Checkr

About Checkr

Trusted by thousands of faith-based organizations, Checkr makes it easy to screen church staff and volunteers. Whether you’re considering Sunday School teachers, youth ministry staff, or anyone working with vulnerable populations, Checkr helps you make informed decisions with confidence.

Background checks help you build trust, protect your congregation and community, and comply with best practices for safe ministry. Checkr’s platform is built for speed, accuracy, and ease of use, so you can feel secure without adding extra burden to your team.

How it works with Planning Center

The Checkr integration is built and maintained by Planning Center, making it simple to order and review background checks directly within Planning Center People.

• Order in seconds: Select anyone from your People database and initiate a background check in a few clicks.

• Secure candidate experience: Volunteers and staff submit their information through a simple, mobile-friendly experience so your office never handles their Social Security number or other sensitive details. Dedicated candidate support is available if they need help along the way.

• Fast results: 89% of criminal checks complete within 1 hour. 97% of Checkr customers say turnaround times are faster than other services.

• Clear outcomes: Reports return a Clear or Consider status in Planning Center, with full details available in your Checkr dashboard.

• Built-in compliance tools: Stay consistent and mitigate risk with automated workflows that help you stay aligned with FCRA and local laws.

Discounted pricing for Planning Center: Checkr offers special pricing for Planning Center customers, starting at $12.99 for the Basic+ package. Learn more about Checkr’s background check packages for churches.

Screening packages and add-ons

Checkr offers background check packages to fit the different needs of churches, from basic volunteer screening to comprehensive checks for staff in sensitive roles. Planning Center customers receive discounted pricing on all standard Checkr packages.

Add-on screenings are also available, including:

• Federal Criminal Search: Reviews U.S. federal district court records, including felony and misdemeanor convictions. Helps catch offenses that may not appear at the state or county level, giving you an extra layer of confidence for roles in children and youth programs, elderly care, or other sensitive areas.

• Alias Search: Includes records associated with a candidate’s legal name and any known aliases (e.g., maiden names, nicknames, etc.). Helps provide a more complete picture, even if someone has used different names over time.

• Motor Vehicle Record (MVR): Pulls driving history directly from state DMV records, including license status, traffic violations, and driving-related convictions. A useful add-on for volunteers or staff who transport congregation members, drive youth groups, or operate vehicles as part of their ministry role.

View background check packages for churches

What churches are saying about Checkr + Planning Center

We use [Checkr] for our network of volunteers in the church. It helps mitigate risk and keep vulnerable [people] safe.

Sara Kirkpatrick, Finance Director, Community Church of Greenwood

The process is so simple to use, both on the front and back end, which has allowed us to focus on the ministry we run while still getting the best confidence for our processes.

Jeremy Herron, Children’s Pastor, Providence Church

Makes onboarding our volunteers as easy as possible for our staff.

Jim Gooden, Lead Pastor, Real Life Church