Background Check Error Lawsuits in Connecticut

Connecticut has strong rules on criminal records in hiring. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51i, employers generally may not ask about prior arrests, charges or convictions on an initial job application. The exceptions are when state or federal law requires the question or the job requires a security or fidelity bond. Employers may never require disclosure of erased records. Any application that asks about criminal history must say so, and must explain that a person with erased records is treated as never having been arrested.

The same statute covers background check companies. A consumer reporting agency that reports criminal public records for employment must notify the person and must keep procedures to make sure the information is complete and up to date. Connecticut's Clean Slate law, § 54-142a(e), automatically erases many misdemeanor convictions after seven years and many lower-level felony convictions after ten years, for offenses on or after January 1, 2000. Automatic erasures began in 2024 after system delays. Once a record is erased, the person is deemed never to have been arrested for it and may swear to that under oath.

Connecticut also limits employer credit checks. Under § 31-51tt, an employer may not require consent to a credit report as a condition of employment unless an exception applies, such as a financial institution or a job where the report is substantially related. Connecticut has no separate tenant-screening statute, so renters rely mainly on the FCRA. An erased record should not appear on any screening report.

Where Connecticut FCRA cases are filed

FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Connecticut are heard in one federal district:

District of ConnecticutCourthouses: Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport.Filed with local or cooperating counsel

Our attorneys are licensed in Texas, California, and Georgia. Where they aren't admitted in your local federal court, we work with local or cooperating counsel who are. You may also be able to sue where the company that reported you is based, in a court where our attorneys are admitted:

Checkr: HQ in N.D. California
First Advantage and Sterling: HQ in N.D. Georgia
RealPage: HQ in N.D. Texas

Which court is right depends on your facts. We'll tell you at your free case review.

Connecticut laws that add to the FCRA

Employer criminal history inquiries and consumer reporting agency duties (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51i)
Bars most employers from asking about arrests, charges or convictions on an initial application, and bars requiring disclosure of erased records. Background check companies reporting criminal records for employment must notify the person and keep the information complete and up to date. Read it
Clean Slate automatic erasure (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 54-142a(e))
Automatically erases eligible misdemeanor convictions after seven years and eligible class D, class E and lower-level unclassified felony convictions after ten years. Family violence crimes, sex offenses and some other offenses are excluded. Read it
Employer use of credit reports (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51tt)
Bars employers from requiring an employee or applicant to consent to a credit report as a condition of employment, with exceptions for financial institutions, reports required by law and jobs where the report is substantially related. Read it

Common background check errors

Someone else's criminal or eviction record matched to you by name
Dismissed, sealed or expunged cases still reported
Charges reported as convictions, or misdemeanors as felonies
The same case listed several times
Eviction filings reported without the dismissal or outcome

Learn how these cases work on our background check lawsuits page, or read our lawsuit guides for Checkr, Sterling, HireRight, First Advantage, RealPage, SafeRent, RentGrow and TransUnion Rental Screening.

Frequently asked questions

Can a Connecticut employer ask about my record on the job application?

Generally not on the initial application. Connecticut law bars that question unless a law requires it or the job needs a security or fidelity bond. Later in the process an employer may ask, but it may not require you to disclose erased records.

What happens to my record under Connecticut's Clean Slate law?

If your conviction qualifies, it may be erased automatically after seven years for most misdemeanors or ten years for certain felonies, counted from your most recent conviction. Once erased, you are deemed never to have been arrested for it. If an erased case still appears on a background check, you can dispute it.

Can a Connecticut employer check my credit?

Only in limited cases. An employer generally may not require you to consent to a credit report unless it is a financial institution, the law requires the report, or the report is substantially related to the job. You can file a complaint with the Labor Commissioner if you believe the law was violated.

How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Connecticut?

FCRA deadlines are the same everywhere: generally two years from when you discover the violation, and no more than five years from when it happened (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). Waiting can cost you the claim.

Sources

Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.