Complete Criminal Checks Getting Started: API Integration (2026)

Getting started overview

Integrating with Complete Criminal Checks enables automated background screening for various purposes, including pre-employment, tenant, and volunteer verification. This guide outlines the essential steps to get started, from account creation and credential acquisition to making your initial API request. Complete Criminal Checks provides services such as national criminal database searches, sex offender registry checks, and state or county-specific criminal record inquiries, all designed to adhere to compliance standards like the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requirements Complete Criminal Checks homepage.

The process generally involves:

1. Creating an account on the Complete Criminal Checks platform.
2. Obtaining your unique API keys or credentials.
3. Configuring your development environment.
4. Making your first API call to initiate a background check.
5. Handling the response and integrating it into your application workflow.

A quick reference for the setup process is provided below:

Create an account and get keys

To access the Complete Criminal Checks API, you must first establish an account. This is a prerequisite for generating the necessary authentication credentials.

1. Visit the Complete Criminal Checks website: Navigate to the Complete Criminal Checks homepage.
2. Sign Up: Look for a 'Sign Up' or 'Get Started' button. The registration process typically requires basic contact information, company details (if applicable), and agreement to their terms of service.
3. Account Verification: You may need to verify your email address or phone number as part of the setup.
4. Access Dashboard: Once your account is active, log in to your user dashboard.
5. Locate API Keys: Within the dashboard, there will be a section dedicated to API access, developer settings, or integrations. This is where you will find your unique API key(s) or similar authentication tokens. It is crucial to keep these keys confidential, as they grant access to your account and its services.

Complete Criminal Checks uses a pay-as-you-go pricing model for individual checks, with packages available for multiple checks. The National Criminal Check starts at $29.95 Complete Criminal Checks pricing page. Ensure you understand the pricing structure before initiating checks.

Your first request

After obtaining your API keys, you can proceed with making your first API request. This example demonstrates how to initiate a basic national criminal database search. While specific API endpoints and parameters will be detailed in the official Complete Criminal Checks API documentation (available after account creation), a common pattern involves sending a POST request to a designated endpoint with applicant information.

Example: Initiating a National Criminal Database Search

This cURL example illustrates a hypothetical request structure. You will need to replace placeholder values with your actual API key and applicant data.

curl -X POST \
  https://api.completecriminalchecks.com/v1/criminal-check \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -d '{
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe",
    "middleName": "A.",
    "dob": "1980-01-15",
    "ssn": "XXX-XX-XXXX",
    "address": "123 Main St",
    "city": "Anytown",
    "state": "CA",
    "zip": "90210",
    "checkTypes": ["national_criminal_database"]
  }'

Explanation of parameters:

• https://api.completecriminalchecks.com/v1/criminal-check: This is a placeholder for the API endpoint for initiating a criminal check. Refer to the official documentation for the exact endpoint.
• -H 'Content-Type: application/json': Specifies that the request body is in JSON format.
• -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY': This header carries your API key for authentication. Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key you obtained from your dashboard. Some APIs might use different authentication methods, such as an X-API-Key header or basic authentication MDN web docs on HTTP authentication.
• -d '{...}': This is the request body, containing the applicant's details and the types of checks to perform.
• firstName, lastName, dob, ssn, address, city, state, zip: Standard identifying information for the individual being screened. Providing accurate and complete information is crucial for accurate results.
• checkTypes: An array specifying the types of checks to run. "national_criminal_database" is included here, matching one of Complete Criminal Checks's core products.

Expected Response

A successful request will typically return a JSON object indicating the status of the initiated check, often including a unique identifier for the background check order. Subsequent API calls might be necessary to retrieve the final results once the check is completed.

{
  "status": "pending",
  "orderId": "ccc_order_123456789",
  "message": "Criminal check initiated successfully."
}

Common next steps

After successfully initiating your first criminal check, consider these common next steps to fully integrate Complete Criminal Checks into your workflow:

• Retrieve Check Results: Implement logic to poll the API or receive webhooks (if supported) to get the final results of the background check. Results are usually provided in a structured JSON format, detailing any findings.
• Error Handling: Develop robust error handling for various API responses, including validation errors, authentication failures, and rate limit issues.
• Explore Other Check Types: Investigate other services offered by Complete Criminal Checks, such as sex offender registry searches, federal criminal searches, state criminal searches, county criminal searches, or motor vehicle records, as listed in their core product offerings.
• Webhooks Configuration: If Complete Criminal Checks supports webhooks, configure them to receive real-time notifications about check status updates, rather than continuously polling the API. This is a more efficient and scalable approach for asynchronous operations Stripe's webhook documentation.
• Data Storage and Compliance: Plan how you will securely store and manage the background check results, ensuring compliance with relevant data privacy regulations and the FCRA.
• User Interface Integration: Design and implement the user interface elements that will trigger criminal checks and display their results within your application.
• Testing with Mock Data: Utilize any sandbox or test environments provided by Complete Criminal Checks to thoroughly test your integration without incurring costs or affecting live data.

Troubleshooting the first call

Encountering issues during your first API call is common. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Check API Key: Double-check that your API key is correct and included in the Authorization header. Ensure there are no leading or trailing spaces.
• Endpoint Accuracy: Verify that the API endpoint URL is correct as per the official Complete Criminal Checks documentation. Minor typos can lead to 404 Not Found errors.
• Request Body Format: Confirm that your JSON request body is well-formed and adheres to the expected schema. Missing required fields or incorrect data types will often result in 400 Bad Request errors. Use a JSON linter to validate your payload.
• Content-Type Header: Ensure the Content-Type: application/json header is present if you are sending a JSON body.
• HTTP Status Codes: Pay close attention to the HTTP status code returned in the API response.
• 200 OK: Success.
• 400 Bad Request: Often due to invalid or missing request parameters.
• 401 Unauthorized: Indicates an issue with your API key or authentication.
• 403 Forbidden: Your API key might not have the necessary permissions for the requested operation, or access is blocked.
• 404 Not Found: The endpoint URL is incorrect, or the resource doesn't exist.
• 429 Too Many Requests: You have exceeded the API's rate limits.
• 5xx Server Error: An issue on the Complete Criminal Checks server side.
• Error Messages: Read the error messages in the API response body carefully. They often provide specific details about what went wrong.
• Documentation Review: Consult the official Complete Criminal Checks API documentation for precise endpoint details, required parameters, and error codes.
• Contact Support: If you've exhausted all troubleshooting steps, contact Complete Criminal Checks support with your request details, error messages, and any relevant logs.