Universal Background
Hire-quality screens for safety-sensitive roles.
Quote-based pricing
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Bottom line
Enterprise background, drug, and occupational-health screening. Pricing is sales-quoted. PBSA-accredited CRA.
Stands out for: White-glove client teams plus criminal results in under two days on the vendor's own figures.
Watch out for: There is no public per-check menu. Buying starts with sales, aimed at healthcare and transport employers.
Overview
Universal Background Screening is a PBSA-accredited consumer reporting agency for employment background checks, drug testing, occupational health, and verifications. The vendor pitches criminal results in under two days and verifications under three. Services include county, state, and federal criminal searches, MVRs, credit, healthcare sanctions, international screens, I-9 and E-Verify, and social media screening. A web portal runs orders 24 hours a day.
Safety-sensitive employers pick Universal for a named client-service team rather than a ticket queue. HRO Today ranked it a top enterprise screening firm for 14 years. Pricing is a custom quote. There is no numbered trial. This is a CRA workflow for regulated industries, not a recruiting database or ATS.
Who it's for
Best for
- Healthcare and staffing employers with safety-sensitive roles
- Transport and DOT-regulated fleets
- Enterprises that want a dedicated service team
- HR teams that also need drug tests and physicals
Not ideal for
- Small shops that want a printed $ per check
- Buyers who need instant self-serve checkout
Key features
Background checks. Employment screens tuned for safety-critical headcount.
Drug testing. Drug programs alongside background orders.
Occupational health. Occ health checks when physical readiness is part of the hire.
Pricing
Sales-quoted. No public rate card on the vendor site. Packages cover background checks, drug testing, occupational health, and verifications. Confirm current terms on the vendor site.
Checked 19 Sep 2026. Vendors change prices without notice.
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Is Universal Background expensive?
Universal Background does not publish a price. It is one of 20 quote-based tools among the 31 background check tools in our directory. 1 have a free tier, and those with a public price typically start around $30 a month.
- 20 quote-based
- 1 free tier
- 12 public price
Worked out automatically from every background check listing, so it updates as the directory changes.
Pros and cons
Pros
- PBSA-accredited enterprise CRA
- Criminal results under 2 days claimed
- Drug tests and physicals in the same shop
Cons
- No public per-check prices
- Buying starts with a sales conversation
- Built for enterprise, not DIY small biz
What's new at Universal Background
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How Universal Background compares
See all Universal Background alternatives, with what each one does differently and a head to head for every pairing.
| Tool | Free tier | From | MCP | API | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | – | |
| | – | $29.99/report | ✓ | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
| | – | Sales-quoted | – | ✓ | Compare |
$29.99/report MCP API
API-first screens if developers will drive every order.
Sales-quoted API
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Sales-quoted API
Enterprise screening if brand recognition is the RFP filter.
Sales-quoted API
Another US CRA with a documented REST API.
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