PBSA Compliance

What is PBSA Compliance?

PBSA compliance refers to adherence to the ethical, procedural, and data security standards established by the Professional Background Screening Association, which helps screening firms meet federal and international data protection laws, including the FCRA, GDPR, and various state privacy acts. Firms in this space handle highly sensitive and personally identifiable consumer data.

What is PBSA Compliance and Why is it Important?

TierFive provides secure PBSA compliant document scanning services PBSA compliance involves meeting the operational and data protection standards set forth by the Professional Background Screening Association, an authority that defines best practices for background screening and employment verification services. Member organizations conduct sensitive verifications on Criminal background reports, Court case files (county, state, and federal), Employment history and references, Educational verification documentation, Identity documents and personal identifiers, Drug screening results, Professional license confirmations, Global sanctions, watchlist, and civil record checks. These records are governed by strict access, retention, and privacy rules. TierFive is ISO 2700, SOC2 and HIPAA certified and maintaining compliance frameworks such as HIPAA, GDPR, FERPA, and DOL ERISA also requires our key staffs background to be vetted and pass federal e-verify. Any third-party vendor that digitizes these types of vital records must enforce equivalent protections to maintain legal standing and preserve the integrity of the background check process. By choosing the best document scanning provider that employs PBSA background-verified personnel firmly reduces liability, increase trust, and ensures data handling is secure and compliant.

How TierFive Maintains PBSA Compliance for Document Scanning

TierFive maintains PBSA-aligned scanning protocols designed specifically for the background screening industry. All records are digitized within secure, access-controlled facilities by trained, TierFive’s PBSA accredited background-verified personnel Staff undergo screening equivalent to that required by background screening agencies themselves, including criminal checks, employment history review, and confidentiality agreements. Sensitive documents—such as court dockets, signed consumer authorizations, drug test results, and employer verification letters—are scanned under strict chain-of-custody and audit control. Digital files are encrypted using FIPS 140-2 validated methods during transfer and storage. Only authorized team members can access scanning workstations or indexing systems, ensuring total traceability from document intake to delivery. TierFive also supports secure output formatting, searchable metadata generation, redaction when required, and WORM-compatible formats to align with your compliance program. Whether scanning physical records for candidate investigations, government background checks, or litigation support, we provide a compliant foundation for digital recordkeeping.

The Role of FCRA, PBSA Accreditation, and Staff Screening

The FCRA mandates that consumer reporting agencies protect and retain data in a confidential, accurate, and secure format. The PBSA Accreditation Program further outlines operational best practices that background screening companies must meet—including vendor oversight and information security. While TierFive itself is not a consumer reporting agency, we enforce PBSA-aligned procedures internally and ensure that every staff member with access to consumer data is background-verified under PBSA-aligned standards. This includes criminal history screening, employment verification, and signing confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements. Our document handling procedures mirror the compliance needs of accredited firms, and we help clients remain audit-ready by providing traceable, digitally secure versions of sensitive documents including education transcripts, criminal record searches, and multi-jurisdictional court packets. From chain-of-custody to access logs, every step supports lawful, ethical document conversion.

Key PBSA Compliance Requirements for Secure Document Scanning

Secure document scanning for the background screening industry must ensure that personally identifiable information (PII) is protected at all times. Digitized versions of criminal record reports, court responses, signed release forms, and investigative notes must be handled with safeguards that prevent tampering, restrict access, and maintain full audit trails. Compliance also requires staff vetting, data encryption, privacy training, and operational consistency with PBSA Accreditation Standards. TierFive fulfills these requirements by combining secure infrastructure, PBSA-verified staff, and deeply integrated compliance practices into every project we undertake.

Contact TierFive today to learn more about how we can help your organization reduce overhead costs securely digitize highly sensitive records within the compliance requirements of PBSA. *Note if your organizations project requires specific industry certification then let us know we may already have it or can be certified for your specific project.