PA Background Checks

No one should ever go around without knowing what their background check provides. For one, if you have ever encountered the law at any time, the encounter was recorded, and may likely have an effect on various aspects of your life. Secondly, there could even be mistakes on your criminal report that must be rectified if you want to avoid any undue ramifications on yourself.

Where to Go for Pennsylvania Background Check

There are state-provided background checks which you can obtain through the PA State Police, either online or by mail – or you could always visit the Police Department yourself and get the report that way. Either way, there is a simple process that can be followed easily without much help.

Online Background Check

The “Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History”, or PATCH, website offers direct online access to your background check report so you can easily obtain and view the what your report has listed.

  1. Visit “Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History”
  2. Follow the background check instructions offered online
  3. Receive either a “No record” certificate (which is the case for 85% of all requests), or the background check for an individual instantly.

Request by Mail

To request your PA background check by mail, you will follow a different set of steps – just as easy and quick.

  1. Download the request form from Request for Criminal Record Check, which allows a download of form SP4-164
  2. Attach certified check or money order for fee of $10. Make payable to Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
  3. Mail the form and fee to:
Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository -164

1800 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-9758

If at any time you need some help, you can call 1-888-QUERY-PA – 1-888-783-7972, which offers a PATCH Help Line.

You can also seek out information about obtaining your background check in PA by visiting one of the two links below:

Other Online Background Check Services

The Pennsylvania State Police are not the only issuers of the background check in PA. In fact, you can visit several sites online to get these records quite easily, and for a very low cost. Be sure that you are double-checking the source, however, as you don’t want to pay a fee for a report that shows you nothing at all