Background Check Error Lawsuits in Hartford

Connecticut has statewide fair-chance rules. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-51i, employers may not ask about arrests, criminal charges or convictions on an initial job application, unless a law requires it or the job needs a fidelity bond. Employers also may not ask about erased records, or deny a job solely because a record was erased. The City of Hartford's own code adds rules for city hiring and city vendors, and it bars credit checks for most city jobs.

The same statute puts duties on background check companies. A company that reports criminal matters of public record for employment must notify you when it does so, and tell you who received the report. It must also keep procedures to make sure the records are complete and up to date. Those duties sit beside the FCRA, which requires reasonable procedures for maximum possible accuracy. Connecticut erases many records by law. A screening report that still shows an erased conviction, or lists a dismissed or nolled charge as a conviction, may be inaccurate.

Renters are protected as well. Since January 1, 2023, Conn. Gen. Stat. 46a-80c has made it a discriminatory practice to refuse to rent because of erased criminal history. Connecticut also bars housing discrimination based on lawful source of income. Background check cases from the Hartford area can be filed in the federal court for the District of Connecticut, which has a courthouse in Hartford, or in state court.

Where Hartford FCRA cases are filed

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

District of ConnecticutAll of Connecticut, including the Capitol and Lower Connecticut River Valley planning regions. Courthouses: 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.

Local and state rules in Hartford

Hartford criminal record check standards for city hiring (Hartford Municipal Code §§ 2-381 to 2-389 (Ord. No. 17-09, adopted May 11, 2009))
The City of Hartford runs a criminal record check only when state or federal law requires one or the position is sensitive, and only after finding the applicant otherwise qualified and making a conditional offer. The city may not ask about or act on arrests that did not lead to a conviction and are not pending. An applicant turned down over a record gets notice, a copy of the record and seven business days to respond to the Human Resources Appeals Board. Read it
Hartford criminal record check standards for city vendors (Hartford Municipal Code §§ 2-785 to 2-793 (Ord. No. 18-09, adopted May 11, 2009))
Businesses that contract with the City of Hartford may not put a conviction question on their job applications or ask about or act on arrests that did not lead to a conviction. A vendor should keep an applicant's criminal record from hiring decision-makers until after a conditional offer, and may reject an applicant only if the record bears directly on the job or hiring would break the law. The applicant gets five business days to respond, and a vendor that departs from these standards risks losing its city contract. Read it
Hartford ban on credit checks in city hiring (Hartford Municipal Code § 2-346 (Ord. No. 16-11, adopted May 9, 2011))
The City of Hartford may not run a credit check on applicants for classified or non-classified city jobs, or on employees seeking promotion, unless state or federal law requires it. A credit check includes credit scores, account balances, payment history and bank account information. It applies only to city employment. Read it
Connecticut fair-chance hiring and background check company duties (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-51i)
Employers may not ask about arrests, charges or convictions on an initial application unless required by law or a bond is needed, and may not ask about erased records. Consumer reporting agencies that report criminal records for employment must notify the consumer and keep procedures to make sure records are complete and up to date. Read it
Connecticut housing protection for erased criminal records (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46a-80c)
On and after January 1, 2023, it is a discriminatory practice to refuse to sell or rent a dwelling, or to set different terms, based on the erased criminal history record information of a buyer, renter or household member. Read it

State law also applies: see Background Check Error Lawsuits in Connecticut.

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

My Connecticut conviction was erased, but it showed up on a background check. What now?

Connecticut law bars employers and landlords from treating you differently because of an erased record. A screening company that keeps reporting an erased conviction may also violate the FCRA's accuracy rule and Connecticut's requirement that criminal records be complete and up to date. You can dispute the report with the company and may have a claim if it is not corrected.

Should a Connecticut background check company tell me it reported my criminal record?

Yes. Under Conn. Gen. Stat. 31-51i, a company that issues an employment report with criminal matters of public record must notify you at the time it issues the report. It must also give you the name and address of the person receiving it. The FCRA has a related notice rule for public-record reports used for jobs.

A Hartford landlord rejected me after a tenant screening report. Can I see it?

Yes. If a landlord takes adverse action based on a screening report, the FCRA requires it to tell you and name the screening company. You can then get a free copy of the report and dispute any error. Connecticut also bars refusing to rent because of erased criminal records or lawful source of income.

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

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.