Home and Garden Are background checks for 7 years? Are background checks for 7 years? Essentially, the 7-year rule states that all civil suits, civil judgments, arrest records, and paid tax liens can't be reported in a background investigation (or other consumer report) after 7 years.22 feb 2018 Related Posts:How far back do employment background checks go UK?What states follow the 10 year rule background checks?Do background checks go back 10 years?What is the most legitimate background check website?