# Arrest vs. Conviction on a Background Check | FFA | Felon Friendly Apartments

> How screening treats an arrest vs. a conviction, why arrests can still surface, disposition status, and FCRA limits on old arrest records.

URL: https://felonfriendlyapartments.com/guide/arrest-vs-conviction-on-a-background-check/
Last-Modified: 2026-07-20

GUIDE

# Arrest vs. Conviction on a Background Check

How screening treats an arrest vs. a conviction, why arrests can still surface, disposition status, and FCRA limits on old arrest records.

![Renter reading a legal document](/images/misc/person-at-kitchen-table-reading-legal-document-wit.webp)

An arrest is not a conviction. Legally, factually, and (usually) on paper — they are different events. On screening reports, though, the distinction can blur.

## What is different

-   **An arrest** is a police record. It represents a moment when law enforcement made an arrest. It does not itself say anything about guilt.
-   **A conviction** is a court outcome. It says a court found the person guilty or that the person entered a guilty or no-contest plea.
-   **Disposition** is the outcome recorded after the arrest: convicted, deferred, dismissed, acquitted, or still pending.

## Why arrests can still surface on screening

-   **Vendors pull raw arrest data** from some databases alongside disposition data.
-   **Disposition updates lag.** If a case was arrested last year and dismissed last month, some vendors may still show the arrest without the dismissal.
-   **Older arrests can still appear.** The FCRA generally prohibits reporting non-conviction records beyond seven years, but not every vendor is compliant on every pull.

## Your rights on non-conviction records

-   You can request the screening report the property used (see 
    
    adverse action notice
    
    [/guide/the-adverse-action-notice-explained/ →](/guide/the-adverse-action-notice-explained/)
    
    ).
-   You can dispute an arrest record that either lacks a disposition or reports past the seven-year window. See 
    
    how to dispute background check errors
    
    [/guide/how-to-dispute-background-check-errors/ →](/guide/how-to-dispute-background-check-errors/)
    
    .

## The special case of pending charges

Pending charges report as pending — neither convicted nor cleared. Some properties still auto-decline any open case; others review case-by-case. See 

pending charges

[/pending-charges/ →](/pending-charges/)

 and 

renting with an open or pending case in Texas

[/guide/renting-with-an-open-or-pending-case-in-texas/ →](/guide/renting-with-an-open-or-pending-case-in-texas/)

.

## Related

-   How to check your own background before you apply
    
    [/guide/how-to-check-your-own-background-before-you-apply/ →](/guide/how-to-check-your-own-background-before-you-apply/)
    
-   Your rights when denied housing over a criminal record
    
    [/guide/your-rights-when-denied-housing-over-a-criminal-record/ →](/guide/your-rights-when-denied-housing-over-a-criminal-record/)
    
-   Pending charges
    
    [/pending-charges/ →](/pending-charges/)
    

## Common Questions

Does an arrest without a conviction show on an apartment check?

It can. Under the FCRA, non-conviction records generally cannot be reported beyond seven years, but within that window some vendors pull arrest data. Disposition status matters: an arrest with a dismissed disposition should not carry the weight of a conviction.

Can I be denied for an arrest that had no conviction?

Property policies vary. Some strict-screening properties flag any criminal record entry, including arrests without convictions. Others weigh only convictions. You can dispute non-conviction records that should not report.

What is disposition status?

The outcome of the case: convicted, dismissed, deferred, no-billed by a grand jury, acquitted, or still pending. Disposition status is often what determines how a record is (or should be) weighted on screening.

## Related Guides

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What 'case by case review' really means: genuine individualized assessment vs. a fee-collection line, and how to tell them apart.

Read guide →

[Auto-Decline vs. Case-by-Case Review →](/guide/auto-decline-vs-case-by-case-review/)

### Criminal Background Lookback Periods Explained

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Read guide →

[DWI Non-Disclosure in Texas (Section 411.072) →](/guide/dwi-non-disclosure-in-texas-411-072/)

### Expungement in Texas (Chapter 55A)

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Read guide →

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![](/images/misc/garden-style-texas-apartment-courtyard-at-dusk-wit.webp)

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