Background check basics for HR in Virginia.
Virginia background checks: 7 years (fcra default) + clean slate sealing (july 1, 2026), disclosure and authorization mechanics, and the state statutes that layer on top of FCRA.
What changes in Virginia
- Report lookback: 7 years (FCRA default) + Clean Slate sealing (July 1, 2026). Virginia applies FCRA. Expunged records under Va. Code §19.2-392.2 must be suppressed. Effective July 1, 2026, Virginia's Clean Slate chapter (Va. Code §§19.2-392.6:1 through 19.2-392.17) adds automatic and petition-based sealing for many misdemeanors and certain lower-level felonies, and §19.2-392.16 places direct limits on what a business screening service may disseminate.
- Ban-the-box: Public sector (Executive Order 41) + Clean Slate inquiry ban (July 1, 2026). Governor Northam's 2020 executive order removed the conviction question from state-agency initial applications. Effective July 1, 2026, Va. Code §19.2-392.15 prohibits employers not otherwise subject to a federal inquiry mandate from requiring an applicant to disclose a sealed arrest, charge, or conviction — in an application, an interview, or otherwise — and the applicant may lawfully answer as if the record does not exist. Unauthorized disclosure of a sealed record is a Class 1 misdemeanor under §19.2-392.14.
- Salary history: No restriction (Virginia Values Act enhances pay-equity remedies). No statewide salary-history ban, but the Virginia Values Act creates enhanced pay-equity remedies.
"Review our FCRA disclosure and authorization form for standalone compliance. Focus on Virginia."
Ask this in Ask HR AIPractitioner steps for Virginia
- Step 1. Use the Virginia report lookback correctly: 7 years (FCRA default) + Clean Slate sealing (July 1, 2026).
- Step 2. Follow the FCRA §1681b(b)(2)(A) disclosure and authorization rules and layer any VA-specific consent language required.
- Step 3. Respect the Virginia ban-the-box trigger (Public sector (Executive Order 41) + Clean Slate inquiry ban (July 1, 2026)) before running any criminal search.
- Step 4. Check VA statutes for expungement, seal, and non-conviction reporting rules and configure the CRA to suppress those records.
Applicable Virginia statutes and references
- Va. Code §19.2-392.2
- Va. Code §19.2-392.13 (eff. 7/1/2026)
- Va. Code §19.2-392.15 (eff. 7/1/2026)
- Va. Code §19.2-392.16 (eff. 7/1/2026)
- Va. Code §40.1-27.4
- Exec. Order 41
- 15 U.S.C. §1681 et seq. (federal FCRA)
Frequently asked (federal + Virginia overlay)
Do I need a separate FCRA disclosure?
Yes. The FCRA requires a clear and conspicuous standalone disclosure — not buried in an employment application — before obtaining a consumer report.
Can I include a liability release in the disclosure?
No. Courts have repeatedly held that adding a liability release voids the disclosure and creates statutory FCRA liability.
How current does authorization need to be?
One valid, written authorization can support future reports if it clearly discloses that possibility; otherwise, get a new authorization each time.
Related Virginia topics
- FCRA adverse action in Virginia
- Ban-the-Box and Fair Chance hiring in Virginia
- Wage and hour in Virginia
- Leaves and accommodations in Virginia
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Ask HR AI is not legal advice. Confirm any final answers or suggested actions with your employment legal counsel before acting on them.