A bookkeeper usually has a view into every dollar that moves through a business: bank logins, payroll, accounts payable, sometimes the checkbook itself. That access is exactly why employers screen the role carefully, even though bookkeeping itself is not a state licensed profession in the United States. There is no bookkeeping board, no required state exam, and no fingerprint card tied to the title “bookkeeper.” The screening that does happen is built around the money the person will touch, not a license they are required to hold.
This guide covers what a bookkeeper background check typically includes, how criminal history and credit checks are regulated, when bonding comes into play, how to verify a bookkeeping certification without relying on the certifying body as a background check, and the federal rules an employer has to follow under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) no matter what the check turns up.
Bookkeepers Are Not State Licensed, So Screening Fills the Gap
Compare bookkeeping to a licensed role like accounting. A certified public accountant answers to a state board of accountancy, which usually requires fingerprinting and a criminal history review before a license is issued. Bookkeepers have no equivalent board. Credentials such as a bookkeeping certification are issued by private professional associations, not a government licensing authority, so there is no state agency to call for a license lookup or a disciplinary record. Employers who want assurance about a bookkeeper’s trustworthiness have to build that assurance themselves, through hiring process screening rather than license verification.
That is a meaningful difference from a role like certified public accounting, and it means the burden of due diligence sits entirely with the employer and whatever consumer reporting agency it works with.
What a Bookkeeper Background Check Typically Covers
| Screening element | Why employers use it | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Criminal history search | Theft, fraud, forgery and embezzlement convictions are directly relevant to a role with financial access | Reporting of older or non conviction records is limited by the FCRA and by state law, and timing of the inquiry may be restricted by local ban the box rules |
| Credit report or credit based report | Some employers tie credit history to financial trustworthiness for roles with signing authority or cash custody | A growing number of states restrict or ban employment credit checks outright, with exceptions written around financial duties |
| Identity and employment verification | Confirms the applicant is who they claim to be and that past bookkeeping or accounting roles are accurately described | Past employer references can also confirm whether a prior role involved any confirmed loss or discrepancy |
| Certification verification | Confirms a claimed credential, such as a bookkeeping certification, is current and was actually issued | Verification runs through the issuing organization’s own record check, not a government database, since no state licenses the title |
| Motor vehicle record | Only relevant if the role includes driving, such as picking up deposits or visiting client sites | Not a standard part of a bookkeeper screen unless driving is an actual job duty |
| Drug test | Used by some employers as a general fitness for duty screen | Less common for bookkeeping specifically than for safety sensitive roles, and any positive result should route through a medical review officer before a decision is made |
Criminal History: Financial Crimes Get the Closest Look
For a role with access to cash, accounts, or signing authority, employers generally pay closest attention to financial crime convictions such as embezzlement, fraud, forgery, or theft, rather than treating every criminal record the same way. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has guidance explaining that a blanket policy of excluding anyone with any criminal record can raise discrimination concerns, and that the better practice is to weigh the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and how directly it relates to the duties of the job. For a bookkeeping role, a prior theft or fraud conviction is closely job related in a way that an unrelated offense from many years earlier may not be. The full guidance is available from the EEOC’s enforcement guidance on arrest and conviction records.
A number of states and cities also have ban the box laws that restrict when in the hiring process an employer may ask about or run a criminal history check, typically pushing that inquiry to after a conditional offer. Those laws vary by jurisdiction and change over time, so an employer should confirm the current rule where it is hiring rather than assume a national standard.
Credit Reports: Restricted in a Growing Number of States, With a Financial Access Carve Out
Running a credit report on a bookkeeper applicant is not automatically allowed everywhere. Several states restrict or flatly prohibit using credit history in employment decisions, reflecting a policy judgment that credit problems are often a poor predictor of job performance and can disproportionately affect applicants who have faced medical debt or other hardship unrelated to honesty.
Illinois is a useful example because its statute spells out the exception that matters most for bookkeeping roles. The Illinois Employee Credit Privacy Act generally bars employers from inquiring into or acting on an applicant’s credit history, but it carves out positions where the duties include custody of or unsupervised access to cash or marketable assets of a set dollar threshold, or signatory power over business funds, or where state or federal law requires bonding. A bookkeeping role with check signing authority or unsupervised account access can fall squarely inside that carve out. The exact thresholds and conditions are set out in the Illinois Employee Credit Privacy Act.
Other states draw their own lines, some narrower and some broader, and some have no restriction at all. There is no single national rule, so an employer should confirm the law in its own state and in any state where a remote bookkeeper is actually working, rather than assuming either that credit checks are always allowed or that they are always banned.
