What does Instacart look for in a background check?
Instacart says that “prospective shoppers must complete and pass initial criminal and motor vehicle record background checks conducted by our third-party partners, including Checkr.” So there are two parts:
- A criminal background check
- A motor vehicle record (driving record) check
That is about as far as Instacart’s public pages go. The Instacart pages we reviewed do not publish a lookback period, a list of disqualifying offenses, or driving record standards. We are not going to guess at them. If your check came back with a problem, the report and the letter that came with it are the best evidence of what Instacart relied on.
Instacart’s mitigation form does give two clues about how it treats records:
- The form is for criminal charges “which the court already adjudicated.”
- It says you cannot use the form if you have current pending criminal charges or if your license has issues.
Who runs the Instacart background check?
Instacart names Checkr as one of its third-party partners. Its criminal charges mitigation form also tells shoppers to “check the adverse action letter emailed to you from Checkr or Sterling.” So your check may have been prepared by either company.
Sterling is now part of First Advantage: First Advantage announced on October 31, 2024 that it had completed its acquisition of Sterling Check Corp. If your letter names Sterling, First Advantage’s dispute channels may apply (see below).
Whichever company prepared your report is the one with the legal duty to fix it. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, an adverse action notice must give the name, address and phone number of the company that furnished the report, so start with that letter.
For more on each company, see our Checkr, Sterling and First Advantage company guides.
How long does the Instacart background check take?
Instacart does not publish a time frame on the pages we reviewed. Its integrity page describes the initial checks and the refreshes but gives no timing for either.
What you can do while you wait:
- If Checkr is running your check, log in to the Checkr Candidate Portal. It shows the status and any request for documents. Our guide to Checkr background check statuses explains Pending, Consider, Suspended and the rest.
- If Sterling or First Advantage is running it, First Advantage says you can check status online at fadv.com/screening-status.
- Check your email, including spam, for messages from the screening company. A missing document is a common reason a check stalls.
Does Instacart check your background again?
Yes. Under “Ongoing Background Checks,” Instacart says, “We refresh background checks to ensure shoppers are still eligible to shop with Instacart.” A shopper who passed the first check can lose access after a refresh if a new record appears, or if a record is wrongly matched to them.
What happens if your Instacart background check fails?
You should receive an adverse action letter by email from the screening company. Instacart’s mitigation form refers to that letter by name. Read it carefully: it should identify the company that prepared the report and tell you how to get a free copy and dispute it.
From there, the path depends on whether the report is right.
If the report is wrong, dispute with the screening company. Common background report errors include:
- A case that belongs to someone with a similar name or birth date
- A dismissed charge listed as pending or as a conviction
- The same case listed twice
- An outdated driving record entry
- Non-conviction records more than seven years old, which generally cannot be reported under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c (the limit does not apply to convictions, or to jobs reasonably expected to pay $75,000 a year or more)
If the report is accurate but the charge was resolved, Instacart’s mitigation form lets you tell its mitigation team about charges the court already adjudicated. It asks for certificates of completion of rehabilitation or other programs, references from employers on company letterhead, and a summary of how you have rehabilitated. The form does not state a deadline, so submit it promptly.
If your account was suspended or deactivated, Instacart says shoppers “may submit an appeal directly with our Trust & Safety team.”
How to dispute a wrong Instacart background check
- Identify the screening company from your adverse action letter: Checkr or Sterling.
- Get the full report. For Checkr, use the Candidate Portal. For First Advantage, its candidate page says you can request a copy online, by calling 800.845.6004, by emailing [email protected], or by mail to First Advantage Consumer Center, P.O. Box 105292, Atlanta, GA 30348-5292.
- File the dispute. For Checkr, use the Candidate Portal. First Advantage has an online dispute form on its “Dispute your report” page and lists the same phone number and email.
- Be specific and attach proof. Identify each wrong item, explain why, and include a certified court disposition, sealing or expungement order, or ID showing a different date of birth.
