
Yes, Home Depot does hire felons. Several factors including how old your felony is, the type of felony and the location of the store your applying at will determine if you are eligible to be hired. Sex offenses and violent felonies will disqualify you being hired by Home Depot.
Does Home Depot Hire Felons
As stated above Home Depot will hire felons but that does not mean they will hire ALL felons. Our Organization Help for Felons has worked with a number of felons that have been hired by Home Depot. I do not consider them to be a true “felon friendly” employer since they are very selective, but it is possible to get hired.
Below you will find truly helpful information (no fluff or BS) that will give you a an advantage when trying to get hired by Home Depot.
Guide: How to get hired by Home Depot with a felony
Following this guide will allow you to have the best shot at getting the hired. Please read the entire article before you start the process of applying.
Step #1 – Applying to home depot as a felon
Home Depot has an easy to fill out online application. It is important to note the application does not ask about felonies or criminal records. That is because home depot is a “ban the box” company. Don’t get me wrong home depot will be doing a background check on you after your interview. More on that later. Let us deal with the application first.
Availability
Having open availability will make you more desirable to Home Depot. If other applicants do not have open availability you will have one up on them. Here are the questions that they ask on the application concerning availability.

Position Selection
Since the odds are already stacked against you do not make it harder than it already is by applying for a position where your felony makes it even harder or impossible. Make the name of the game “getting your foot in the door.” Do not apply for management positions or security positions since this will even call more attention to your felony conviction. After you get hired you can then apply for those positions internally.
Here are some of the easiest position to get with a felony:
- Cashier – “Provide fast, friendly customer service at the point of purchase, accurately processing checkout and return transactions and identifying selling opportunities.”
- Store Support – “Improve customer experiences beyond our front doors, loading products into vehicles and monitoring shopping carts in our parking lots.”
- Receiving – “Our Freight Team works to ensure stores are stocked and ready for business. Responsible for unloading trucks and moving material through the store, they are an integral part of our business and the customer retail experience. The majority of these positions are overnight.”
Step #2 – The interview
This is going to be the opportunity that you use to try and get your felony out of the way. Keep in mind that Home Depot knows nothing about your criminal record at this point, they never asked on the application. Your background check be the last thing that Home Depot does before you start your job.
Crazy as this sounds you are going to bring up your felony to the hiring manager that is interviewing you. Why? Because this is the only time you will have any control over explaining your felony. If you leave the interview and the hiring manager gets a “surprise, felony record” fax a week later from the background check company they will be much more apt to cut you than if it is not a surprise and they know your history.
How to present you felony to the Home Depot interviewer
There are some things you can do to explain your felony in a way that makes it sound “softer” to the Home Depot interviewer. You must be prepared to present your felony to the interviewer both orally and in written form. Here are the details.
Explaining your felony to the Home Depot hiring manager
- Timing is everything – Do not bring this up until the interview is almost concluded, but not after it has ended. This allows the interviewer to form a good opinion about you before you bring up the bad news. Nine times out of ten towards the end of the interview the hiring manager will ask you if you have any questions. This is the time to let them know about your criminal record. Do not use the word felony yet.
- Explain your felony – Now everyone’s story is different so some variation may be needed for your situation. You need to explain in brief how you got in trouble and what happened. Be brief and do not dwell on this part. Limit this to a minute or less.
- Explain what you have done since your felony – This is especially important and should be well thought out. Talk about what you have done to change your life including but not limited to; education, classes, skills gained, lessons learned and how you want to continue your life by finding a home at Home Depot. Keep the attention on the present and not the past.
- Final note – After you have done your explaining it is time to ask the interviewer if they have any questions. After the interview is concluded thank them for their time.
Make sure that you are sincere and honest throughout the entire interview. Many hiring managers have years of experience interviewing applicants and they easily pick up on when people are trying to snowball them. Do not do it. Be calm and truthful.
Written Explanation
It is important to have a short letter concerning your felony. Keep it brief and to the point and do not provide too many details. The most important part of this is not the letter but what goes with it.
Attached to the letter provide any awards, certifications, diplomas, and a few letters of reference attesting to your character. After you have explained your felony to the interviewer then give them the letter and attached documents.
Here is an excellent video about interviewing with a felony.
Location matters
The Location of the Home Depot store that you are applying to will make a big difference since some states have laws limiting how far back, they can check your background. If you live in one of these states, you may want to dig deeper into the specifics of your state laws. If you find that your felony is old enough then you may want to rethink telling your interviewer about your felony conviction.
Twelve states do not allow any felony conviction information older than seven years to be reported. The seven years starts from your release date in most states.
- California
- Colorado*
- Kansas*
- Maryland*
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- Nevada
- New Hampshire*
- New York *
- Texas *
- Washington*
(* exceptions based on pay/salary)
You can find more information on 7-year background check states here.
Home Depot drug testing policy
I don’t have much to say about this except that Home Depot does drug test as part of the hiring process and randomly if you are an employee. Don’t blow your chance with a dirty test!
Felony expungement
If you don’t already know felony expungement is a legal procedure that removes a conviction from your record.
It can be expensive and many felonies can not be expunged but it is well worth investigating. Each state is different. Most law firms that specialize in expungement will give you a free consultation. If you can successfully expunge your record, then companies like Costco will have no clue that you were ever convicted.
Home Depot interview Information
Home Depot is going to ask you a lot of questions regarding customer service situations. You can find more information about Home Depot interview questions here. The top three questions asked are as follows:
- If a customer is looking for a part but doesn’t know what it’s called, how would you figure out what they needed?
- How would you define exceptional customer service?
- If a customer’s card was declined, and they became upset, how would you handle the situation?
Home Depot background information
When you go for your interview you need to known a bit about the company.
