Credit Check Limitations by State and Municipality 1.2026.xlsx

	A	B
1	Jurisdiction	Summary
2	Federal	Federal laws that can affect how an employer conducts credit checks include: Bankruptcy Reform Act bans employers from discriminating against employees solely because they have filed for bankruptcy or have bad debts. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission warns of potential disparate impact of basing employment decisions on credit/financial history. Fair Credit Reporting Act requires written authorization and specific notices when an employer obtains a credit report through a consumer reporting agency and uses the report to take an adverse action.
3	Alabama	N/A
4	Alaska	N/A
5	Arizona	Employers may obtain a job applicant's credit report for use in making hiring decisions upon receipt of the written consent of the employee. If the employer makes an unfavorable decision after reviewing the job applicant's credit report, the employer must disclose to the applicant the name and address of the credit reporting agency that prepared the report.
6	Arkansas	N/A
7	California	Bans employers and prospective employers, except for certain financial institutions, from obtaining or relying on consumer credit reports unless the job sought is a law enforcement position; a managerial position; involves access to trade secrets; regular access to cash totaling $10,000 or more; or a few other very limited exceptions.
8	Colorado	Prohibits employers with four or more employees from obtaining and using credit information for employment purposes subject to certain limited exceptions, such as for high-ranking executive or management-level positions and job with banks or financial institutions.
9	Connecticut	Generally allows employers to access credit reports only where the employer is a financial institution; the report is required by law; the report is "substantially related" to the current or potential job (such as a managerial position or a job involving a fiduciary duty to the employer); or the job involves access to confidential, proprietary or trade secret information.
10	Delaware	N/A
11	District of Columbia	Bans all employers regardless of size from asking applicants or employees about their credit history or making employment decisions based on that information, subject to limited exceptions such as for law enforcement jobs or certain positions with financial institutions.
12	Florida	Employers must obtain written consent to use employee credit reports or investigative employee consumer reports.
13	Georgia	N/A
14	Hawaii	Limits employer inquiries into credit reports to post-offer and for certain types of jobs where credit history is directly related to a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ); the employer is a federally insured financial institution; or the position sought is managerial or supervisory.
15	Idaho	N/A
16	Illinois	Bars employer credit checks except where job duties require unsupervised access to cash or marketable assets worth $2,500 or more; the job is managerial; involves access to trade secrets, personal or confidential information; or one's credit history is a BFOQ.
17	Chicago	Bars employer from using credit history to make employment decisions except for jobs in banking, insurance, municipal law enforcement or investigative agencies, debt collection, or if good credit is required by law.
18	Indiana	N/A
19	Iowa	N/A
20	Kansas	If an employer bases an employment decision on information contained in the consumer report, the employer must advise the consumer that the decision was based on information contained in the report and must supply the name and address of the consumer reporting agency which provided the report. Additional requirements apply to investigative consumer reports.
21	Kentucky	N/A
22	Louisiana	An individual who is denied employment on the whole or partial basis of information provided by a credit reporting agency is entitled to a copy of their credit report upon a written request made within 60 days of the denial. An employer must provide the name of the credit reporting agency that provided information used in the decision upon request.
23	New Orleans	Prohibits city contractors from using credit history for employment purposes except in limited circumstances.
24	Maine	The employment provisions of Maine's Fair Credit Reporting Act are consistent with federal law.
25	Maryland	Generally prohibits use of credit checks for employment purposes subject to a few limited exceptions including jobs with access to confidential business information; an expense account or corporate credit card; fiduciary responsibility; access to a customer's personal information; or a privately insured credit union.
26	Massachusetts	A "mini-FCRA" law mandates detailed notice, authorization and other procedures when obtaining a consumer report from a consumer reporting agency for the purpose of serving as a factor in establishing an applicant's eligibility for employment. Additional requirements apply to investigative consumer reports.
27	Michigan	N/A
28	Minnesota	Minnesota Access to Consumer Reports Act largely mirrors the federal FCRA, with some differences in notice and authorization requirements. An employer must include the authorization request with its employment application form when an application is used. The authorization form must have a checkbox for the individual to check if he or she wants a copy of the background report. An applicant may not be required to cover the costs of a background check.
29	Mississippi	N/A
30	Missouri	N/A
31	Montana	State law does not exceed federal FCRA requirements.
32	Nebraska	N/A
33	Nevada	Prohibits employers from using credit information for employment purposes subject to very limited exceptions, such as where the information sought is job related.
34	New Hampshire	If an employer decides not to hire a job applicant wholly or partly because of information contained in a consumer report, it is required to advise the applicant of this and supply the name and address of the consumer reporting agency making the report. Additional requirements apply to investigative consumer reports.
35	New Jersey	An employer may not procure a consumer report for employment purposes unless a clear and conspicuous disclosure has been made in writing before the report is procured, and the individual provides written authorization. The disclosure must be provided in a document that consists solely of the disclosure and states that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes. Before taking any adverse action based on a consumer credit report, the employer must provide a copy of the report; and a written description of the individual's rights of the consumer under the New Jersey Fair Credit Reporting Act and the federal FCRA.
36	New Mexico	N/A
37	New York	Effective April 18, 2026, prohibits employers from obtaining and using credit history information for employment purposes, subject to certain limited exceptions.
38	New York City	Prohibits credit checks for employment purposes and applies to employers with four or more employees, subject to limited exceptions.
39	North Carolina	N/A
40	North Dakota	N/A
41	Ohio	N/A
42	Oklahoma	Before obtaining a consumer credit report, an employer must provide written notice stating that a consumer report will be used, and the individual may obtain a free copy of the report by checking the box in the notice. If the applicant or employee requests the report, the employer must ask the consumer reporting agency to send a copy to the individual.
43	Oregon	Bans credit checks except for federally insured banks or credit unions; employers that are required by law to use credit information; law enforcement jobs; or where the check is otherwise clearly supported by job-related reasons.
44	Pennsylvania	N/A
45	Rhode Island	N/A
46	South Carolina	N/A
47	South Dakota	N/A
48	Tennessee	N/A
49	Texas	N/A
50	Utah	N/A
51	Vermont	Limits employers from using credit reports of job applicants, and also bans discrimination based on their credit information. A few exceptions are provided including where the job involves access to payroll information; fiduciary responsibility; the employer is a financial institution; or for law enforcement officers, firefighters; or emergency medical personnel.
52	Virginia	N/A
53	Washington	Prohibits employers from obtaining a job applicant's credit report for employment purposes unless the information is substantially job related, the employer discloses the reasons for the use of such information in writing, or the report is required by law.
54	West Virginia	N/A
55	Wisconsin	N/A
56	Wyoming	N/A
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