Does Walmart Hire Convicted Felons In 2026?

What’s Walmart’s hiring policy for candidates with criminal backgrounds? Does Walmart hire convicted felons?

And if they do, will Walmart hire felons with recent convictions, felons on parole, or felons convicted of theft or violent assault?

There’s so much uncertainty for felons looking for a new job because employers don’t provide enough information about their hiring polices.

We understand how frustrating that is, and we’re here to help. In this guide, we’ll share everything we know about your chances of getting hired at Walmart with a felony.

Does Walmart Hire Convicted Felons?

Is Walmart felon-friendly? Yes! Walmart does hire felons for some positions on a case-by-case basis.

As a Ban the Box employer, Walmart doesn’t ask about your criminal record or felony convictions on the job application. But they will run a background check after a successful interview.

You’ll be invited to an interview based on your suitability for the role, and you won’t face unfair discrimination because of your criminal history.

With a felony, it’s easier to qualify for an entry-level position than a management position, and the final hiring decision is taken by the Walmart HR department once they receive the results of your background check.

When you look for jobs on Walmart’s careers website, you’ll also see open jobs at Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club is Walmart’s membership store, which sells products in bulk.

If you’ve got a Sam’s Club nearby, take a look at the jobs on offer because they pay higher rates than Walmart.

Does Walmart Distribution Center Hire Felons?

Walmart uses the same hiring policy for warehouse jobs and store jobs. Walmart will hire some felons for distribution center jobs, depending on the type of felony involved.

Felons can apply for any warehouse position that matches their skill set, but positions with greater levels of responsibility will be harder to qualify for.

Even so, because Walmart reviews background checks on an individual basis, you may be eligible for supervisory or technical roles.

The most common job at Walmart distribution centers is Freight Handler. This is an entry-level job and duties include unloading and loading trucks and preparing pallets to ship to stores.

Walmart distribution centers operate around the clock and if you’re willing to work unpopular overnight and weekend shifts, that will count in your favor.

Will Walmart Hire Felons On Parole?

It’s possible to work at Walmart while you’re on parole. Fill out a job application through Walmart’s careers website. There isn’t a separate application or interview process for felons on parole.

What Are Some Jobs Felons Can Get At Walmart?

Entry-level jobs are the most common positions for felons at Walmart, although you may be eligible for a higher-level position depending on the nature of your felony.

In an entry-level position, you’re closely supervised, and you won’t have a lot of responsibility. Once you’ve established a good track record, though, you may be eligible for a promotion.

Jobs for felons at Walmart stores will usually be at the store associate level. Team associates are hired for each department, so the type of work you do will vary depending on the department you work in. Here are a few examples:

A Deli / Bakery Associate prepares food, serves customers at the counter, and keeps displays stocked.
A Stocking Team / Receiving Associate works in the backroom,m unloading freight from delivery trucks and may be required to operate power equipment.
A Cart Attendant / Janitorial Associate keeps the store, restrooms, receiving areas, and parking lot clean, and collects and cleans shopping carts.
An Online Order Filling Team Associate fills customer orders and packs the order ready for pickup or home delivery.

Other team associate positions you can apply for at Walmart include:

Home Team Associate
Seasonal Associate
Fuel Station Associate
Cashier / Front End Service Associate
Entertainment Associate
Auto Care Center Associate
Apparel Team Associate
Remodel Team Associate

Walmart Is A Member Of the Second Chance Business Coalition

Walmart, along with over 40 other major employers, has committed to improving job prospects for felons. As Second Chance Business Coalition members, they’ve made their hiring process more felony friendly by:

Removing criminal conviction questions from the job application.
Running background reports after the interview when a conditional job offer has been made.
Considering the relevance of the offense to the job applied for.

Walmart also participates in the Work Opportunity Tax Credit program. This is a federal government initiative that gives employers a tax break if they hire certain disadvantaged or hard-to-place job seekers.

If you’ve got a recent felony or have been released from prison in the last 12 months, then Walmart benefits financially if they hire you.

What Does Walmart’s Background Check Look For?

