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The Global Insight

How far they go back on background checks?

Author

Michael Gray

Updated on March 21, 2026

seven years
Different types of background checks look for different results and cover different lengths of time in a candidate’s personal history. In general, background checks typically cover seven years of criminal and court records, but can go back further depending on compliance laws and what is being searched.

What information comes back on a background check?

An employment background check can include, but is not limited to, a person’s work history, education, credit history, motor vehicle reports (MVRs), criminal record, medical history, use of social media, and drug screening. If the position is specialized, applicants and employees may undergo further screenings.

How far can a company go back on a background check in the state of Texas?

How Many Years Back Does a Background Check Go in Texas? In the state of Texas, criminal background checks generated by an employer can go back seven years into an applicant’s criminal and personal history.

Will my manager see my background check?

In most cases, an employer has no reason to share or disclose the results of employee background checks. Staffing agencies, for instance, send their employees to work for outside organizations. Building companies hire sub-contractors to work on their job sites.

Do employers care about dismissed charges?

An arrest or a dismissed charge either indicate innocence or suggest that there wasn’t enough evidence to bring about a conviction. Either way, employers will usually understand the difference and won’t look at dismissed cases in the same way as they would at convictions.

How long do background checks go back to?

How Far Back Do Background Checks Go? Different types of background checks look for different results and cover different lengths of time in a candidate’s personal history. In general, background checks typically cover seven years of criminal and court records, but can go back further depending on compliance laws and what is being searched.

Can a consumer reporting agency do a background check?

If an employer uses a consumer reporting agency in order to obtain your background information, the FCRA restrictions apply. However, the FCRA restrictions don’t apply should the background check be conducted by the employer’s Human Resources department.

Is there limit to how far back can you search someone’s background?

The good news is that on the state level, many states put a limit on how far back prospective employers can search someone’s criminal records. The following states restrict reporting information on any case older than SEVEN YEARS date of deposition, end of parole, or release from prison.

Are there States with a 7 year limit on background checks?

States with the seven-year limit: 1 California 2 Maryland 3 Massachusetts 4 Montana 5 Nevada 6 New York 7 Texas 8 Washington