In CA your potential employer can’t ask about criminal history before extending an offer. After the offer is extended that’s off the table: they absolutely can (and will!) run a background check, and any convictions are assessed against the offered job.
A SWE might get a job with a drug conviction they picked up a decade ago. They might have their offer pulled due to a recent conviction for embezzlement.
But yeah, for OP: this is why this is a hard question to answer without specifics. What jurisdiction are you in, what crime, how long ago, what job? These details matter.
If you’re really unsure most employment lawyers offer a free consultation. Good luck.
https://www.goodhire.com/resources/articles/how-far-back-do-...
A few states extend FCRA-like provisions for felony reporting. Most don’t.
Even if your state does extend those protections, most have salary caps: if you are (for example) a felon in Washington applying for a job over $20k in annual salary, the 7-year reporting exemption doesn’t apply to you.
Other states offer an exemption for misdemeanors but exclude felons entirely.
(edit: I had MA in my head but it was WA I was trying to remember, changed :-))
> Businesses that sell criminal history information to employers are "consumer reporting agencies" (CRAs) if they provide the information in "consumer reports" under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. (FCRA). Under FCRA, a CRA generally may not report records of arrests that did not result in entry of a judgment of conviction, where the arrests occurred more than seven years ago. However, they may report convictions indefinitely. (emph. added)
The FCRA does not wipe convictions after seven years.
This depends entirely on jurisdiction and company policy.