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Background checks are sometimes delayed because vital documents are not readily available from county courthouses. Currently, several locations are reporting issues.

Reports in CA, GA, NH, TN and VA could be affected. If you are running background checks on candidates in these states, please take note of the potential delays.

California Courthouse Delays

We have news from six California counties:

Alameda County
The Alameda courthouse recently upgraded to a new computer system. Unfortunately, they have not yet uploaded all of their records. In some cases, our researchers must go directly to county clerks to acquire important documents. This can cause minor delays, but we will endeavor to retrieve any data you need as quickly as possible. Please note: records that are more than 12 years old may incur additional fees.

Contra Costa County
There are delays in Contra Costa because of a minor staff shortage. They are working hard to keep up with all requests, but we've been told to expect some lag time.

San Diego County
Due to recent personnel changes, we are limited on the number of documents we can obtain in one visit. Accordingly, we will need to make additional trips to acquire all the records we need. This will cause minor delays for background checks from San Diego.

San Joaquin County
The San Joaquin court is experiencing difficulties with their electronic system, so documents must be pulled manually. As a result, we are only allowed to request 25 records each day. They are working on this issue and expect to have it resolved quickly.

Santa Clara County
We’ve been experiencing delays in Santa Clara, and are told they will continue for a while longer. The court recently acquired a new database, and the staff is still being trained on proper operation. At this time, we are only able to request 25 documents per day.

Shasta County
Unfortunately, we have been told to expect major delays in Shasta County. We have not received further updates at this time.

Georgia Courthouse Delays

The database used in Bibb County, GA has not been recently available. We are told it is now operational, but the courts are dealing with a backlog of orders.

Our researches are coordinating with county clerks to obtain the documents you need as quickly as possible. GA clerks are endeavoring to catch up and process their accumulated requests. When this happens, turnaround time for reports will improve.

New Hampshire Courthouse Delays

Currently, there are delays throughout the state. County clerks are approximately one week behind in processing requests.

While these delays are minor, if you are running a background check on someone in NH, your results may take longer than usual.

Tennessee Courthouse Delays

The courthouse in Madison, TN is going through an upgrade, and their electronic system will be temporarily unavailable. We are coordinating with county clerks to obtain the records we need during this time.

There is no word yet on when the upgrade will be complete. We hope to have updates on this situation soon.

Virginia Courthouse Delays

If you are running background reports on candidates in the Norfolk City area, then please be aware that the courthouse is expecting substantial delays. There is currently a 30 to 90 day turnaround time for records from this county. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Reports in Nueces Texas Are Being Processed

There is good news for anyone running background checks in the Nueces, Texas area. Their system is operational again, and requests are now being processed.

At Backgrounds Online, we work hard to keep you informed so you know what to expect when ordering background checks. We will continue to apprise you of court delays or anything else that might impact the background screening process.

If you have questions about a report you ordered, or one you are planning to order, then contact our screening specialists for assistance.