Background Check Error Lawsuits in Columbus

Background checks are part of hiring and renting throughout central Ohio. Errors happen. A report may match someone else's criminal case by name, list a sealed case, show a misdemeanor as a felony, or repeat one case several times. Tenant screening reports may show an eviction filing without noting that it was dismissed. The FCRA requires screening companies to use reasonable procedures to make reports as accurate as possible.

In Ohio, public employers, including the City of Columbus, Franklin County and state agencies, may not include criminal background questions on job application forms under Ohio Revised Code § 9.73. Franklin County had already removed the question from its own applications in 2012. Ohio courts can also issue a Certificate of Qualification for Employment, which gives an employer that knowingly hires a certificate holder protection from certain negligent hiring claims. Private employers that use background check companies must follow the FCRA, including giving you a copy of the report and a summary of rights before rejecting you.

For renters, Columbus City Code § 4551.03, adopted in 2021, bars landlords in the city from refusing to rent because of a lawful source of income, such as wages, Social Security or a housing voucher. Renters denied because of a screening report should also get a notice naming the screening company. Background check cases from the metro are filed in the Southern District of Ohio in Columbus.

Where Columbus FCRA cases are filed

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

• Southern District of OhioFranklin, Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Union, Pickaway, Madison, Morrow, Perry and Hocking counties (the whole metro, in the court's Eastern Division). Courthouses: Columbus.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 Columbus

• Columbus source of income protection for renters (Columbus City Code § 4551.03 (Ord. No. 0494-2021))
  Bars rental operators in Columbus from knowingly refusing to rent to a prospective or current tenant, or treating them differently, because of a lawful source of income such as wages, Social Security, SSI or rent vouchers. City Council passed it on March 8, 2021, as part of the Housing for All package. Read it
• Franklin County criminal history policy for county jobs (Franklin County Board of Commissioners Resolution 45712 (effective June 19, 2012))
  Removed criminal background questions from Franklin County's job application. New hires still undergo a background check, and any offense is reviewed to decide whether it is egregious or directly related to the position. Sheriff's office positions are exempt, and the policy covers county jobs only. 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 law also applies: see 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 State of Ohio or the City of Columbus ask about my record on a job application?

Ohio law bars public employers from putting criminal background questions on application forms. They may still run background checks later in the hiring process. If a consumer reporting agency prepares that check, the FCRA's accuracy and notice rules apply.

A Columbus landlord turned me down because my rent would be paid partly with a voucher. Is that allowed?

Inside Columbus city limits, Code § 4551.03 bars landlords from knowingly refusing to rent based on a lawful source of income, including vouchers. Landlords may still screen applicants in other ways. If a screening report played a role, it must also be accurate under the FCRA.

My sealed case appeared on a background check. What can I do?

A sealed record generally should not be reported. You can dispute it with the background check company and provide the sealing order. Reporting sealed cases may show a failure to use reasonable procedures under the FCRA.

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

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
• 28 U.S.C. § 115 (Ohio judicial districts and divisions)
• Columbus City Council, Ordinance 0494-2021 (source of income)
• Columbus City Council, Housing for All
• 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. § 1681s-2 (furnisher duties)
• 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.