<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0303</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2009-11-10</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001210677</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FIRST ADVANTAGE CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>FADV</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001437638</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>FirstMark Capital, L.L.C.</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1221 SIXTH AVENUE</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>NEW YORK</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NY</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>10020</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>1</isOther>
            <otherText>See Footnote 1</otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Class A Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2009-11-10</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>J</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
                <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>2092130</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>I</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
                <natureOfOwnership>
                    <value>Investment Advisor</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </natureOfOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">FirstMark Capital, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (&quot;FirstMark&quot;), is an investment advisor acting on behalf of its clients' accounts. FirstMark disclaims any obligation to file this report, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that FirstMark is subject to Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the &quot;Exchange Act&quot;), with respect to the Issuer of such securities.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">FirstMark tendered 2,092,130 shares of Class A Common Stock to The First American Corporation (&quot;First American&quot;) in connection with First American's offer to exchange each share of Class A Common Stock not owned by First American for 0.58 shares of First American's Common Stock (the &quot;Exchange Offer&quot;). The Exchange Offer expired on November 10, 2009 and, on November 11, 2009, First American announced that it had accepted the tendered shares.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">FirstMark disclaims beneficial ownership of these securities, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that FirstMark is, for the purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or otherwise, the beneficial owner of such securities.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Brian Kemnpner, Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2009-11-12</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
