Getting Hired With a Record
A record makes the job search harder. It does not make it impossible. Indiana has real tools on your side, and most people coming home have never heard of them. Here is what they are and how to use them.
1. The free Federal Bonding Program
Some employers worry you will steal from them. The Federal Bonding Program takes that worry off the table. It is free insurance, paid for by the U.S. Department of Labor, that covers the employer against theft, forgery, or embezzlement by you for your first 6 months on the job.
- Covers $5,000 up to $25,000. There is no cost to you or the employer, and no deductible.
- It starts the day you start work. You need a job offer and a start date first.
- The employer sends a short form to Indiana's bonding coordinator at the Department of Workforce Development: 317-232-3623, Fbonding@dwd.in.gov.
- If you were in IDOC, your HIRE coordinator can help set it up.
2. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (read this carefully)
For years, employers who hired someone within one year of a felony conviction or release got a federal tax credit of up to $2,400. That credit expired on December 31, 2025, and as of our last check Congress had not renewed it. Congress has brought it back after past gaps and made it count backward, so employers can still file IRS Form 8850 within 28 days of your start date to protect themselves. In Indiana that filing goes through Indiana Career Connect.
Bottom line: mention the bonding program first. Mention the tax credit only as "may come back."
3. Clear your record: Indiana expungement
Expungement is the single biggest door-opener. Indiana lets you file once in your lifetime, and every conviction from the same county has to go in that one petition, so do it right.
| What is on your record | How long you wait | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Arrest with no conviction | 1 year after the arrest | Records are sealed. Dismissals and acquittals since July 2022 are sealed automatically. |
| Misdemeanor | 5 years after the conviction | The judge must grant it if you qualify. Records are sealed. |
| Level 6 / Class D felony | 8 years after the conviction | The judge must grant it if you qualify. Records are sealed. |
| Most other felonies | 8 years after conviction or 3 years after your sentence ends, whichever is later | The judge decides. Records stay public but are marked "expunged." |
| Serious felonies | 10 years after conviction or 5 years after your sentence ends, whichever is later | The judge decides, and the prosecutor must agree in writing. |
- You also need no new convictions during the waiting period, no pending charges, and all fines, fees, costs, and restitution paid.
- Some offenses can never be expunged, including murder, sex and violent offender registrations, and offenses that caused death.
- File with the Clerk of Courts in the county where you were convicted. Each county page on this site lists the clerk.
- The fee is the normal civil filing fee. If you cannot pay, file a "Verified Motion for Fee Waiver" and the judge can waive it.
- Free forms: Indiana Legal Help. Free help line: Indiana Legal Services, 1-844-243-8570 (Mon–Thu, 9 AM–1 PM).
Heads up: Indiana lawmakers considered rewriting the expungement law in 2026 (House Bill 1118). The Indiana courts' guide updated July 1, 2026 still shows the waiting periods above. Before you file, confirm the current rules with Indiana Legal Help or a legal aid office.
4. What employers can and cannot ask
- Private employers in Indiana can legally ask about your record on the application. A 2017 state law stops cities and counties from banning the box.
- State of Indiana jobs do not ask on the first application (Executive Order 17-15, 2017). They ask later in the process.
- Federal jobs and many federal contractor jobs cannot ask until after a conditional job offer (Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, since December 2021).
- After expungement, most employers may only ask: "Have you ever been arrested for or convicted of a crime that has not been expunged by a court?" You can truthfully answer about the expunged record as if it never happened. Police, probation, and community corrections agencies are the exceptions.
- Federal EEOC guidance says an arrest alone is not a valid reason to turn you down, and employers should look at how serious the offense was, how long ago it was, and whether it relates to the job.
5. Licensed jobs: ask the board first
Want to be a barber, plumber, HVAC tech, CNA, or another licensed trade? Since 2018, Indiana law lets you ask the licensing board, at any time and before you pay for training, whether your conviction would disqualify you.
- The fee is no more than $25, and the board must answer within 60 days.
- Only crimes directly related to the job can count against you, and boards must publish their list of "convictions of concern."
- How: contact the board for your field (most run through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency) and ask to file a petition for a determination under IC 25-1-1.1-6.
6. Talking about your record
You do not have to tell your whole story. Keep it short, honest, and pointed forward. Practice it out loud until it is easy.
- Own it in one sentence. "I made a mistake in 2019 and served my time."
- Show what changed. "While I was inside I finished my HSE and a forklift certification."
- Bring it back to the job. "I'm ready to work, I show up, and I'm bondable at no cost to you."
7. Free help to find work
- WorkOne: free job search, resumes, and training money. Every county page lists the nearest office.
- IDOC HIRE: if you came home from state prison, HIRE coordinators in the parole offices connect you with employers who hire people with records.
- Our employer directory: thousands of Indiana employers reported to hire people with records, county by county.
Sources
- Indiana DWD: Federal Bonding Program · bonds4jobs.com
- U.S. DOL: WOTC · Congressional Research Service report R43729 (May 2026) · Indiana DWD: WOTC
- Indiana Courts: Expungement guide (updated 7/1/2026) · IC 35-38-9
- Executive Order 17-15 · IC 22-2-17-3 · EEOC
- IC 25-1-1.1-6 (licensing determinations) · Indiana PLA
Call ahead to confirm. Offices move and hours change. Broken Champions is not affiliated with the agencies, programs, or employers listed, and nothing on this page is legal advice.
See something wrong or out of date? Report it here and we will fix it.