Orlando Background Checks: An Employer’s Guide [2025]

Comprehensive pre-employment background checks enable Orlando employers to confirm their candidates’ credentials, protect workplace safety, and make smart hiring decisions.

At iprospectcheck, our team performs thorough background checks for businesses in Orlando and throughout Florida.

This guide explains the key requirements and best practices for compliant employment background checks.

What is an Orlando Employment Background Check?

An Orlando employment background check investigates a candidate’s personal history, including their criminal record, academic credentials, previous jobs, professional certifications, and other relevant details to determine their safety and suitability for a position.

Florida employers use background checks to gather verified information about potential hires and make well-informed employment decisions based on factual data rather than application materials alone.

Why Do Employers in Orlando Conduct Background Checks?

Employers conduct background checks for many reasons, including:

1. Promote Workplace Safety

Employers must adhere to safety regulations and maintain workplace safety to protect their employees, customers, and vendors.

Background checks help employers identify applicants who might be unsafe by revealing past incidents that demonstrate a disregard for safety.

2. Ensure Fairness in Hiring

Uniform background checks for all applicants for jobs at specific authority levels help employers remove bias from hiring decisions and ensure all candidates undergo similar scrutiny.

3. Maintain Regulatory Compliance

Many industries face strict screening requirements under state and federal law.

For example, employers regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) must complete DOT background checks and DOT drug tests for candidates who’ve applied for safety-sensitive roles.

This is particularly critical in Orlando’s robust defense and aerospace sectors.

Major contractors like L3Harris Technologies and Lockheed Martin work on classified projects requiring security clearances, while aviation facilities including Orlando International Airport must maintain rigorous screening protocols for personnel.

Further, Florida law also mandates fingerprint-based screening and abuse registry checks for staff working with vulnerable populations like children, elderly, or disabled individuals.

Notably, this applies to Orlando’s entertainment and tourism sector, where theme park giants like Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, and SeaWorld employ thousands of workers who interact directly with families and children.

The stringent screening requirements protect both vulnerable guests and the companies’ significant assets while maintaining the family-friendly environment that Orlando’s tourism industry is built upon.

4. Minimize Negligent Hiring Risks

Organizations that fail to properly screen employees may face legal consequences if an inadequately vetted hire causes harm.

Thorough background checks demonstrate that employers took reasonable steps to verify candidate safety and qualifications and reduce liability risks.

5. Build Client Trust

Many jobs require employees to handle sensitive customer data while completing financial transactions, delivering healthcare services, or performing other business operations.

Proper background checks help employers confirm their candidates can be trusted with confidential information and reduce the risk of data breaches or misuse.

When clients know your company performs thorough background checks, they can feel more confident their sensitive information will be handled securely.

6. Protect the Organization’s Brand

Staff members serve as their employer’s representatives, especially in customer-facing positions.

Background checks help companies avoid hiring individuals whose past conduct could damage organizational reputation and customer relationships.

What Information Appears on an Orlando Background Check?

The specific information included in an employment background check in Orlando depends on the searches you request.

Common components include:

Criminal History

If a candidate has a criminal conviction or pending criminal case, a criminal background check shows the following information:

• Criminal case number
• Jurisdiction
• When the offense occurred
• Nature of the charges
• Classification level (misdemeanor or felony)
• Disposition
• Disposition date
• Sentence (if available)

Employers should not treat a criminal conviction as an automatic bar to employment. Instead, they should individually evaluate a conviction as it relates to the job’s duties and safety requirements.

Consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) can’t report sealed, pardoned, or expunged records.

Employment Verification

Employment verification reveals the following information about a candidate’s current and past jobs:

• Company names and addresses
• Start and end dates
• Titles and positions held

Employers use employment verification to confirm a candidate’s honesty and identify potential employment gaps that require explanation.

Education Verification

Education verification reports the following information about an applicant’s educational background and attainment:

• Institution name(s) and address(es)
• Enrollment periods
• Degrees or diplomas conferred

These verify that candidates possess the required educational qualifications and have been honest on their resumes.

Professional License Verification

Professional license verification reports the following details about an applicant’s credentials:

• License validity
• License number
• Issuance date
• Issuing organization
• Expiration date
• Public discipline

Confirming a candidate’s professional license or certification helps employers verify they have the required credentials for regulated positions.

Identity Verification

Identity verification uncovers the following information about an applicant:

• Names the candidate has used, including aliases
• Address history
• Candidate’s date of birth

This is a preliminary step CRAs take to verify the candidate’s identity and identify other jurisdictions that need to be searched for information.

Motor Vehicle Records (MVR) Check

MVR checks report the following information about a candidate’s driving record and driver’s license:

• License number
• License class
• Issuance date
• Driver’s full legal name
• Registered address
• Traffic infractions
• Major traffic crimes
• Expiration date
• License suspensions or revocations

Conducting an MVR check is critical to verify drivers are safe and can be insured.

Important Laws and Regulations

Federal Laws

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

The FCRA is a federal consumer privacy law that regulates what CRAs can do with the information they gather, retain, and report to third parties and how employers handle information received on background checks.

This law includes a seven-year rule that restricts CRAs from reporting the following types of information for jobs paying less than $75,000 annually when the information is more than seven years old:

• Arrests that didn’t result in convictions
• Paid tax liens
• Civil lawsuits
• Civil judgments
• Chapter 13 bankruptcies (Chapter 7 – 10 years)
• Debt collections

The FCRA requires employers to notify candidates that they conduct background checks on a standalone form without any other information included.