Walmart runs background checks after the interview, during the last stage of the hiring process.

The Walmart background check will confirm your identity and carry out a criminal record search of county, state, and national databases.
Depending on the position applied for, Walmart may also look at your credit history.
Your work history could also be checked to confirm the dates you were employed and the positions you held.
If the position you’re being hired for requires a professional license or certification (maintenance electrician, for example), then those credentials will be verified.
For driving jobs, your driving record will be checked for driving offenses and license suspensions.

The background check will only take place if you’ve received and accepted a conditional offer of employment.

You need to give consent for the background check and provide additional information at this stage. The background check questionnaire does ask about convictions.

Does Walmart always run background checks? Yes. Every applicant that’s offered a job will have to pass a background check. Even if you’re just cleaning the toilets, collecting shopping carts from the parking lot, or working as a night time stocker, Walmart is going to check your criminal history.

How Far Back Does Walmart Go On A Background Check?

Your background check will go back at least 7 years, but having a felony conviction during that period won’t always count against you, so don’t be discouraged and decide against applying.

Some states limit employment background checks to 7 years. For felons living in the following states with 7 year background check limits, an older felony conviction on your criminal history won’t be reported:

California
Colorado
Kansas
Kentucky
Hawaii
Maryland
Massachusetts
Montana
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Mexico
New York
Texas
Washington

What Felony Convictions Are Disqualifying At Walmart?

Retailers like Walmart are cautious about hiring individuals with a felony for theft on their criminal record. They’ll also be concerned about repeat offenders, violent felonies, and sexual felonies.

Will Walmart hire felons registering as sex offenders? It’s possible, although there’s not enough information available to say anymore than that. Some Walmart employees report that sex offenders have been hired at their stores, but it’s difficult to give an idea of how successful your application would be.

For all offenses, and especially violent or sexual offenses, the longer it’s been since your conviction, the better.

Ultimately, though, the best advice is to apply for a job and see what happens. Having a felony conviction won’t lead to an automatic rejection when you apply, and you’ll get the chance to attend an interview, which could turn in to a job offer.

Walmart will look at a number of factors when they evaluate your background report.

The nature of your felony.
Was it a violent or non-violent felony?
How long ago was the felony conviction?
What evidence of rehabilitation have you supplied?
What’s your employment record been like?
Is the felony conviction relevant to the job you’ve applied for?

By carrying out an individualized assessment, Walmart doesn’t judge you on your prior felony alone. Instead, they’ll look at your overall merits, and balance the benefits of hiring you against the risks hiring you could present to their customers, employees, and public image.

ompany has a great deal of experience with felons to fall back on because they’ve got a long record as a second chance employer. You’ll get a fair assessment if you apply.

Walmart knows former felons can become valued, hard working, loyal employees. So no matter the felony on your record, go ahead and apply for the positions you’re qualified for.

7 Step Guide: How To Get Hired At Walmart With A Felony

Because of your felony, you’ve got to try twice as hard as other job seekers when you apply for jobs and attend interviews. That’s even true for an entry-level store or warehouse job at Walmart. Follow these steps to increase your chances of bing hired at Walmart with a felony.

Step 1: Be Realistic About The Position You Apply For

Often, getting your foot in the door at a company means being willing to take a lower position than you’re used to or qualified for. Your skills and experience may qualify you for a team leader position, but Walmart may not want to give you with that level of responsibility until you’ve shown them you can be trusted.

Your background will be given greater scrutiny for higher-level positions. Remember, your offense will be considered in relation to the job you’ve applied for. For felons, entry-level positions are the easiest to qualify for.

And whatever you do, don’t apply for a position in the sporting goods department if that Walmart store sells guns and ammunition. As a felon, you cannot legally have access to firearms.

Step 2: Completing The Walmart Online Application

Always fill out job applications honestly. The Walmart application doesn’t ask about criminal convictions, but you still need to provide accurate details for your name, address, and date of birth, a valid social security number, and verifiable employment history.

If you’re offered a job, you’ll also need to submit documents to prove your identity and your right to work in the United States.

