Background Check Authorization & Disclosure Notice Form
Use a Background Check Authorization & Disclosure Notice template to make your document workflow more streamlined.
What this background check form does
The Background Check Authorization & Disclosure Notice Form lets an applicant acknowledge a background-check disclosure and authorize the requested screening. The document normally identifies the applicant, explains the intended report or investigation, and records consent through a signature and date. Employers or screening providers should use a disclosure that satisfies applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including any separate disclosure rules under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. signNow can convert the document into a fillable workflow, route it to the applicant, capture the signature, and retain the completed record with an audit trail.
Who completes this form
Employers
Employers collect signed authorization before requesting a consumer report or conducting a permitted background investigation.
Screening providers
Screening providers use the notice and authorization to connect applicant consent with the correct screening order.
Who uses this background check notice
Hiring teams at healthcare organizations use this notice before requesting a candidate’s background information, documenting authorization and disclosure delivery in one auditable workflow. Property-management companies use the form for applicant screening, giving prospective tenants a clear disclosure and preserving signed authorization with the related application record.
Why teams look for DocuSign alternatives
Organizations seek alternatives when they need different pricing models, stronger native automation, simpler bulk affidavit workflows, or more flexible identity-verification options than those available in a legacy envelope-based vendor.
Complete the form in four steps
Use signNow to prepare the notice, collect the applicant’s authorization, and preserve evidence of the completed background-screening record.
Upload form:
Upload the completed Background Check Authorization & Disclosure Notice Form. Add fields:
Review detected fields and add applicant signature and date fields. Send request:
Send the authorization request to the applicant’s verified email. Store record:
Store the signed notice with its audit trail.
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Recommended form workflow settings
Use a controlled signing workflow that records authorization, protects sensitive identifiers, and preserves evidence for the background-screening file.
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Authentication method | Email verification with SMS OTP |
| Signature type | Typed or drawn electronic signature |
| Audit trail | Capture timestamps, IP address, and signer actions |
| Document retention | Retain according to applicable state and industry rules |
| Encryption | TLS 1.2/1.3 in transit and AES-256 at rest |
How the audit trail records authorization
The audit trail links the applicant’s authorization to identifiable signing events, document integrity evidence, and a retrievable completion record.
Authenticate signer:
Capture timestamp:
Hash document:
Seal record:
Record activity:
Retrieve evidence:
Platform requirements for signing
Complete the Background Check Authorization & Disclosure Notice Form in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge on Windows, macOS, iOS, or Android. signNow protects the connection with TLS 1.2/1.3, and its mobile apps support reviewing and signing the notice away from a desk.
Supported browsers Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge Operating systems Windows 10, macOS, iOS, and Android Secure connection TLS 1.2/1.3 connection required
Organizations should manage access on approved devices and confirm that recipients can open the form before sending it. Administrators can connect signing workflows through supported integrations, assign controlled roles, and preserve the completed notice and audit trail in an approved records system.
Challenges when managing screening notices
Separating the stand-alone disclosure from the authorization can leave the applicant unable to understand what information the employer will obtain. Sending the notice before confirming the correct signer can attach authorization to the wrong applicant or incomplete screening record. Leaving sensitive identifiers in unrestricted folders can expose personal information beyond the staff members handling background screening. Failing to preserve the completed notice and audit trail can make later proof of consent difficult during a dispute.
Risks of incomplete authorization
Screening consent absent
Required notice omitted
Signer attribution challenged
Signed evidence unavailable
Retention periods depend on record context
A background-check authorization has no single nationwide retention period; apply the rule governing the underlying employment, healthcare, tax, or safety record.
3 years from tax filing
3 years after hire or 1 year
6 years from creation or last date
3 years for payroll records
5 years after reporting year
Best practices for this authorization form
Accurate disclosure language, deliberate recipient routing, and controlled retention make the signed authorization easier to administer and defend.
Keep disclosure and authorization clear
Capture informed applicant authorization
Limit access to screening records
Apply a documented retention schedule
Questions about background check authorization
Use these answers to resolve signing, authentication, plan, and compliance questions before relying on a completed authorization.
Business includes legally binding eSignatures, templates, audit trails, mobile apps, ISO 27001, SOC 2, and GDPR controls. Upload the notice, place the applicant’s fields, and send it through a controlled signing order.
Business Premium adds bulk send and kiosk mode. Use bulk send only when each recipient receives the correct disclosure and authorization document; verify merge data before transmission because screening information is sensitive.
signNow supports ESIGN and UETA requirements, but the form must still show intent, signer attribution, consent, and a reproducible retained record. For consumer-facing use, review the ESIGN disclosure requirements in 15 U.S.C. §7001(c).
Enable SMS OTP or another available authentication control when email-only attribution is insufficient. Match the verified signer identity to the applicant record and retain the resulting audit trail with the completed notice.
Business includes 100 signature invites per user per year when billed annually; overage fees may apply. The Site License uses $1.50 per signature invite and supports unlimited users for high-volume document programs.
For healthcare screening workflows involving protected health information, signNow identifies HIPAA compliance as requiring a business associate agreement. Confirm the BAA and apply the organization’s access and retention policy before sending.
Key performance indicators that demonstrate SignNow's proven track record.
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