Background Check

Last revised: October 2011
Background checks are a key part of the TakeLessons instructor certification process. We use one of the nation's leading background check services to provide a comprehensive evaluation of our instructors.

Here is what is included in our background checks:

Social Security Number Trace

The SSN Trace is included with the Multi-State Criminal Search and Criminal History Search. This search will verify the person's social security number, gather a list of address history for the criminal search, and provide any AKA's or aliases.

Multi-State Criminal Search

The Multi-State Criminal Search is typically included as part of the core offering, the Comprehensive U.S. Criminal Search, in an effort to identify criminal records within an applicant's background that might fall outside their area of residence.

The Multi-State Criminal Search is run against the most complete database of such information available, including over 250 million criminal records from over 44 states (Departments of Corrections, Administrative Offices of the Courts, and directly from counties) and Sex Offender Registry information from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The SSN Trace offering is an additional service that can be bundled into the Multi-State Criminal Search to precisely identify questionable jurisdictions in which the applicant has a record(s).

Offenses for minors may not appear in the public record and therefore are not accessible in the background checks.

Not all arrest logs, sex offender registries and conviction records are available for all years in all counties and states, and therefore cannot be accessible in the background checks. See state details below.

Nationwide Sex Offender Registry Search

The Nationwide Sex Offender Registry Search is a nationwide search against state-owned sex offender registries from all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Typically, reported information includes full name of the offender, classification of the offense and the offender's last known address. However, since these databases are state owned and operated, the level of detail provided back about the offender may vary. This search will also provide photos of the offenders when available. Average turnaround time: “Clears” are near instant; “Hits” average 24-72 hrs.

The National Criminal Check Includes the following Coverage. The data provided by our partner is only as current and accurate as our source data from the states or the originating counties.

Descriptions

Department of Corrections (DOC)

The DOC contains criminal records on individuals who are or have been incarcerated or supervised by the Department of Corrections. Information can contain current inmates, released inmates, parolees and probationers. Primarily contains felony convictions, but dependant on state may contain deferrals, adjudication withheld, first offender probation, pre-trial intervention and serious misdemeanors.

Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC)

The AOC is a state agency that receives criminal record updates from county courthouses located within their jurisdiction (within a particular state). This may contain felony and misdemeanor criminal records. Information may include the following: convictions, adjudication withheld, deferrals, first offender, pre-trial intervention and may or may not contain some traffic violations. Please note that traffic violations are not checked unless a state reports these violations as a criminal offense.

State Sex Offender Registry

The state sex offender registries may contain data on sexual predators, high risk offenders and violent offenders.

What's covered in each state:

Alabama
  • Department of Corrections, State Sex Offender Registry
Alaska
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Arizona
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in Arizona:
    • Mariposa
    • Pima
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Arkansas
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
California
  • State Sex Offender Registry
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in California:
    • Alameda
    • Butte
    • Contra Costa – Municipal and Superior
    • Fresno – Municipal and Superior
    • Indio
    • Los Angeles Municipal and Superior
    • Marin
    • Orange
    • Riverside
    • San Mateo
    • Sacramento
    • San Bernardino
    • San Diego – Municipal and Superior
    • San Luis Obispo
    • San Mateo
    • Santa Barbara – Municipal and Superior
    • Santa Clara – Municipal and Superior
    • Santa Cruz
    • Ventura
Colorado
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Connecticut
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Delaware
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Florida
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in Florida:
    • Alachua
    • Bay
    • Brevard
    • Broward
    • Charlotte
    • Dade
    • Duval
    • Hernando
    • Indian River
    • Highlands
    • Hillsborough
    • Leon
    • Marion
    • Monroe
    • Orange
    • Osceola
    • Palm Beach
    • Pinellas
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Georgia
  • Department of Corrections,
  • Georgia – State Board of Pardons and Paroles
  • Georgia – Bureau of Investigations
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Hawaii
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Idaho
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Illinois
  • Department of Corrections
    • Includes Cook County
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Indiana
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Iowa
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • Department of Corrections
  • Iowa, PNP – (Pardons and Paroles)
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Kansas
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Kentucky
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Louisiana
  • Department of Corrections
  • Criminal coverage in the following county in Louisiana:
    • St Tammany Parish
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Maine
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Maryland
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Massachusetts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Michigan
  • Department of Corrections
  • Criminal coverage in the following county in Michigan:
    • Wayne County
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Minnesota
  • Department of Corrections
  • Department of Public Safety
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Mississippi
  • Department of Corrections
  • Department of Probations and Pardons
  • Criminal coverage in the following county in Mississippi:
    • Hinds
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Missouri
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Montana
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Nebraska
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Nevada
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
New Hampshire
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
New Jersey
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
New Mexico
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
New York
  • Department of Corrections
  • State Sex Offender Registry
North Carolina
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
North Dakota
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Ohio
  • Department of Corrections
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in Ohio:
    • Allen
    • Ashtabula
    • Auglaize
    • Butler
    • Champaign
    • Clermont
    • Columbiana
    • Delaware
    • Fulton
    • Greene
    • Hamilton
    • Hancock
    • Hardin
    • Lake
    • Licking
    • Mahoning
    • Medina
    • Montgomery
    • Portage
    • Putnam
    • Richland
    • Sandusky
    • Trumbull
    • Tuscarawas
    • Warren
    • Wayne
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Oklahoma
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • Oklahoma Courts
  • Department of Public Safety
  • Oklahoma Supreme Court
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Oregon
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Pennsylvania
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Rhode Island
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
South Carolina
  • Department of Corrections
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in South Carolina:
    • Greenville
    • York
  • State Sex Offender Registry
South Dakota
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Tennessee
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts – Municipal and Superior
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Texas
  • Department of Corrections
  • Department of Public Safety
  • Criminal coverage in the following counties in Texas:
    • Bexar
    • Brazoria
    • Cameron
    • Collin
    • Chambers
    • Dallas
    • Denton
    • El Paso
    • Fort Bend
    • Gregg
    • Harris
    • Jefferson
    • Midland
    • Montgomery
    • Potter
    • Rockwell
    • Travis
    • Victoria
    • Waller
    • Williamson
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Utah
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Vermont
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Virginia
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
  • Criminal coverage in the following county in Virginia:
    • Fairfax
Washington State
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Washington DC
  • Department of Corrections
  • Sex Offender Registry
West Virginia
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Wisconsin
  • Department of Corrections
  • Administrative Office of the Courts
  • State Sex Offender Registry
Wyoming
  • State Sex Offender Registry

Single Jurisdiction Criminal History Searches

Single Jurisdiction Criminal History Searches are performed based on the results of the criminal history search. They are comprehensive courthouse check aimed at uncovering applicants with criminal records at the state and county level for one jurisdiction applicants (generally performed at the current jurisdiction of residence).

This search reveals felonies, misdemeanors, and violations (where available) reported at the highest court in the county (i.e. Superior, County and/or Municipal).

Please note that the background check is run once a year for TakeLessons instructors, and we do not guarantee or warrant that there has not been a significant and material change in their status since the last time the check was run.

Click Here to Search For Music Teachers