First Check Applicant Screening (First Check) is a Texas corporation licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety as a private investigations company (license A13593).

First Check is a consumer reporting agency as defined by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act and the analogous laws of several states. This means that First Check collects and disseminates information about individuals for use by our clients in making decisions related to business transactions involving the consumer. These individuals are called consumers and these reports are called consumer reports. Common examples of consumer reports include employment background checks, volunteer background screening and tenant screening.

Prior to requesting such reports from First Check, our clients have disclosed to the consumers that such reports will be procured and obtained their written authorization to procure such reports.

First Check will not provide a consumer report in any circumstance without certification from our client that the written consent of the consumer has been obtained and that the applicable state and federal laws’ requirements have been met by the client.

Consumer information provided to First Check, whether by a client or a consumer, will not be shared with any parties other than:

The client whose request initiated the creation of the consumer report,

Other firms engaged to assist First Check in the preparation of the report, but only to the extent necessary to prepare the report,

Information providers from whom information is requested, but only to the extent necessary to obtain such information,

The consumer, upon receipt of a written request for access to the information held by First Check about them.

First Check does not include information collected in the preparation of previous consumer reports in subsequent consumer reports without first verifying that the information is accurate and up-to-date. First Check does not maintain for resale any database of consumer information.

First Check does not send any consumer information outside of the United States for processing or storage, except in the limited situation where such information is required to accurately identify relevant information about the consumer in the records of foreign schools, employers, or government entities.

First Check follows a strict practice of verifying that any public record information about a consumer is verified with the government entity possessing such public record information prior to including the information in a consumer report.

Some reports prepared about individuals on behalf of our clients are not consumer reports as defined by federal or state laws. Such reports include no information that was collected in the preparation of a consumer report. In such cases, First Check is not acting as a consumer reporting agency. However, in such cases, First Check will comply with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and the Texas Private Security Act.

First Check will not provide a person’s personally identifiable information (name, address, social security number, date of birth) to another person or company without first determining that the information is being used for a legitimate legal or business purpose or first obtaining the consent of the individual to release such information.

All web-based credit card payment transactions through www.firstcheck.com are secured. First Check does not retain any credit card information after completion of the payment transaction, including credit card numbers, billing address, or names or other information regarding payors.