How far back do employment background?
Christopher Ramos
Updated on April 05, 2026
seven years
If a Sacramento job applicant has a conviction in their past, they may wonder if it will show up on their background check. California employment laws limit employer background checks to the previous seven years. Any convictions that are more than seven years old will not show up on a criminal background check.
What states follow the 7 year rule background checks?
SEVEN-YEAR STATES: California, Colorado, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Washington. [In some of these states, the 7-year reporting restriction for convictions only applies if the applicant does not meet a certain salary threshold.
How far back does a Level 2 background go?
How Far Back Does a Level 2 Background Check Go? On a national level, there is no limit to how far back they can go when searching for convictions; however, there are some restrictions. For instance, drug abuse prevention and control offenses only show up if they happened in the past five years.
What do employers look for in background checks?
Employers can look into a number of facts about you, including your credit history, employment history, driving records, and criminal records. If an employer uses a third party to conduct a background check, The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ensures it’s lawful.
What states follow the 10 year rule background checks?
However, some states allow a background check companies to share information that’s up to 10 years old. That includes a conviction, felony, or misdemeanor….These states include:
- Alaska.
- California.
- Indiana.
- Massachusetts.
- Michigan.
- New York.
What states do not do background checks for employment?
However, some states entirely prevent non-convictions from being reported. These states are California, Kentucky, New York, and New Mexico.
Do background checks go back more than 10 years?
Nationally, according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), there’s no limit to how many years an employer can go back when searching during a background check for a conviction. However, some states allow a background check companies to share information that’s up to 10 years old.
How long do employers have to look back for background checks?
Background investigation providers, including backgroundchecks.com, also keep track of these laws and can assist employers in complying. The most common lookback period for an employment-related criminal check is 7 years, though some states allow employers to look back a decade, and others don’t have a limitation at all.
Can a job offer be withdrawn because of a background check?
Many employers conduct background and reference checks during the hiring process, prior to offering a candidate the job. However, in some cases, a job offer may be contingent upon the results of the background check. That means the offer could be withdrawn if the organization finds negative information.
Is it illegal for an employer to ask for a background check?
Employers must request background checks of all applicants equally—for example, it would be illegal to check the criminal records of male job candidates but not females. And, employers cannot use background information to discriminate.
Why do you need a background check for a job?
Doing pre-employment background checks on potential employees is a valuable step in ensuring you are hiring the right candidate for the job. Background checks provide important information about a potential employee’s criminal record, financial history, work and educational background, and more.