- Track the deadline. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, the company must reinvestigate free of charge, generally within 30 days (up to 15 more days if you send new information during that time), and send you written results within five business days after finishing.
Once the report is corrected, let Instacart know through its appeal process so it can review your eligibility again.
Does the FCRA protect Instacart shoppers who are independent contractors?
It depends on which part of the law.
Rules for the company that uses the report. For reports used for “employment purposes,” the FCRA requires a standalone disclosure and written authorization before the report is pulled, and a copy of the report and summary of rights before adverse action (15 U.S.C. § 1681b(b)(2)–(3)). The statute defines “employment purposes” as evaluating a consumer for employment, promotion, reassignment or retention “as an employee” (§ 1681a(h)). Whether that reaches a shopper who works as an independent contractor is not settled. A 2011 FTC staff report reads the term broadly enough to include owner-operator truck drivers who are not technically employees, but that is staff guidance, not a binding rule or a court ruling.
Rules for the background check company. When Checkr or Sterling prepares a consumer report, it must “follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy” (§ 1681e(b)) and reasonably reinvestigate your dispute. Those are usually the claims that matter in a wrong-report case.
When can an Instacart background check error lead to an FCRA claim?
You may have a claim if a screening company reported a record that is not yours, misreported how a case ended, reported a non-conviction record older than seven years, or failed to fix an error after you disputed it with proof, and you lost access to Instacart as a result.
For negligent violations, the FCRA allows actual damages, which can include lost earnings, and attorney’s fees (§ 1681o). For willful violations, it allows actual or statutory damages of $100 to $1,000, punitive damages and fees (§ 1681n).
Keep the adverse action letter, the report, your dispute and the response, and records of your earnings. For drivers on other apps, see our guides on Uber and Lyft background check deactivations and our page on background check errors.
Get a free case review
If an inaccurate Instacart background check cost you your shopper account, or the screening company would not correct it, talk to an FCRA lawyer. Our case review is free, and you pay no fee unless we win.
Do not wait. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, an FCRA lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after you discover the violation, and no later than five years after the violation occurred.
Frequently asked questions
What does Instacart look for in a background check?
Instacart says prospective shoppers must complete and pass initial criminal and motor vehicle record background checks. The Instacart pages we reviewed do not publish a lookback period or a list of disqualifying offenses.
Who does Instacart use for background checks?
Instacart says checks are conducted by third-party partners, including Checkr. Its criminal charges mitigation form tells shoppers to check the adverse action letter emailed to them from Checkr or Sterling. Sterling is now part of First Advantage.
How long does the Instacart background check take?
The Instacart pages we reviewed do not publish a time frame. If your check is with Checkr, the Checkr Candidate Portal shows its status and any request for more information.
Does Instacart run background checks again?
Yes. Instacart says it refreshes background checks to make sure shoppers are still eligible to shop on the platform.
What should I do if my Instacart background check is wrong?
Dispute the error with the company named in your adverse action letter, Checkr or Sterling, and send proof such as a court disposition. If the record is accurate but resolved, Instacart has a mitigation form for adjudicated charges and an appeal process through its Trust and Safety team.
Sources
- Instacart Shopper Community: Ensuring the integrity of the Instacart platform (Feb. 4, 2025)
- Instacart: Criminal charges mitigation form
- First Advantage: Completion of Sterling acquisition (SEC filing, Oct. 31, 2024)
- First Advantage: Dispute your report
- First Advantage: Candidates
- FTC, 40 Years of Experience with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (staff report, July 2011)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681a, definitions (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681b, permissible purposes and employment rules (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, requirements relating to information in reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681e, compliance procedures (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, procedure in case of disputed accuracy (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681m, requirements on users of consumer reports (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681n, civil liability for willful noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681o, civil liability for negligent noncompliance (Cornell LII)
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681p, time limit to sue (Cornell LII)
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.