Privacy Policy
Effective Date: August 13, 2026 · Last Updated: August 13, 2026
1. Introduction
CredentialClear ("we," "us," or "our") operates the CredentialClear platform at credentialclear.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our Service.
By accessing or using the Service, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.
2. Information We Collect
Information You Provide Directly
- Account information: Organization name, first and last name, username, and password when you create an account
- Contact form submissions: Name, email address, organization, and message content
- Contractor roster data: Information you enter about contractors your organization manages, including names, license numbers, notes, and ratings
Information We Collect Automatically
- Usage data: Pages visited, features used, search queries submitted, and timestamps
- Session data: Browser type, IP address, and device information
- Cookies: See Section 11 (Cookie Policy) for full details
Information from Third Parties
- State licensing databases: License status, expiration dates, and related credential information retrieved from publicly available state government registries
- Google Places API: Business ratings, review counts, and map links for contractors you search. This data is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
- Public violation records: Names and information from publicly published state unlicensed contractor and violation lists sourced from government agencies
3. How We Use Your Information
- Create and manage your account and organization
- Provide contractor license verification and credential management features
- Cross-reference search results against public violation records
- Surface Google review data alongside license information
- Send notifications about license status changes for contractors you monitor
- Respond to contact form inquiries and support requests
- Improve the performance, reliability, and features of the Service
- Comply with legal obligations
4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For users in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, we process personal data on the following legal bases:
| Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and managing your account | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Providing the Service | Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) |
| Improving the Service | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Responding to inquiries | Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) |
| Complying with legal obligations | Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)) |
| Marketing communications (if applicable) | Consent (Article 6(1)(a)) |
5. Important Notice Regarding Contractor Data
CredentialClear retrieves and displays information about individual contractors from publicly available government sources, including state licensing registries and publicly published violation records.
This Service is intended solely for business due diligence purposes — including vendor onboarding, compliance verification, and contractor relationship management. The Service must not be used as a consumer reporting agency or as the basis for employment decisions, tenant screening, credit determinations, or other decisions governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) or similar state laws.
If your intended use may implicate the FCRA or similar regulations, you must independently ensure compliance with applicable law before using the Service for that purpose.
6. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:
- Subprocessors: Neon (database hosting), Railway (application hosting), Google LLC (Places API). We will notify customers of any new subprocessors with at least 30 days' advance notice.
- Legal requirements: If required by law, subpoena, or court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of CredentialClear or our users
- Business transfers: If CredentialClear is acquired or merged, your information may be transferred with prior notice to affected users
7. Data Accuracy Disclaimer
License status, expiration dates, and credential information displayed in the Service are retrieved from publicly available state government databases and third-party sources. CredentialClear does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of this information. State databases may have delays, errors, or gaps. Always verify credential status directly with the issuing agency before making compliance or hiring decisions.
8. Data Retention
We retain your account and organization data for as long as your account is active. Contractor roster data is retained until you delete it or close your account. Contact form submissions are retained for up to 24 months. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at support@credentialclear.com.
9. Security
We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed password storage, and session-based authentication. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:
- Notify affected users within 72 hours of discovering the breach, consistent with Massachusetts data breach notification law (M.G.L. c. 93H) and GDPR Article 33 where applicable
- Provide notice of the nature of the breach, the data affected, steps we are taking, and recommended actions for affected individuals
- Notify the Massachusetts Attorney General and relevant regulatory authorities as required by law
11. Cookie Policy
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Session cookies | Keep you logged in during your session | Deleted when browser closes |
| Authentication cookies | Maintain your logged-in state across sessions | 30 days |
We do not use advertising cookies, behavioral tracking cookies, or third-party analytics cookies without your consent. You can configure your browser to refuse or delete cookies, though this will prevent you from logging into the Service.
12. Children's Privacy
The Service is not directed to individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at support@credentialclear.com and we will delete it promptly.
13. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the right to:
- Access: Obtain a copy of the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request deletion of your information
- Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Object or Restrict: Object to or restrict certain processing activities
- Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time
California Residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, and to opt out of the sale of your personal information. We do not sell personal information. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information: We do not sell or share personal information with third parties for cross-context behavioral advertising.
To exercise any of the above rights, contact us at support@credentialclear.com. We will respond within 30 days.
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. For material changes, we will notify you by email or by displaying a prominent notice in the Service and will require your affirmative acknowledgment before the changes take effect. For non-material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this policy.
15. Contact Us
CredentialClear
Email: support@credentialclear.com
Website: credentialclear.com