Access fees by state and county
Court and agency access fees, published in full. Pick where you are hiring, tick the searches you run, and see the exact fee that will appear on your invoice.
Short answer
An access fee is a fee that some courts, government agencies and other sources set to access court records or other information. These fees are itemized on your invoice.
Access fees are separate from a screening company's service fee and vary by jurisdiction because not every court charges an access fee. Most fall between $0 and $30 per search. County criminal court fees average about $6; statewide court fees range from $0 to $116; MVR driving record fees range from $5 to $60. All access fees can be viewed in the lookup tool below and any applicable fees would be itemized on your invoice.
Look up the fee for your jurisdiction
Step 1 · Where are you hiring?
Leave the county blank to see the court fee for that state. If available, pick a county to see the court fee for that county.
Step 2 · Which searches?
Frequently asked questions
What is an access fee on a background check?
An access fee is a fee charged by a court, state repository, or government agency to access a record. The screening company covers this expense when the order is placed and adds it to your invoice. It is separate from the screening company's own service fee, and it varies by jurisdiction because not every court charges an access fee.
How much are background check access fees?
Most access fees fall between $0 and $30 per search. County criminal court fees average about $6 and range from $1 to $100. Statewide criminal fees range from $0 to $116. MVR (driving record) fees range from $5 to $60 depending on the state motor vehicle agency.
Why do access fees vary by county?
Each court of record sets its own access and search fee, and some counties charge nothing while others charge a premium for clerk-assisted or expedited access. Because a criminal search is run in the county where the candidate lived, the fee follows the candidate's address history rather than the employer's location.
Does a $0.00 fee mean the search is free?
It means the court or agency charges nothing to access the record. The SafestHires service fee for running, reviewing, and reporting that search still applies.
Which background check searches carry access fees?
Access fees are associated with some county criminal, statewide criminal and civil county searches and may be applicable with certain specialty searches like abuse registries, and third-party verification services.
Are access fees refundable if a search comes back clear?
No. The court charges for the search itself, not for the result, so the fee applies whether or not a record is found.
Keep reading
- How long does a background check take?Realistic turnaround by search type, the court and verification delays that drive it, and how to shorten it.Read the guide
- What shows up on a background checkEvery record type an employment screen can return, what it cannot return, and the lookback limits that apply.Read the guide
- Adverse action: meaning, notices, and timelineWhat adverse action means under the FCRA, the two required notices, and how long to wait between them.Read the guide