How much does a background check cost? Package price, passthrough fees and the total

The package price is the starting point

Most background check quotes start with a package price per candidate. The package defines which searches are included, and that is what you are comparing between providers.

PROFID's published packages are priced per candidate:

• Basic, $27.99: identity verification, SSN trace and address history, sex offender registry, global watchlist records and national criminal records.
• Essential, $49.99: everything in Basic plus two county criminal searches.
• Pro, $74.99: everything in Essential plus education verification (highest level) and employment verification (current employer).

Role-based packages and volume pricing are quoted separately. Identity verification is included in every package.

Passthrough fees are set by courts and agencies

Some record sources charge for access. Courts charge court fees, state motor vehicle agencies charge for driving records, and some databases charge data fees. These are passed through at cost and shown on the invoice.

They vary widely by place. In PROFID's published fee table, state driving record fees run from $2 in California to $27.50 in Oklahoma, with Delaware at $25, Illinois at $20 and Florida at $10.25. Most county court fees are a few dollars, but a New York statewide criminal search through the state court system costs $98.

Passthrough fees are never charged for a candidate's copy of their own file or for a dispute. See the full table on the passthrough fees page.

What changes the total

How many places you search

A county search covers one county. The SSN trace and address history show where a candidate has lived, and each additional county adds a search and, in some places, a court fee.

Whether the role drives

A motor vehicle record is needed for any role that drives for work. Its cost is mostly the state fee, so the same check costs more in Delaware than in California.

Verifications beyond the package

The Pro package covers the current employer and the highest level of education. Earlier employers, additional schools and professional licenses can be added to the package.

Drug testing

Drug tests are ordered with the package and involve a collection site and a lab. The panel and the testing type change the price.

After the hire

Post-hire monitoring is a separate paid add-on, quoted together with your pre-hire packages.

Costs that don't appear on the invoice

The cheapest report can be the most expensive hire. Three costs rarely appear on a quote:

• Days to start. Every day a candidate waits for results is a day the shift, truck or route sits empty. Fast automated checks matter most for high-volume roles. See how long background checks take.
• Candidates who drop off. A long or confusing process loses applicants before the check finishes. Mobile completion and automatic reminders reduce that loss.
• Process mistakes. Skipping the FCRA notice steps can cost far more than any package. One carrier paid $5 million to settle claims that it acted on background checks without sending the report first.

How to compare quotes

Put every quote on the same scope before comparing prices:

1. List the searches each role actually needs.
2. Check how many county searches are included, and how extra counties are priced.
3. Ask whether court, DMV and data fees are included or passed through, and where they are published.
4. Ask whether identity verification is included or extra.
5. Compare the time to the first result and to a complete report, not only the price.

Prices and fees as published by PROFID on November 6, 2026. Passthrough fees change when courts and agencies change them.