Can I run my own background checks/drug tests?

Summary: We strongly caution running your own background checks or other screenings outside the Ascen platform. Employment screening carries real legal risk (FCRA disclosures, authorizations, and adverse-action requirements), and as the employer of record, Ascen needs screening to run through a compliant process. If you want to use your own screening provider, talk to your Customer Success Manager first.

Our recommendation: screen through the platform

Ascen's built-in background checks and drug tests are run through a compliant, employment-purpose process — the required disclosures and authorizations are collected from the worker, results are handled consistently, and any adverse decision follows the legally required steps. Because Ascen is the employer of record, screening mistakes become employment-related liability, which is why we strongly discourage partners from running their own checks off-platform.

Background checks in employment are governed by the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and state law, which set specific disclosure, authorization, and adverse-action requirements for employers.

If you still want to use your own screening

If you have a screening provider you'd like to use, or client requirements that our standard packages don't cover, contact your Customer Success Manager before running anything. They will review the request and, where appropriate, work out an arrangement that keeps the process compliant (proper disclosures, authorization, adverse-action handling, and record-keeping).

Please don't order checks on Ascen workers off-platform without that conversation — an improperly run check can expose both you and Ascen to claims from the worker.

Related articles

• How long do background checks and drug tests take?

• Our policy for adversely denying a candidate (what happens if a check comes back with findings)