What are your rights when a travel agency runs a background check?

Before an agency orders a background report on you from a screening company, federal law requires a written disclosure on its own and your written permission, and if something in the report might cost you the job, the agency must give you a copy of the report and a description of your rights first. If the report is wrong, ask the screening company to fix it and send the corrected report to the agency, and tell the agency yourself.

By ProTherapy Staffing, published November 11, 2026.

Can an agency or facility require a background check?

Yes. The EEOC and FTC’s guide for job applicants says that “unless the employer is asking for medical or genetic information, it's not illegal to ask you questions about your background, or to require a background check.” On a travel contract the check is part of credentialing, alongside licenses, health records and references; the credentialing guide lists the rest of the packet.

The same guide adds that “there might be other rules in your city or state, so it's a good idea to check with someone who knows the laws of your area.” What follows is the federal floor, which applies wherever the contract is.

What must the agency give you before it orders the report?

A written notice and your written permission. When an employer gets a report from a screening company, the Fair Credit Reporting Act says it may not do so unless “a clear and conspicuous disclosure has been made in writing to the consumer at any time before the report is procured or caused to be procured, in a document that consists solely of the disclosure, that a consumer report may be obtained for employment purposes”, and unless “the consumer has authorized in writing” the report.

So the notice comes on its own page, not buried in an application. The EEOC and FTC guide is plain about the choice: “You don't have to give your permission, but if you're applying for a job and you don't give your permission, the employer may reject your application.” Keep a copy of what you sign; it names the company that will run the check.

What happens if something in the report could cost you the contract?

You see it first. The statute says that before taking any adverse action based in whole or in part on the report, the employer must give you “a copy of the report” and “a description in writing of the rights of the consumer under this subchapter”.

The EEOC and FTC put it this way: “if the employer thinks it might not hire or retain you because of something in the report, it must give you a copy of the report and a "notice of rights" that tells you how to contact the company that made the report.” That copy is your chance to read exactly what the agency read, before a decision is final.

If you want to know what a facility's credentialing will ask for before you accept, ask a ProTherapy recruiter: Find my next contract.

What can you do about a mistake in the report?

Have it corrected at the source. The guide says: “If you see a mistake in your background report, ask the background reporting company to fix it, and to send a copy of the corrected report to the employer. You also should tell the employer about the mistake.”

Do both in writing, and tell your recruiter the same day, since a contract start date can wait on credentialing. If a credit history is part of the check, the guide adds that “you can get your credit report and fix any mistakes before an employer sees it”, free, at the site it names, annualcreditreport.com.

Can a background check be used against you unfairly?

Not on a discriminatory basis. The guide says that when an employer asks about your background, “it must treat you the same as anyone else, regardless of your race, national origin, color, sex, religion, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), or older age (40 or older).”

It also names where to go: “If you think an employer discriminated against you based on background information, contact the EEOC”. For a report obtained without your permission, the guide points to the FTC.

How do you get ready for a new contract's background check?

Ask your recruiter early which company runs the screening and whether the facility runs a check of its own as well, since some do. Read the disclosure before you sign it and keep a copy, along with the report itself if you are sent one.

If something old may come up, say so to your recruiter before the report does; the guide suggests being “prepared to explain it and why it shouldn't affect your ability to do the job.” What happens after you apply walks through where the check sits between an offer and a start date.

Frequently asked questions

Does a travel agency need my permission for a background check?

Yes, for a report from a screening company. The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires a written disclosure in a document of its own and your written authorization before the report is obtained.

Do I get to see my background check before I lose the job?

Yes. Before taking adverse action based on the report, the employer must give you a copy of it and a written description of your rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

What do I do if my background check is wrong?

Ask the background reporting company to fix the mistake and send a corrected copy to the employer, and tell the employer about the mistake yourself, as the EEOC and FTC advise.

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