Can a background check include traffic violations from someone else?

Question

My background screening came back with a list of traffic violations I have never received. Speeding tickets in cities I have never driven through, a license suspension I never had, and violations on dates when I was not even in those states. I have maintained a clean driving record for years, and now this report makes it look like I am a reckless driver. The position I applied for involves driving, so this is directly affecting my eligibility. I checked my official DMV record, and it is completely clean. None of these tickets appear there. Yet the screening company is still reporting them, and the employer is treating this as factual information. I do not understand how violations that do not exist on my official record can show up on a background check.

Consumer Attorneys · Accepted Answer

When a background check includes traffic violations that don't appear on your official DMV record, the screening company has likely pulled records from the wrong person or from an unreliable source. Under the FCRA, screening companies must use reliable sources and verify that the information belongs to the person being screened.

Traffic violation errors often occur when screening companies:

Match records based only on name without verifying license numbers
Pull data from incomplete or outdated databases
Fail to cross-reference information with official DMV records
Mix files between people with similar names or birthdates

What to do immediately:

Obtain an official certified driving record from your state DMV
Dispute the incorrect violations in writing with the screening company
Provide your clean DMV record as proof the violations aren't yours
Request the screening company identify their source for the traffic violations

Send us both the background report showing the false violations and your certified DMV record. We can demand an immediate correction and push for a corrected report to be sent to the employer. If these false violations cost you the driving position or damaged your employment prospects, you may be entitled to compensation under the FCRA.

For positions that require driving, false traffic violations can be job-ending errors. We'll make sure the screening company corrects this and answers for how they reported violations that don't exist on your official record.