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The Gap: Police Certificate vs. Court Index

December 23, 2025 posted by Steve Brownstein

To fulfill the duties outlined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a background check must meet the standard of "maximum possible accuracy." Relying on either a police certificate or a court index in isolation creates a significant compliance gap.

The Gap: Police Certificate vs. Court Index

Example: The Puerto Rico Police Criminal Certificate (Certificado de Antecedentes Penales)

This document is often perceived as a "gold standard," but from an FCRA perspective, it has structural flaws:

• Narrow Scope: It typically only reflects convictions. Under the FCRA, certain non-conviction records (within a 7-year window) may be reportable and relevant to an employer.

• Update Lag: There is often a delay between a court disposition and the police database being updated.

• Identification Issues: These are often tied to a specific ID number (like a SIS-NCI or SSN). If the subject used a variation of their name or a different ID, the record might not trigger.

The Court Search (Predominant Court Index)

While the court system is the source of the truth, the index itself can be messy:

• Administrative Errors: Case files may be open, pending, or transferred between regions (e.g., from a San Juan municipal court to a superior court).

• Lack of Identifiers: Court indexes often lack the robust PII (Personally Identifiable Information) found in police records, making it difficult to "match" a record to a candidate with 100% certainty—a direct violation of FCRA accuracy requirements.