Comprehensive Background Screening That Goes Where Databases Can't
GPS and Associates conducts thorough background screening investigations for corporations, government agencies, and private clients who require verified, legally defensible results — not automated database reports sold as due diligence.
Most Background Checks Miss What Matters Most
The background screening industry has a problem: the majority of providers rely on commercial databases that are incomplete, outdated, and geographically limited. Records from rural counties, U.S. territories, and foreign jurisdictions are routinely absent. Expunged records that were improperly removed still appear. And records that should appear are missed entirely.
GPS and Associates takes a fundamentally different approach. Our licensed investigators conduct direct courthouse searches, contact institutions at the source, and apply 30+ years of investigative experience to every engagement. The result is a background screening report that is complete, accurate, and built to withstand legal challenge.
Background Screening — Full Scope
Every component of our background screening service is conducted by licensed investigators with direct source access.
Direct Courthouse Searches
We conduct in-person and direct-access courthouse searches at the county, state, and federal level — not database lookups. Records are obtained from the source.
Nationwide & Territory Coverage
Full coverage across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam — including jurisdictions that commercial databases routinely miss.
Federal Criminal Records
U.S. District Court searches across all federal judicial districts, including PACER access for civil and bankruptcy records.
Sex Offender & Watch List Searches
National sex offender registry searches, OFAC/SDN list checks, terrorist watch list screening, and OIG exclusion database searches.
Civil Court Records
County and federal civil court searches for litigation history, judgments, liens, and restraining orders relevant to the subject.
Due Diligence Investigations
Executive-level background investigations combining criminal, civil, financial, reputational, and media research for high-stakes hiring and business partnerships.
A Disciplined 4-Step Screening Methodology
Our background screening process is built around direct source verification, legal compliance, and documented chain of custody — so every finding is traceable and defensible.
Scope Definition & Authorization
We work with your team to define the appropriate screening scope for the role, jurisdiction, and risk level. Proper FCRA authorization is confirmed before any investigation begins.
Direct Source Investigation
Licensed investigators access court systems, government databases, and institutional records directly. We do not rely on commercial aggregators as the sole source of truth.
Verification & Quality Control
Every record is reviewed by a senior investigator for accuracy, completeness, and legal admissibility. Ambiguous findings are investigated further before the report is finalized.
Certified Report & Consultation
You receive a complete certified report with source documentation. Our team is available to walk you through findings and advise on adverse action procedures if required.
Legally Defensible Reports. Every Time.
Background screening is one of the most legally regulated activities in employment and business. Our process is built from the ground up to comply with every applicable federal and state requirement.
Full compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act — including permissible purpose, authorization, adverse action notices, and reinvestigation rights.
Criminal history screening criteria designed to comply with EEOC guidance on individualized assessment and avoid unlawful disparate impact.
We apply applicable state and local restrictions including ban-the-box ordinances, look-back limitations, and jurisdiction-specific disclosure requirements.
Our processes align with National Association of Professional Background Screeners best practice standards for accuracy, security, and compliance.
What Thorough Screening Uncovers
1 in 4
subjects have undisclosed records
Across our engagements, approximately 25% of subjects have criminal, civil, or financial records that were not disclosed on their application or were missed by prior screening.
67%
of territory records missed by databases
In our Puerto Rico, USVI, and Guam engagements, we routinely find that commercial databases have missed the majority of available court records.
30+
years of investigative expertise
Our investigators bring decades of combined experience in law enforcement, military intelligence, and corporate security to every engagement.
A national security firm contracted GPS and Associates to conduct background screening on 22 candidates for sensitive facility access roles. Our direct courthouse searches uncovered 4 undisclosed felony convictions and 2 active federal civil judgments that had not appeared in the client's prior database-based screening — preventing what could have been a serious security breach.
— National Security Firm, United States
Get the Complete Picture Before You Commit
Contact GPS and Associates to discuss your background screening requirements. We serve clients of all sizes — from single-candidate searches to enterprise-scale screening programs.