Walmart asks for 6 years of employment history for most positions, but they ask for a 10 year history if you apply for a driver position at a distribution center. Your employment history is used to verify that you’ve got experience (if required) and it may be used to calculate your starting rate of pay.

For each position held, you’ll need to add your start date, leaving date, and job title. There’s a place to enter your reason for leaving, but it’s optional. If you left your last job because you went to prison, it’s better to leave that question blank.

To finish this part of the application, add the details of any licenses or certifications you hold, then go through the military service questions (if applicable).

Step 3: Selecting Your Availability

Walmart wants to know when you’re available to work. Our advice is to make yourself as available as possible by indicating you can work any hours required. If you can work an overnight shift, check the box to confirm your availability.

Having open availability means Walmart could be eager to hire you for unpopular shifts.

Step 4: Taking The Online Assessment Test

Depending on the position you’re applying for, the Walmart application will load an online assessment you need to complete. The assessment takes about 15 minutes.

The assessment test is a series of multiple-choice questions. The questions will vary based on the position you’ve applied for and cover customer service scenarios, problem-solving abilities, your personality, attitude, work style, and your work experience.

Once you’ve answered the questions, the system will automatically show if you passed or failed. If you passed the assessment, Walmart will email you or call you to arrange an interview.

Step 5: Presenting Your Felony At The Walmart Interview

Do you mention your felony at the interview or do you keep quiet? If your felony will show on your report when Walmart runs the background check, it’s wise to bring it up during your interview.

The timing matters, so wait until the interview is nearing its end before you bring up your felony. When the interviewer asks if you’ve got any questions, this is the time to let them know about your criminal record.

By being open about your past, you’re already showing your honesty. You don’t need to go into much detail other than explaining the nature of your conviction and when it happened. Express regret for the mistakes you made, then briefly outline any positive steps you’ve taken to get your life back on track.

At the end of your interview, provide copies of your character references, any certificates and diplomas you hold, and a short written explanation about your offense so the hiring manager has all the relevant details to hand when they add your interview information to the system.

Step 6: After The Interview

Sometimes, a week or more will go by before you hear from Walmart with a job offer or a rejection. If you haven’t heard anything 2 weeks post-interview, call and find out what the delay is.

After your interview, regularly check your email for messages and look in your spam folder in case Walmart’s email is siting in there.

Step 7: Your Pre-Employment Screening

If Walmart sends you a job offer, it will be contingent on pre-employment screening. Along with your job offer, you’ll get instructions for filling out your background check.

Once again, it’s vital to fill this out accurately. Provide honest answers regarding your previous addresses and convictions during the period specified.

Remember that having a felony isn’t automatically disqualifying, but if HR gets your background report and there are unexplained charges on there, you’ll look dishonest, and employers don’t want to hire dishonest people.

If the position you applied for requires a pre-employment drug test (most don’t), you’ll also need to go for your drug screen within the time limit they give you.

If your background check clears, you’ll receive an employment confirmation email or text and be scheduled for the next available orientation session.

Let’s Review What We Know About Getting Hired At Walmart With A Felony

Is Walmart felon friendly? Yes! Walmart is a felon friendly employer with a long history of giving felons a second chance, but they won’t hire every felon that applies.
Does Walmart hire felons on parole? While Walmart hires felons with recent convictions and felons on parole in some cases, the older your offense, and the more time since release, the better your chances of getting hired.
Does Walmart distribution center hire felons? Yes, and a common job for felons working at the warehouse is Freight Handler.
For the best chance of getting hired with a felony at Walmart apply for entry-level jobs instead of managerial positions.
Every candidate needs to pass a criminal background check. This takes place after the interview once a conditional job offer has been made. The background check goes back at least 7 years.
When Walmart evaluates your criminal history, they’ll look at multiple factors to decide if your felony is relevant to the job you’ve applied for.
Does Walmart hire felons on the sex offenders register? Non-violent offenses are less problematic than violent offenses or sexual assault convictions. Theft offenses will also be a big concern.