There are several occasions when you might need to run a background check. Employers may collect information about some potential workers before making offers. Financial organizations rely on the person’s credit-to-debt ratio, credit reports, and possible past bankruptcies to evaluate risks. Landowners check tenants’ records to find out whether they land property to reliable people. International, professional licenses, and criminal background checks are some other standard formats.
In all of these cases, the checking party must get a release from the investigated individual to avoid using personal information without consent. Without the signed template background check form, data collection would be illegal.
Besides, if you regularly run checks and deliver consent forms, consider optimizing document management. You have two options to pick from:
- Template background check forms can save you from the need to type the same fields over and over. Manual form creation wastes time and increases the risk of human errors.
- On the other hand, by integrating the database with document rendering software, you can fully automate the generation of free printable background check forms. The software will fill out the necessary details about the individual and provide a ready template background check form. It will also allow automating background check form PDF delivery.
Want to learn when to use free printable background check forms and how to automate template background check form rendering? Keep reading for step-by-step guidance.
What Is a Template Background Check Form?
A background check authorization form is a document confirming that an individual allows someone else to complete credit, criminal, or employment background checks. The person agrees that the requesting organization will look up their personal information and use it for decision-making. Without explicit consent, the organization has no right to run an investigation.
A standard printable background check forms must include:
- Full name of a person;
- Current address;
- Social Security Number (SSN);
- Date of birth;
- Signature of the releasor.
If necessary, the requestor can include additional information about the releasor and the text explaining the type of the background check. When an organization regularly sends background check form PDFs, it usually designs a custom template background check form. Pre-edited free printable background check forms allow collecting releasors’ consent much quicker.
Note that such background check forms should have the PDF format to simplify the signing procedure. PDFs allow sending free printable background check forms electronically and quickly printing them for offline delivery.
Learn Why Is PDF the Best Format for Digital Document Management in 2021

When to Send Background Check Form PDFs
As we have already mentioned, release forms are necessary each time you collect confidential information about an individual behind their back. Background checks help the requestor learn additional details about the person, including their criminal record, past-due loans, and other faults. Thanks to this, the requestor can reduce the risk of possible financial or reputational losses.
Even though background check form PDFs can be sent in any situation, you’ll mostly need them before employment, criminal, credit, OIG, e-verify, fingerprint, international, and professional license checks.
Three Main Template Types of Background Check Forms
Depending on the information request, you will most likely choose among three types of forms. They are the most popular among organizations and businesses.
Pre-Employment/Criminal Background Check Form
This template background check form allows employers, landlords, and other requesters to access additional information if a person is a formal convict or lawbreaker. By signing the background check form PDF, potential employees provide full consent to prior screening.
If you have never requested criminal background checks before, you should know that there are no free options. You will need to either request the check from the State’s Department of Law Enforcement for a modest fee or use third-party services that charge from $30 to $90 depending on the depth of research. Hence, remember to learn the rates before sending a pre-employment background check form PDF.