I understand the value of a regular check. People change - lives change. In a year one may have committed fraud or another felony. However, many others don’t agree. They seem to feel that a yearly background check is intrusive. Hmmm
It can take years for something to show up on your BGC. If you commit a felony, you first have to be arrested, arraigned, a trial and a conviction. If you are found not guilty at trial, then there is nothing showing on your BGC. That doesn’t mean you are innocent; it only means there was not enough evidence to convince 12 jurors of your guilt. So committing the act is not what shows up on the BGC - it is the convictions!! If it takes 3 or more years to get that conviction, your BGC is clean in the meantime! So what good is it to get that BGC annually other than to make some other company richer. If annual BGC’s offered any use, I’m sure my Secretary of State would require. But no, they only require the BGC every four years at the time of commission renewal. Chances are if your BGC is clean at that time, you are not going to do anything to jeopardize your commission in the the next four years. How many notaries have had anything other than a clean BGC in the time they have held their commissions??? I would venture to say - NONE. So what utter use is having one annually? Like I said, it is only to line the pockets of those companies performing the BGC’s. I know people with Top Secret government security clearances granted by the Dept of Defense that only do the BGC’s upon initial request for clearance and every FIVE years thereafter. So why are notaries being subjected to annual BGC’s by an entity with no legal authority to do so??
Exactly…there is no reason for it, other than those who do the hiring go along with the edict that it must be done annually. Why shouldn’t they go along with it? It doesn’t cost THEM anything.
Some people are followers. They say or do whatever the dumb bafoons say. Background are a waste of time. If title & escrow want are willing to pay the bill I might comply. I’m checked every 4 yrs. when I renew. That’s enough for me!
I’ve used the same company that NNA uses, although NNA wouldn’t accept it. Had it done again so that I could join NNA. Company called and asked why I had 3 requests for background checks in the past 2 years. They thought it odd enough to call me. I explained why and they said in most industries every 3-5 years is required. Figures that I would work in a industry that frowns if it’s not done every year