How Far Back Does TransUnion Background Check Go?

TransUnion usually looks back 7 years on most credit, employment and tenant items because the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) imposes a 7‑year reporting limit for most negative information; bankruptcies can remain up to 10 years and certain criminal convictions may stay longer, so the standard 7‑year window is only the baseline. This quick answer sets the stage for the next section, which breaks down exactly what the FCRA 7‑year limit means for you.

The FCRA 7‑year limit means TransUnion must stop reporting most negative items that are older than seven years. Usually, credit‑related entries such as late‑payment marks, charge‑offs, and most collections disappear after this period; employers and landlords generally cannot see them in a standard background check. Exceptions exist: bankruptcies stay for ten years, and some criminal records may be reported longer. State laws or specific employer policies can also extend what is visible, but the baseline federal rule caps most reporting at seven years.

For example, a 2015 missed credit card payment will usually be removed from your TransUnion file by 2022, so a hiring manager reviewing your report in 2023 will not see it. A 2012 collection account is similarly gone after seven years.

In contrast, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy filed in 2018 can remain until 2028 under the FCRA 7‑year limit's ten‑year exception. Some states allow landlords to view evictions older than seven years, so a rental application in Ohio might still show a 2016 eviction even though the federal limit would normally hide it. Read more about the federal timeline in the Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines.

According to the TransUnion bankruptcy reporting timeline, a Chapter 7 bankruptcy can stay on your TransUnion credit report for up to 10 years from the filing date, while a Chapter 13 filing is usually reported for 7 years (and in some cases up to 10 years from the discharge date). A discharge does not shorten the statutory reporting period unless the entry is erroneous.

The FCRA 7‑year limit governs most negative items, but bankruptcy is the primary exception that can extend the look‑back window to a decade; this distinction matters when employers or landlords run a background check. (Next we'll see how criminal records may extend beyond the standard 7‑year period.)

Criminal convictions can appear on a TransUnion background report well beyond the FCRA 7‑year limit. Unlike credit items, most criminal data aren't capped at seven years and state law determines the reporting window.

• The FCRA 7‑year reporting limit applies only to credit information; TransUnion may retain convictions indefinitely unless a state imposes a shorter period.
• Many states restrict felony reporting to 7‑10 years and misdemeanors to about 5 years, but if a state has no limit the record can stay on file forever.
• Arrests without conviction, pending charges, or records that have been sealed or expunged are usually omitted, though they may appear until the data source is corrected.
• Employers in regulated sectors (healthcare, finance, etc.) often receive the full criminal feed, so entries older than seven years can still influence hiring decisions.
• You can request your TransUnion criminal report and dispute any outdated or inaccurate items; see the next section on how sealed or expunged records are handled.

Sealed or expunged criminal records usually do not show up on a TransUnion credit report, but when they do they are not automatically erased by the FCRA.

• The FCRA's 7‑year limit applies to most credit items; sealed/expunged records are governed by the specific record type and state statutes, not by a blanket removal rule.
• If a sealed or expunged case appears, you may dispute it by submitting a copy of the court order and any supporting documents to TransUnion.
• TransUnion must investigate the dispute; it will delete the entry only if it finds the information inaccurate, not merely because a court order exists.
• Successful removal stops the record from influencing employer or tenant background checks that rely on TransUnion data.
• If the record persists, you may need to provide the court order directly to the requesting party, because some states or employers consider sealed/expunged matters differently.

State laws and employer policies can tighten or broaden the data TransUnion returns. The federal baseline is the FCRA 7‑year limit for most items, 10 years for bankruptcies, and no time cap for criminal convictions unless a court seals or expunges them.

• California & Illinois: statutes may require bankruptcies to disappear after 7 years, a shorter window than the federal 10‑year period.
• New York: does not impose a 10‑year cap; convictions can appear indefinitely under the FCRA unless legally sealed.
• Michigan: mandates removal of records that courts seal or expunge, but the law does not set a strict 30‑day deadline; compliance follows state procedures.
• Employer‑specific requests: some financial employers ask for a 5‑year credit view, while most others receive the full TransUnion report permitted by law.
• Other states: many follow the federal rules without additional limits, so the standard 7‑year window applies.

These variations mean the same TransUnion file can look different to a landlord in California, a hiring manager in New York, or a background‑check firm in Texas. Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines outline the baseline, while state statutes dictate the exceptions you'll see.

Next, we examine exactly what an employer sees on a TransUnion background check.

