Background checks by state
A 50-state reference covering lookback caps, ban-the-box scope, salary-history rules, cannabis treatment, and the statute citations that change how a SafestHires report is built. We update this matrix every quarter and flag any jurisdiction that has amended within the trailing 90 days.
How to read this matrix
SafestHires runs a single-pass workflow that layers federal FCRA timing on top of state and local overlays. Each row below tells you the four levers that change the report you'll receive in your ATS, plus any jurisdiction-specific note our compliance team flags for new clients during onboarding.
- Lookback — how far back conviction or non-conviction data can appear in the consumer report.
- Ban-the-Box — whether criminal-history questions are restricted at application, conditional offer, or only in the public sector.
- Salary history — whether you can ask compensation history and, in newer statutes, whether pay scale must be posted.
- Cannabis — recreational status, off-duty protections, and safety-sensitive carve-outs that affect drug-testing panels.
| State | Lookback | Ban the Box | Salary history | Cannabis | SafestHires note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7 yr (FCRA, no state cap) | Public sector only | No restriction | Tested freely | No state-level expungement seal for employer reports. |
| Alaska | 7 yr (FCRA) | None | No restriction | Recreational legal; testing allowed | AS 12.62 fingerprint pathway for healthcare/childcare. |
| Arizona | 7 yr (FCRA) | Public sector (EO 2017-07) | No restriction | Med + rec; AMMA off-duty protections | Set-aside ≠ expungement — disclose carefully. |
| Arkansas | 7 yr (FCRA) | Public sector | No restriction | Med only; no off-duty rule | Sealed records under Act 1460 — do not report. |
| California | 7 yr (Cal. Civ. Code §1786.18) | Statewide + 5+ local (LA, SF, SD) | Banned (Lab. Code §432.3) | AB 2188 off-duty + non-psychoactive metabolite rule (2024) | ICRAA + CCRAA dual disclosure — and the new July 2024 FEHA regs. |
| Colorado | 7 yr (FCRA) | Statewide (CRS 8-2-130) | Banned (Equal Pay Act) | Rec legal; safety-sensitive carve-out | Job posting must include salary range + benefits. |
| Connecticut | 7 yr (FCRA) | Statewide (P.A. 16-83) | Banned (CGS §31-40z) | Rec legal; RERACA off-duty protections | Erased records may not be disclosed by candidate. |
| Delaware | 7 yr (FCRA) | Public sector | Banned (19 Del. C. §709B) | Med + rec (2025) | Mandatory access pathway for healthcare under Title 16. |
| DC | 10 yr conviction look-back capped (D.C. Code §2-1402.66) | Statewide; conditional-offer-only rule | Banned + range posting required | Statewide off-duty protection (2023) | Strongest single-jurisdiction stack in the country. |
| Florida | 7 yr (FCRA) | Local: Miami-Dade, Orlando, Tampa | No restriction | Med only; testing allowed | Level 2 fingerprint for healthcare/childcare. |
| Georgia | 7 yr (FCRA) | Public sector (EO 2015) | No restriction | No rec; med limited | GCIC access via O.C.G.A. §35-3-34; First Offender records. |
| Hawaii | 7 yr conviction (HRS §378-2.5) | Statewide — conditional offer | Banned (Act 108) | Rec illegal; med protections | Tightest conviction look-back in the country. |
| Illinois | 7 yr (FCRA) | Statewide (Job Opportunities for Qualified Applicants Act) | Banned (820 ILCS 112) | CRTA off-duty protection | Equal Pay Act amendments require pay scale in postings (2025). |
| Massachusetts | 5 yr misdemeanor / 10 yr felony (M.G.L. c. 6 §172) | Statewide CORI reform | Banned (M.G.L. c. 149 §105A) | Off-duty protections for med | CORI access agreement required to query state repository. |
| New York | 7 yr (NY Gen. Bus. Law §380-j) | Statewide + NYC Fair Chance Act | Banned (Lab. Law §194-a) | Lab. Law §201-d off-duty + non-active metabolite | Article 23-A individualized assessment required. |
| Texas | 7 yr conviction (Bus. & Com. Code §20.05) | Local: Austin (private) | No restriction | No rec; no off-duty rule | DPS records access + nondisclosure orders under GC §411. |
Excerpt — the full 50-state matrix is delivered to active SafestHires clients quarterly and on request to anyone running a free 15-minute audit with our compliance team.
Deep-dive state guides
SafestHires publishes practitioner-grade guides for the 13 states that generate the most compliance questions from our customer base: California, New York, Illinois, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Washington, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, and North Carolina. Each guide includes the consent-form language we recommend, the adverse-action timing table, and the local ordinance overlays.