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Instant Checkmate
Criminal-record and social-profile search option.
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Check My Background Check Status
Find the company handling your background check, ask about missing information, and separate a processing update from an employer’s hiring decision.
Find the existing order before requesting an update
Open the screening invitation or confirmation and identify the requester, screening company and order/reference number. Use the verified candidate portal or support route for that order. RecordsLookupVG cannot access private screening orders, retrieve your report or tell an employer to release a decision. Ordering an unrelated report will not reveal progress on the existing check.
A screening package can contain several checks. CFPB guidance describes criminal/public records, credit and employment-history information among possible components. Ask which component is outstanding; a single “pending” label does not identify the cause.
Who can answer which status question?
| Question | Who normally knows | Ask for | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Was the check actually ordered? | Recruiter or requesting organization | Company name, order date and invitation/reference | Application status alone does not prove the screener received an order. |
| Is consent or information missing? | Screening company, through its verified candidate channel | Exact missing item and secure submission route | Do not send identity documents to an unverified sender. |
| Is the report still being compiled? | Screening company | Outstanding component and next expected update | An estimate is not a promised hiring date. |
| Was the completed report delivered? | Screener and requester | Completion/delivery date and how to obtain your copy | Delivery does not mean the employer has approved the application. |
| What is the hiring decision? | Employer/requester | Current decision stage and next contact | The reporting company does not make the employer’s hiring decision. |
Use the message you received to choose your next action
Still processing
Ask whether a particular verification is outstanding and whether you need to do anything. Agree on the next update date. Do not interpret a delay alone as evidence of a criminal record or rejection.
Missing information
Ask for the exact document or correction, the order reference it belongs to and the verified upload route. Confirm receipt after submitting; submitting the same material to another company will not update this order.
Report complete
Ask for access to the completed report and confirm whether the requester received it. Then direct questions about the application decision to the requester.
Pre-adverse action
Read the report and Summary of Rights supplied before a report-based unfavorable employment decision. Identify the exact entry at issue and notify the screener promptly if it is wrong.
Dispute in progress
Use the dispute reference and receipt date. Ask about the investigation and corrected report, rather than asking only whether the original background check is complete.
Have these details ready for the conversation
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✓
Order identity
Requester name, screening company, reference number and the email address used for the invitation.
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✓
Dated progress
Consent/submission date, most recent status wording and any secure-upload confirmation. This distinguishes a submission problem from an outstanding search.
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✓
One clear request
For example: “Has my information been received for order [reference], which component is outstanding, and is any action required from me?”
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✓
If disputing an entry
Mark the incorrect item and attach copies of supporting records through the company’s verified dispute channel. Keep originals and a dated submission record.
Dispute deadlines are separate from screening turnaround
| Event | Federal guidance | What to track |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation after dispute receipt | Generally 30 days; an additional 15 days in some circumstances | Receipt date, dispute reference and any added documents. |
| Investigation completed | Notification within 5 business days | Result notice and the revised report, if corrected. |
| Report-based adverse employment decision | Additional free report if requested within 60 days | Decision date and reporting-company contact from the notice. |
These are the scoped dispute/report-rights periods described by CFPB and FTC, checked September 29, 2026. They are not a universal deadline for completing the original screening or making a hiring decision.
When a status inquiry becomes a rights issue
Review the report, not only the portal label
FTC guidance requires a report copy and Summary of Rights before report-based adverse employment action. The later adverse-action notice identifies the reporting company and explains dispute rights. If an entry is wrong, tell the company and the employer; review any corrected report. These federal employment protections do not establish identical procedures for every rental, licensing or other request, and local requirements may add protections.
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