# EEOC Rescinds Arrest-Records Guidance

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to rescind its 2012 enforcement guidance on employers’ use of arrest and conviction records, effective immediately. The action does not change Title VII’s prohibition on discrimination based on race or national origin, so government contractors and other employers should review their screening practices in light of the withdrawn guidance. The signal identifies no contract, funding, or procurement opportunity.

- Contractors that use arrest or conviction records in hiring should review their screening practices against the Title VII protections that remain in effect.
- The rescission changes the EEOC’s enforcement guidance, not the underlying Title VII prohibition; it does not itself create a new procurement requirement or award opportunity.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** October 30, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
- Department of Justice Civil Rights Division (DOJ Civil Rights Division)

### Sources
- [EEOC Votes to Rescind Enforcement Guidance on Arrest and Conviction Records | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission](https://www.eeoc.gov/newsroom/eeoc-votes-rescind-enforcement-guidance-arrest-and-conviction-records) - EEOC