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