A background check only includes employment history if the employer orders employment verification. If incorrect job details lead to a denial, you have the right to dispute the report.

You can buy a background check on yourself, but those self-check reports are often different from the ones employers and landlords use. Disputing errors on a self-purchased report rarely creates a legal claim—real FCRA issues start when a false report is used to deny you a job or apartment.

Background checks are denied for reasons ranging from criminal history to simple reporting errors. If the denial is based on inaccurate information, you have the right to dispute it and may be entitled to compensation.

Pre-adverse action is a notice sent before a final denial to give you time to review and dispute a background check report. Adverse action is the final notice after the decision is made and explains your rights and how to obtain the report.

Most background checks finish in a few days, but some take 1–2 weeks when courts, DMVs, or employers respond slowly. A two-week delay usually means a specific verification step is still pending, not an automatic denial.

Most background checks don’t include mugshots, but some screening companies pull outdated arrest images from public databases. If a background check reported a mugshot that is incorrect, misleading, or tied to a dismissed or expunged case, you may be able to dispute it and seek correction or compensation.

Even after finishing probation, your case may still appear on background checks unless it’s expunged or reported correctly. If outdated or inaccurate reporting is costing you jobs, you may be entitled to compensation.

A dismissed case doesn’t disappear automatically. To remove it from background checks, you must file for expungement. Once expunged, companies are legally required to delete the record.