Will a 20 Year Old Felony Show Up on a Background Check?

Cindy Ellis - July 7, 2023

Background checks are thorough and one of the most important parts of the hiring process for companies and the federal government. It’s for this reason that knowing how long a felony will remain on your record is essential.

Even if the felony appears on a background check, if you know it’s there you can get ahead of it and explain it to your potential employer before they get the results of the background check. Plus, going through your records is easier than you think with the proper tools.

It’s our job to help you get information and that’s exactly what we’re here to do. We’ll show you if a 20-year-old felony will appear on a background check and how you can be sure. What’s more, we’ll show you how to view your records and answer any questions you have about background checks and felonies.

Read on to learn more about how long a felony stays on a background check below.

What Is a Background Check?

Background checks are public record searches that verify someone’s identity. Along with identity verification, it’s not uncommon for background checks to look at someone’s criminal records or driving records. There are also several types of background checks and the type that’s being run is what dictates the type of information that’s available.

Background checks can be run for a few reasons. The biggest reason for a background check is employment. Most employers want to verify a potential employee’s identity and criminal records. Aside from employers, background checks are also run by the federal government and by the FBI for gun sales.

For the purpose of seeing if a 20-year-old felony appears on a background check, understanding how background checks work is essential.

What Information Appears on a Background Check?

Background checks reveal a lot of information but it’s dependent on the type of background check. There are basic checks that go over someone’s social security information for identity verification, whereas other background checks dive into someone’s criminal records.

Below we list the type of background checks and the information they gather.

• Identity Verification: Background checks that verify someone’s identity.
• Criminal Background Check: A background check that searches through someone’s criminal records. In some states, a 20-year-old felony will show up here indefinitely.
• Driving Records Background Check: Searches that look into someone’s traffic records for jobs like driving a bus or operating other types of heavy machinery.
• Financial Background Check: Background checks that look into someone’s credit history. This includes credit scores, delinquent accounts, bankruptcies, and more.
• NACI Background Check: NACI background checks are base-level checks for federal employees. Some states also run NACI background checks.
• Background Checks for Firearms: Purchasing a firearm requires a background check from records within the FBI database. Having a felony will impact your ability to purchase a gun.

Knowing the types of background checks and what’s being run on you will help you determine if you have to worry about a 20-year-old felony on a background check.

How Long Do Felonies Stay on Your Record?

Felonies stay on your record for several years. According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), though, the standard look-back time is about seven years. If companies want to dig further they can, so it’s important to be prepared for that. Unfortunately, many states have laws in place that keep criminal records on your record indefinitely.

When you have a felony on your record it’s important to understand that it will be around for a long time, especially if it’s a conviction. Dismissed or dropped cases may fall off your record at some point.

Does Every Job Use a Background Check?

Most jobs run background checks when interviewing new employees. These checks are run to verify someone’s identity or to root out any possible criminals. Federal and state jobs also run background checks and have to do so according to the law.

Jobs that don’t run background checks are usually off-the-books and pay cash. You might also get lucky with some small businesses that need the help. Nobody can run a background check on you for employment or domestic help purposes without consent, so keep that in mind.

It’s a good idea to prepare for a background check for any job that you apply for because most of the time there is some type of background check.

How Long Does a Background Check Take?

Most background checks take between three and five days. For identity verification background checks are short. On the other hand, some background checks can take up to a month if criminal records are being evaluated. If you want to speed up the process, make sure to submit public records to clean up any discrepancies.

Now that you know what a background check consists of, it’s time to look at records that may be 20 years old. While it may seem like a long time, some employers might not see it that way depending on the crime or conviction.

Does a 20-Year-Old Felony Appear on a Background Check?

Yes, a 20-year-old felony will appear on a background check. Unfortunately, in some states, there is no way around this because criminal records show up indefinitely.

That said, some states do have laws in place to prevent companies from looking back 20 years. Some states also have laws against discriminating against people for felonies committed several decades ago.

It’s also important to go over dismissed and dropped felonies and how they impact a background check.

Does a 20-Year-Old Felony Disqualify You From Work?

Yes and no. In some cases, yes, a felony will disqualify you from work and this is common for federal and state jobs. You’ll have better luck with a private employer or small business when looking for work with a felony on your record. You can always try and explain a felony and get ahead of it before the background check process to avoid wasting any time.

Many states also have a limit on how far you can look back. In many cases, a felony that happened 20 years ago is not relevant enough to disqualify you from getting a job. However, it may still impact your ability to get a gun.

Can You Purchase a Firearm With a 20-Year-Old Felony?

Whether or not you can purchase a firearm with a 20-year-old felony varies based on where you live. Some states will allow you to purchase a gun after an allotted amount of time, while others won’t.

It also depends on the type of gun you want to buy. For example, you might be permanently banned from buying a handgun in New York if you have violent felonies.

Does a 20-Year-Old Dismissed Felony Appear on a Background Check?

Dismissed cases are cases that went to court but got thrown out by the judge or where the prosecution decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to get a conviction. These cases will show as pending court cases on many background checks until they are closed, especially in states like Wyoming with laws that have a 60-day waiting period.

