What does the Spark Driver background check look for?
Spark Driver, Walmart’s delivery app, says “background screening may be conducted, including motor vehicle records and criminal background checks,” and that all reviews are conducted in accordance with applicable law. So the check can cover:
- Your driving record (motor vehicle records)
- Your criminal history
During enrollment, Spark says you sign a Background Check Disclosure and a Motor Vehicle Records Consent, and that the identity details you enter “will be used for your background check screening.”
Spark’s public pages do not list a lookback period, specific disqualifying offenses or driving record standards. We did not find those criteria on Spark’s site and will not guess at them. If your enrollment was not approved, the First Advantage report is the best record of what Spark saw.
What else does Spark check?
Separate from the background screening, Spark says it verifies your identity. To be eligible, its home page says you must be 18 or older and authorized to work as an independent contractor in the U.S., have proof of valid auto insurance, and have an unexpired REAL ID-compliant or state-issued driver’s license in your name plus a Social Security card. During account setup, Spark says you authenticate your identity with a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license (or a driver’s license and Social Security card) and take a selfie.
Spark also runs periodic identity re-verification, which means uploading your license again and taking another selfie. Its deactivation FAQ says failing either the initial or a periodic identity check can lead to deactivation. That is an identity check, not the First Advantage background report, and it has a different fix.
Who runs the Spark Driver background check?
Spark’s help article on enrolling says screening is handled by a third-party provider and names First Advantage, linking to First Advantage’s Spark Driver help page. First Advantage, not Walmart, prepares the report and is responsible for its accuracy. See our First Advantage company guide.
How long does the Spark Driver background check take?
Spark’s FAQ says “background check results are typically available within 1-7 business days, depending on state and county processes.” It says you can expect email updates throughout the process and will be told about any significant delays.
Two things can make the whole process feel longer:
- The waitlist. Spark says “all enrollees are placed on a waitlist before background check review and final verification.” Being on the waitlist is not the same as a delayed background check.
- Manual review. Spark says enrollments “may be flagged for manual review or withdrawn based on screening results.”
First Advantage says you can check the status of a screening online at fadv.com/screening-status.
Why did my Spark Driver background check fail?
Spark says details about an enrollment decision are shared in the Spark Driver app. If the decision was based on the background report, get a copy of that report. First Advantage’s candidate page says you can request it 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.
Then read every entry. Common errors in background reports include:
- A criminal case that belongs to someone else with a similar name or birth date
- A charge that was dismissed but shows as open or as a conviction
- One case reported twice
- A driving record violation that was already resolved or is out of date
- An arrest or other non-conviction record that is more than seven years old. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681c, those generally cannot be reported; the limit does not apply to convictions, or to jobs reasonably expected to pay $75,000 a year or more.
If a company takes adverse action based on a consumer report, it must tell you, give you the name, address and phone number of the company that furnished the report, and tell you about your right to a free copy within 60 days and to dispute it (15 U.S.C. § 1681m).
How to dispute a Spark Driver background check
- Get your First Advantage report using the contact points above.
- File a dispute with First Advantage. Its “Dispute your report” page has an online form that asks for your name, date of birth, contact details, the organization that requested the check, and the details of your concern. It also lists phone 800.845.6004 and email [email protected].
- Attach proof. A certified court disposition, an expungement or sealing order, an updated driving record, or ID showing a different date of birth.
- Watch the clock. Under 15 U.S.C. § 1681i, First Advantage must reinvestigate free of charge, generally within 30 days (up to 15 more days if you send new information during that time), delete or correct anything inaccurate, incomplete or unverifiable, and send written results within five business days after it finishes.
- Fix the source, too. If a court or DMV record itself is wrong, ask the clerk or DMV to correct it, or the error can return.
Spark’s appeal process is separate. Spark’s deactivation FAQ says deactivations are “a result of violations of the Spark Driver Contract and App Terms of Use,” are typically permanent, and can be appealed, with appeals reviewed within 5 to 7 days. It also describes an Informal Dispute Conference started through the Non-Disclosure and Dispute Resolution Agreement in the app’s Settings. Those channels address Spark’s decision. A First Advantage dispute addresses the report. If the report was wrong, do both.
Does the FCRA protect Spark drivers who are independent contractors?
Spark says drivers must be authorized to work as independent contractors, and that affects which FCRA rules apply.
The employer-side rules may not reach you. 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 a 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)). An FTC staff report from 2011 reads the term liberally and says it includes, for example, a trucking company checking owner-operator drivers who are not employees. That report is staff guidance, not binding law, and whether a court will apply it to app-based delivery work is not settled.
The background check company’s duties are the stronger ground. When First Advantage prepares a consumer report, it must “follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy” (§ 1681e(b)) and reasonably reinvestigate your dispute under § 1681i.
When can a Spark Driver background check error lead to an FCRA claim?
You may have a claim against the screening company if its report included a record that is not yours, misstated how a case ended, reported a non-conviction record that was too old, or stayed wrong after you disputed it with proof, and the error cost you enrollment or your account.
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 in-app decision message, the report, your dispute and the response, and your earnings records. Drivers on other apps go through a similar process; see our guide to Uber and Lyft background check deactivations and our page on background check errors.
Get a free case review
If an inaccurate background report kept you off Spark Driver, or First Advantage did not fix it after your dispute, talk to an FCRA lawyer. Our case review is free, and we work on contingency: no fee unless we win.
Time limits apply. 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 the Spark Driver background check look for?
Spark says background screening may be conducted, including motor vehicle records and criminal background checks, with reviews conducted in accordance with applicable law. Spark's public pages do not list a lookback period or specific disqualifying offenses.
Who runs the Spark Driver background check?
Spark's help article on enrolling says screening is handled by a third-party provider and names First Advantage, linking to First Advantage's Spark Driver help page.
How long does the Spark Driver background check take?
Spark's FAQ says results are typically available within 1 to 7 business days, depending on state and county processes. Spark also says enrollees are placed on a waitlist before background check review and final verification.
Why was my Spark Driver background check not approved?
Spark says enrollments may be flagged for manual review or withdrawn based on screening results, and that details about an enrollment decision are shared in the Spark Driver app. Get a copy of your First Advantage report to see exactly what was reported.
How do I dispute a Spark Driver background check?
Dispute errors with First Advantage, which prepared the report. Its dispute page offers an online form, phone 800.845.6004 and email [email protected]. Spark's deactivation appeal process is separate and covers decisions under the Spark Driver contract.
Sources
- Spark Driver Help: Enrolling on the Spark Driver platform
- Spark Driver: FAQs
- Spark Driver: Home page (eligibility)
- Spark Driver Help: Account under review and deactivation FAQs
- 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.