You've nailed the interview. The manager shook your hand, and you’ve basically got the job—except for that one lingering hurdle. Now you’re stuck staring at your phone, wondering why the hiring portal still says "pending."
How long does Walmart background check take?
Honestly, it’s the most common question I see from new hires. You’re ready to start earning, but the "corporate machine" seems to be moving at a snail's pace. While most people will tell you it's a quick three-day turnaround, the reality is a lot messier.
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The Standard Timeline: What to Actually Expect
For about 80% of applicants, the wait isn’t that bad.
Typically, a Walmart background check takes between 2 to 5 business days.
If you have a "clean" record, lived in the same town your whole life, and didn't typo your Social Security number, you might even hear back in 24 hours. Walmart uses a third-party company called First Advantage to handle the heavy lifting. They’re fast, but they aren't magic.
Sometimes, that 5-day window turns into 14 days. Or 20.
I’ve seen cases where candidates were stuck in "limbo" for nearly a month. It’s rare, but it happens. If you’re hitting the two-week mark, something is likely snagged in the gears.
Why Is Your Check Taking So Long?
It’s easy to get paranoid. You start wondering if that speeding ticket from 2019 finally caught up with you.
Usually, the delay has nothing to do with you being a "bad" candidate. It’s almost always logistics.
1. The County Clerk Factor
First Advantage doesn't have a master key to every criminal record in America. They have to query individual county courts. While many courts are digitized, some still require a human clerk to physically pull a file. If that clerk is on vacation or the office is backed up, your application sits on a desk.
2. The "Common Name" Curse
If your name is Michael Smith or Maria Garcia, I’m sorry. You’re likely going to wait longer. The system has to manually verify that the "Michael Smith" with a felony in Ohio isn't you. They use "Personal Identifiers" (PI) like your middle name and birthdate to clear the confusion, but it takes extra time to be 100% sure.
3. Multiple Residences
Did you move three times in the last seven years? Each of those jurisdictions needs to be checked. If you lived in a state with slow reporting laws—looking at you, California and Massachusetts—expect a delay.
4. Peak Hiring Seasons
Think about the "Holidays." During the October-November rush, Walmart hires thousands of people at once. First Advantage gets slammed. When the volume of checks spikes, the turnaround time naturally dips.
What Does Walmart Actually Look For?
Walmart isn't necessarily looking for a saint. They’re looking for "risk."
The check generally goes back seven years, though this varies depending on state laws. They are primarily scanning for:
- Violent Crimes: Assault or battery is usually an automatic "no."
- Theft and Fraud: Since you’ll likely be handling merchandise or cash, a history of larceny or forgery is a major red flag.
- Drug-Related Offenses: This depends on the role and the severity, but recent convictions are tough to get past.
- Sex Crimes: Presence on a sex offender registry is almost always a disqualifier.
They also verify your employment history. If you claimed to be a manager at Target for three years but only worked there for three months, the background check will flag that "inconsistency." To Walmart, that looks like a lie.
The Drug Test Intersection
Not every Walmart role requires a drug test anymore. In fact, many entry-level floor positions have moved away from it.
However, if you’re applying for Pharmacy, Auto Care Center, or Management, you’re likely going to a lab. This adds another 3 to 5 days to your total "wait time." If the lab is busy or your sample is "inconclusive," you’re looking at even more delays.
Dealing With Errors (Because They Happen)
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), you have rights.
If First Advantage messes up and reports a crime that isn't yours, Walmart can’t just ghost you. They are legally required to send you a Pre-Adverse Action Notice. This is a letter saying, "Hey, we found something, and we might not hire you because of it."
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Don't panic if you get this. It includes a copy of the report.
If there’s an error, you have the right to dispute it. First Advantage has 30 days to investigate and fix it. I’ve seen people get their jobs back after proving a "theft" charge was actually a dismissed case from a decade ago.
What You Should Do While Waiting
Stop refreshing the portal every ten minutes. It won't help.
Instead, do these three things:
- Check Your Email (and Spam): Sometimes First Advantage needs more info. If they ask for a photo of your Social Security card or a diploma and you don't see the email, your check stays "Pending" forever.
- Call the Store: If it’s been more than 7 business days, call the store and ask to speak with the People Lead (that’s Walmart-speak for the HR person). Be polite. Just say, "I'm checking on the status of my background check for the [Position] role."
- Prepare Your Documents: Have your previous employment dates and contact info ready just in case they ask for manual verification.
Actionable Next Steps
If you’re currently in the "waiting room," here is exactly how to handle it:
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- Day 1-3: Do nothing. This is the "Goldilocks" zone where most checks are processed.
- Day 5: Log into the First Advantage Candidate Portal. You can actually see the status of your specific report there.
- Day 7: If the portal says "Pending" or "In Progress" with no end in sight, call the Walmart People Lead. Sometimes they can see notes that you can't.
- Day 10+: If the check is still not done, ask the People Lead if there is a specific jurisdiction (county) that is holding it up. Sometimes you can even call that county court yourself to see if there's a known backlog.
The waiting is the hardest part. But usually, no news is good news. If there was a major problem, you’d likely hear about it sooner rather than later. Keep your phone charged and your ringer on. Your orientation date is probably closer than you think.