While a dismissed felony will show up in many states, that’s not true for all states. Some states like Vermont will remove it from a record in 60 days. Other states may expunge it once it becomes dismissed. Dismissed cases will look better if they were dismissed with prejudice versus without prejudice.

Does a 20-Year-Old Dropped Felony Appear on a Background Check?

Dropped felonies work differently than convicted felonies and dismissed felonies. This is because dropped felonies get thrown out before going to court. While these may appear as pending cases, 20 years is enough time for most dropped cases to be off of your record.

Additionally, dropped felonies look better than convicted felons or dismissed felonies on your record. This is because the case was put to rest almost immediately.

Does a 20-Year-Old Misdemeanor Appear on a Background Check?

Yes, 20-year-old misdemeanors appear on a background check. Misdemeanors are less severe than felonies, so you’ll have better luck when applying for a job. You may also be able to get work for the federal or state government with a misdemeanor, especially if it occurred 20 years ago.

Keep in mind that some states won’t have misdemeanors appear on a background check, so always check the laws specific to your state.

Do Violations and Other Infractions Appear on a Background Check?

Violations and infractions are more complex than misdemeanors and felonies. These can last on your record for more than 20 years or they may never get looked at; it depends on the violation and what was involved.

A great example is how this works for driving record checks. Driving while under the influence and frequent moving violations will appear on the background check but only if they’re recent. If these infractions happened about 20 years ago you won’t face too many issues. Still, it does depend on the circumstances.

All of these laws constantly change, so it’s essential to stay up-to-date.

How to Check Your Background With Information.com

20-year-old felonies will show up on your background check in some states but not all of them, so it’s a good idea to run your own background check. Running a background check is easy when using Information.com’s people search tool. Not only will you find information about your public records, but you can even use it to find information about other people.

Learn about how to run a background check with Information.com below.

How to Run a Background Check With Information.com

Information.com makes it simple and easy to run a background check. This is because a background check is just an in-depth dive into someone’s public records. Information.com makes this process easy because our database is connected to billions of public records databases across the United States.

To run a background check using our tools start by entering your information. We also have pages for people search, criminal records, and public records searches. From there, enter additional information that’s required – this usually involves your age and some information about your location.

Once all of your information is entered it’s time to let Information.com do its thing. Our database begins scanning millions of public records to get your results in less than 10 minutes. The last steps are to agree to the terms of service and privacy policy.

After following these steps you can sign up for an account and view your full report.

What Does an Information.com Background Check Reveal?

Information.com is one of the most in-depth platforms available for running online background checks. Plus, you get to access your information fast and at a fraction of the cost of the competition.

When you run a background check on yourself or someone else with Information.com you’ll find the following information:

• Criminal records
• Court records
• Social media profiles
• Dating profiles
• Email addresses
• Marriage records
• Divorce records
• Phone records
• Sex offender status
• Jail sentences
• Address
• Bankruptcy

When running a search on yourself with Information.com you may find some or all of this information. Ultimately, it comes down to how big your online paper trail is and how many public records you’ve left behind.

Can You Run a Background Check on Someone Else With Information.com?

Yes, you can run a background check on someone else with Information.com. All you need to get started is their full name. Background checks work best if you include more information like their address, city, and state but you don’t need it. Once you enter their information you can follow the same steps you would for a search on yourself to get your results.

The only time you can’t run a background check on someone else is if you’re looking into an employee without consent. This also applies to domestic help and other people who might work for you.

Why It’s Important to Check Your Background With Information.com

Checking your background with information.com is crucial if you’re unsure about your record. If you got into trouble years ago, sometimes it’s hard to tell if it’s still on your record. The good news is that Information.com will help you get everything organized and under control.

Running a background check on yourself is one of the best ways to prepare for interviews, background checks for firearms, and other types of background checks.

Checking your information also goes beyond background checks. It’s good to know what types of public records you have and to monitor them in case of any changes. Fortunately, we have ways to alert you when things change in your public records.

Avoiding identity theft and other problems in this day and age has never been more important, so keeping tabs on your record is worth it.

What Jobs Are Good for People with Felonies?

There are many jobs that people who have felonies can do. If a 20-year-old felony is appearing in your records you’ll have to choose the job that works best for you. Typically, jobs that felons can work include the trades and owning a business. It’s challenging to get a job that requires a background check, which usually includes federal, state, and corporate jobs.

Below we list some job options for people who have felonies on their record:

• Warehouse work
• Working in the trades
• Landscaping
• Some federal jobs if it’s past the look-back period
• Programming
• Starting a company
• Public speaking
• Domestic work like house cleaning

The types of jobs that are available depend on the look-back period of the background check and if the organization cares about felonies on records. Some types of felonies may also hinder your chances more than others. For example, violent crimes usually give you a harder time.

View Your Records Today

Checking your records to identify a felony is one of the best things you can do before any job interview. Not only will it prepare you for any questions but you can get ahead of any problems.

Many employers respect honesty, so explaining the situation and why it happened is the best way to succeed if you have a criminal record. That said, 20-year-old felonies may or may not appear on your records depending on where you live, so always check your state’s laws.

If you want to view your records you can always count on Information.com to have your back. Our database is connected to billions of public records databases in each state and will help you verify all of your records. Also, remember to look into laws specific to your state for more information.