People assume background checks follow some universal rule like “seven years and that’s it,” but it’s way more complicated than that. Employment screenings depend on state law, the type of job, and whether federal or private databases are used — and certain charges can show up much further back than people expect. In some cases, dismissed or expunged cases still sneak through because reporting agencies don’t refresh their data like they should. This breakdown explains it clearly without guesswork: https://consumerattorneys.com/article/how-far-back-does-a-background-check-go. Anyone who sees outdated or inaccurate info show up shouldn’t just accept it as “policy.” That kind of reporting can violate the FCRA, and it’s fixable — especially when a consumer protection attorney forces the screening company to follow the law instead of just hiding behind automated filters.