Most of the lists out there are wrong. Here's what federal law actually says, job by job, as of October 2026.
You've probably seen a "list of jobs felons cannot do" that says you can never work for the government, never join the military, never touch a bank or a hospital. Most of that isn't true.
Here's the real picture. Very few jobs are closed to you for life by federal law. A lot of the doors that look shut are shut for a set number of years, or shut only for certain offenses, or have a waiver you can apply for. And a lot of what people think is "the law" is really one employer's policy.
Two things decide most of it:
- What the conviction was for. A theft charge and a drug sale charge close different doors.
- How long ago it was. Many bars end after 5, 7 or 10 years.
Licensed jobs (nursing, teaching, barbering, real estate, contractors, police) are set by your state, not federal law. Your state page covers the licensing rules: find your state.
This guide is the federal layer. It's not legal advice. If a job is riding on it, call legal aid. Bring the statute.
Federal Government Jobs: No Blanket Ban
You'll hear that you can never work for the federal government. No federal law bars people with felonies from federal civilian jobs. Since the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, most federal agencies can't even ask about your record until they make you a conditional job offer.
After the offer, the agency looks at your record case by case. The federal suitability rules tell them to count how long ago it was and what you've done since, not just what it was.
Federal law enforcement and jobs that need a security clearance play by stricter rules, and they can ask earlier.
The Military: Waivers Exist
A felony is a default bar to enlisting, but federal law lets each branch make exceptions "in meritorious cases." The Defense Department's enlistment rule says people with felonies "may request a waiver." It's not automatic, and each branch decides case by case.
The one hard wall: a felony sex offense, or anything that requires you to register as a sex offender. No waiver for those.
Banks: Only Certain Offenses, and the Bar Ends
The banking bar (Section 19 of the FDI Act) only covers offenses involving dishonesty, breach of trust, or money laundering. A conviction that isn't one of those isn't covered.
Even for covered offenses, since a 2022 change in the law the bar ends on its own:
- 7 years after the offense, or
- 5 years after you got out, if you were incarcerated for it, or
- 30 months after sentencing, if you were 21 or younger when it happened, or
- right away, if the record was expunged or sealed.
Small, older offenses can also fall under the FDIC's de minimis rule. Inside the waiting period, the bank (or you) can ask the FDIC for written consent.
The exception: a short list of federal bank crimes (bank fraud, embezzlement from a bank, money laundering and a few others) carries a 10-year bar.
Insurance: A Written Consent Opens It
If you have a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust, federal law (18 U.S.C. 1033) makes it a crime to work in the insurance business unless a state insurance regulator gives you written consent. That's called a "1033 waiver." Other felonies aren't covered by this law. Your state's licensing rules still apply.
Stocks and Brokerage: 10 Years
Under securities law, any felony in the last 10 years makes you "statutorily disqualified" from working for a broker-dealer. After 10 years, the felony alone doesn't do it. Inside the 10 years, a firm that wants to hire you can apply to FINRA for relief (Rule 9522).
Healthcare: Specific Offenses, Not All Felonies
A felony doesn't lock you out of healthcare. What federal law does is require the HHS Inspector General to exclude people convicted of four kinds of crimes from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health programs:
- crimes connected to Medicare or Medicaid
- patient abuse or neglect
- felony healthcare fraud, theft or embezzlement
- felony drug manufacturing, distributing, prescribing or dispensing
Simple drug possession isn't on that list. The minimum exclusion is 5 years, and you can apply to be reinstated after that.
Exclusion means federal programs won't pay for anything you provide. That's why a hospital won't hire someone who's excluded (OIG explains it here). Nursing and CNA licenses are a separate state question.
Child Care: A Set List
For child care programs that take federal subsidy money, federal law bars staff with a felony for murder, child abuse or neglect, crimes against children, spousal abuse, rape or sexual assault, kidnapping, arson, physical assault or battery, or a drug felony in the past 5 years. Being on a sex offender registry also bars you.
States can add more. States can also set up a review for the drug-felony bar. Check your state's child care licensing office.
Trucking and Port Jobs
A felony doesn't cost you a CDL by itself. Under the federal CDL rules (49 CFR 383.51), a felony only disqualifies you if you used a vehicle to commit it. A felony that had nothing to do with driving isn't on that list. (Trucking companies and their insurers can still screen you. That's a hiring policy, not the CDL rule.)
