Checkr vs HireRight: The FCRA Workflow Side by Side
Updated 8 min read
For employers choosing between two of the largest screening firms. Both are on PBSA's accredited list and both publish a workflow for the disclosure, the two adverse-action notices and disputes, so the choice turns on the rest of your hiring: people with records, remote hires, commercial drivers. Below, each firm is read from its own pages against the steps the FCRA puts on you.
Candidates add context in the portal; your notes stay per candidate.
Authorized representatives, or video under the DHS procedure.
Checkr and HireRight against the FCRA steps
Both firms were on PBSA's accredited list on October 22, 2026, and both publish a workflow for the disclosure, the two adverse-action notices and disputes. The columns follow the steps the FCRA puts on employers, then the services around them. A word is what the firm's own pages say; “Check with the vendor” means they did not say. Scroll the table sideways for every column.
| Vendor | PBSA accreditation | Pre-adverse and adverse notice workflow | Individualized assessment support | Stand-alone disclosure and consent | Dispute handling | Continuous monitoring | MVR | Drug testing | ATS and HRIS integrations | Data retention controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CheckrBest for explaining a record | AccreditedUS Accredited, listed Oct 22, 2026 | Built inNotices and waiting periods | Built inAdjudication notes per candidate | Built inTemplate disclosure and consent | DocumentedCandidate portal | Add-onCriminal and MVR, sold separately | Add-onIncludes commercial (DOT) | Add-onDOT and non-DOT | DocumentedATS, HRIS and API | Check with the vendor |
HireRight | AccreditedUS Accredited, listed Oct 22, 2026 | Built inCompliance Workbench | DocumentedFacilitated by compliance services | DocumentedDisclosure and written consent | DocumentedApplicant dispute page | DocumentedMonthly criminal; arrest alerts | Documented50 states and DC | DocumentedDOT and non-DOT, random pools | Documented70+ ATS and HCM | Check with the vendor |
On the core FCRA steps the two are close. The differences sit at the edges: Checkr sells monitoring as its own subscription and builds rules-based review into every account, while HireRight states more about drivers and random drug-testing pools. Neither publishes how long it keeps your candidates' reports or whether you can set a purge date, so ask both.
Form I-9, drivers and the rest
Most employers choosing between these two are not choosing on the FCRA steps. They are choosing on what else has to happen in the first week: the Form I-9, an E-Verify case, a commercial driver's file, a hire in another country.
| Vendor | Form I-9 and E-Verify | Remote Section 2 review | DOT driver compliance | Rules-based adjudication | Checks outside the US | How you start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Checkr | Add-onSeparate product; partner Tracker I-9 | DocumentedAuthorized representative | DocumentedCommercial MVR, DOT tests | Built inAssess, three tiers | Documented200+ countries | DocumentedOnline sign-up or sales |
HireRight | Built inWeb-based I-9 with E-Verify | Built in5,000+ representatives; video call | DocumentedPSP; DQF files via BeaconInsight | Add-onSelf or managed | Documented200+ countries and territories | DocumentedSales contact form |
HireRight says its video-call Virtual I-9 follows the DHS alternative procedure and is “only available to customers who are actively enrolled in E-Verify”. That matches the rule: remote document review is open only to E-Verify employers in good standing, at their E-Verify hiring sites. Without E-Verify, an authorized representative examines the documents in person, which both firms describe. Our remote I-9 guide walks through the steps.
What stays with you, whichever you pick
Both firms are consumer reporting agencies, so the law gives them duties of their own: accuracy, a notice of your duties, and reinvestigating disputes. The steps that trip employers up are yours, though, and a platform only makes them easier to do on time. Here is each step, who owns it, and what each firm says it does for it.
