Quick Overview
- Yes - the vast majority of misdemeanor arrests and convictions appear on standard employment and housing background checks.
- Not all misdemeanors are treated equally by employers, landlords, and licensing boards.
- This is one of the most frequently misunderstood areas of background check law.
Background Check Guide · 2026
The misdemeanor felt minor at the time. Maybe it was a DUI from years ago. Maybe it was a shoplifting charge you thought was resolved. Maybe you were young, it was dismissed, and you figured that was that. But now it's following you - showing up when employers run checks, costing you apartments you applied for, surfacing when people Google your name before a first date or a business meeting. Here's an honest breakdown of what you're dealing with, how long it lasts, and what you can actually do about it.
Do Misdemeanors Show on Background Checks?
Yes - the vast majority of misdemeanor arrests and convictions appear on standard employment and housing background checks. Misdemeanors are part of the criminal court record in every state, and those records are accessible to consumer reporting agencies that compile background check reports.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) governs how long consumer reporting agencies can report criminal records. Under federal law, criminal convictions can be reported indefinitely, while arrests that did not result in conviction are limited to 7 years for positions with annual salaries under $75,000. However, many states impose shorter reporting windows - and in practice, employers often conduct checks regardless of these limits for higher-paying roles.
What typically appears
- Misdemeanor convictions: The charge, conviction date, and sentence all appear.
- Misdemeanor arrests that didn't result in conviction: These also appear, even if charges were dropped or the case was dismissed. The dismissal is itself a public court event.
- Guilty pleas to misdemeanors: Even reduced plea deals show as misdemeanor convictions on most checks.
- Deferred adjudication: Depending on state law, deferred adjudication (where you complete a program in exchange for dismissal) may or may not appear as a conviction.
Which Misdemeanors Are Most Likely to Disqualify You
Not all misdemeanors are treated equally by employers, landlords, and licensing boards. The impact depends heavily on the type of offense and the industry you're applying in.
High-impact misdemeanors by sector
- Theft and dishonesty charges (retail theft, petty theft, fraud): Particularly damaging for retail, finance, banking, cash-handling, inventory management, and any position involving client trust. Employers in these industries routinely decline candidates with theft history regardless of how old the charge is.
- DUI / DWI: Major issue for any driving-related position (delivery, trucking, rideshare) and increasingly scrutinized in professional and corporate roles. Multiple DUIs create particularly serious barriers.
- Domestic violence / assault: Creates barriers across healthcare, childcare, education, eldercare, and most corporate environments. Many professional licensing bodies treat this as grounds for license denial.
- Drug possession: Disqualifying for healthcare, education, government, and any federally regulated position. Many employers are more lenient for older charges or in states with legalized cannabis, but federal employers and contractors are not.
- Sex-related misdemeanors: Often the most broadly disqualifying category, across nearly all industries and housing contexts.
- Financial crimes (bad checks, fraud): Finance industry, insurance, and any fiduciary role will typically decline candidates with financial misdemeanor history.
How Long Does a Misdemeanor Stay on a Background Check?
This is one of the most frequently misunderstood areas of background check law. The answer depends on three factors: federal law, your state's law, and the salary threshold for the position.
Federal FCRA rules
- Criminal convictions: Can be reported indefinitely under federal law.
- Arrests without conviction: Limited to 7 years for positions with salary under $75,000 per year.
- Positions over $75,000: No FCRA time limit applies at the federal level - background check companies can report all records regardless of age.
State-specific reporting limits
| State | Criminal Record Reporting Limit | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| California | 7 years | Applies to most records regardless of salary |
| New York | 7 years for arrests; convictions indefinite | Arrest-only records limited |
| Colorado | 7 years | Some exceptions for positions of trust |
| Kansas | 7 years | Follows FCRA standard |
| Massachusetts | Varies by charge | CORI law limits many misdemeanor reports |
| Maryland | 7 years for most | Exceptions for certain industries |
| Montana | 7 years | Follows FCRA framework |
| New Hampshire | 7 years | No salary threshold distinction |
| New Mexico | 7 years | Follows FCRA |
| Washington State | 7 years | Strong consumer protections |
| Texas | Indefinite for convictions | No state limitation beyond FCRA |
| Florida | Indefinite for convictions | No additional state limits |
| Illinois | 7 years for some charges | Varies by offense and context |
| Georgia | Indefinite for convictions | Background check companies report all years |
| Ohio | Indefinite for convictions | Follows FCRA, no additional state limits |
Misdemeanors vs. Google Search Results
There are two separate problems when a misdemeanor is following you: the background check problem and the Google problem. They require different solutions, and fixing one doesn't fix the other.
Background checks query databases maintained by consumer reporting agencies. Google, on the other hand, indexes websites - and those websites often include legal databases like Justia, CourtListener, county court portals, news articles published at the time of your arrest, and people-search sites like BeenVerified and Spokeo.
When someone searches your name on Google, they may see these results long before any formal background check is run. Landlords, potential employers, dates, business partners - anyone who Googles you will find these results. The court system sealing or expunging your record doesn't automatically instruct these websites to remove anything.
This is why online removal is often pursued independently of - and sometimes before - expungement. You don't need a court order to ask Justia to remove a published case or to request that Google de-index a search result under its personal information policies.
How to Get a Misdemeanor Off a Background Check
The complete process for addressing a misdemeanor that's showing on background checks and online searches involves several coordinated steps.
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01Determine your expungement eligibility
Many misdemeanor convictions - and almost all dismissed charges - are eligible for expungement. Eligibility varies by state, offense type, time elapsed since conviction, and whether you've completed all sentencing requirements. Resources like Nolo's expungement guide and Cornell LII provide state-specific overviews. An expungement attorney in your state can give you a definitive answer.
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02File for expungement (if eligible)
The expungement petition is filed in the court where your case was handled. Costs vary from $50 to several hundred dollars in filing fees, plus attorney fees if you use one ($300-$1,500 is typical for misdemeanor expungement). Timeline from filing to order: 3-12 months depending on the state and court backlog.
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03After expungement, notify background check companies
Send a certified copy of your expungement order to Checkr, Sterling, HireRight, First Advantage, and any other consumer reporting agencies you're aware of. Under the FCRA, they must update their records within 30 days. Do not skip this step - many people assume the court handles this automatically, but it doesn't.
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04Request removal from online legal databases
Contact Justia, CourtListener, and any other legal database sites where your case appears. Some will comply with documented expungement orders; others require more persistent follow-up. This step does not require expungement - you can request removal based on other grounds even without a court order.
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05Google de-indexing for remaining search results
Once source pages are removed or updated, submit de-indexing requests through Google's legal removal tools or personal information removal policies. Google typically processes these within 2-4 weeks. For results from active pages that stay live, advanced removal strategies may be needed.
What We Can Help With
Our services focus on the online component of misdemeanor record removal - the part that expungement attorneys typically don't address and that the court system has no mechanism to fix.
- Online removal from legal databases: Justia, CourtListener, Google Scholar, county court websites, news sites
- Google de-indexing: Removing URLs from Google search results through proper channels
- Background check database notification: Coordinating notification to major consumer reporting agencies after expungement
- Data broker removal: Opt-out submissions to BeenVerified, Spokeo, Whitepages, Intelius, and 100+ similar sites
- AI search results: Addressing emerging AI-powered search surfaces that may surface your record
- Comprehensive coordinated removal: All of the above, coordinated simultaneously to minimize total timeline
We work on a pay-per-result basis - you only pay after removal is confirmed. Start with a free scan and case review.
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