Yes, but the felony must be old enough and not related to driving, drugs, or violence
A felony conviction does not automatically bar you from truck driving. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) does not have a blanket ban on hiring drivers with felonies. However, trucking companies set their own hiring rules, and most will reject you if your felony is recent, involved drugs, violence, or dishonesty, or if it shows a pattern of breaking rules.
The age of the conviction matters most. Many carriers will consider drivers with felonies that are 7 to 10 years old or older, especially if you have a clean record since then. Some will go back further; others will not consider any felony at all. A few specialized carriers focus specifically on hiring people with criminal records, though these jobs often pay less and involve less desirable routes.
Your conviction type matters more than the fact of the conviction. A felony for theft, fraud, or drug possession will disqualify you from most companies. A felony for a violent crime will do the same. But a felony for a non-violent property crime from 15 years ago, with nothing since, may not.
Key Takeaways
- The FMCSA does not ban felons from driving commercial trucks, but individual carriers do their own background checks and set their own rules.
- Felonies involving drugs, violence, dishonesty, or driving offenses will disqualify you from nearly all carriers, regardless of age.
- Non-violent felonies older than 7 to 10 years, with a clean record since, may be considered by some carriers, though not most major ones.
- You must disclose your conviction on your process; lying about it will end your hiring when ready and may prevent you from ever being hired again.
- Some carriers specialize in hiring people with records, but they typically offer lower pay and less choice in routes and equipment.
What the FMCSA actually requires
The FMCSA requires that a driver have a valid Commercial Driver's License (CDL) and pass a medical examination. It does not require a background check or disqualify drivers based on criminal history. The agency does disqualify drivers for specific offenses — but only those related to driving itself, like driving under the influence, reckless driving, or leaving the scene of an accident.
This means the FMCSA's rules are not your barrier. The barrier is the carrier's hiring policy. A trucking company can refuse to hire you for any reason that is not illegal discrimination — and a felony conviction is not a protected class. So the company can and usually will reject you based on your record alone.
Which felonies will disqualify you from most carriers
Drug offenses are the hardest barrier to overcome. Carriers treat drug convictions as a sign of ongoing risk, and most will not hire anyone with a drug felony on their record, no matter how old. This includes manufacturing, distribution, and possession with intent to distribute. Possession alone is sometimes treated more leniently, but most major carriers still reject it.
Violent felonies — assault, robbery, homicide, sexual assault — will disqualify you from nearly all carriers. Trucking companies view these as evidence of a danger to others, and they have liability concerns if you harm a customer, shipper, or the public while working.
Fraud, forgery, and theft convictions signal dishonesty. Carriers worry that you will steal cargo, falsify logbooks, or commit other crimes on the job. These are also very difficult to overcome, though a very old conviction with a long clean record may be reconsidered by a smaller carrier.
Driving-related felonies — DUI, reckless driving, hit-and-run, driving with a suspended license — will disqualify you. These show you cannot follow traffic law, which is the core job requirement.
How old your conviction needs to be
There is no federal rule on this. Carriers decide for themselves. A common threshold is 7 to 10 years, meaning a company might consider a felony if it happened that long ago and you have stayed clean since. Some carriers will look at felonies from 15 or 20 years back. Others will not hire anyone with any felony, no matter when it occurred.
The clock resets if you commit another crime. If you have a felony from 12 years ago but a misdemeanor from 3 years ago, most carriers will treat you as someone with a recent criminal history, not someone with an old one.
Your best move is to contact carriers directly and ask. Some have written policies posted online; others will tell you over the phone whether your specific situation disqualifies you. Do not lie on your process. Carriers run background checks, and lying about a conviction will end your hiring when ready and may prevent you from being hired anywhere else in the industry.
Carriers that hire people with felony records
A small number of trucking companies specialize in hiring drivers with criminal records. These include some regional carriers and owner-operator networks that focus on second-chance employment. Examples include companies that partner with reentry programs or nonprofits focused on criminal justice reform.
These carriers exist, but they are not straightforward to find through a standard job search. You may find them through reentry programs in your state, through nonprofits like the Second Chance Employment Network, or through local workforce development boards. Some state departments of corrections also maintain lists of employers willing to hire people with records.
Be aware that these carriers often offer lower pay, less desirable routes (often local or regional rather than long-haul), older equipment, and fewer benefits than major carriers. But they are a real option if mainstream carriers reject you.
What happens during the background check
When you explore to a trucking company, they will run a background check through a third-party screening company. This check will include a criminal history search, which will uncover felonies in any state where you have lived or worked. The company will see the conviction date, the offense, the sentence, and whether you completed it.
Some carriers also check for civil judgments, evictions, and financial problems, because they view these as signs of instability or dishonesty. A pattern of problems — multiple convictions, multiple evictions, multiple judgments — will hurt you more than a single old felony.
You will be asked to disclose your criminal history on the process. The question usually asks something like "Have you ever been convicted of a felony?" You must answer honestly. If you say no and the background check finds a conviction, you will be rejected when ready, and the company may report you to law enforcement for fraud. You will also be flagged in the industry, making it harder to get hired elsewhere.
Building your case if you have a felony
If you have a felony and want to drive truck, start by being honest about it. On your process, include the conviction date, the offense, and what you have done since — education, training, steady employment, community involvement, or time served. Do not make excuses, but do explain what has changed.
Get your CDL first, before you explore to carriers. This shows you are serious and have already passed the FMCSA's requirements. It also gives you time to build a clean record after getting your license.
Consider explore to smaller carriers and owner-operator networks before major ones. Smaller companies sometimes have more flexibility in hiring decisions and may be willing to take a chance on someone with an older felony and a clean recent record.
If you are rejected, ask why. Some carriers will tell you whether it was the felony itself or something else — like the type of felony, how recent it was, or something on your driving record. This feedback will help you know whether to keep explore or whether you need to wait longer or pursue a different career path.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a felony from 20 years ago prevent me from getting hired?
Probably not, if it was non-violent and you have a clean record since. A felony that old is far enough in the past that some carriers will overlook it, especially if it was not drug-related or a crime of dishonesty. Contact carriers directly to ask about their specific policies — some have written guidelines about how far back they look.
Can I get my felony expunged or sealed to improve my chances?
In some states, yes. Expungement or sealing removes the conviction from public record in most contexts. However, background checks for commercial driving often can still see sealed records, and you may still be required to disclose the conviction on a trucking process. Check your state's expungement laws and ask a carrier whether they can see sealed records before you pursue this route.
What if I have a felony and a DUI?
A DUI is a driving offense, and the FMCSA disqualifies drivers for certain DUI convictions. If your DUI resulted in a felony (usually because it caused injury or death, or because it was a repeat offense), you will be disqualified by the FMCSA itself, not just by carrier policy. You cannot drive commercial trucks legally in this case.
Do I have to tell a carrier about my felony if I explore online?
Yes. The process will ask about criminal history, and you must answer truthfully. If you skip the question or answer no, the background check will find the conviction, and you will be rejected and possibly flagged as dishonest. Honesty is your only option.
Can I appeal if a carrier rejects me because of my felony?
Not through a formal appeals process — carriers do not have one. But you can ask the hiring manager to reconsider, especially if you can show what has changed since the conviction. Some carriers will reconsider if you have additional training, a longer clean record, or a letter of recommendation. Most will not, but asking costs nothing.