Address question

[S&Wgrl]

I filled out my application online. Fingerprints today and mail tomorrow-wooohooo. Anyway, I don't know if I put the correct date for one of my moves. It was supposed to be temporary and I waited a while until I finally updated my TDL. I have no idea of when I finally updated the address. Will that be a problem with the background check? I just know what I put down on the application isn't going to match with when I finally updated my address. Thanks!

[Keith B]

I filled out my application online. Fingerprints today and mail tomorrow-wooohooo. Anyway, I don't know if I put the correct date for one of my moves. It was supposed to be temporary and I waited a while until I finally updated my TDL. I have no idea of when I finally updated the address. Will that be a problem with the background check? I just know what I put down on the application isn't going to match with when I finally updated my address. Thanks!

As long as your residence history doesn't show any gaps in time between addresses, then you should be OK. Goes the same for employment history. If you are unemployed or self-employed between jobs, then you list that time.

[RoyGBiv]

This is my assumption... not an official answer..

I believe that the address info you give is used for confirming eligibility (used to have a 6 month waiting period for residency) and for the background check. On the background check, they need to know your address for several reasons...

1. There are almost always background check results from public records searches where your name matches the name of some random person that comes up in the same name search. Parking tickets, evictions, or more serious things come up all the time against your name, but they turn out to be from a person with the same name that is not you. Your prior addresses are used to filter out those false matches. Example: I did a background check last year that returned 27 pages of "bad" hits. Evictions, petty crimes, wow. The applicants last name was "Johnson" and they also has a common first name. I was able to filter out every hit based on home address.

2. Where to search... Background checks are often done by locality. The databases are not always consolidated. By knowing your addresses, your background can be thoroughly checked in all appropriate local records databases.

3. Gaps... You always want to make sure there are no gaps in your address history, these are red flags. If you flopped at your brothers house for a year, write it down. If a record shows up with your name and SSN, but at an address you do not have listed, that is also a red flag... looks like you were trying to avoid something.

4. Dates... When I run background checks, the date window seems to be irrelevant. I usually get history from the entire database matching that name. The dates are used to filter the results and eliminate any false matches. If you're within +/- a year, IMO it should be no problem... again.. watch the gaps.

Bottom line.... if you realized there was a big-ish date mistake (more than +/- 2-3 months), I would log in to the online application and make the correction. If the application is already processing, I'd not worry too much about it... you might have a delay to resolve any problems, but IMO, some small date errors should not cause a denial.

Again... this is all from my experience and opinion and should not be taken as gospel.

[S&Wgrl]

It's too late to make changes. A less than 6 month temporary move turned into 7 years this April. Gosh, thats hard to believe. I'm still at that address. I just wish I could remember when I finally changed the address on my TDL. Guess I will deal with it as it comes.