County, state, and federal records
Real courthouse-level searches across states of residence, not just a database scrape.
Industries · Ministry
Your volunteers work with children, handle donations, and represent your church in the community. Trust is foundational, but trust alone is not a child-protection policy. PreSearch gives ministries the screening, monitoring, and documentation needed to protect the people you serve.
No contracts. No setup fees. Ministry-friendly pricing.
What to screen
Requirements vary by denomination, insurance carrier, and local regulations. These are the common screening needs across most ministry settings.
County, state, and federal criminal records checks for anyone in a role of trust, including pastoral staff, youth workers, volunteers, and board members. Not just a basic national database scan.
National and state sex offender registry searches are the minimum baseline for anyone who will interact with children, students, or vulnerable adults. Many insurance policies require it.
State child abuse registry searches are essential for anyone serving in children's ministry, youth programs, nurseries, or educational settings. Requirements vary by state.
Any volunteer or staff member who drives church vehicles, transports youth, or drives for ministry events should have an MVR check. Insurance carriers often require it.
Positions that handle tithes, offerings, church finances, or benevolence funds may warrant credit history review. A standard safeguard for fiduciary roles.
A clean check at onboarding only tells you who someone was on that day. Continuous monitoring and periodic rescreening catch issues that arise after a volunteer joins your ministry.
The gaps
Most churches run some form of background check on new volunteers. The gaps appear after onboarding.
A check run five years ago when a volunteer first joined tells you nothing about who they are today. Charges, convictions, and registry additions that happen after onboarding will not show up unless you are monitoring continuously or rescreening regularly.
Cheap online background checks rely on one aggregated national database. These databases have known gaps. Real criminal history lives at the county courthouse level, and a responsible screening program searches there, especially in states of prior residence.
When insurance asks for proof of screening, or when questions arise about a specific volunteer, records should be centralized and easy to produce. Spreadsheets, email threads, and manila folders fail at the worst possible moment.
Multi-site churches and ministries with multiple departments often end up with different screening standards in each area. Children's ministry screens one way, youth another, small-group leaders not at all. Inconsistency is a liability.
Churches operate on tight budgets, and volunteer screening competes with every other line item. Too often the solution is to screen fewer people, or to use the cheapest option available, both of which create real risk.
How it works
You define what a screened volunteer looks like for each role. PreSearch runs the checks, tracks rescreen dates, and keeps records organized so your team is always ready.
Real courthouse-level searches across states of residence, not just a database scrape.
National and all-state registry searches, included in every ministry screening package.
State-level searches for anyone serving in children's or youth ministry.
For drivers, youth transport, and vehicle-based ministries, pulled directly from state DMVs.
Ongoing criminal and registry checks between screenings, so you are not relying on a single snapshot in time.
Scheduled per volunteer based on role. Triggered automatically. No spreadsheets, no missed dates.
Every screening, consent form, and result stored in one dashboard. Easy to produce for insurance, denominational audits, or internal review.
Volunteer-rate packages and transparent per-check pricing built for nonprofit budgets.
Who we serve
From single-campus churches to multi-site organizations and parachurch ministries.
Why PreSearch
Accredited by the Professional Background Screening Association, the industry standard for screening companies.
Three decades of background screening experience. We are not learning on your ministry.
Every screening follows FCRA and state-specific requirements. Consent, disclosures, and dispute handling are built into the platform.
Real people
PSBI is owner-operated and US-based, screening organizations since 1995. When you have a question about protecting your congregation, you reach a real person, not a ticket queue.
FCRA-compliantOwner-operated since 1995Based in Ashland, WIGet started
No contracts. No setup fees. Affordable, ministry-friendly pricing with the screening depth your congregation deserves. Tell us about your church or ministry and we'll reach out within one business day.