The answer is yes, Amazon does hire felons and people with criminal records. Your eligibility for employment will depend on the type of felony and time since you have fulfilled your sentence. Another factor is whether you are a direct hire or are through a staffing agency.

Updated: 05/20/2019

Amazon is one of America’s largest employers and many felons seeking jobs ask the question, does Amazon hire felons? Lets take an in depth look at Amazons hiring policies regarding the hiring of felons and others with criminal records.

Staffing Agencies that Hire for Amazon

The first thing that you need to keep in mind is that Amazon uses a lot of people that work through staffing agencies. Many of the available Amazon positions can be found through the staffing agency Integrity Staffing Solutions, you can view specific job openings here from Integrity Staffing.

Amazon also uses a number of other job agencies including:

• Integrity Staffing
• Randstad USA
• Staff Management – SMX
• ISS Staffing (Allentown, PA ONLY)

Direct Hire for Amazon

In addition to Amazon hiring from staffing and temp agencies they do hire directly for many different types of positions.

• Fulfillment Centers – These are warehouse jobs. Picking, packing and loading packages.
• Virtual positions – Most of these work from home jobs are over the phone customer service jobs
• Student Programs – Internships

You will also find job listings for IT, human resources, supply chain, transportation and much more. You can search all of Amazons open positions here.

First Hand Information About Amazon Hiring Felons

We were contacted by one of our readers to let us know the following:

“I was a direct hire at Amazon (Phoenix, AZ) in September. I have a felony possession (mj) from 2011 and few assorted misdemeanors/DUI’s along the way (no theft or fraud). It’s January and I’m still working at Amazon. If you want to work at Amazon, have your name in the hat well before their hiring frenzy (sept-oct) for peak season (nov-dec). Check the status of your application often and renew/resubmit as often as necessary to keep current.

Those online tests that they require you to take are your foot in the door. I’m guessing but I think the length of time it takes you to finish is factored into any scoring. But again, that’s just a guess. Give all the right answers and they’ll hound you to come work for them. Be consistent with your answers. The questions are the same 10-15, reworded and asked over and over and over throughout the test. You won’t know your score but if you did well, you get an offer automatically when you finish the last test. If not, suck it up and try again in a few months.”

Should You Lie to Amazon About Your Felony

No… For one very good reason. They will run a background check on you, 100% guaranteed. If you get caught lying your never going to be hired.

How Amazon Will Handle Your Felony Conviction

There are three possible outcomes to applying to Amazon with a felony record.

1. You apply and never hear from them. This means that they do not have an interest in hiring you for one or a number of reasons. Just because you are not hired does not mean it is only due to your felony conviction. You could have not interviewed well, made a mistake on an application/resume or you do not have the experience they are looking for.
2. You apply, interview well and are offered a position contingent upon passing a drug test and background check. If amazon feels that your felony is a non issue from them you will never here a word about it.
3. You could get an email from human resources asking you to explain the circumstances of your felony and why they should hire you. This is your chance to shine and take advantage of the opportunity. If Amazon is satisfied with your answer they will hire you.

Staffing Agencies That Hire For Amazon

In the past none of these staffing companies would hire anyone with a criminal background, let alone a felony. In 2012 Integrity Staffing was sued by a man that was denied employment by Integrity over a long ago felony conviction. The lawsuit did not make it to trial but was settled out of court. Integrity was forced to change their blanket policy of “we don’t hire felons.”

“Pursuant to the settlement agreement, Integrity Staffing Solutions has reaffirmed its policy of providing equal employment opportunity for people with past criminal convictions, and has agreed to change its employment advertisements and job applications to comply with its policy. Integrity Staffing Solutions also has further reemphasized to supervisors and personnel engaged in the hiring process the importance of and appropriate review of a job applicants with criminal convictions”.

Source: Law Center Of Philadelphia

The lawsuit forced these staffing agencies to make more sensible decisions about people with criminal backgrounds. This does not mean that they will hire every felon that applies or walks in the door! A number factors will be considered when you apply for an Amazon job through a staffing agency.

• Time since conviction/release
• Specifics of conviction
• How well you interview
• The hiring manager’s personal views

Help For Felons can confirm that some felons have been hired to work in Amazon warehouses as order selectors/pickers through Staff Management – SMX. Any information that you may be reading online in regards to questions like “does amazon hire felons” that was published prior to early 2012 is most likely incorrect. That is because the lawsuit was not settled until 1/5/2012, you can read the full press release here.

Does Amazon Hire People With Misdemeanors

Yes, Amazon does hire people with misdemeanors or there record.

Background Check Limits and Amazon

It is important to understand that some states have laws regarding how far back  Amazon can check your criminal background. Here are the laws in each state.

Twelve states do not allow any felony conviction information older than seven years to be reported.

• California
• Colorado*
• Kansas*
• Maryland*
• Massachusetts
• Montana
• Nevada
• New Hampshire*
• New York *
• Texas *
• Washington*

(* exceptions based on pay/salary)

Some states will not report court cases where you were found NOT guilty: Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Alaska, California, New York and Michigan.

These states will report unlimited numbers of years back of felony convictions and also report NOT guilty verdicts: Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.