Wheeling ending background checks for most business owners
Wheeling is ending a program that requires all new business owners to undergo fingerprinting and background checks before opening their doors.
The village board voted unanimously Tuesday to end the requirement, which has been in place for nearly a decade but recently drew criticism. Though the village has never denied a business applicant on the basis of the background check, the ordinance was hazy and difficult to enforce, officials said.
The rule required new business owners to pay for background checks, including fingerprinting, and allowed the village to deny licenses if the owner has been convicted of a felony or "crime of moral turpitude" within the past five years.
Among nearly 20 communities surveyed in the Northwest suburbs, Wheeling is alone in requiring background checks for all new business licenses, officials said.
Owners of businesses such as liquor stores, pawnshops, massage parlors and day care centers will still be subject to background checks.
The village board also approved other changes to business licensing rules. Business that are exempt from licensing requirements will now be required to acquire a certificate indicating they are in compliance with the village zoning and occupancy codes. Home-based business will also be required to be certified. The village has been completing a similar process, but the procedures were not established in the village code.
The updates also give the director of community development discretion in determining whether a minor violation of the business code should result in the denial of a business license. Under the previous code, any violation required denial of a license.