Background Check Delays: What Employers Should Know
May 6 2026
Summary: Background check delays typically fall into one of two categories: the kind no screening company can control, and the kind that are a provider problem. Court access, jurisdictional rules, and candidate data issues drive the first. Workflow problems, poor communication, and outdated technology drive the second. Knowing the difference tells you when the delay is unavoidable and when it’s worth escalating.
What Causes Background Check Delays?
Most criminal background checks return results in under a day. When a background check delay does occur, it typically traces back to one of two sources: external factors like court access or verification timelines that no provider can change, or provider-side issues like workflow gaps or poor communication. External delays that stretch significantly beyond that window are usually a court issue. Delays with no explanation typically aren’t.
Most jurisdictions are accessible digitally, but specific circumstances slow things down:
- Rural or limited-access jurisdictions where court records aren’t digitized and can’t be accessed via integration
- Clerk-assisted jurisdictions where staff must physically retrieve case information by hand
- Select statewide searches that require mailed-in documentation
- External events like weather, court closures, or system upgrades that create industry-wide delays, which a good screening company communicates proactively
- Candidate-related holds for a signed release, fingerprint submission, or additional documentation needed to confirm a record belongs to the right person
- Jurisdictions that have removed identifying information like dates of birth from records, which requires additional verification steps before a result can be reported
That last point has real legal implications for employers. As more jurisdictions withhold identifying information, screening companies must take extra time verifying whether a record actually belongs to a candidate before reporting it. This is a compliance and legal protection issue. If a provider is claiming faster turnaround times than competitors in jurisdictions where this is a known challenge, that’s a red flag. There’s a real possibility they’re skipping validation steps, and that creates legal exposure for your company and potential harm for the candidate.
When multiple jurisdictions are involved, searches run simultaneously rather than sequentially, so the number of counties or states in a search doesn’t compound the timeline. Requesting that results be returned as each component completes, rather than waiting for the full package, can speed things up further.
Background checks require accurate candidate information, and gaps can surface quickly. A misspelled name, a wrong date of birth, or an incomplete address history can send a search into the wrong jurisdictions before the right criminal history records are located. That kind of background check delay requires additional verification steps to resolve, and it isn’t a provider failure.
Education and employment verifications add their own timing layer too. A criminal background check might clear in under a day, while education verification routed through a university’s third-party system can take longer because it relies entirely on outside sources.
The Delays That Are a Provider Problem
Not every background check delay comes with a good explanation. Some come with no explanation at all.
When a background screening company is acquired or merges, the disruption doesn’t typically appear in the press release. It shows up in your turnaround times instead. Workflows get restructured, technology gets patched together, and support teams change. If your background checks are suddenly taking longer and the answers you’re getting are vaguer, that’s not a coincidence.
Provider-driven delays look different from court-driven ones. It might be slow order processing, poor candidate communication that stalls the authorization step, or a technology gap that turns a routine search into a manual one. If your provider can’t tell you specifically why a background check is delayed, “we’re looking into it” isn’t a court problem.
A background check delayed by a week with regular status updates is a different experience than one delayed three days with silence. These are often signs of customer service issues with your background screening provider.
Background Check Delays: Red Flags to Watch For
Most background checks return results quickly, which is exactly why inconsistent turnaround times stand out. When that changes, or when results seem to arrive faster than they should, take note.
Searches coming back too slowly:
- Turnaround times that were once consistent are suddenly getting longer, especially following a merger or acquisition
- No proactive communication when a background check is delayed, leaving you to follow up yourself
- Vague answers or no explanation at all when you ask what’s causing the hold-up, with no ownership of the problem from your provider
Searches coming back too fast:
- Every search returns almost instantly. Is your provider actually searching court records, or passing through unvalidated national database results? A national database search is not a substitute for a county or state-level criminal search.
- A provider claims they can beat industry turnaround times in jurisdictions where access is known to be slow or restricted. If results seem too good to be true in clerk-assisted or limited-access jurisdictions, ask how they’re getting them.
Fast, accurate background screening means results that are both timely and verified. A delayed background check with clear communication is a better outcome than a fast one built on shortcuts.
What Questions Should You Ask Your Provider About Delays?
If background check delays are a recurring problem in your hiring processes, waiting them out isn’t a strategy. At that point, it may be time to reconsider your screening provider and take a closer look at how to choose a background check company that better supports your workflow and your hiring decisions.
Here are a few questions worth asking:
- Can you tell me what’s holding up this search and why? A provider with visibility into their process can answer this specifically.
- How will I be notified if a search is delayed? You shouldn’t have to ask first.
- Has your company gone through any ownership changes or system migrations recently? Operational disruptions after a merger appear in turnaround times before they appear anywhere else.
If your provider struggles to answer any of these, that’s useful information too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why would a background check be delayed?
How long does a delayed background check usually take?
It depends on what’s causing it. Court access issues can add several business days to complete. Candidate-related holds resolve as quickly as the candidate responds. A search that runs long with no communication from your provider is the real problem. For typical timelines, see our guide on how long criminal background checks take.
Is a background check delay always the provider's fault?
No. Court access, jurisdictional rules, and candidate data issues account for a significant share of background check delays. What is within a provider’s control is keeping you informed. If a background check is delayed and your provider isn’t proactively updating you, that’s a customer service issue regardless of where the hold-up originated.
When Delays Are Unavoidable, Silence Isn’t
At InfoMart, every client has a dedicated account rep. When a background check runs longer than expected, the person who answers already knows your account and can tell you exactly what’s happening.
InfoMart’s team is U.S.-based with no offshored support and extended business hours. That won’t change how long a county court takes to process a records request, but it does change how long you spend wondering. InfoMart has been PBSA-accredited since 1992, which means the compliance standards your screening depends on aren’t an afterthought.
If your current provider’s answer to a delayed background check is a ticket number, it might be time to ask different questions altogether.
Not ready yet? Check out our Background Check RFP Guide, which covers what to ask before you commit to a background screening provider.
About Tammy Cohen
Tammy Cohen, an industry pioneer and expert in identity and employment screening, founded InfoMart 30 years ago. Deemed the “Queen of Screen,” she’s been a force behind industry-leading innovations. She was most recently the first-to-market with a fully compliant sanctions search, as well as a suite of identity services that modernizes talent onboarding. Tammy revolutionized the screening industry when she stepped into the field, developing the first client-facing application and a due diligence criminal search that has since become standard for all background screening companies. Cohen has received national awards and honors for her business and civic involvement, including Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Top 25 Women-Owned Firms in Atlanta, Enterprising Women Magazine’s Enterprising Women of the Year award, the YWCA of Northwest Georgia’s Kathryn Woods Racial Justice Award, and a commendation in the 152nd Congressional Record.
About InfoMart
InfoMart has been revolutionizing the global background and identity screening industry for 30 years, providing businesses the information they need to make informed hiring decisions. They develop innovative technology that modernizes talent onboarding, including a first-to-market biometric identity authentication application and a verified sanctions search. The WBENC-certified company is a founding member of the Professional Background Screening Association, and they have achieved PBSA accreditation in recognition of their consistent business practices and commitment to compliance with the FCRA. The company is dedicated to customer service, speed, and accuracy, and it has been recognized for its success, workplace culture, and corporate citizenship with over 45 industry awards. To Get the Whole Story on InfoMart, please visit www.InfoMart-USA.com, follow @InfoMartUSA, or call (770) 984-2727.