around time is 7 business days or less.  Responses will be returned to the requestor identified by the agency ID number.

• Employers needing an agency number can call the number below.

Procedure to search criminal history records, by name, without fingerprints:

The search by name is only for criminal convictions that may be on file.  Most employment checks are by name only, unless fingerprints are required for licensing or by state law.

• Go to www.michigan.gov/ichat.  You will be required to register with an e-mail address as well as your name and address.  All fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.  You will need to create your own password; the password must be between 6 and 12 characters long, contain both letters and numbers, and it is case sensitive.

• Once you have registered, click on "Search for Criminal History".  You will be asked how many searches you wish to perform.

• You will then be prompted for credit card information.  The cost is $10.00 for each search, payable with a Visa or MasterCard credit or debit card.

• Once your credit card transaction has been approved, you will be sent to the search information page.  All fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory; the search cannot run without name, race, date of birth, and gender.  You are also allowed up to three variations on a name.  Examples: Mary Jane Doe, Mary Jane Smith, Jane Doe, and Jane Smith can all be searched together.

• Once you click on the submit button, the search should be completed in less than a minute.  You will still be on the search screen.  Scroll down and you will be given the option of doing more searches or viewing the responses.

• When you view the response, click on the person's last name.  You will either be told that the person has no record or you will be shown the person's conviction record.

• Learn about background check contents
• How can you run a background check?
• Running a background check if you have someone's social security number
• Tell me more about a background check?
• How far back do background checks report?
• Tell me about the information that shows up on a background check?
• Can I get a federal background check?
• Are there really free background checks?