| Step | Who owns it | Checkr | HireRight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stand-alone disclosure and written permission | You, § 1681b(b)(2)(A) | Template forms | Disclosure and consent delivery |
| Certify to the firm before it releases a report | You, § 1681b(b)(1) | Check with the vendor | Check with the vendor |
| Accurate report, notice of your duties | The firm, § 1681e(b), (d) | QA review of some reports | Check with the vendor |
| Pre-adverse notice: report copy and Summary of Rights | You, § 1681b(b)(3)(A) | Generated for you | Compliance Workbench |
| Weigh the record against the job | You, EEOC guidance | Adjudication notes, candidate stories | Individualized assessments |
| Final adverse action notice | You, § 1681m(a) | Generated for you | Compliance Workbench |
| Reinvestigate a dispute, generally within 30 days | The firm, § 1681i(a)(1) | Candidate portal | Applicant dispute page |
Between the two notices the FCRA sets no count of days. FTC staff want a “reasonable period”, and a 1997 FTC staff letter accepted five business days, so most employers wait at least that long; several states and cities require more. Both platforms time the gap for you; you still choose the policy. Our adverse action timeline lays out the dates.
15 U.S.C. § 1681b(b)(3)(A); FTC staff opinion letter, June 27, 1997
PBSA lists both under its US Accredited program: Checkr, Inc. from San Francisco, California, HireRight, LLC from Nashville, Tennessee. That means an outside auditor checked each firm against PBSA's U.S. Employment Screening Standard, which centers on FCRA and DPPA compliance. It is voluntary and renewed every five years; it is not a government certification. The full list is in our PBSA-accredited screeners directory.
What to do
- Put the disclosure on its own page, whichever firm hosts it. Test a draft with our FCRA disclosure checker.
- Send two notices, not one: the pre-adverse notice with the report and the current Summary of Rights, then the final notice.
- Write down your waiting period and the reasons for each decision; the platform keeps the dates, you own the policy.
The two firms one by one
Checkr
A screening platform you can sign up for online, with template disclosure and consent forms, adverse-action notices that manage the waiting period, and adjudication tools built into the dashboard. Candidates fill in forms, raise disputes and add context to a record from a mobile portal.
Employers who want the FCRA steps run by software and who hire people with records they are willing to weigh case by case.
- On PBSA's list as Checkr, Inc.AccreditedUS Accredited
- Adverse-action workflowBuilt inNotices and waiting periods
- Individualized assessmentBuilt inAdjudication notes per candidate
- Continuous monitoringAdd-onCriminal and MVR, sold separately
- Form I-9 and E-VerifyAdd-onSeparate product; partner Tracker I-9
- Data retention controlsCheck with the vendor
HireRight
A full-service screening firm whose compliance services cover the disclosure and consent, adjudication, individualized assessments and both adverse-action notices through its Compliance Workbench. The same account runs a web-based Form I-9 with E-Verify, remote I-9 through authorized representatives or a video call, and driver qualification files for DOT fleets.
Employers with remote hires, commercial drivers or a DOT testing program who want screening, Form I-9 and driver files from one firm.
- On PBSA's list as HireRight, LLCAccreditedUS Accredited
- Adverse-action workflowBuilt inCompliance Workbench
- Individualized assessmentDocumentedFacilitated by compliance services
- Continuous monitoringDocumentedMonthly criminal; arrest alerts
- Form I-9 and E-VerifyBuilt inWeb-based I-9 with E-Verify
- Data retention controlsCheck with the vendor
Checkr's 2023 announcement of its Form I-9 service says it runs through a partnership with Tracker I-9; its current product page sells I-9 and E-Verify as an add-on ordered from the same dashboard. HireRight's driver qualification files are run with BeaconInsight, which HireRight names as a separate company with its own terms. For the screening side alone, see how both sit among other accredited firms in our FCRA-compliant companies comparison.
Which one fits your hiring
You hire people with records and weigh each one
Pick Checkr. Its candidate portal lets an applicant add context to a record before you decide, and its adjudication notes keep your reasons per candidate. That is the raw material of the individualized assessment the EEOC describes: tell the person they may be excluded, let them show why the exclusion should not apply, and consider what they send.
Your new hires work somewhere you are not
Pick HireRight. It publishes both remote routes for Section 2: a network of authorized representatives who meet the employee in person, and a video-call service under the DHS alternative procedure for E-Verifyemployers. Checkr supports authorized representatives too; its page notes that video review is open only to E-Verify employers but does not describe a video service of its own. If you run E-Verify through a third party, our E-Verify employer agents comparison covers who does what.
