MAINE BACKGROUND SCREENING

Maine has a number of laws governing background screening for employment purposes. These laws are designed to protect employees from discrimination and to ensure that employers have accurate information about potential employees.

Ban-the-box law

Maine has a ban-the-box law, which prohibits employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history on an initial employment application. The law went into effect on October 18, 2021.

Under the ban-the-box law, employers can still ask about an applicant's criminal history during an interview or after the employer has determined that the applicant is otherwise qualified for the position. However, employers must give applicants an opportunity to explain any criminal history information before making a hiring decision.

Criminal history records checks

Employers in Maine can conduct criminal history records checks on potential employees. However, there are a number of restrictions on what information can be obtained and how it can be used.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) sets forth the general rules for conducting background checks. The FCRA prohibits employers from obtaining information about arrests that did not result in convictions. The FCRA also prohibits employers from obtaining information about convictions that are more than seven years old, unless the position pays more than $75,000 per year.

In addition to the FCRA, Maine has a number of specific laws governing criminal history records checks. These laws include:

The Maine Fair Chance Act, which prohibits employers from discriminating against applicants based on their criminal history.
The Maine Sex Offender Registry Act, which requires employers to check the sex offender registry before hiring anyone who will have regular contact with children.
The Maine Child Abuse and Neglect Registry Act, which requires employers to check the child abuse and neglect registry before hiring anyone who will have regular contact with children.

Employer responsibilities

Employers in Maine have a number of responsibilities when conducting background checks. These responsibilities include:

Obtaining the applicant's consent before conducting a background check.
Providing the applicant with a copy of the background check report.
Not discriminating against applicants based on their criminal history.

Employers who violate Maine's background screening laws may be subject to civil penalties.

Employee rights

Employees in Maine have a number of rights under the state's background screening laws. These rights include:

The right to be notified of the results of a background check.
The right to dispute any inaccurate information in a background check report.
The right to be given an opportunity to explain any criminal history information.

Employees who believe that their rights have been violated under Maine's background screening laws may file a complaint with the Maine Human Rights Commission.ackground checks are a common part of the hiring process for many employers in Louisiana. However, there are a number of laws that govern how employers can use background checks.

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Sex Offenders (with pictures) - Each state is required to maintain and regularly update current addresses on persons convicted of sex-related offenses since 1994, including aggravated sexual assault, sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, kidnapping and various other violent crimes against children. These records generally show the offender's name, date of birth or age, description of offense and last registered address. You can search by name, name and date of birth, city, state or by zip code. Coverage includes all 50 states and most have pictures.

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