Lower Civil Court Search

Overview

The Lower Civil Court Records Search uses our national network of professional court runners to search at the county level for the most targeted, up-to-date and accurate information, particularly for counties where the records have not been digitized. It will search up to 3 counties based on the results of the SSN Trace. If the SSN Trace fails (i.e. does not provide any associated counties), then we automatically check the candidate’s current county, based on the address they provided.

It will return smaller claims (less than $3000 to $5000), as well as other civil disputes, including foreclosures, liens, debt collections, and civil domestic violence. The search does not include custody disputes or other types of family law cases.

There are two different types of Lower Civil Court Records Searches that can be ordered: a 7-year or a 10-year. To order the 10-year check, the candidate’s salary must be at or exceed $75,000, and the employer, candidate, and job must not be located in one of CA, NM, MA, MT.

As an add-on, employers can purchase a Lower Civil Court Search that searches in a county of the employer’s choosing. Note that this add-on can only be added on after the standard Civil Lower Court Search has started running.

Ordering

Both Lower Civil Court Searches can be added on to any of GoodHire’s available background check packages.

Reviewing Results

If no records are found, the Lower Civil Court Search tab in the left navigation column will display a green checkmark. In the expanded state, it also lists the individual counties that were searched.

Clicking on a specific county will show a clear status, in addition to the candidate information that was used to search through the county.

Alerts:

If there are any records that match the candidate’s name and date of birth, they will be displayed in the results tab of the Lower Civil Court Search. Each record displays the record source and offender details.

Clicking “Show More Details” at the bottom of each record will expand the record to display the offenses attached, with each offense record containing substantial information about offense type, date, and outcome.

Turnaround Time & Additional Fees

Turnaround time is 5 to 7 business days, depending on the county that is being searched. Please note that some counties will charge an additional fee for access to their county records. For a full list of county specific turnaround times and fees, please refer to our Civil Court Fees and Turnaround Times Page.

Notes

The Lower Civil Court Records Search will find both digitized and non-digitized records. Unlike Criminal Records Searches, it will find dismissals and other non-liable dispositions. The search will not return cases where the candidate is the plaintiff.