Visit the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse website to read Employment Background Checks: A Jobseeker’s Guide.

If you have a criminal record, read our web page about sealing or expunging your record. In 2016, Vermont passed a “ban the box” law. Because of the law, employers can’t ask about your criminal history on a job application unless federal or state law prohibits hiring someone with a specific criminal history. The employer may ask questions about criminal history at a job interview or after deciding you are qualified for the job. 

“Specialty” consumer reporting agencies collect and sell reports about your personal information like your work history, rent payments, banking, loans, insurance and criminal background. They may also include other information from public records such as tax liens, civil suits and bankruptcy. These are called “specialty reports.”

It’s important to know what’s in your specialty reports, especially if you are applying for a job, trying to rent an apartment, applying for a checking account, or buying property or health insurance. This list from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau will tell you which specialty reporting companies will provide a free copy of their report about you — and how you can get it.