Baltimore City has had its own ban-the-box law since 2014. The Fair Criminal-Record Screening Practices law, Article 11, Subtitle 15 of the City Code, covers employers with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees in the city. Before a conditional offer, those employers may not require disclosure of a criminal record or run a criminal record check. Maryland's statewide Criminal Record Screening Practices Act separately covers employers with 15 or more full-time employees and bars criminal history questions before the first in-person interview.
Renters have new state protections too. The Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act took effect October 1, 2026. It covers landlords with five or more units and generally bars criminal history questions before a conditional offer, with listed exceptions. After an offer, a landlord may consider only certain records and must do an individualized assessment and give written notice of any withdrawal. The act preempts comparable local laws.
The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act governs the accuracy of the report itself. Background check and tenant screening companies must use reasonable procedures for accuracy and must reinvestigate disputes. Cases from the metro are filed in the District of Maryland's Northern Division in Baltimore.
Where Baltimore FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Baltimore are heard in one federal district:
- District of MarylandBaltimore City and Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Carroll and Queen Anne's counties (Northern Division). Courthouses: Baltimore.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 Baltimore
- Baltimore City Fair Criminal-Record Screening Practices (Baltimore City Code, Article 11, Subtitle 15 (§§ 15-1 to 15-16); Ordinance 14-221)
Applies to employers with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees in Baltimore City. Before a conditional offer, a covered employer may not require disclosure of a criminal record, run a criminal record check, or otherwise ask about criminal history. Exceptions include actions required by law and employers serving minors or vulnerable adults. Read it
State law also applies: see Background Check Error Lawsuits in Maryland.
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 Baltimore City employer run a background check before making me an offer?
Under Baltimore City's Fair Criminal-Record Screening Practices law, employers with 10 or more full-time equivalent employees in the city generally may not run a criminal record check before a conditional offer. There are exceptions, such as checks required by law. When a check is run, the FCRA requires your written permission and a copy of the report before any adverse action.
What changed for Maryland renters with criminal records in October 2026?
The Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act took effect October 1, 2026, for landlords with five or more units. It generally bars criminal history questions before a conditional offer and requires an individualized assessment and written notice if the offer is withdrawn. The FCRA continues to require screening companies to report accurately.
My tenant screening report has a criminal case that belongs to someone else. What can I do?
You can request your file from the screening company and dispute the record. The company generally must reinvestigate within 30 days and delete information it cannot verify. If it reported the record without reasonable procedures to confirm it was yours, or fails to fix it, you may have an FCRA claim.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Baltimore?
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
- U.S. Census Bureau, Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Area Population Totals: 2020–2025
- U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
- 28 U.S.C. § 100 (District of Maryland divisions)
- Baltimore City Code, Article 11, Subtitle 15
- Maryland Department of Labor, Criminal Record Screening Practices
- Maryland General Assembly, SB 937 (2026), Maryland Fair Chance Housing Act
- SB 937 (2026) fiscal and policy note
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681m (adverse action notices)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i (disputes and reinvestigation)
- 15 U.S.C. §§ 1681n and 1681o (damages)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b (employment reports)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.