Bonding: A Financial Backstop, Not a Background Check
Many employers that hire bookkeepers, especially for client facing or outsourced bookkeeping work, carry a fidelity bond or employee dishonesty coverage. A bond does not replace a background check. It is insurance that reimburses the business, and sometimes the business’s clients, if a bonded employee commits theft or embezzlement. Underwriters will often ask whether the applicant has been screened before issuing coverage, which is one more reason the hiring background check and the bonding decision tend to happen close together.
Employers that want to make an applicant with a thin credit or employment history bondable, rather than screening them out, can look at the Federal Bonding Program, a U.S. Department of Labor initiative that provides fidelity bonds for job applicants who might otherwise be considered a bonding risk. Details on how the program works are available through state labor agencies such as Colorado’s Department of Labor and Employment federal bonding page.
Verifying a Bookkeeping Certification
Bookkeepers sometimes hold a professional certification earned through an exam and continuing education with a private bookkeeping association, separate from any government license. Because no state board issues or tracks these credentials, verification means contacting the issuing organization directly to confirm the certificate number, status, and any required renewal, rather than searching a public state licensing database the way an employer would for a nurse or a cosmetologist. Employers should treat an unverifiable or expired certification claim the same way they would treat any other resume discrepancy, as a fact to confirm before relying on it, not as a background check in itself.
FCRA Duties Apply Regardless of What the Check Finds
Whenever an employer orders a background check, including a criminal history search or a credit report, through a third party consumer reporting agency, the Fair Credit Reporting Act sets out specific steps that apply no matter what industry the role is in. The statute defines permissible purposes for pulling a consumer report, including employment purposes, at 15 U.S.C. 1681b, and the Federal Trade Commission’s implementing rules on the required disclosures sit in 16 CFR Part 698.
In practice, that means before ordering a report an employer must give the applicant a clear, standalone disclosure and get written authorization. If information in the report might lead to a negative decision, the employer must send a pre-adverse action notice along with a copy of the report and a copy of the applicant’s Summary of Rights, and give the applicant a reasonable amount of time to respond before finalizing anything. If the employer proceeds with an adverse decision, a second adverse action notice is required, telling the applicant which consumer reporting agency supplied the report and that the agency did not make the hiring decision. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau explains how these specialty consumer reporting agencies fit into the broader credit reporting system in its guidance on specialty consumer reporting agencies.
A background check does not automatically show every past financial issue in every state, and results depend heavily on what the applicant actually has on record, where it occurred, and how far back reporting limits allow it to go. Employers should not assume a clean report proves no past problem exists, or that a report will surface every record that might exist somewhere.
Frequently asked questions
Do bookkeepers need a state license or fingerprint based background check?
No. Bookkeeping is not a licensed profession in any state, so there is no state board requirement and no standard fingerprint card tied to the title. Any criminal history check an employer runs is part of its own hiring process, not a licensing requirement.
Can an employer run a credit check on a bookkeeper applicant?
It depends on the state. Several states restrict or ban employment credit checks, often with an exception for roles that involve cash custody, signing authority, or a bonding requirement, which frequently covers bookkeeping duties. Employers should confirm the specific rule in their state before ordering a credit report.
What criminal history matters most for a bookkeeping role?
Financial crimes such as theft, embezzlement, fraud, and forgery are generally considered most directly job related for a role with account access or signing authority. Federal guidance encourages weighing the nature and age of any offense against the duties of the specific job rather than applying a blanket exclusion.
What is a fidelity bond and is it the same as a background check?
A fidelity bond is insurance coverage that reimburses a business if a bonded employee commits theft or embezzlement. It is not a substitute for screening the applicant, and many bonding underwriters ask whether a background check was already completed.
How should an employer verify a bookkeeping certification?
Contact the private organization that issued the certificate to confirm it is current and was actually earned, since no state agency tracks the credential. Treat it as a standard fact check, separate from the criminal history or credit portion of the background check.
What does an employer have to do under the FCRA before acting on a bookkeeper’s background check?
The employer must provide a standalone disclosure and get written authorization before ordering the report, send a pre-adverse action notice with a copy of the report and the Summary of Rights if the employer is considering a negative decision, allow a reasonable response window, and send a final adverse action notice if it proceeds with that decision.
For related screening topics, see our guide to credit checks for employment laws and our overview of what a financial background check covers. To set up compliant screening for a bookkeeping or other financially sensitive role, visit Reveal Background.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Employers should consult qualified counsel about screening and credit check rules in their own state before adopting a hiring policy.
