Pennsylvania background check laws
A practitioner-grade reference to Pennsylvania pre-employment background screening: lookback caps, ban-the-box scope, salary-history limits, cannabis testing rules, and the statutes the SafestHires compliance team applies on every order routed to PA.
The four levers at a glance
| Lookback period | 7 years (FCRA default) |
| Ban-the-Box scope | Public sector + Philadelphia, Pittsburgh |
| Salary history | Public-employer ban (Executive Order 2018-18-03) + Philadelphia |
| Cannabis testing | Medical only; reasonable accommodation |
Lookback period
Pennsylvania follows FCRA. Clean Slate sealing (2018) must be suppressed.
Ban-the-Box and Fair Chance rules
Governor's directive covers state agencies; Philadelphia and Pittsburgh apply private-employer rules.
Salary history
Applies to state agencies and Philadelphia private employers; no statewide private rule.
Cannabis & drug testing
35 P.S. §10231.2103 prohibits discrimination against medical-cannabis patients absent on-the-job impairment.
Governing statutes & references
- 35 P.S. §10231.2103
- 23 Pa.C.S. §6344 (K-12)
- Exec. Order 2018-18-03
SafestHires compliance note
Act 153 reprint required every five years for K-12 and child-contact roles.
City-level overlays in Pennsylvania
The following city or county ordinances impose additional fair-chance, ban-the-box, or individualized-assessment duties on top of Pennsylvania state law. Click through for covered-employer thresholds, timing, adverse-action workflows, and enforcement details.
- PhiladelphiaFair Criminal Records Screening Standards Act (Ch. 9-3500)
- PittsburghPittsburgh Ban the Box Ordinance
Frequently asked questions about Pennsylvania background checks
How long does a background check take in Pennsylvania?
Most SafestHires Pennsylvania background checks complete in under 24 hours when the county courts of record are electronic. Manual-access counties in Pennsylvania typically add 1–3 business days, and verification-heavy packages (employment, education, professional license) usually land in 1–3 business days end-to-end. See the state-by-state turnaround guide for county-level detail.
What shows up on a Pennsylvania employment background check?
A standard Pennsylvania employment background check returns an SSN trace and address history, national criminal database scan, sex offender registry, county criminal records for every Pennsylvania county lived or worked in during the FCRA lookback window, federal criminal records, and OFAC/global sanctions. Common PA add-ons include employment and education verification, professional license verification, motor vehicle records, and drug screening.
How much does a Pennsylvania background check cost?
SafestHires prices Pennsylvania background checks per component — no platform fees, no seat licenses, no minimums. A standard county criminal + national database + SSN trace package for Pennsylvania typically falls in the $20–$45 range depending on how many PA counties are searched and which add-ons are included. Use the pricing calculator for a PA-specific quote.
Do I need consent to run a background check on a Pennsylvania candidate?
Yes. Federal FCRA §1681b(b)(2) requires a stand-alone written disclosure and the candidate's written authorization before any consumer report is procured, and Pennsylvania follows that federal baseline. Additional PA-specific disclosures may apply — SafestHires builds the correct Pennsylvania disclosure package into every order automatically. See the sample forms library for templates.
Can Pennsylvania employers run a Financial Risk Search?
Yes. The SafestHires Financial Risk Search (bankruptcies, civil judgments, and tax liens from public records) is available for Pennsylvania hires in fiduciary, finance, cash-handling, and other roles with a documented permissible-purpose need. It is a public-record search — scoped and adverse-actioned like any other component under FCRA §§615 and 604.
How far back can a Pennsylvania employer look at criminal records?
Pennsylvania follows FCRA. Clean Slate sealing (2018) must be suppressed.