Employers and landlords across West Michigan use background checks to screen applicants. A wrong report can cost you a job offer or an apartment. Common problems include a dismissed charge shown as a conviction, a record that belongs to someone with a similar name, and a sealed or set-aside case that still appears. The FCRA requires screening companies to use reasonable procedures to report accurately.
Inside the city of Grand Rapids, the Human Rights Ordinance adds local protections. It took effect December 1, 2019. Employers and landlords may consider conviction history, but only case by case, looking at factors such as the nature of the crime, how long ago it happened and evidence of rehabilitation. They may not consider an arrest that did not lead to a conviction, and an outright ban on applicants with a criminal background is prohibited. The ordinance also protects source of lawful income. A Michigan law limits local rules on what private employers ask on job applications, but it leaves room for local anti-discrimination ordinances.
Federal law adds its own steps. Before an employer takes adverse action based on a background report, it must give you a copy of the report and a summary of your rights. Most arrests and other non-conviction records older than seven years cannot be reported for most jobs. Background check cases from the five-county metro can be filed in the Western District of Michigan in Grand Rapids or in state court.
Where Grand Rapids FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Grand Rapids are heard in one federal district:
- Western District of MichiganKent, Ottawa, Montcalm, Ionia and Barry counties (the whole metro, all in the Southern Division). Courthouses: Grand Rapids.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 Grand Rapids
- Grand Rapids Human Rights Ordinance (Grand Rapids City Code, Title IX, Chapter 176, Secs. 9.955-9.973, including Secs. 9.958 and 9.959 (Ord. No. 2019-43, effective Dec. 1, 2019))
Bars discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations based on protected classes that include source of lawful income. Landlords and employers may consider conviction history case by case but may not consider an arrest that did not lead to a conviction, and an outright ban on applicants with a criminal background is prohibited. Michigan law (MCL 123.1384) bars local rules on what private employers must ask or leave off job applications and interviews, though it allows local anti-discrimination ordinances; no court ruling on how this affects the employment rule was found. Read it
State law also applies: see Background Check Error Lawsuits in Michigan.
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 Grand Rapids employer reject me because of an arrest that never led to a conviction?
Within the city, the Human Rights Ordinance says an arrest with no conviction may not be considered in employment or housing decisions. If a background report shows that arrest as a conviction or leaves out that the case was dismissed, the report may also be inaccurate under the FCRA.
Can a landlord in Grand Rapids refuse everyone with a criminal record?
The city's Human Rights Ordinance prohibits an outright ban on prospective tenants with a criminal background. Landlords must weigh factors such as the nature and age of the offense, rental history and rehabilitation. The ordinance applies within the City of Grand Rapids, not the whole metro.
What should I do if a background check from a Kent County job application is wrong?
Ask the employer for a copy of the report if you have not received one, and dispute the errors in writing with the background check company. Keep copies of court records that show the correct outcome. If the company does not fix the error, or the employer skipped the pre-adverse action notice, you may have an FCRA claim.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Grand Rapids?
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 Areas Population Totals: 2020-2025
- U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
- 28 U.S.C. § 102 (Michigan judicial districts)
- City of Grand Rapids, Human Rights Ordinance
- City of Grand Rapids, Human Rights Ordinance text as adopted (Ord. No. 2019-43, PDF)
- City of Grand Rapids, File a Human Rights Complaint
- Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq.
- Grand Rapids City Code Chapter 176, Human Rights, Secs. 9.958 and 9.959 (Municode)
- MCL 123.1384, Local Government Labor Regulatory Limitation Act
- MCL 123.1394, local employment discrimination ordinances preserved
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.