How Far Back Does a DoorDash Background Check Go?

A DoorDash background check generally reaches back seven years for both criminal history and driving records, but criminal convictions can surface beyond that window under federal law. The screening runs through Checkr and pulls two reports: a criminal history report from county, state, and federal databases, and a motor vehicle report from your state’s DMV if you plan to deliver by car.¹ How far back your particular report actually reaches depends on the type of record and the state you live in.

The Seven-Year Rule for Criminal Records

The Fair Credit Reporting Act sets the federal baseline. Arrests that did not lead to a conviction cannot be reported once they are more than seven years old, and the same seven-year cap applies to civil suits, civil judgments, and most other negative items.² Dismissed charges and dropped cases from more than seven years back are typically filtered out before your report reaches DoorDash.

Convictions are the exception. Federal law explicitly exempts conviction records from the seven-year limit, so a felony or misdemeanor conviction can appear no matter how old it is.² In practice, most screening companies default to a seven-year search, but a serious conviction from a decade or more ago can still surface depending on which databases Checkr pulls and where the record lives.

There is also a salary carve-out in the FCRA: for positions paying $75,000 or more per year, the seven-year reporting limits don’t apply at all.² Dasher earnings sit well below that line for almost everyone, so the seven-year limits on non-conviction items stay in effect for the typical applicant.

How Far Back the Driving Record Goes

The motor vehicle report focuses on safety behind the wheel. For serious issues like DUI or DWI, reckless driving, and at-fault accidents, the lookback generally extends up to seven years.

Minor violations are reviewed over a shorter window, usually about three years. A single speeding ticket or a stop-sign citation from four years ago is unlikely to matter on its own. That said, a cluster of minor violations in a short period can still lead to a denial even without a major offense on the record. The motor vehicle report also confirms that your license is currently valid and has not been suspended or revoked.

If you plan to deliver by bicycle, DoorDash doesn’t require a motor vehicle report at all. Only the criminal history check applies.¹

States That Cut the Window Shorter

About a dozen states impose their own limits that go beyond the federal rule. States including California, Massachusetts, New York, Washington, Kansas, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, and New Mexico restrict reporting of criminal records — including some convictions — to seven years. A conviction that would show up on a report in one state may be excluded entirely in another.

Some of these states pair their seven-year limits with salary thresholds that widen the scope of reporting for higher-paying jobs. Because Dasher earnings fall well below those thresholds, applicants in these states generally get the most restricted version of the report. If you live in one of them, expect to see fewer old records than an applicant screened only under the federal standard.

What Actually Gets People Denied

DoorDash hasn’t published an exhaustive list of disqualifying offenses, but certain categories consistently lead to denial based on the company’s stated safety standards:³

DUI or DWI convictions, especially within the past seven years
Violent felonies such as assault or robbery
Any conviction involving a sexual offense
A serious reckless driving conviction or a pattern of reckless driving
A currently suspended or revoked driver’s license
Pending criminal charges, which can pause an application until resolved

When Checkr’s report includes records that need a closer look, it comes back marked “consider” rather than a straight pass or fail. DoorDash then reviews those results, and that extra review usually takes around five business days.¹

If Something on the Report Shouldn’t Be There

Background reports get things wrong. A record might belong to someone with a similar name, or a case that was dismissed may still appear as pending. If a record on your Checkr report is inaccurate, you can dispute it directly through the Checkr Candidate Portal, using the link from the confirmation email Checkr sent when your application was submitted. At the bottom of the report there is a “File a dispute” button; select the specific records you believe are wrong and upload supporting documents such as court records or dismissal paperwork. Checkr will send a confirmation email once the dispute is filed and follow up if more information is needed.⁴

If the dispute button isn’t available in your portal, you can contact Checkr directly or mail your dispute to 1 Montgomery St., Suite 2400, San Francisco, CA 94104.⁴

Federal law also requires DoorDash to send you a pre-adverse action notice, along with a copy of the report and a written summary of your rights, before it can deny your application based on the background check.⁵ You have the right to a free copy of your Checkr report if adverse action is taken. Questions about the accuracy of the report go to Checkr; questions about why you were denied go to DoorDash.⁶ If a dispute leads to a correction, Checkr sends the updated report to DoorDash, which may reconsider.

The Check Doesn’t Stop After You’re Approved

Passing the initial screening isn’t the end of it. DoorDash reruns background checks for active Dashers on a periodic basis, and Checkr’s continuous monitoring feature can flag new offenses in near real time.¹ The company has said it reruns thousands of these checks every week across its driver base.³

If a new offense turns up, your account isn’t deactivated immediately. Checkr sends a pre-adverse action notice by email on DoorDash’s behalf, and your Dasher account becomes temporarily unavailable while the issue is reviewed. You then have 14 days to dispute the findings or provide additional information before a final decision is made.¹

1
DoorDash Support. Dasher Background Check FAQ
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681c – Requirements Relating to Information Contained in Consumer Reports
3
DoorDash. Our Commitment to Maintaining a Safe and Trusted Platform
4
Checkr Help Center. Something on My Background Check Report Is Wrong – What Should I Do
5
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681b – Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act