San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

San Francisco’s Fair Chance Ordinance (FCO) “bans the box,” effectively eliminating the commonly used criminal history check box found on many employment applications. The FCO also imposes various other prohibitions and requirements related to employers obtaining and using criminal background information.¹

California law also “bans the box” and imposes requirements on how employers obtain and use criminal history (the State Law). The State Law applies to employers with five or more employees. You are required to comply with both the FCO and State Law. For more information about the State Law, see Restrictions on Obtaining Criminal History.