Criminal Background Check
Who does HomeAdvisor background check?
The owner or principal of each business in HomeAdvisor's network (with the exception of Corporate Accounts) must pass a background check. Unfortunately, we cannot perform a background check on every employee of a business—the background checks are performed only on the owner or principal. As always, we recommend that you conduct your own research on the businesses you hire, including making inquiries directly with the businesses regarding their employee background check policies.
What does the background check cover?
We use a third-party vendor to conduct a criminal records search in the state in which the business owner or principal works. Our third-party vendor uses a national criminal database ("NCD") to screen service professionals. Businesses will not be admitted to the network if their owners or principals have the following felonies in their available criminal records*:
- Arson
- Assault/domestic violence/battery
- Child abuse
- Intimidation/terrorist threats
- Kidnapping/abduction
- Lewd and lascivious behavior
- Manslaughter/murder/homicide/vehicular homicide
- Rape/incest
- Robbery/carjacking
- Sex offenses
- Other felonies not listed above that occurred in the past seven years
- Contracting without a license in the past seven years
Our background check does not exclude service professionals unless the crime at issue is a felony.
*The comprehensiveness of the NCD varies by state. Please be aware that the reporting in the NCD is particularly limited in the following states: AL, CO, DE, GA, ID, IL, KS, LA, ME, MA, MI, MS, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, SD, UT, VA, VT, and WY. After initial admission to the HomeAdvisor network, businesses are re-screened biennially.
How is COVID-19 impacting the HomeAdvisor background check program?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, several government agencies and courts across the country have temporarily closed their offices. While HomeAdvisor will continue its background check program to the extent possible, these closures could prevent some background checks from being performed. Please be advised that, during this period, if we could not perform a background check, HomeAdvisor will allow the business into the network and match the business to consumers. As affected government agencies and courts begin to re-open, we will resume our program in those jurisdictions. As always, we encourage consumers to perform their own research, to the extent possible, before hiring any business.
