Public employers and private employers with more than 15 employees may not ask about an applicant’s criminal history until they have had an interview. There appear to be no standards applicable to hiring decisions thereafter. Applicants for employment or licensure may not be required to disclose information about expunged or shielded records, and failure to disclose may not be the “sole” reason for denial of employment or licensing.
An occupational licensing board may not deny a license solely because of a conviction unless it directly relates to the desired license or there would be an unreasonable risk to property or safety, and it may not deny a license if seven years or more have passed since completion of sentence with no intervening charges. This policy does not apply at all to persons convicted of a crime of violence or to those required to register for sex offenses. Certain licensing agencies must report periodically to the governor and General Assembly on the number of applications received from people with a criminal record.
Licensing boards must also give effect to “certificates of rehabilitation” issued by the Department of Corrections to people convicted of nonviolent and nonsexual crimes who have completed conditions of supervision.
