iCORI Basics

1. What is iCORI?

Name-based court arraignment records, also known as CORI, are created and maintained by the Massachusetts courts. A name-based criminal record check (CORI) returns information on available Massachusetts arraignments. This type of criminal record check is done by submitting the name and date of birth for a person. iCORI is a service of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). iCORI provides access to Massachusetts-only criminal offender record information.

2. What are the general requirements for employers who conduct CORI searches?

  • A written iCori policy
  • Consent on a specific form completed by each subject and verified by the employer with government ID (in addition to standard FCRA disclosure and authorization requirements)
  • Special adverse action procedures (in addition to those required by the FCRA)
  • Document retention according to the iCORI regulations

See https://globalhr.helpscoutdocs.com/article/1210-icori-compliance-requirements for more information about employer requirements.

3. What are the levels of access to iCORI?

Some categories may qualify for multiple levels depending on the circumstances – visit https://www.mass.gov/service-details/levels-of-name-based-criminal-record-check-access for more information.

4. What does an employer need to do before GHRR can conduct iCORI searches on the employer’s behalf?

  • Register in as an organization and designate GHRR as an agent in the iCORI system.
  • Obtain each consumer’s consent and provide a copy of the completed consent form to GHRR when requesting an iCORI search.  You can find a copy of the required consent form here: https://www.mass.gov/doc/cra-acknowledgement-form/download.

5. How will employers receive iCORI search results from GHRR?

GHRR will provide a standard consumer report showing the completed iCORI search plus a copy of the report returned by iCORI.

Searches conducted for employer with Level 2 Required access and higher may return information that is considered “obsolete” under the FCRA. Unless the employer affirmatively certifies to GHRR that the individual is expected to make an annual salary of at least $75,000, GHRR is legally required to redact any “obsolete” information (non-conviction information outside of the past seven years).

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