Photo: Christina @ wocintechchat.com / UnsplashBackground checks
- Work, business and lawyers
What Shows Up on a Background Check and How Far Back It Goes
What employers and landlords can see on a background check: criminal records, arrests, credit history, driving records, education checks, reporting time limits under federal law and how to see your own report.
4 min read - Work, business and lawyers
Employment Background Checks: Your Rights Under the FCRA
What employers can check, the notice and consent rules, how to dispute errors and how fair chance laws limit use of criminal records.
2 min read - Housing and landlords
Rental Applications and Background Checks: Your Rights
What landlords can check, how the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies, application fees and what to do if you are denied.
4 min read - Courts and claims
Criminal Records, Background Checks and Getting a Job: Your Rights and Options
How background checks work, what employers can consider, ban-the-box and fair chance laws, how to dispute errors and strategies for job seekers with records.
4 min read
Fair chance and clearing your record
- Work, business and lawyers
Fair Chance Hiring and Ban-the-Box Laws Explained: When Employers Can Ask About Your Record
How fair chance and ban-the-box laws limit when employers can ask about criminal history, individualized assessment, EEOC guidance, what to say in interviews and what to do if you are rejected.
3 min read - Courts and claims
Expungement and Record Sealing: How Clearing a Record Works
The difference between expungement and sealing, who is typically eligible and the usual steps to apply.
4 min read - Courts and claims
Pardons, Commutations and Other Ways to Clear a Criminal Record
How pardons and commutations work, how they differ from expungement and sealing and where to apply.
2 min read - Courts and claims
Probation vs. Parole: What Is the Difference?
How probation and parole work, typical conditions, what happens if you violate them and how they differ from jail or prison.
2 min read
Related rights
- Work, business and lawyers
Employee Warning Letters: Writing and Responding to Written Discipline
How warning letters work, what a fair written warning includes, how to respond and when a warning may signal a legal problem.
3 min read - Traffic and DUI
Driver's License Suspension and Reinstatement: How It Works
Common reasons for suspension, how to challenge one and what reinstatement usually requires, such as fees and SR-22 insurance.
4 min read - Courts and claims
Juvenile Court Basics: How Cases Involving Minors Work
How juvenile courts differ from adult courts, rights of minors, possible outcomes and when a case may move to adult court.
2 min read
Frequently asked questions
How far back does a background check go?
It varies by report type and state, and convictions may be reported longer than other items.
Can I see what an employer sees?
You can request your own report from screening companies.
Can an employer ask about my record?
In many places only later in the hiring process.
Can my record be cleared?
Possibly through expungement, sealing or a pardon, depending on state and offense.
What if the report is wrong?
Dispute it in writing with the screening company.