Home Depot is the largest home improvement chain in the United States, even bigger than Lowes. They sell everything from shingles, lumber, plywood, screws, lighting, plumbing and electrical supplies. Home Depot values include “taking care of our people”, excellent customer service and respect for all among other things. The about us page has some helpful information also.
I was denied employment from HD. I wrote a letter to the HR Dept stating what my offense was and what I was doing to better myself. I have a Bachelor Degree and worked steady jobs for 8-9 years beforehand. I had experience with the position and I was told that they was in desperate need to fill it. I did not disclose my offense because I was not asked about my background in the interview. I stated this in the letter. I passed the drug screen and everything. I was offered the position before I was given background check as well.
I received a letter in the mail about 2 weeks after the interview stating that something came up in my background check and they would make a decision later. about a week later i was denied via letter in the mail. the offense is a sex offense, non contact related, non violent Felony in 3rd degree
I am creating a job board that specifically targets felons, you can see it at:
http://felonjobs.xyz
It is not finished but should be completed within the next month. I am working with various non-profits as well as employers.
Well i just got denied employment there in detroit .i passed drug screen ,but i do have an extensive felony background ( 6 total felonies….drug cases and assault w/ ). My whole thing is…..i sold drugs and assaulted people directly envolved in my same life style ! Im done with that life style now,and i cant get a job ( not even fast food ) . i never stole/robbed,etc….violated any innocent people . i sold drugs and messed up people trying to jack me .i served my prison time and live a righteous life now,but i cant make a honest buck !
Reggie
Detroit,Michigan
I am going through the process right now of background check with HD. This article is not correct. I went through 2 interviews. Disclosed everything in the first interview. Wrote a letter of explanation to HD HQ letting them know what I’ve done since my conviction (prison time) and release (including all the self-help programs I’m involved in). My conviction was pretty bad, a sex offense in California. When I spoke with the manager she explained HD’s background check to me.
It comes back in 1 of 3 possibilities/color codes (Green, Yellow, Red). Green means a clean check, Yellow means it’s manager discretion for hiring, and Red means ineligible for hiring. I asked the manager what felonies would qualify a “Red” and she replied: Murder, Assault with GBI (great bodily injury), Robbery, Burglary, Writing Bad Checks. Basically, anything that would involve stealing/money or risk of workplace violence. (Remember, HD sells tools… it’s unlikely that HD would risk hiring someone to work around tools that had a severe history of violence or theft). I asked about sexual offenses and she said that those would typically come back Red or Yellow, depending on the aggressiveness of the crime (Aggravated Rape, for instance, is pretty violent, while Indecent Exposure isn’t).
Again, this is only for crimes within the last 7 years. Most companies (including HD) don’t spend the money to do further, more thorough background checks. Think about it, if you’ve lived in society for 7 years and haven’t been arrested/convicted again, you’ve probably straightened yourself out and can be trusted in most positions within a company. The companies that do further, more intrusive checks are those involving DoD security and/or TSA stuff, anything that has to do with National Security, something that HD isn’t.
Did u get hired. I am waiting now for a call back for orientation and very worried. I was an addict and have loitering and many misdemeanor and one felony for drug possession in 1999. I haven’t been convicted of anything since 2008.
If your date of conviction was in 2008 you have nothing to worry about because it would not be in the 7 year window.
BUSH5150 DID U GET HIRED
Youte a piece of shyt i wouldnt hite you
Well, I was hired by Home Depot, but the background check came back as ineligible. The background check was by First Advantage. I have a non-violent charge and an evading arrest charge. Home Depot states in the letter they are considering taking adverse action. (Withdrawing the conditional offer for employment). All I can do I pray you do better.
I do my background check tomorrow. I have an 8 year old arrest but it was dismissed and a 4 year old arrest that never came of anything so I will let u know what happens.
I got the job a deffered sentence 8 years ago.
Your good no worries there brother good for you. I have been employed by a company that does business with Home Depot and when I was given the job the hiring manager told me that their would be a drug screening and a background check. Their background check would go back 7 years and that Home Depot’s would go back 15 years. I am good on the 7yr barely, so I imagine Home Depot’s 15 year check is going to get me. Or is it? Will Home Depot or my actual employer find it no matter what. Whether its federal or state? Mine is federal.
Hi Mary what ever happened with your hiring process.. I have a misdemeanor that happened earlier 7 years ago got it expunged but when I do a search on the internet I can still find my mugshot and arrest record. Just wanted to know if you got hired?
I am going to be work for a company that does business with HD and you have to pass HD background check, which I am waiting on. I have false document charge from 2004, some 11 or 12 years ago. any thoughts, Kentucky is in the process of changing the laws to expunge these type of situation, but that does not help me.
My boyfriend just had a first round interview and should be getting a call for the second this week. He has a felony on his record from 2014. I’m petrified he won’t get the job. Any positive comments??
My background came back good and I have a aggravated fleeing and eluding charge its a class 3 felony. I’m guessing it depends on the offense. Pretty sure theft is a automatic no go.
Did he get the job I just applied I have a felony from 2014
Yes, The Home Depot does indeed hire convicted felons. I know this for a fact. We have a felon working in our store. He was convicted of several different felonies. Not sure I agree that someone who stole money on different occasions should be working there or not but that’s not my decision and the guy does a good job.
I really needed to here that cause I just had a interview with home Depot in I’m going in today to fill out my paperwork to get hired so I pray I get in cause God knows I need it
God gave him job because he knows heart I’m happy for him
Agree for sure they hire felons
I worked there in 2014
My felony was 7 years old then I was honest from the start and the HR department told me personally
Thanks for being honest as long as it has nothing to do with theft or a violent act you will be fine & because it was 7 years old
She called me two days later said nothing even came up at all in my background