All resourcesState guide · WI
Wisconsin background check laws
A practitioner-grade reference to Wisconsin 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 WI.
The four levers at a glance
| Lookback period | 7 years (FCRA default) |
| Ban-the-Box scope | Public sector (Executive Order 17) |
| Salary history | No restriction |
| Cannabis testing | Illegal (limited CBD) |
Lookback period
Wisconsin applies FCRA. Pardons and expungements under Wis. Stat. §973.015 must be suppressed.
Ban-the-Box and Fair Chance rules
Governor Evers' 2019 executive order removed the conviction question from state-agency initial applications.
Salary history
No statewide salary-history ban.
Cannabis & drug testing
Wisconsin permits limited CBD use; no recreational or broad medical legalization.
Governing statutes & references
- Wis. Stat. §111.335 (conviction-record discrimination)
- Wis. Stat. §973.015
SafestHires compliance note
Wis. Stat. §111.335 prohibits discrimination based on convictions unsubstantially related to the position.