It should not. A report that lists one case as several entries, for example from both county and statewide sources, can make your record look worse than it is. That may violate the FCRA's accuracy requirement, and you can dispute the duplicates.
Background screening companies can search several sources at once: a county court, a statewide repository, and their own databases. If the company does not reconcile what it finds, one arrest or case can show up as two or three separate entries, sometimes with different case numbers or descriptions.
Why duplicates matter
An employer reading the report may think you have multiple offenses instead of one. A single misdemeanor can look like a pattern. A case that was dismissed in one source can appear as still open in another.
What the FCRA requires
- Accuracy. Section 1681e(b) requires a screening company to follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy. Information that is technically drawn from real records can still be inaccurate if it is presented in a misleading way, such as listing one event as several.
- Complete and current records. Under § 1681k, when a company reports criminal records for employment, it must report their current status or notify you at the time it reports them. Duplicate entries that show different statuses for the same case can fall short of that.
How to spot duplicates
Look for entries with:
- the same arrest or offense date,
- the same charge or similar charge wording,
- the same county, even if one entry comes from a state database, or
- one entry showing a disposition and another showing none.
What to do
- Get the court records for the case, including the disposition.
- Dispute with the screening company under § 1681i, explaining which entries are the same case and asking that the duplicates be removed. The company generally must reinvestigate within 30 days.
- Tell the employer in writing that the entries describe one case.
If a background check made one case look like several and it cost you a job, a free case review can help you understand your options, with no fee unless we win.
Related
Sources
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.