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Connecticut background check laws for employers
Connecticut bars employers of every size from asking about arrests, charges or convictions on the first job application, and from using erased records, which now include many older convictions erased automatically under the state's Clean Slate law. Employers also may not require a credit report as a condition of employment unless an exception applies. Long-term care employers must run a state and national background search before hiring direct-care staff.
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Fair-chance hiring (criminal history)
- These rules cover any employer with one or more employees, including the state (Gen. Stat. §§ 31-51i(a), 46a-80a(3)).
- An employer may not ask about prior arrests, criminal charges or convictions on an initial employment application, unless state or federal law requires it or the job requires a security or fidelity bond (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(b)).
- An employer may not ask about a prospective employee's conviction information until the person has been found otherwise qualified for the job (Gen. Stat. § 46a-80(b)).
- Any application form that asks about criminal history must state clearly that the applicant does not have to disclose erased records, explain what erased records are, and say the person may swear they were never arrested for erased matters (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(d)).
- An employer may not require disclosure of erased records, and may not refuse to hire or fire someone solely because of an erased record, a provisional pardon, or a certificate of rehabilitation (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(c), (e), (f)).
- Since January 1, 2023, discriminating in pay or job terms based on erased criminal history is a discriminatory practice (Gen. Stat. § 46a-80d).
- The criminal history part of an application may be seen only by personnel staff (or the person in charge of hiring) and those interviewing the applicant, with limited exceptions for securities firms, banks and insurance producers (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(g), (h)).
- For the application, notice and erased-record rules, a person may file with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities or sue in Superior Court; other parts go to the Labor Commissioner (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(j)).
- The three-factor review and written rejection rules in § 46a-80(c)-(d) apply to state jobs and state licenses, not to private employers (Gen. Stat. § 46a-80).
City and county rules
- No Connecticut city ordinance reaching private employers was confirmed (see unconfirmed).
State consumer report rules
- A consumer reporting agency that reports criminal matters of public record for employment must, when it issues the report, tell the person it is doing so and give the name and address of the recipient (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(i)(2)(A)).
- The agency must also keep procedures to make sure reported criminal matters are complete and up to date (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(i)(2)(B)).
How far back a report can go
- Erased records include records erased by statute, youthful offender records, and criminal case continuances more than 13 months old (Gen. Stat. § 46a-80a(4)).
- Clean Slate erases eligible misdemeanor convictions 7 years, and eligible class D and E (and low-level unclassified) felony convictions 10 years, after the most recent conviction, automatically for offenses on or after January 1, 2000 (Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(1)).
- Family violence crimes, sexual offenses and certain listed crimes are not eligible for Clean Slate erasure (Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e)(2)).
- A person with an erased record is treated as never arrested for those matters and may say so under oath (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i(d)(3)).
- Convictions for offenses later decriminalized, such as possession of less than half an ounce of marijuana, may be erased on petition (Gen. Stat. § 54-142d).
- No separate Connecticut limit on how far back a background report may go was found in the sections reviewed, so federal FCRA limits apply (Gen. Stat. § 31-51i).
Credit checks
- An employer with one or more employees may not require a worker or applicant to consent to a credit report as a condition of employment (Gen. Stat. § 31-51tt(a)(2), (b)).
- Exceptions: financial institutions, reports required by law, a reasonable belief the worker broke the law in the job, or a report substantially related to the job, such as managerial roles, access to personal or financial data, fiduciary duties, expense accounts or company cards, trade secrets, or assets worth $2,005 or more (Gen. Stat. § 31-51tt(a)(4), (b)).
- Complaints go to the Labor Commissioner, and the penalty is $300 for each violating inquiry (Gen. Stat. § 31-51tt(c)).
Also good to know
- Nursing homes, home health and hospice agencies, assisted living services agencies and other long-term care facilities must have workers with direct patient access submit to a state and national criminal history and abuse registry search before hiring (Gen. Stat. § 19a-491c(c)).
Common questions
Can Connecticut employers run a background check?
Connecticut bars employers of every size from asking about arrests, charges or convictions on the first job application, and from using erased records, which now include many older convictions erased automatically under the state's Clean Slate law. Employers also may not require a credit report as a condition of employment unless an exception applies. Long-term care employers must run a state and national background search before hiring direct-care staff.
Does Connecticut have a ban-the-box law for private employers?
These rules cover any employer with one or more employees, including the state (Gen. Stat. §§ 31-51i(a), 46a-80a(3)).
How far back does a background check go in Connecticut?
Erased records include records erased by statute, youthful offender records, and criminal case continuances more than 13 months old (Gen. Stat. § 46a-80a(4)).
Can Connecticut employers run credit checks on applicants?
An employer with one or more employees may not require a worker or applicant to consent to a credit report as a condition of employment (Gen. Stat. § 31-51tt(a)(2), (b)).
Some rules for Connecticut weren't confirmed from an official source. Check with the state before relying on this page.
Sources
- Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 557 (§§ 31-51i, 31-51tt) (CT General Assembly, official)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 814c (§§ 46a-80, 46a-80a, 46a-80d)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 961a (§§ 54-142a, 54-142d)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. ch. 368v (§ 19a-491c)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. 2026 Supplement, ch. 557 (checked for 2025 changes)
- Conn. Gen. Stat. 2026 Supplement, ch. 814c (checked for 2025 changes)
This page summarizes state law in plain words, with links to the law itself. It is not legal advice, and laws change: check the linked source, and talk to a lawyer about your own policy. Federal DOT testing rules are separate and override state limits for DOT-covered jobs. Checked October 2026.