A Georgia background check comes in two forms: a name based check, which the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC) leaves to local police and sheriff's offices, and a fingerprint check for employment or licensing, which must go through the GBI's online Georgia Applicant Processing Service (GAPS). The employer, and the law behind the job, decide which form you get.
Our site is an independent guide; the Georgia Bureau of Investigation does not run it or review it. For the GBI's own wording, see its GBI questions and answers on criminal history records. What follows explains consent, what each record shows, why people say "level 2" in Georgia, and how restriction and corrections work.
Quick answers
Official source
Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)Check type
Both: name based checks at local law enforcement, fingerprint checks through GAPSWithout your consent
Only felony convictions are released on a name checkWith your signed consent
The full Georgia record minus juvenile, restricted and sealed first offender entriesGAPS results
Usually posted for the hiring agency within 24 to 48 hours of fingerprintingClearing arrests
Record restriction under O.C.G.A. 35-3-37, with the prosecutor's approval
Name based or fingerprint: two routes for a Georgia background check
| Route | Where it happens | Typical users |
|---|---|---|
| Name based check | A local police department or sheriff's office; GCIC itself does not run them | Businesses, landlords and nonprofits screening people |
| Fingerprint check through GAPS | Fixed fingerprint sites run by the state's vendor, results to the agency's GAPS account | Employment and licensing checks required by law, plus personal requests for visas or jobs elsewhere |
| Georgia Felon Search | A state website for felony conviction lookups | Anyone checking felony convictions only |
A Georgia record generally holds identification details, arrests, final court outcomes and any custody in a Georgia prison. What a requester actually receives depends on the route and on your consent.
Why your signed consent changes the result
A private person or business can get your Georgia record on a name check if you sign a consent form that lists your full name, address, Social Security number and date of birth. With that form, the requester sees your record. Without it, the agency releases felony convictions only, and the requester must give your full name, race, sex and birth date.
That is why employers hand you a consent form early. A second, federal disclosure is added whenever an outside screening firm writes the report; our consent form page explains what you are signing.
GAPS fingerprint checks for Georgia jobs
Employment, licensing and other non criminal justice fingerprint checks on Georgia applicants have to run through GAPS. The hiring or licensing agency needs a GAPS account number, and you schedule an appointment with the state's contracted fingerprint vendor, then show a valid photo ID such as a driver's license, passport or military ID.
Prints are taken electronically, which cuts rejections from smudged ink cards. The agency then pulls the results from the GAPS site, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Applicants who live abroad follow a card based route the GBI describes. Read the GBI page on the Georgia Applicant Processing Service for details, and our fingerprinting explainer for the matching process.
Level 2 background check in Georgia
"Level 1" and "Level 2" are official terms in Florida law, not Georgia's. Georgia employers and job posts sometimes borrow the phrase "level 2" for a print based search of both Georgia and FBI files, which here runs through GAPS. If a posting asks for one, ask the employer which GAPS service it means. Our level 1 and level 2 page explains where the labels come from.
What a Georgia employer receives
On a fingerprint check for employment or licensing, the GBI generally gives the agency the full record but leaves out juvenile records, restricted entries and sealed first offender records. A first offender sentence that you completed successfully is sealed, and certain conditional discharges are restricted for job and license use.
Private screening companies may also pull county court files, which can include cases outside the GCIC record. When a company prepares the report, you have federal rights to see it and dispute it; the laws and rights page lists them, and the EEOC's notes for applicants explain fair use of records.
Restricting an arrest in Georgia
Georgia uses the word restriction where many states say expungement. Under O.C.G.A. 35-3-37, certain arrests can be hidden from non criminal justice use, such as employer checks, if conditions are met and the prosecutor approves. Dismissed charges, charges the prosecutor dropped (nolle prosequi) and cases a grand jury declined to indict can qualify. Guilty outcomes cannot.
For older arrests, the process starts with a request form at the arresting agency, which the agency and the prosecutor complete in turn before it goes to GCIC. For newer arrests, you deal with the prosecutor directly. The GBI record restriction page has the form and the cutoff. Our sealed and expunged records page explains what usually happens next with private databases.
Correcting your Georgia record
GCIC will not alter a record unless the agency that sent the information documents or authorizes the change. Arrest details are fixed by the law enforcement agency that made the arrest, and court outcomes by the court clerk. If someone used your name or you think the record is not yours, GCIC compares your fingerprints; the steps above show the packet, and GCIC mails a certificate with the result.
Think of this page as orientation only. Georgia procedures and forms are set by the GBI and the courts, so check their pages, and if a record is costing you work, ask a Georgia attorney who handles employment cases, or your local legal aid society.
Questions people ask
Are there free background check options in Georgia?
Local agencies and the GAPS service charge for checks, though the GBI's felony search site lets anyone look up felony convictions. When a hire is involved, the business asking for it normally pays.
Where do I get a Georgia criminal background check online?
Fingerprint checks for employment start online through GAPS, and felony convictions can be searched on the state's felon search site. Name based checks with consent are run by local police and sheriff's offices, not by GCIC.
What do Georgia background check laws let employers see?
With your consent, an employer sees your Georgia record minus juvenile, restricted and sealed first offender entries. Without consent, only felony convictions are released.
How fast are GAPS results for a Georgia background check for employment?
The GBI says results usually reach the hiring agency within 24 to 48 hours after fingerprinting. Delays happen when prints are rejected or the record needs review.
Is a restricted record the same as an expunged one?
It is Georgia's version. A restricted arrest is hidden from most employer checks but stays available to criminal justice agencies.
What is the state of Georgia background check for teachers or nurses?
These jobs usually require a fingerprint check through GAPS under the rules for that license or employer. The board or school gives you the service code and steps.