Background checks shape hiring and renting across the Oklahoma City metro. In 2016, Gov. Mary Fallin signed an executive order directing state agencies to remove the felony-conviction question from job applications. Agencies could still ask about convictions later in the process and run background checks. The order applies to state government jobs, not to private employers.
Most private employers and landlords in the metro rely on reports from background and tenant screening companies. The FCRA requires those companies to follow reasonable procedures to make their reports as accurate as possible (15 U.S.C. 1681e(b)). Errors still happen. Reports may mix in a person with a similar name, list a dismissed charge as a conviction, show a sealed or expunged case, or report an eviction filing that ended in the tenant's favor. For most reports, arrests and other non-conviction records older than seven years cannot be included (15 U.S.C. 1681c). Before an employer takes adverse action based on a report, it must give the applicant a copy of the report and a summary of rights (15 U.S.C. 1681b(b)(3)).
Federal FCRA cases from all seven metro counties are filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. A claim may also be filed in state court, generally within two years of discovering the violation.
Where Oklahoma City FCRA cases are filed
FCRA claims are federal, so they go to a United States District Court. Cases from Oklahoma City are heard in one federal district:
- Western District of OklahomaAll seven metro counties: Oklahoma, Cleveland, Canadian, Grady, Logan, McClain and Lincoln. Courthouses: Oklahoma City.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.
State law also applies: see Background Check Error Lawsuits in Oklahoma.
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
Does Oklahoma's ban-the-box order apply to private employers in Oklahoma City?
No. The 2016 executive order covers hiring by state agencies. Private employers are not covered by it, but the FCRA still applies to any employer that uses a background check company. That includes the right to see the report before the employer takes adverse action.
An Oklahoma City apartment complex denied me because of an eviction that was dismissed. Is that an FCRA problem?
It can be. A tenant screening company must use reasonable procedures to report accurately, and reporting a dismissed eviction as if the landlord won may be inaccurate or misleading. You can request your file from the screening company and dispute the entry. If it is not corrected, you may have a claim.
My background check showed an old Oklahoma County arrest that never led to charges. Can it be reported?
For most jobs, the FCRA bars reporting arrests that did not lead to a conviction once they are more than seven years old. A newer arrest may be reported, but it must be reported accurately and completely. A record that belongs to someone else, or that leaves out how the case ended, may violate the FCRA.
How long do I have to file an FCRA lawsuit in Oklahoma City?
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. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma
- 28 U.S.C. 116 (Oklahoma judicial districts)
- Governing, Oklahoma governor bans the box on state job applications (Feb. 2016)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681e (accuracy of consumer reports)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681i (disputes with consumer reporting agencies)
- 15 U.S.C. 1681p (jurisdiction and time limits)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.