Background checks shape hiring and renting across the tri-state Cincinnati area. Errors happen. A report may attach someone else's criminal record by name alone, show a sealed or dismissed case, list one case several times, or report an eviction filing without noting that it was dismissed. The FCRA requires background and tenant screening companies to follow reasonable procedures to make their reports as accurate as possible.
State rules differ across the metro. In Ohio, public employers such as cities, counties and state agencies may not put criminal background questions on job application forms under Ohio Revised Code § 9.73. The City of Cincinnati (since 2010) and Hamilton County (since 2012) also adopted their own policies that keep the question off job applications and check records only after a conditional offer. Ohio also offers a Certificate of Qualification for Employment, which can lift some licensing barriers and gives employers who knowingly hire a certificate holder protection from certain negligent hiring claims. Kentucky and Indiana have their own rules. For any employer that uses a background check company, the FCRA requires a copy of the report and a summary of rights before an adverse decision.
Renters denied an apartment because of a screening report should get a notice naming the screening company and can request a free copy to dispute. Background check cases from the Ohio counties are filed in the Southern District of Ohio in Cincinnati, from Northern Kentucky in the Eastern District of Kentucky in Covington, and from the Indiana counties in the Southern District of Indiana.
Where Cincinnati FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Cincinnati are heard in 3 federal districts:
- Southern District of OhioHamilton, Butler, Warren, Clermont and Brown counties in Ohio. Courthouses: Cincinnati.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
- Eastern District of KentuckyThe Northern Kentucky counties of the metro, including Kenton, Boone and Campbell. Courthouses: Covington.Filed with local or cooperating counsel
- Southern District of IndianaDearborn and Ohio counties (New Albany Division) and Franklin County (Indianapolis Division) in southeastern Indiana. Courthouses: New Albany, Indianapolis.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 Cincinnati
- City of Cincinnati fair hiring policy for City jobs (Cincinnati City Council motion in support of fair hiring (filed June 9, 2010; passed Aug. 2010))
City of Cincinnati job applications do not ask about criminal history, and background checks are run only after a contingent job offer. An applicant denied because of the check receives a copy and at least 10 business days to dispute it. It covers City jobs only. Read it - Hamilton County, Ohio criminal history policy for county jobs (Hamilton County administrative policy (county job application revised March 2012))
Hamilton County removed criminal record questions from its job application and reviews criminal history only after a conditional offer, based on the job and the nature of the offense. A rejected applicant receives an explanation and may request the background check. It covers county jobs only, and Ohio Revised Code § 9.73 now separately bars the question on all public job applications. Read it - Ohio public employer application rule (Ohio Rev. Code § 9.73)
Ohio state agencies and political subdivisions, including counties and cities, may not include any question about an applicant's criminal background on a job application form. They may still note laws that disqualify people with certain records from particular jobs. Read it - Ohio Certificate of Qualification for Employment (Ohio Rev. Code § 2953.25)
Ohio courts may issue a certificate that relieves a person from certain collateral sanctions that limit employment. In a negligent hiring claim, the certificate gives immunity to an employer that knew of it when hiring. Read it
State laws also apply: see Background Check Error Lawsuits in Indiana and Background Check Error Lawsuits in Kentucky and Background Check Error Lawsuits in Ohio.
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 the City of Cincinnati or Hamilton County ask about my record on a job application?
Ohio law bars public employers, including cities and counties, from putting criminal background questions on application forms. They may still run a background check later in the process. If that check comes from a consumer reporting agency, the FCRA's accuracy and notice rules apply.
My sealed Ohio case showed up on a background check for a job in Kentucky. What can I do?
A sealed record generally should not appear on a background report. You can dispute it with the screening company and provide the sealing order. The FCRA applies no matter which state the job is in, and reporting a sealed case may support a claim.
A tenant screening report listed an eviction filing that was dismissed. Is that accurate?
A report that shows a filing but leaves out the dismissal can be misleading. You can request your file from the screening company and dispute it. If the company does not correct it, you may have an FCRA claim.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Cincinnati?
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 (Vintage 2025)
- U.S. Census Bureau, CBSA delineation files and principal cities (July 2023)
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana
- 28 U.S.C. § 115 (Ohio judicial districts and divisions)
- 28 U.S.C. § 97 (Kentucky judicial districts)
- 28 U.S.C. § 94 (Indiana judicial districts and divisions)
- Ohio Rev. Code § 9.73
- Ohio Rev. Code § 2953.25
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e (accuracy procedures)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i (reinvestigation of disputes)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b (employment reports and pre-adverse action notice)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681p (where and when to sue)
- National Employment Law Project, Ban the Box: Fair Chance State and Local Guide (Oct. 2021)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.