Self‑Background Check in Texas: A Complete Guide [2025]

If you’re job hunting in Texas, you’re probably aware that most employers will run a background check on you before or after extending an offer.

But do you know what they’ll actually find in the report?

Running your own background check first lets you spot errors, verify your information, and see exactly what hiring managers will discover.

This guide covers why self-background checks matter, what to expect to see in a report, relevant laws and regulations, and how to check your own background in Texas.

Why Run a Background Check on Yourself in Texas?

If you’re applying for jobs in Texas, checking your own background report offers several important advantages, such as:

1. Fix Errors Before Employers See Them

Background reports sometimes include incorrect or outdated information.

You might find records that belong to someone else with a similar name.

Checking your own report first gives you the chance to dispute and fix these problems before they cost you a job.

2. Watch for Identity Theft

If someone has used your personal information, you may see unexpected charges or criminal records in your name.

A self-background check can help you spot signs of identity theft early.

You can then report the issue, take steps to clear your name, and let employers know about the situation.

3. Manage your Social Media Presence

Before entering the job market, conducting a thorough social media analysis on yourself using professional researchers is a smart and strategic move.

Employers often review candidates’ online presence as part of the hiring process, and even seemingly harmless content can raise red flags or misrepresent your professionalism.

Professional researchers are trained to identify potential risks, outdated or inappropriate posts, and privacy vulnerabilities that may not be obvious to you.

By proactively auditing your social media presence, you can address any issues before they impact your job prospects, ensuring that your digital footprint aligns with the image you want to present to potential employers.

4. Prepare for Employer Questions

Employers might ask you to explain certain details on your background check.

When you know what’s in your report ahead of time, you can plan how to respond.

This helps you stay honest and prepared during interviews.

What Shows Up on a Personal Background Check in Texas?

The searches included in your background check depend on the job’s requirements and any applicable industry rules.

Identity Verification

Identity checks are one of the first steps background screening providers like iprospectcheck perform.

This search confirms your legal name, birthdate, and address history.

It allows consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) to verify your identity and match records correctly, reducing the risk of confusing you with someone who has a similar name.

Criminal History

Criminal background checks may include searches of national criminal databases, Texas state records from the Department of Public Safety (DPS), federal criminal records, and county-level criminal records from areas where you’ve lived or worked within the last seven years.

The specific types of criminal checks employers order often depend on the nature of the job and its level of trust or responsibility.

These searches will report felony and misdemeanor convictions as well as any charges that are still pending.

Reports typically cover a seven-year period from the date of conviction, release, or parole, whichever is latest.

They will not include arrests that didn’t result in convictions or records that have been sealed, expunged, or officially pardoned.

Social Media Analysis

This report dives deeply into all available online content and creates a report that shares what employers might see when they begin to consider you for a position with their company.

It will provide you with a new perspective on things that you may have posted years ago and give you the chance to make sure your image suits the position that you are competing for.

How to Run a Background Check on Yourself in Texas

Option 1: Do-It-Yourself Search

You can gather your own background information by checking records from multiple sources. Here’s how:

• Texas Criminal History – You can request your criminal background from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) through their secure online portal. This report includes a partial list of arrests and convictions that are on your state record. While useful, it is not as accurate as searching County Courts individually.
• County Court Records – Employers often review records from counties where you’ve lived or worked. You can search these indexes directly through the local, county, and district courthouses or check online criminal records databases where available.
• Driving Record – If you’re applying for a role that involves driving, your motor vehicle record may be reviewed. You can order your own driving record through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) to verify any past violations or license issues.
• Federal Records – Some employers check federal cases. You can search for any civil or criminal federal court activity tied to your name by subscribing to the PACER (Public Access to Court Electronic Records)
• Sex Offender Registry – Employers may check sex offender registries as part of their screenings. You can review the Texas Public Sex Offender Registry online to ensure your name isn’t listed in error. You can also use the National Sex Offender Public Website for a broader search.
• Social Media and Online Search – Look yourself up on search engines and review your public social media profiles. Employers sometimes use online content to assess character and professionalism.
• Education Verification – Reach out to the schools, colleges, or universities you attended and request transcripts or degree confirmation to verify your academic history.
• Employment Verification – Contact previous employers to confirm your job title, employment dates, and responsibilities. Some employers might direct you to third-party services that handle employment verification on their behalf.

Pros:

• Minimal cost
• Access to official public records
• Control over what you review and when

Cons:

• Time-consuming
• Requires professional expertise
• Requires searching multiple sources
• May not match how employers see the information

Best For:

Budget-conscious individuals who are comfortable doing the legwork themselves.

Option 2: Use a Professional Background Check Company

For the quickest and most accurate results, partner with a trusted background check provider like iprospectcheck.

iprospectcheck delivers thorough, FCRA-compliant reports that meet the same standards employers rely on.

Pros:

• Professional employer-grade reports
• Researched by industry experts
• Fast turnaround times
• Encrypted, secure platform
• Easy-to-read, organized results
• Secure data management (secured through a multi-layered approach, encompassing data security measures, access controls, and employee training. Data is secured both in transit and at rest, and includes encryption, anonymization, and robust access management.)

