Yes, Amazon does hire people with felony convictions. The company reviews applicants with criminal records individually rather than applying a blanket ban, and whether a felony keeps you out depends on what the offense was, how long ago it happened, and how closely it relates to the job you want. Amazon has signed on to the Fair Chance Business Pledge, a White House initiative that delays criminal history questions until later in the hiring process so your qualifications are weighed first.1The White House. Fact Sheet: White House Launches Fair Chance Business Pledge
How Amazon Reviews a Felony Record
A felony conviction is not an automatic no. Amazon evaluates each applicant case by case, weighing the offense against the specific role. That approach lines up with guidance from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which tells employers to consider three factors: the nature and seriousness of the offense, the time that has passed since the conviction or the end of the sentence, and the nature of the job being sought.2U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions
Because criminal history questions are delayed, your application, work history, and interviews carry the review before the background report enters the picture. When the report does come in, a recruiter or vendor looks at it against the job you applied for rather than against a fixed list.
What Convictions Are Most Likely to Disqualify You
Not every felony carries the same weight. The convictions that pose the highest barriers are violent crimes and sexual offenses, largely because of workplace safety concerns. Theft and fraud convictions get extra scrutiny for warehouse and logistics jobs, where employees handle merchandise and have access to customer packages.
Recency matters too. A conviction from ten years ago generally carries less weight than one from the past two, especially if you can show a stable stretch since. Pending charges — cases that haven’t reached a verdict — may also factor into the review, and how they’re treated varies by jurisdiction.
Drug-related felonies without a violent component tend to be viewed more favorably, particularly for entry-level fulfillment center roles. Amazon does not publish a list of automatic disqualifiers, and outcomes shift with the position, the location, and the record as a whole.
Delivery Driver Positions Have a Higher Bar
Most Amazon delivery work runs through Delivery Service Partners, independent contractors who own and manage their own fleets under the Amazon brand. Because the job puts you in a company-marked vehicle on public roads and at customers’ doors, DSPs typically screen more strictly than warehouses do.
Applicants generally face both a criminal background check and a motor vehicle record review. Violent felonies and theft convictions are commonly disqualifying. A recent DUI or a serious driving offense within the last several years is also a significant barrier because the role turns on safe vehicle operation. Each DSP is its own business, so exact criteria can differ from one partner to the next.
How Far Back the Check Reaches
Under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, criminal convictions have no federal time limit. A screening company can report them indefinitely, even though most other adverse information, like civil judgments and collections, drops off after seven years.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1681c Requirements Relating to Information Contained in Consumer Reports
About a dozen states have shortened that window for criminal convictions, with seven years being the most common cap. Some of those state limits only apply below a certain salary threshold. Where a state rule is stricter than the federal one, the screener has to follow the state rule. Non-conviction records, such as arrests that didn’t lead to a conviction, are generally capped at seven years under federal law.
Screening companies also have to keep expunged and sealed records out of their reports.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Fair Credit Reporting; Background Screening If you have had a record sealed or expunged, it should not show up on your Amazon background check. It’s worth pulling your own record before you apply to confirm those updates went through.
What the Background Check Covers and How Long It Takes
Every Amazon applicant goes through a background check, no matter the role. A third-party screening company, such as Accurate Background, runs it after you authorize the check through Amazon’s application portal or a link from the vendor. The screener searches county, state, and federal criminal databases against your name, Social Security number, address history, and any prior names or aliases.
Most checks finish in roughly one to two weeks, though the timeline turns largely on how quickly local courts respond. Some counties still pull paper records by hand, which adds days. You can usually track progress in the screening company’s online portal. Discrepancies between what you put on your application and what the report finds can slow things down or raise flags, so double-check your address history and any name variations before you submit.
Marijuana and Drug Testing
Since 2021, Amazon has excluded marijuana from pre-employment drug screening for positions that aren’t regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The company said it would treat marijuana the same as alcohol for hiring purposes.5Amazon. Amazon Is Supporting the Effort to Reform the Nations Cannabis Policy Roles within Amazon Air and any DOT-regulated driving positions still get the full drug panel, marijuana included. Amazon also continues to run impairment checks on the job and will test for all substances, including marijuana, after any workplace incident.
How to Strengthen Your Application
If your record includes a conviction, showing evidence of rehabilitation can shift the review. The EEOC’s guidance points employers doing an individualized assessment toward things like completed education or training, participation in rehabilitative programs, and a steady employment history since the conviction.2U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Enforcement Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest and Conviction Records in Employment Decisions
A few practical steps before you apply:
- Pull together documentation. Certificates from vocational training, substance-abuse programs, educational degrees, or community service records all help establish a pattern of change.
- Look into a federal bond. The Federal Bonding Program provides free fidelity bonds to employers who hire people with criminal records, covering up to $5,000 with zero deductible for the first six months of employment. The employer pays nothing. Raising it can reduce an employer’s perceived risk.6Federal Bureau of Prisons. Federal Bonding Program
- Check your own record. Request a copy of your criminal history and confirm it’s accurate. If any charges were dismissed, expunged, or sealed, make sure those updates are reflected.
Your Rights If Amazon Pulls the Offer
Federal law gives you specific protections during the background check. Before Amazon can take adverse action, such as rescinding a job offer, based on your report, it has to send you a copy of the report and a written summary of your rights under the FCRA.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1681b Permissible Purposes of Consumer Reports That’s the pre-adverse action notice, and it gives you a window to review the findings before anything is final.
The FCRA doesn’t set an exact number of days between the pre-adverse notice and the final decision, but the FTC has recommended employers wait at least five business days. Some states and cities set their own waiting periods.
If Amazon decides not to hire you based on the report, it then has to send a final adverse action notice with the screening company’s contact information, a statement that the screening company didn’t make the hiring decision, and notice of your right to dispute inaccurate information and get a free copy of the report within 60 days.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1681m Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports
Disputing Errors on Your Report
You dispute inaccuracies with the screening company, not with Amazon. Common problems include convictions belonging to someone with a similar name, dismissed charges showing as convictions, and records that should have been sealed. The screener has to investigate and correct anything confirmed as wrong, and if the corrected report changes the picture, Amazon should reconsider your application on the updated record.9Federal Trade Commission. Background Checks: What Employers Need to Know
State and Local Fair-Chance Laws
Beyond the federal FCRA, many states and cities add their own fair-chance rules. These often restrict when in the hiring process an employer can ask about criminal history, require employers to weigh specific mitigating factors before rejecting an applicant, or set mandatory waiting periods after a pre-adverse notice. The exact protections depend on where you live and where the job is located, so check your state’s and city’s rules before you apply.