They must also get their candidate’s signed consent before initiating a check.

If an employer wants to turn an applicant down because of information learned from a background check, they must complete the FCRA’s adverse action process before making a final decision.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (FCA)

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act (FCA) prohibits federal agencies and federal contractors from inquiring about their applicants’ criminal records until after they extend contingent job offers.

Federal agencies also can’t extend federal contracts to companies that violate this law.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII)

Title VII prohibits workplace discrimination based on the protected characteristics of applicants and employees and covers the entire employment relationship from hiring to firing.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulates employers under this law and has provided enforcement guidance on how employers should handle criminal record information discovered on background checks.

Employers must assess convictions individually in relation to the position’s duties and workplace safety before they base an adverse hiring decision on that information.

Florida Laws

Public Employers Not to Deny Employment for Low-Level Convictions

Public employers are prohibited from denying employment to applicants solely based on a low-level conviction under §112.011, Fla. Stat. (2024).

Public employers can deny applicants based on felony or first-degree misdemeanor convictions, however.

Serious Drug Crimes as a Disqualifier for Public Employment

§775.16, Fla. Stat. (2024) includes an additional penalty for those convicted of felony drug sales and trafficking offenses that prohibits them from working in public employment.

People who complete all terms and conditions of their sentences and state-approved rehabilitation programs can overcome this penalty.

Mandatory e-Verify Use

Under §448.095, Fla. Stat. (2024), employers must either use e-Verify to confirm an applicant is legally authorized to work in the U.S. or gather the same documents that the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) does to verify this information.

Miya’s Law

The Florida legislature passed Miya’s Law in 2021 following the tragic murder of a 19-year-old college student in her apartment at the complex where she worked.

This law applies to property managers and landlords and requires them to complete comprehensive background checks with national sex offender registry searches and criminal history searches before they hire employees.

Expungement Law

Florida has a limited expungement law that allows individuals to petition the court to ask for a criminal conviction to be expunged from their record, but it’s only available once during the individual’s life.

The state has a lengthy list of disqualified convictions that are not eligible for expungement.

When a record is expunged, it can’t be reported on a background check or used for hiring purposes by employers.

Local Laws

Orange County Ban-the-Box Law

Orange County has a ban-the-box rule that applies to public employers.

This rule prohibits public county employers from asking about criminal record information on job applications.

City of Orlando Ban-the-Box Rule

The City of Orlando also has a ban-the-box policy that prohibits public city employers from conducting criminal background checks or inquiring about criminal history information before they extend conditional job offers.

How to Conduct Employment Background Checks in Orlando, FL

1. Develop a Background Check Policy

Create a detailed background check policy before you start checking your applicants’ backgrounds.

This policy should follow all federal, state, and local laws and include the specific steps that must be followed when HR personnel conduct background checks.

Document your organization’s screening procedures, covered positions, and compliance requirements.

2. Train HR Staff

Thoroughly train your hiring team to ensure they understand your policy and the steps they must take before, during, and after background checks.

3. Provide Notice and Obtain Consent

Use separate forms to notify candidates that you intend to check their backgrounds to comply with the FCRA.

Get written authorization from each candidate before you initiate the process.

4. Choose a Reliable Provider

Work with a reliable background check company like iprospectcheck to receive accurate, timely results that comply with all relevant laws.

5. Time Background Checks Appropriately

While Florida doesn’t have a ban-the-box law, and the rules in Orlando and Orange County only apply to public employers, it still makes sense to wait to conduct background checks until later in the hiring process.

Waiting helps to save money and resources and maximizes efficiency.

6. Customize Checks to Each Position

Choose searches to request based on a position’s requirements.

This helps to avoid paying for unnecessary reports that aren’t relevant to the role.

7. Review and Communicate Results

Keep candidates informed during the background check process.

When you receive the results, review them carefully.

If you want to move forward with a candidate, contact them to schedule onboarding and a start date.

If the reports raise concerns, complete the following steps.

8. Evaluate Convictions

When you learn a candidate has a criminal conviction, evaluate it as it relates to the job duties and workplace safety before deciding not to hire them based on their criminal record.

9. Follow the Adverse Action Process

If you plan to reject a candidate because of negative information you learned in a background check, complete the following steps of the adverse action process:

• Send a pre-adverse action notice that includes a copy of the report with the concerning information.
• Allow a reasonable amount of time for the candidate’s response. The candidate can provide evidence the information is wrong or that they have been rehabilitated.
• Issue a final adverse action notice if you make a final decision to reject the candidate. Include a copy of their FCRA rights.

Trust iprospectcheck for Reliable Background Checks in Orlando, FL

Orlando employers need absolute confidence in their hiring decisions, particularly given the city’s diverse industrial landscape spanning defense, tourism, healthcare, and technology sectors.

Each of these industries presents unique security challenges and regulatory requirements that demand thorough background screening.

At iprospectcheck, we understand these complex needs.

Our team of background screening experts provides comprehensive, accurate reports that help you evaluate candidates’ qualifications, trustworthiness, and safety record.

Our commitment to accuracy and compliance, combined with our deep understanding of Orlando’s business environment, makes iprospectcheck your ideal partner for employment screening in Central Florida.

For more information or to receive a free quote, call us today: 888-509-1979

DISCLAIMER: The resources provided here are for educational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. Consult your counsel if you have legal questions related to your specific practices and compliance with applicable laws.