Lost a job over an Accurate Background report?

Who Accurate Background is and who relies on its reports

Accurate Background is an employment screening company headquartered in Irvine, California. The CFPB lists it among employment screening companies and says its reports may include verification of credit history, employment, salary, education and professional licenses; criminal arrest and conviction information; fingerprint information from state and federal criminal databases; driving records; drug and alcohol testing and health screening results; and verification of nonprofit and volunteer activity.

Employers order these reports on job applicants and sometimes on current employees. The breadth of what Accurate Background can report means there are many places for a mistake to creep in, and any one of them can cost you a job.

The CFPB notes that many screening companies only hold information about you if you authorized an employer to request a report. When you sign an authorization, ask which screening company the employer uses so you know where to look if something goes wrong.

Errors that show up on Accurate Background reports

• Wrong-person criminal records. Cases belonging to someone with a similar name or birth date.
• Incomplete case outcomes. A charge reported without the dismissal, acquittal or reduction that ended it.
• Sealed or expunged records. Cases a court ordered closed, still reported.
• Driving record errors. Violations that belong to another driver or that are out of date.
• Verification mistakes. A job, salary, degree or license reported as unverified or wrong.
• Drug test errors. Results reported for the wrong person or without the medical review that explains them.
• Obsolete records. Arrests and other non-conviction information older than seven years.

Our background check errors page explains these problems in more detail.

How to get your Accurate Background report and dispute it

Accurate Background’s support page describes its process:

1. Get a copy of your report. The employer must give you a copy before taking adverse action based on it. You can also request a copy from Accurate Background by phone or in writing. For a full file disclosure, the company asks for a written request with a current photo ID.
2. Dispute what is wrong. Accurate Background says disputes are free. You can use its online dispute form, call, email or write. Identify each wrong item and explain why it is wrong.
3. Expect a timeline. The company says a reinvestigation may take up to 30 days, depending on the nature, scope and source of the disputed information.
4. Attach proof. Court dispositions, dismissal or expungement orders, ID, driving records, diplomas, pay stubs or W-2s.
5. Tell the employer. Let the employer know you are disputing and ask it to hold its decision.
6. Keep copies of every notice, report, dispute and response.

Your rights under the FCRA

• Accuracy (15 U.S.C. § 1681e(b)). Accurate Background must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of what it reports.
• Public records for employment (§ 1681k). When reporting public record information likely to hurt your job prospects, it must either notify you at the time, with the employer’s name and address, or maintain strict procedures to make sure the record is complete and up to date.
• Reinvestigation (§ 1681i). After a dispute, it must reasonably reinvestigate, free of charge, generally within 30 days, and correct or delete information that is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable.
• File disclosure (§ 1681g). You may see all information in your file and its sources.
• Free copy after adverse action (§ 1681j). You are entitled to a free copy within 60 days after an adverse action notice.
• Reporting time limits (§ 1681c). Arrests and other non-conviction records generally cannot be reported after seven years. Convictions are not subject to that limit, and the limits do not apply to jobs paying $75,000 or more a year.
• Employer duties (§ 1681b(b)). The employer must give you a standalone disclosure and get your written authorization before ordering a report, and must give you a copy and a summary of your rights before taking adverse action.
• Adverse action notice (§ 1681m). After a final decision, the employer must name Accurate Background and explain your right to a free copy and to dispute.

What you may recover

For a negligent violation, you may recover your actual damages, such as lost wages from a rescinded offer, and emotional distress, plus attorney’s fees and costs (15 U.S.C. § 1681o). For a willful violation, you may recover actual damages or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, punitive damages, and fees and costs (§ 1681n).

Get a free case review

If an Accurate Background report cost you a job because it got your record wrong, act before the deadline. An FCRA lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after you discover the violation and no later than five years after it occurred (15 U.S.C. § 1681p). FCRA Attorneys represents consumers in federal court on contingency, so there is no fee unless we win. Contact us for a free case review, or see our FCRA practice and the other companies we cover.

Questions about suing Accurate Background

Can I sue Accurate Background?

Yes, if the facts support a claim. Accurate Background prepares background checks for employers, which makes it a consumer reporting agency under the FCRA. If it reported inaccurate information without reasonable procedures, or failed to reasonably reinvestigate your dispute, you may have a claim.

How do I dispute an Accurate Background report?

Accurate Background's support page says disputes are free and can be submitted through its online dispute form, by phone, by email or in writing. It says a reinvestigation may take up to 30 days depending on the nature, scope and source of the disputed information.

Can I get a copy of my Accurate Background file?

Yes. The CFPB says Accurate Background will provide one free report on request if it has a file on you. Its support page explains how to request a copy of a report or a full file disclosure, which requires a written request with photo ID.

What does it cost to bring a case?

There is no fee unless we win. FCRA Attorneys handles these cases on contingency, and the FCRA lets a successful consumer recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the company.

Sources

• CFPB consumer reporting companies list: Accurate Background (employment screening; report contents; free report if it has a file; Irvine, CA address)
• Accurate Background support page (report copies, full file disclosure, disputes, 30-day reinvestigation)
• Accurate Background online dispute form

Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.