Does PepsiCo hire people with felonies?

What PepsiCo has said

PepsiCo is a member of the Second Chance Business Coalition. Its U.S. hourly hiring steps put the background check after a job offer, and PepsiCo says checks differ by role. PepsiCo postings we opened say it will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and local fair chance ordinances. In 2012 Pepsi Beverages paid $3.13 million to resolve an EEOC finding that its former criminal background check policy discriminated against Black applicants, and it adopted a new policy.

• Second Chance Business Coalition member

  Listed as a member of the Second Chance Business Coalition.¹

• Fair-chance statement in a job posting

  A PepsiCo Merchandiser - Foods posting (Torrance, CA, posted October 20, 2026) says the company will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and Los Angeles's Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. A Texas delivery driver posting carries the same statement on criminal histories.²

• EEOC settlement

  In January 2012 the EEOC announced that Pepsi Beverages (formerly Pepsi Bottling Group) would pay $3.13 million after the EEOC found its former background check policy, which kept people arrested but not convicted, and people with certain minor offenses, out of permanent jobs, discriminated against Black applicants. Pepsi adopted a new criminal background check policy and agreed to training and reporting.³

Does PepsiCo do background checks?

PepsiCo runs background checks after a job offer. For U.S. hourly jobs, PepsiCo lists a pre-employment step after the decision and offer step, in which applicants get instructions for a background check. PepsiCo says checks differ by role and doesn't publish what each covers.⁴

• How long a background check takes

Does PepsiCo drug test?

PepsiCo hasn't published a drug testing policy. PepsiCo hasn't published a company-wide drug-testing policy. Its CDL delivery driver jobs require following DOT regulations, and federal FMCSA rules require a negative pre-employment drug test for CDL drivers of commercial vehicles.^5,6

Rules for specific jobs

• Beverage delivery drivers (CDL)

  A PepsiCo beverages delivery driver posting in Fort Stockton, TX (posted October 9, 2026) asks for a valid Class A CDL with non-excepted interstate status, pays $33.75 per hour as listed in that posting, and says drivers must follow DOT regulations. This comes from an individual, live job-search listing rather than a published wage policy, so the figure can change as postings turn over.⁵

• Any CDL driving job

  FMCSA says all CDL drivers operating commercial motor vehicles on public roads are subject to DOT drug and alcohol testing, and an employer must receive a negative pre-employment drug test before the driver operates a commercial vehicle.⁶

• Merchandisers (Foods)

  A Merchandiser - Foods posting in Torrance, CA pays $24.70 per hour and asks for a valid driver's license with proof of insurance, since merchandisers drive their own vehicles between stores (with mileage reimbursement). This comes from an individual, live job-search listing rather than a published wage policy, so the figure can change as postings turn over.²

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.^8,9,10
• 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."^8,9
• You have the right to dispute inaccurate or incomplete information in your background report directly with the company that made it.^8,11
• 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.^12,13
• 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).^12,14

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.^8,11,15
• 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.¹⁶
• 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.^17,18

See whether you can clear your record in your state