How to Dispute a Background Check With the Screening Company

Use the free tool — Background Check Dispute

What's going on

An employer or landlord pulled a background report on you, and something on it is wrong: a mixed-up name, a dismissed charge still showing, an old debt, an eviction that wasn't yours. Before they can make a final decision against you, the law gives you rights and a chance to respond.

What the employer or landlord must do before deciding

Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), before an employer or landlord takes a final adverse action based on your background report, they must give you:

A copy of the report itself.
A summary of your rights under the FCRA.
A waiting period after giving you the notice, before they can make their final decision.

This is often called a "pre-adverse action" notice. If you paste the notice or the report into the tool, it computes the relevant windows for you based on the date you received it.

What you can dispute, and how

You can dispute anything on the report that is wrong, outdated, or belongs to someone else. Once you dispute it with the screening company, the company must reinvestigate within 30 days. The tool explains what you can dispute and how, and it can generate a dispute letter for you.

Respond inside the pre-adverse window even if your proof isn't complete yet. Just say you are disputing the item — you don't have to have everything sorted out first.

How old can a record legally be?

There are federal and Florida-specific limits on how old certain records can be when they're reported. This tool is based on the FCRA together with Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059 as of 2025–26. It explains those limits based on what you paste, but it cannot see your actual court record — confirm the specifics with the agency or a professional.

Send the two letters

There are two separate letters to send:

One to the screening company — disputing the item and requesting reinvestigation.
One to the employer or landlord — asking them to hold their decision and pointing to your proof.

Send by certified mail, and also use the screening company's online dispute portal if it has one.

If the violation was willful

If an employer or the screening company willfully violated the FCRA, statutory damages and fees may be available. Consumer attorneys often take these cases on contingency, so it's worth checking with one.

What this tool is — and isn't

This is not legal advice, and it cannot see your actual court record. It explains the FCRA and Florida record rules based on what you paste. Employers and landlords may also be subject to additional state or local "fair chance" rules not covered here. Always confirm specifics with the screening company, the employer or landlord, or a professional.

What to do next

The free tool reads the actual pre-adverse action notice or report you paste — the name, dates, and screening company — and tells you what the law requires, computes your windows from the date you received it, and drafts both dispute letters for you. It's free, and available in English and Spanish. It is not affiliated with any employer, screening company, or agency.

Use the free tool

Background Check Dispute is an informational tool based on the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), FTC/EEOC employer guidance, and Florida Statutes 943.0585/943.059 as of 2025–26. It is not legal advice and does not send disputes. Employers and landlords may also have state/local 'fair chance' rules. It is not affiliated with any employer, screening company or agency.