What Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) does

Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) is the leading professional membership association for the background screening industry, founded in 2003 and headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. It operates as a nonprofit organization governed by a Board of Directors and structured through four regional councils (APAC, Canada, Europe & Africa, United States). Its core products are the Accreditation Program, the Annual Conference, a webinar and certificate curriculum, the Global Learning Center, a Community Forum, a Resource Library, and a Government Relations program that publishes monthly U.S. and quarterly global legislative updates. PBSA serves background screening firms, employers/end-users of screening services, and consumers, with an accredited member network of 60+ firms including Checkr, ADP, First Advantage, HireRight, and Cisive.

PBSA's business model is membership-based and recurring, generating revenue from annual membership dues, conference and event registrations, sponsorships, exhibit booths, and paid educational programs such as certificate offerings. GTM is multi-channel: a self-serve website portal (join.thepbsa.org), LinkedIn Lead Gen advertising, regional councils, and in-person conferences including the 2026 Annual Conference in Arlington, TX (850-900 attendees), the 2026 Canada Conference, and the 2027 APAC AGM in Ho Chi Minh City. The underlying technology is a standard association platform composed of a website, member portal, community forum, event registration, and webinar delivery; there is no proprietary SaaS, AI, or data product. PBSA has no disclosed funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity, operating as a self-sustaining member-funded entity.

Name

Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)

Legal name

Professional Background Screening Association

Website

https://thepbsa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA) is a nonprofit membership association founded in 2003 that accredits, educates, and advocates for the global background screening industry through regional councils, conferences, webinars, and a Government Relations program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: PBSA generates revenue through annual membership fees from background screening firms and industry professionals. Membership provides access to publications, advisories, webinars, educational sessions, conferences, and the member directory.
2. Conference and Event Revenue: Revenue from conference registrations, exhibit hall booths, sponsorships, and guest passes for evening events ($250 per guest pass).
3. Educational Programs: Revenue from certificate offerings and educational sessions at conferences. Some sessions qualify for PDCs (Professional Development Credits) for FCRA Core Recertification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PBSA is a professional membership association that provides accreditation, education, advocacy, and community services exclusively for the background screening industry. Its core offerings include the PBSA Accreditation Program for screening firms, annual conferences and regional events, certificate programs, webinars, a community forum, a resource library, government relations monitoring, and a searchable membership directory. The association serves as the central industry body for over 60 accredited firms and members across APAC, Canada, Europe & Africa, and the United States.

Product overview

PBSA is an industry association offering a portfolio of member-facing services organized around accreditation, education, advocacy, and community. The core offering is the PBSA Accreditation Program, which certifies background screening firms against industry standards. PBSA's educational products include the Annual Conference (a major international event), the Webinars program, Certificate Offerings, and a Global Learning Center. The PBSA Community Forum enables peer collaboration, while the Resource Library and Government Relations Updates provide practical guidance and legislative intelligence. A Membership Directory helps locate accredited firms, and regional Councils (APAC, Canada, Europe & Africa, US) deliver localized content and advocacy. PBSA also operates a Volunteer Program and publishes news and publications covering social media screening, digital identity, and workforce screening trends. PBSA does not appear to offer a commercial software product or SaaS platform; its offerings are association services rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PBSA Accreditation Program An accreditation program for background screening firms, providing a framework for quality and compliance standards across the industry. Available to screening firms seeking recognition of their operational standards.
• PBSA Annual Conference PBSA's premier international conference bringing together screening industry professionals for education, networking, and exhibit showcases over multiple days. The 2026 conference is scheduled for September 27-29, 2026 in Arlington, TX.
• PBSA Webinars Live and on-demand educational webinars covering topics such as social media screening, student employability, insurance, and other workforce screening subjects, available as part of membership or separately.
• PBSA Certificate Offerings Professional certificate programs for individuals working in or entering the background screening industry, providing recognized credentials and continuing education credits.
• PBSA Community Forum An online forum enabling PBSA members to collaborate, start discussion threads, and share insights with industry colleagues.
• PBSA Resource Library A repository of publications, practical guidance documents, webinar recordings, conference presentations, and member advisories available to PBSA members.
• PBSA Government Relations Updates Monthly U.S. and quarterly global updates on legislation and policy affecting the background screening industry, including policy positions and advocacy resources.
• PBSA Membership Directory A searchable directory of accredited and member background screening firms, allowing employers and end-users to find verified screening providers.
• PBSA Regional Councils (APAC, Canada, Europe & Africa, US) Regional councils providing localized networking, education, and advocacy for the screening industry across the Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe & Africa, and United States regions.
• PBSA Global Learning Center An educational resource providing training and knowledge materials on global screening practices and regulations for international members.

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Accredited Firms NetworkcoreOthersPBSA maintains an accreditation program for background screening firms. The accredited firms network includes over 60 companies displayed on the PBSA website including Accurate Background, ADP, Checkr, First Advantage, HireRight, Cisive, and many others. These firms are not formal partners but represent the membership base that PBSA serves and accredits.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP): Global membership association for privacy professionals with certification, conferences, regional chapters, and advocacy - structurally the closest analog to PBSA in the adjacent privacy/data domain.
• ASIS International: Long-standing global professional association for security management professionals offering certification, standards, advocacy, and annual conferences - a near-identical association operating model in an adjacent compliance-driven industry.
• Society for Corporate Compliance and Ethics (SCCE): Membership association for compliance and ethics professionals offering certification (CCEP), conferences, and chapter networks - very similar operating model to PBSA within the broader GRC ecosystem.
• Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA): Trade association representing the consumer credit reporting and data industry. Closely related to background screening by data, regulation, and customer overlap, with a comparable advocacy + membership structure.
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE): Global anti-fraud professional association built around certification (CFE), membership, training, and an annual conference - structurally analogous to PBSA's accreditation and education flywheel.
• The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA): Global professional association for internal auditors with certification, standards, advocacy, and international conference footprint - a mature example of the same association playbook PBSA operates.
• National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO): Trade association for PEOs offering accreditation, legislative advocacy, conferences, and member education - directly comparable member-driven, accreditation-centric association model.

Broad incumbents

• Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM): The dominant HR professional association with membership, certification, advocacy, and large-scale conferences. Much larger and broader in scope, but serves the buyer-side customer base of background screening firms.

Emerging players

• Health Care Compliance Association (HCCA): Membership association for healthcare compliance professionals with certification (CHC), conferences, and networking. Operates the same playbook as PBSA but in a vertical-specific compliance niche.
• HR.com: Large HR practitioner community and content platform serving many of the same employer/end-user buyers PBSA targets; represents the digital-first alternative to traditional association membership that PBSA must compete with for member attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PBSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/ThePBSA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1317358

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Professional Background Screening Association (PBSA)