You hire commercial drivers
Pick HireRight. Both firms pull commercial driving records and run DOT drug tests, but HireRight also publishes the Pre-employment Screening Program report, driver qualification file management and random testing pools with statistical reports for the annual DOT MIS report. Our MVR guide and drug testing guide cover the rules behind those files.
None of these decide it
Then the choice is about how you want to buy and work. Checkr lets you sign up online and order from a dashboard; HireRight's site points employers to its sales team. Both list integrations with the major applicant tracking and HR systems, so check that yours is on the list before you sign.
Ask both before you sign
- How long do you keep my candidates' reports, and can I set a purge date?
- Where do I certify my FCRA duties to you, and where is your notice to users of my responsibilities?
- Which of my locations have their own fair chance notice, and does your workflow send it?
- Is Form I-9 run by you or by a partner, and who signs Section 2 for a remote hire?
How we compared
We read each vendor's own public pages and the lists named below on . A word in the table is what the vendor publishes. Where a vendor does not publish a feature, the table says “Check with the vendor” or “Not published”: ask them before you rely on it. Verdicts are by use case, never by price.
Both firms were looked up by name in PBSA's directory, and each card shows the name PBSA prints. Every other cell comes from the firm's own pages; review sites, ratings and each firm's claims about the other were not used. The verdicts name a use case, and each one goes to the firm whose own pages describe that job in more detail.
Verdicts are editorial: no vendor can buy a verdict position or displace another vendor.
Sources read October 23, 2026
- PBSA Accredited Firms Directory (name search)
- PBSA Accreditation Program(s)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b (disclosure, certification, pre-adverse notice)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681m (adverse action notice)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e (accuracy, notice to users)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i (disputes)
- FTC staff opinion letter, June 27, 1997 (waiting period)
- EEOC guidance on arrest and conviction records
- DHS alternative procedure for remote I-9 review (88 FR 47749)
- Checkr: compliance tools
- Checkr: Assess (adjudication)
- Checkr: candidate portal
- Checkr: Continuous Checks
- Checkr: pricing (add-ons)
- Checkr: MVR checks
- Checkr: employment drug testing
- Checkr: partners and integrations
- Checkr: I-9 verification
- Checkr: Form I-9 announcement (Tracker I-9)
- Checkr: international background checks
- Checkr: home page (sign-up)
- HireRight: compliance services
- HireRight: adjudication
- HireRight: Form I-9 and E-Verify
- HireRight: criminal record monitoring
- HireRight: arrest record monitoring
- HireRight: driving background services
- HireRight: driver qualification file management
- HireRight: drug and alcohol testing
- HireRight: partners and integrations
- HireRight: global criminal search
- HireRight: applicant support (disputes)
Questions employers ask
Are Checkr and HireRight both PBSA accredited?
Yes. On October 22, 2026, PBSA's Accredited Firms Directory listed “Checkr, Inc.” and “HireRight, LLC”, both under US Accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary industry audit, renewed every five years, not a legal requirement. Check any other firm on our accredited screeners directory.
Which one handles adverse action notices?
Both. Checkr generates the candidate notices and manages the waiting period; HireRight runs the pre-adverse and adverse notices through its Compliance Workbench. The notices are still your legal duty under 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681b(b)(3) and 1681m, so read our adverse action notice guide before you rely on either default.
Do Checkr and HireRight do Form I-9 and E-Verify?
Both offer it. HireRight runs a web-based Form I-9 with E-Verify, authorized representatives and a video-call option for E-Verify employers. Checkr sells I-9 verification with E-Verify as an add-on in its dashboard, and its 2023 announcement names Tracker I-9 as the partner behind it.
Which one is cheaper?
We do not compare prices: they change, depend on the package and are often quoted per contract. Ask both for a written quote for the same searches. Our background check cost guide lists what drives the price.
What if a candidate says the report is wrong?
Both firms take disputes from candidates: Checkr through its candidate portal, HireRight through its applicant support pages. Once a firm receives a dispute it generally has 30 days to reinvestigate, up to 15 more if the applicant sends new information during that time (15 U.S.C. § 1681i(a)(1)). Many employers hold the final decision while it runs.