Earlier this month, Mayor Cherelle Parker has signed a major amendment to Philadelphia Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards, also known as the “ban the box” law, writes Alonzo Martinez for Forbes.
The updated rules take effect on Jan. 6, 2026.
The amendment further limits how employers can evaluate a person’s criminal history when making hiring and employment decisions, establishes new worker protections, and strengthens procedural safeguards. It further reinforces Philadelphia’s longstanding mandate for individualized and equitable assessment of criminal records.
The key changes include a four-year misdemeanor lookback, meaning that employers may only consider misdemeanor convictions if the arrest or release from incarceration occurred in the past four years. Previously, the lookback period was seven years.
Summary offenses are now off-limits, with employers no longer allowed to consider minor infractions under Pennsylvania law, typically resolved with a citation or fine. Employers can also no longer consider expunged or sealed criminal records, even if they are revealed while obtaining background checks or driver history reports from PennDOT.
The 2025 amendment further reinforces the city ordinance requiring employers to notify candidates before refusing them based on criminal history and to provide an opportunity for rebuttal.
Read more about the amendment and how it has long-limited those with a criminal history in Forbes.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA.Today in October 2025.
