Passing a background check is often a stressful process, and while most individuals have nothing to be worried about outside of their nerves, many people may want to ensure that they pass a background check no matter what.
It might be easy to consider changing your date of birth to ensure that your background check report comes back clean, but this is sure to cause more problems than it solves. Our article gives you more insight into background check reports and the information required to run them.
Am I Required to Give My Date of Birth for a Background Check?
In most cases, background checks are completed as part of the hiring process, and employers will often require that you provide your personal information such as name, address, and date of birth.
Employers will do this according to state and federal regulations, and, oftentimes, submitting a background check report is a contingent element of being hired by that employer. That means, if you want to be eligible to accept a job, you need to give your date of birth as part of the information required to complete a background check.
How Is My Date of Birth Used in a Background Check?
Your date of birth is used in a background check report to find traces of your information in public records. Along with your name and address, the person reviewing your background check report can compare all of the information about you on public records, such as criminal convictions and civil court issues, with the information provided on your application. This allows the employer or another individual to verify whether or not you are honest about your identity and if you are a good fit for the job position and workplace you are applying to.
Can I Change My Date of Birth to Pass a Background Check?
Changing your date of birth is not recommended, as this likely won’t help you pass a background check. The general belief behind changing your date of birth to pass a background check is that the individual won’t be able to find your information with an incorrect date of birth, allowing you to pass the background check because no red flag information will turn up. However, when the individual checking your background information also has your name and address, they may easily find your background information through other records, and this creates complications.
As an employer or another individual compares the background report information they do find to the date of birth and other information provided by you, they will notice inconsistencies and likely ask you follow-up questions. You can’t provide an alternate name or other false information, because this borders on identity theft, and you may land yourself in serious legal issues.
Remaining honest about your date of birth on a background check report is recommended, as this will provide you with the smoothest background check process and stop issues being raised regarding dishonesty.
If you are concerned about something that an employer might see on your report, keep in mind that many issues may be overlooked or worked around depending on when they occurred and your current circumstances. However, lying only creates more issues and legal problems down the line.
Is It Illegal to Change My Date of Birth on a Background Check?
While it isn’t necessarily illegal to change your date of birth on a background check or give a false date of birth, it is illegal to sign a document stating that the information contained in the document is true.
You are typically asked to sign a statement such as this at the end of a job application or another application, and signing it while listing a false birth date might land you in serious legal trouble as your falsification is discovered. Avoid lying altogether for the best background check results.
Remaining Honest with Your Background Check Report
Background check reports are stressful, and if you are considering changing or falsifying your date of birth on a background check, you might genuinely be worried about how certain aspects of your report will look to an employer. However, it’s important that you remain honest when submitting information for a background check report.
Falsifying your background check, giving incorrect dates, or otherwise using information that isn’t correct will only lead to conflicting background information and follow-up questions from the employer that will almost positively spill the secret on your dishonesty – this creates issues with being hired and raises red flags for employers.
Instead, carefully review your own background check report through a public records search engine to stay informed about what employers might see and remain truthful about your personal information, as honesty really is the best policy.