Cons:

• Paid service
• Requires personal information

Best For:

Job seekers who want a complete, accurate report without tracking down records themselves.

How to Get Started:

Using our secure platform, enter your full legal name, previous names, Social Security number, and address history.

Once your report is ready, review it closely.

If you spot errors, such as incorrect criminal history, job titles, or name mismatches, reach out to us right away.

For criminal record corrections in Texas, you may also need to contact the Texas Department of Public Safety or the court that issued the record.

Important Laws and Regulations in Texas

When you go through a background check in Texas, both federal and state laws protect your rights and limit how your information can be used.

Federal Laws

Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

The FCRA controls how background check companies collect, use, and share your personal data.

Under this law’s seven-year reporting rule, background check providers can’t report the following information older than seven years for jobs that pay less than $75,000:

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

The FCRA doesn’t prohibit the reporting of convictions older than seven years, and the seven-year limitation doesn’t apply to jobs paying more than $75,000.

Before an employer can run a background check, they must notify you in writing and get your written permission.

If an employer decides not to hire you based on the report, they must send you a copy of the report and a summary of your rights.

You also have the right to dispute any incorrect information.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal for employers to discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, or religion.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency that enforces this law, has provided guidance to employers about how they should handle criminal history information on background checks.

When employers use pre-employment background checks, this guidance states that they must review any criminal convictions individually and consider how they relate to the job before basing a negative hiring decision on that information.

They can’t reject you automatically just because of a criminal record.

Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act

The Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act applies to federal agencies and contractors.

If you apply for a job with a federal contractor or a company seeking federal contracts, this law controls when the employer can ask about your criminal record.

It says they can’t ask about your criminal history or run a background check until they’ve made a conditional job offer.

The rule is meant to give you a fair chance to be considered based on your qualifications.

State Laws

Texas Government Code Chapter 411

This law controls how criminal history information is managed in Texas.

It gives you the right to request your own fingerprint-based background checks through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

It also outlines who can access this information and how to correct any inaccurate records.

Texas Regulatory Consistency Act (TCRA)

The Texas Regulatory Consistency Act, signed into law in June 2023, overrides any local employment laws that provide broader rights than state law.

This law prevents cities and counties from passing or enforcing local ordinances related to background checks or hiring practices if those rules go beyond what state law allows.

Because of this law, local ban-the-box and fair chance hiring policies are no longer valid. These include:

• Austin’s ban-the-box ordinance, which had applied to public and private employers with 15 or more workers since 2016.
• Harris County’s fair chance hiring policy, passed in 2022 for public employers.
• DeSoto’s ban-the-box ordinance, passed in 2021.

Although these local laws have been preempted, employers in Texas must still follow all relevant federal laws, including the FCRA and Title VII.

Employers with federal contracts are also required to comply with the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, which limits when they can ask about criminal history during the hiring process.

Expunction and Non-Disclosure of Criminal Records

Texas offers two legal options for clearing or sealing eligible criminal records, including expunction and non-disclosure:

• Expunction, governed by Code Crim. Proc. § 55.01, is available in very limited situations. It may apply to dismissed charges, acquittals, certain deferred adjudications, or convictions for carrying a weapon before Sept. 1, 2021. Waiting periods range from 180 days to three years, depending on the offense.
• Non-disclosure orders, under Govt. Code § 411.074, prevent public access to eligible records. Some first-time, nonviolent misdemeanors that ended in deferred adjudication qualify automatically after six months. Other offenses may require a court petition.

If your record is sealed or expunged, it cannot be reported on a background check.

You are also legally allowed to say that you have not been convicted of a crime.

Texas Business and Commerce Code § 20.05

This law places limits on how far back consumer reporting agencies can report certain negative information.

For jobs paying less than $75,000 per year, CRAs are not allowed to report:

• Bankruptcies more than 10 years old
• Arrests, indictments, or convictions older than 7 years
• Paid tax liens
• Civil lawsuits or civil judgments older than 7 years
• Medical debt collections, regardless of age, if the individual had insurance at the time
• Any other negative information more than 7 years old

These limits do not apply to jobs paying $75,000 or more or positions in the insurance industry when federal law requires full disclosure.

However, since this law was passed after the FCRA, areas in which it differs from the federal law are preempted because of the FCRA’s preemption clause.

While the state’s law provides that convictions older than seven years can’t be reported, the FCRA doesn’t prohibit CRAs from reporting convictions older than seven years.

Since that section of the state’s law is preempted by the FCRA, CRAs can report convictions older than seven years in Texas.

Most CRAs still limit the reporting of convictions in Texas to seven years, however.

Get a Personal Background Check in Texas with iprospectcheck

Running a background check on yourself before applying for jobs in Texas can help you catch errors, correct inaccurate records, and prepare for questions employers might ask.

At iprospectcheck, we provide accurate, employer-level personal background checks to individuals across Texas and every other state.

Order yours today to feel more prepared and improve your chances of getting hired.

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.