What does FedEx look for in a background check?
FedEx’s HR Applicant Privacy Notice says its pre-employment screening “may include” verification of your identity, address, employment, references and qualifications and, “where permitted by local law and as applicable for your position,” background checks that cover criminal or judicial data and drug and alcohol program violation information, as well as drug screens and motor vehicle records. In other words, what FedEx checks depends on the job you applied for and where you applied.
Here is the breakdown from FedEx’s notice.
Checks that can apply to most applicants
- Identity verification
- Address verification
- Employment history and references
- Qualifications
Checks that depend on the position and local law
- Criminal or judicial records
- Drug and alcohol program violation information
- Drug screens
- Motor vehicle records
Where the information comes from. FedEx’s notice says it collects this information from you, from your former employers, from “third parties engaged in providing criminal or judicial data,” and from background check companies and drug screening companies.
What FedEx does not publish
- How far back its criminal search goes
- Which convictions or driving violations disqualify an applicant
- Which screening companies it uses
- A standard turnaround time
FedEx’s notice also says your data is controlled by “the local FedEx company where you are applying.” FedEx has several operating companies, so the company that orders and uses your report is the specific FedEx entity named on your offer or application.
Who runs the FedEx background check?
FedEx does not name its screening companies in its applicant notice. It says only that it shares information with “background check companies, drug screening companies, and other entities or individuals we engage during the application or onboarding process.” Vendor names you see on third-party sites are not from FedEx.
To find out who prepared your report:
- Look at the disclosure and authorization form you signed; it usually names the company.
- Look at any pre-adverse or adverse action notice, which must give the screening company’s name, address and phone number under 15 U.S.C. § 1681m.
Driving records and drug test results can come from different companies than the criminal background check, so you may be dealing with more than one. Our guides to First Advantage, Sterling, HireRight and other background check companies explain how to request your file and dispute.
How long does the FedEx background check take?
FedEx does not publish a time frame for its background check.
How long yours takes depends mostly on how many pieces it has:
- A criminal search may require a court clerk to pull records by hand
- A motor vehicle record has to come from each state that issued you a license
- A drug screen depends on when you get to the collection site and when the lab reports
- Employment checks depend on how fast past employers answer
If you are waiting, ask your FedEx recruiter which screening company is handling your check and whether anything is missing from your side.
What do you sign before the FedEx background check?
Before FedEx can get a background report on you from a screening company, federal law requires two things, under 15 U.S.C. § 1681b(b)(2):
- A clear and conspicuous written disclosure, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, that a report may be obtained for employment purposes, and
- Your written authorization
Save a copy. If you applied online, take a screenshot before you submit.
What if your FedEx background check is wrong?
Your pre-adverse action rights
If FedEx intends to reject you or pull an offer based in whole or in part on a background report, § 1681b(b)(3) generally requires it to give you, before it acts:
- A copy of the report
- A written summary of your FCRA rights
A narrow exception for some driving jobs. The statute has a special rule for positions where the U.S. Secretary of Transportation can set driver qualifications and maximum hours of service, or that are subject to safety regulation by a state transportation agency, when your only contact with the employer before the report was by mail, phone, computer or similar means. In that situation, the employer can instead notify you within three business days after the adverse action, and must still tell you that it took the action, name the screening company, say that company did not make the decision, and explain your right to a free copy and to dispute. If you met a recruiter in person or interviewed, the standard pre-adverse rule applies.
When you get a notice:
- Read the full report, including the driving record and any drug-program section
- Mark each error: a ticket or conviction that is not yours, a suspension that was lifted, a dismissed case shown as a conviction
- Respond to FedEx in writing right away, explaining what is wrong and that you are disputing it
- Attach proof, such as a court disposition or a certified driving record from your state
The FTC says the advance notice exists to give you a chance to review the report. The statute does not set a specific number of days, so move fast.
Dispute with the screening company
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, when you dispute with the consumer reporting agency that made the report, it must reinvestigate free of charge, finish within 30 days (up to 15 more if you send new relevant information during that time), correct or delete what is inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, and send you the results in writing within five business days after it finishes.
Ask it to send the corrected report to FedEx. If the error came from a state driving record or a court file, you may also need to get the source record fixed, or the same mistake can come back. Our background check dispute letter guide covers what to send.
The final notice
If FedEx goes ahead, its adverse action notice must name the screening company, state that the company did not make the decision, and explain your right to a free copy if you ask within 60 days and your right to dispute, under § 1681m.
What cannot appear on a FedEx background check?
Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, a screening company generally cannot report:
- Arrest records more than seven years old
- Other negative items more than seven years old, except criminal convictions, which have no federal time limit
These seven-year limits do not apply to a job paying $75,000 a year or more.
When a screening company reports public records such as criminal cases for employment, § 1681k requires it either to notify you when it reports them or to keep strict procedures so the records are complete and up to date. State laws may add further limits.
When can a FedEx background check error lead to an FCRA claim?
Claims against the screening company
- Inaccuracy. A consumer reporting agency must follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy, under § 1681e(b). Reporting another person’s record, a dismissed case as a conviction, or an outdated driving violation can raise this claim.
- Failed reinvestigation. Verifying an error you documented, or missing the deadline, can violate § 1681i.
- Obsolete information. Reporting non-conviction items older than the law allows can violate § 1681c.
Claims against the employer
- Taking adverse action without the required pre-adverse notice and report copy, under § 1681b(b)(3)
- Getting the report without a proper stand-alone disclosure and written authorization, under § 1681b(b)(2)
What you may recover. For negligent violations, actual damages such as lost pay and emotional distress, plus attorney’s fees and costs, under § 1681o. For willful violations, actual or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, possible punitive damages, and attorney’s fees, under § 1681n.
Deadline. Under § 1681p, generally two years after you discover the violation and no more than five years after it happened.
Keep your application screenshots, the authorization form, every notice, the report, and your dispute and its result. For more on spotting errors, see what to do if your background check report is wrong.
Get a free case review
If a FedEx job fell through because a background check or driving record got your history wrong, or you never got the report before the decision, talk to a background check error lawyer. Our case review is free, and we work on contingency: no fee unless we win.
Frequently asked questions
What does FedEx look for in a background check?
FedEx's HR applicant privacy notice says pre-employment screening may include verification of your identity, address, employment, references and qualifications and, where permitted by local law and as applicable for your position, background checks including criminal or judicial data and drug and alcohol program violation information, drug screens and motor vehicle records.
Who does FedEx use for background checks?
FedEx's notice says it works with background check companies and drug screening companies but does not name them. The screening company must be named in any pre-adverse or adverse action notice you receive.
How long does the FedEx background check take?
FedEx does not publish a time frame. A check that includes a driving record, a drug screen and county court searches has more steps, and any one of them can slow things down.
Does FedEx check driving records?
FedEx's notice says screening may include motor vehicle records where it applies to your position. Driving jobs are the most likely to include one.
Can FedEx reject me without showing me the background report?
Generally no. Before taking adverse action based on a background report from a screening company, an employer must give you a copy of the report and a summary of your FCRA rights. A narrow exception exists for certain transportation-regulated jobs where you applied only by mail, phone or computer, but even then you must be told which company made the report and how to dispute it.
Sources
- FedEx, HR Applicant Privacy Notice (last updated January 2023)
- FTC, Using Consumer Reports: What Employers Need to Know
- EEOC and FTC, Background Checks: What Job Applicants and Employees Should Know
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, employment rules (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, information that cannot be reported (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, accuracy procedures (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, disputes (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681k, public records for employment (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, adverse action notices (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681n, willful violations (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681o, negligent violations (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, time limit to sue (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.