The organization you applied to determines how far back to search for records on your background check. Organizations can request that Checkr use a lookback period of seven years, 10 years, or even further back.
For questions about your eligibility for a role or the lookback period, contact the organization you applied to directly. Checkr prepares background reports for organizations and doesn't make hiring, engagement, or retention decisions.
Seven years begins at the "context date," which can vary based on what information courts and other sources of records include.
Convictions
Most states allow the reporting of convictions indefinitely. A report can include convictions no matter how old.
The states below generally limit the reporting of convictions to only the last seven years:
- California
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- New York
- Washington
In some of the above states, reports for certain companies include convictions older than seven years because of rules that affect reports for regulated industries.
Non-convictions
Most states limit the reporting of non-convictions to only the last seven years.
A non-conviction could include the case statuses and outcomes below:
- Alternative adjudication
- Deferred adjudication
- Dismissed cases
- Not-guilty verdicts
- Formal abandonment of prosecution
The states below prohibit the reporting of non-convictions:
- California
- Kentucky
- New Mexico
- New York
Additional state-specific guidelines
California
- Marijuana misdemeanors: Non-felony (misdemeanor) convictions for marijuana possession in California can only be reported for two years from the disposition date.
- Transportation network or rideshare companies: In California, background checks for transportation network and rideshare companies can report convictions older than seven years.
Maryland
Background checks for transportation network and rideshare companies in Maryland search the person's "entire adult history," including convictions older than seven years.
Kentucky
In Kentucky, pending criminal cases are never reportable. Background checks in Kentucky never include pending cases.