Some Counties in California Remove Date of Birth from Court Records
Numerous California Superior Courts have now removed the date of birth from their online portals and courthouse public-access terminals. So far, counties containing over 50% of the population of California no longer include the date of birth as an identifier in their online portals. More than 43% have removed it from courthouse public access terminals.
As part of an effort to maintain accurate screening results, we can also use a person’s address and driver’s license when available. These identifiers help ensure that the right records are being evaluated while running a background check, even when the date of birth isn’t present. The only downside of using these identifiers is that requesting them from court clerks can delay processing times.
These are the counties that have removed the date of birth from both their online portals and public-access terminals:
– Los Angeles
– Riverside
– Kern
– Ventura
– San Joaquin
Here are the counties that have only removed the date of birth from their online portals:
– Santa Clara
– Alameda
– Fresno
– Tulare
– Monterey
– Yuba
San Bernardino County has not taken action yet, but it will soon use a new system with no access to the date of birth.
In August 2021, Los Angeles County Superior Court released a policy disallowing clerks from confirming the full date of birth. This policy limits everyone’s ability to look up court proceedings and accurately assess who was involved in those proceedings.
Background screening is now significantly harder. Without a date of birth, the only other identifier one might be able to use is a name. Some names are so common that it’s impossible to discern whether or not a record refers to a particular person absent any further identifying details.
These policy changes have created problems for consumer reporting agencies, which means that further investigation is necessary to fully confirm who a court record refers to. Because of this problem, court clerk offices have been inundated with requests from people and organizations that need help with searches.
Unfortunately, searches in California will likely continue to slow. The situation has created serious delays, some upward of a month, for anyone needing help with searches.
Need a thorough background check? Contact us to learn more.