Employers who request a TransUnion consumer report see only your credit‑related data, not your criminal history.

1. Identifying information - name, current and past addresses, date of birth and the last four digits of your Social Security number.
2. Credit accounts - type (credit card, mortgage, auto loan), original amount, current balance, credit limit, and account open/close dates.
3. Payment history - on‑time payments and any late marks (30, 60, 90 days). Under the FCRA 7‑year limit, most negatives disappear after seven years.
4. Bankruptcies - Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 filings remain for up to ten years; they appear because they are listed as public records on the credit file.
5. Public records - tax liens and civil judgments are generally omitted from standard TransUnion reports after the 2010 FCRA amendment, so they usually do not show unless a specialized report is ordered.
6. Collections and charge‑offs - debts sent to collection agencies or written‑off accounts appear for seven years from the date of first delinquency.
7. Inquiries - hard inquiries made by the employer are listed with date and source; soft inquiries (e.g., pre‑employment checks) are not displayed.
8. Current delinquencies - any account that is presently past due is highlighted, as it can affect hiring decisions.

Employers must obtain your written consent before pulling the report and must give an adverse‑action notice if they decide not to hire based on the information shown. For a deeper look at how tenant‑screening reports differ, see the next section.

A tenant check usually pulls your TransUnion consumer report, so the landlord sees the same credit and public‑record data an employer would receive under the FCRA 7‑year limit.

The report can show your credit score, recent payment history, collections, and any eviction filings that have been reported. Bankruptcy may appear for up to 10 years, and some criminal convictions can stay on the file beyond the 7‑year window. Sealed or expunged records usually do not appear, though state rules may affect visibility.

You can request your own TransUnion file to verify what a landlord will see and dispute any errors before applying. Providing a brief explanation for older negatives often helps, and the upcoming 'real‑case timelines' section shows how these items have impacted actual renters.

Here are typical real‑world timelines you'll encounter on a TransUnion background check for credit, criminal and eviction information.

• Credit - A 30‑day late payment reported in 2019 will usually stay on your TransUnion file until 2026 (the FCRA 7‑year limit). A Chapter 13 bankruptcy filed in 2020 can remain for up to 10 years, disappearing around 2030. Positive account openings may stay indefinitely, but most negative items follow the 7‑year rule.
• Criminal - A felony conviction from 2018 can appear on TransUnion reports beyond the 7‑year window, depending on state law and the employer's screening policy. A misdemeanor from 2022 typically drops off after 5 years, though some jurisdictions report it for the full 7 years.
• Eviction - An eviction judgment entered in 2021 generally remains on your TransUnion record for 7 years, but certain courts allow reporting for up to 9 years. If the eviction was later dismissed, the entry may be removed sooner, though the original filing date can still show up in a background check.

If you've just suffered identity theft, Experian IDWorks is the safer bet. It bundles core credit monitoring with a 24/7 identity‑theft concierge, fraud‑alert filing, credit‑freeze assistance, dark‑web scanning, and up to $1 million in reimbursement for lost wages or legal fees - services Experian alone does not provide.

You gain:

• real‑time alerts for suspicious activity on your credit reports and personal data,
• a dedicated specialist who files police reports and merchant disputes for you,
• free credit‑lock or freeze setup and removal,
• insurance that covers out‑of‑pocket costs from restored accounts.

Because IDWorks carries a higher monthly fee, it makes sense only while you're recovering; once the breach is resolved, you can downgrade to Experian and save money, a point explored in the 'how pricing works' section. If you also need family coverage, see the upcoming 'which plan covers your family' comparison.

You dispute and remove outdated items by filing a direct challenge with TransUnion under the FCRA 7-year limit. First, get your free report, spot the entry that exceeds the standard reporting period, then submit a dispute that includes any proof the item is stale, such as a court docket or settlement letter. TransUnion must investigate within 30 days and either verify the entry with a valid source or delete it, after which you receive a corrected copy of your file.

• Access your report at TransUnion's official dispute portal or request it by phone.
• Highlight the outdated entry and note why it should be removed (e.g., 'exceeds the FCRA 7-year limit').
• Send a written dispute by certified mail, attaching supporting documents and a clear statement of the error.
• Keep copies of all correspondence; the credit bureau has 30 days to respond.
• If TransUnion verifies the item, request a re‑investigation with additional evidence or file a complaint with the FTC.
• Once the entry is deleted, obtain a fresh report to confirm the correction and alert any employer or landlord who may have seen the previous version.