Does AutoZone hire people with felonies?

What AutoZone has said

The AutoZone job postings we read say an applicant's criminal record isn't a disqualification and will be considered individually, weighing the job, the offense and how long ago it happened. They add that, where the law allows, AutoZone may treat certain offenses as relevant for jobs that involve handling money, driving company vehicles or supervising minors. AutoZone isn't a Second Chance Business Coalition member. Its careers FAQ says every U.S. job offer depends on passing pre-employment screening, including a background check that starts after you accept a conditional offer and is run by its vendor, Edge Information, and in some cases a drug test or motor vehicle record report.

• Fair-chance statement in a job posting

  AutoZone postings include a fair chance statement saying an applicant's criminal record is not a disqualification from employment and will be considered individually, based on factors such as how the offense relates to the job, the nature of the offense and the time since it happened. The paragraph then says this includes compliance with the San Francisco, Los Angeles city and county, New York City and Philadelphia fair-chance laws, and some postings, including the Rupert, Idaho one, also name the U.S. Virgin Islands law. We saw it on retail sales associate and warehouse associate postings on AutoZone's careers site and on current AutoZone store and commercial driver postings in Rupert and Caldwell, Idaho, carried on Idaho's state job board.¹

Does AutoZone do background checks?

AutoZone runs background checks after a job offer. AutoZone's careers FAQ says all U.S. job offers depend on passing its pre-employment screening, which includes a background check and in some cases a drug test or motor vehicle record report. It says the background check starts after you accept a conditional job offer and is managed by its vendor, Edge Information, which handles questions about results. AutoZone's postings say criminal records are considered individually. AutoZone hasn't published how far back the check looks or how long it takes.^1,2

• Criminal history
• Driving record

AutoZone names Edge Information as its screening company. You can ask Edge Information for a copy of any report it prepares about you.^1,2

• How long a background check takes

Does AutoZone drug test?

AutoZone drug tests for some roles. AutoZone's careers FAQ says screening includes a drug test in some instances. One AutoZone warehouse associate posting says AutoZone is a drug-free workplace and all new hires must complete a pre-employment drug screening; the store and commercial driver postings we read don't mention drug tests. AutoZone doesn't say which jobs are tested or what the test covers.^2,3

Rules for specific jobs

• Jobs that involve handling money, driving company vehicles or supervising minors

  AutoZone postings say that, as permitted by state or local law, AutoZone may consider certain offenses relevant to jobs that conduct or oversee financial transactions for AutoZone, drive company vehicles or supervise minors.¹

• Distribution center warehouse jobs

  One AutoZone warehouse associate posting says all new hires must complete a pre-employment drug screening. It carries the same fair chance paragraph as store postings.³

• Store commercial (parts delivery) drivers

  A part-time commercial driver posting in Caldwell, Idaho says no CDL is required and applicants must be at least 18. AutoZone's FAQ says some screening includes a motor vehicle record report, without naming the jobs.⁴

• Distribution center yard drivers

  One AutoZone distribution center yard driver posting requires a Class A CDL with a hazmat endorsement.⁵

• Commercial drivers in DOT-regulated jobs (federal rule)

  Federal rules require a verified negative pre-employment drug test before a CDL driver first performs safety-sensitive work for an employer.⁶

Your rights, and how far back a check can go

• Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), an employer must get your written permission before it gets a background report about you from a background screening company.^11,12,13
• Before an employer decides not to hire, keep, or promote you because of something in a background report, it must give you a copy of the report and a document called "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act."^11,12
• You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information in your background report directly with the company that made it.^11,14
• The FCRA's seven-year limit does not apply to criminal convictions, so under federal law a conviction can show up on a background report no matter how old it is.^15,16
• Under the FCRA, background and credit reports generally cannot include arrest records, civil lawsuits, or civil judgments that are more than seven years old (or older than the statute of limitations, if that is longer).^15,17

Your full background check rights

Before you apply

• You can ask a background screening company for the information it has on you, and the CFPB keeps a list of consumer reporting companies, including employment screening companies, with their contact details.^11,14,18
• According to the Clean Slate Initiative, 14 states and Washington, D.C. have passed Clean Slate laws that meet its criteria for automatically clearing eligible records: Pennsylvania, Utah, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan, Delaware, Virginia, California, Oklahoma, Colorado, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, and Missouri, plus D.C.¹⁹
• The Federal Bonding Program, run by the U.S. Department of Labor, lets states give employers free fidelity bonds that protect them against losses from a newly hired worker's dishonest acts, for job seekers with past justice involvement or in recovery from substance use.^20,21

See whether you can clear your record in your state