Something's Wrong on My Background Check — What Now?

Use the free tool — Background Check Dispute

What just happened

An employer or landlord pulled a background report on you. Something on it is wrong, old, or belongs to someone else. Before they can make a final decision against you, federal law gives you certain rights and certain time to respond.

Your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act

The employer or landlord must give you a copy of the report and a summary of your rights. There is a waiting period before they can make a final, adverse decision. This tool computes those windows for you based on the date you received the notice.

You should get the report itself, not just a summary.
You should get a written summary of your rights.
There is a waiting period before the decision is final — respond inside that window even if your proof isn't ready yet. Just say you are disputing.

Old records: Florida and federal limits

There are federal and Florida-specific limits on how old certain records can be reported. This guide is based on the FCRA along with Florida Statutes 943.0585 and 943.059, as they stood in 2025–26. It cannot see your actual court record, so confirm the specifics with the agency or a professional.

Employers and landlords may also be subject to state or local "fair chance" rules that go beyond the FCRA.

What you can dispute, and how

If the report has someone else's information, an error, or something outdated, you can dispute it. The screening company that produced the report must reinvestigate within 30 days.

Dispute with the screening company — they must reinvestigate within 30 days.
Separately, tell the employer or landlord you are disputing, so they hold the decision.

The two letters

You generally need two letters:

To the screening company: dispute the item and request reinvestigation.
To the employer or landlord: ask them to hold the decision and include proof of your dispute.

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

If the mistake was willful

If the screening company or employer willfully violated the FCRA, statutory damages and attorney's fees may be available. Consumer attorneys often take these cases on contingency, so it can be worth a conversation with one even if money is tight right now.

What to do next

Paste the pre-adverse action notice or the report itself into the free tool. It reads your own document and dates, computes the FCRA windows that apply to you, tells you what you can dispute and how, and generates the two dispute letters. It is available in English and Spanish, and it is free.

This is not legal advice. It cannot see your actual court record. It is not affiliated with any employer, screening company, or agency. Confirm specifics with the agency or a professional.

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.