Hazmat endorsement and port work (TWIC) use a separate list run by TSA (49 CFR 1572.103):
- A few offenses are permanent (like murder, terrorism, espionage and explosives crimes).
- Most others, like robbery, drug distribution, fraud and weapons charges, count only if you were convicted in the last 7 years or got out in the last 5.
- TSA can waive almost all of them, including most permanent ones. Only espionage, sedition, treason and terrorism can't be waived.
- Simple drug possession isn't on the list.
Airport Badges: 10 Years
To work in the secure areas of an airport without an escort, you can't have a conviction for any of the listed crimes in the last 10 years. The list is long: violent crimes, theft, burglary, fraud, drug distribution, felony drug possession and more. After 10 years, those convictions don't disqualify you under this rule.
Jobs That Need a Gun
Federal law bars anyone convicted of a crime punishable by more than a year from having a gun. So armed security and most police jobs are closed unless the conviction was pardoned, expunged or set aside, or your rights were restored without a gun restriction (18 U.S.C. 921(a)(20)).
Unarmed security is a state license question. Many states allow it with a record, depending on the offense.
Pilots
A drug conviction can get a pilot certificate denied for up to a year after the conviction. It's not a lifetime bar, and other felonies aren't covered by that rule.
So What Jobs Can You Get?
Most of them. Warehouse and factory work, the trades, kitchens, driving, office jobs: open. So are plenty of licensed jobs once your state's waiting period runs out.
The real barrier usually isn't a law. It's an employer's background check policy, and policies can be talked through. That's what a good resume and a short, honest answer about your record are for.
- See which employers we've checked in your state: jobs for felons by state
- Licenses worth getting: certifications guide
- When they can ask about your record: ban the box laws
Common questions
What jobs can you not get with a felony?
Very few jobs are closed for life by federal law. The real federal bars are narrow. You can't take a job that needs a gun while the federal gun ban applies to you. Child care programs with federal money can't hire people with certain felonies. Port, hazmat and airport badge rules cover a set list of offenses, mostly for a set number of years, and most port and hazmat bars can be waived. Bank and insurance bars only hit dishonesty-type offenses, and the bank bar ends with time. Licensed jobs like nursing or real estate are set by your state.
Can a felon work for the federal government?
Yes. There's no blanket federal ban. Under the Fair Chance to Compete for Jobs Act, most federal agencies can't ask about your record until after a conditional job offer, and then they judge it case by case, counting how long ago it was and your rehabilitation. Federal law enforcement and jobs needing a security clearance have stricter rules.
Can you join the military with a felony?
Sometimes. A felony is a default bar, but federal law lets each branch grant a waiver in meritorious cases, and the waiver is decided case by case. A felony sex offense, or anything that requires sex offender registration, can't be waived.
Can a felon work at a bank?
Often, yes. The federal bar only covers offenses involving dishonesty, breach of trust or money laundering. Since 2022 it ends on its own 7 years after the offense, 5 years after release from incarceration, 30 months after sentencing if you were 21 or younger, or when the record is expunged or sealed. A few federal bank crimes carry a 10-year bar.
Can you get a CDL with a felony?
Usually, yes. Under federal CDL rules a felony only disqualifies you if you used a vehicle to commit it. Hazmat endorsements use a separate TSA list where most offenses count only for 7 years after conviction or 5 years after release, and most can be waived. Trucking companies can still have their own hiring policies.
Can you work in healthcare with a felony?
Many people do. Federal exclusion covers specific crimes: Medicare or Medicaid crimes, patient abuse, felony healthcare fraud, and felony drug distribution or prescribing. Simple possession isn't on that list. Nursing and CNA licenses are decided by your state.
Can a felon be a security guard?
Unarmed, often yes, depending on your state's license rules and the offense. Armed, no, while the federal gun ban applies to you. A pardon, expungement, set-aside or restoration of rights without a gun restriction can lift it.
Need Help With Your Resume?
Free, no account. Tell it what you've done, including the work you did inside, and leave with a resume and cover letter built for the jobs that are open to you.
Questions? Call (262) 391-8137 or email troy@steelmanresumes.com
Last Updated: October 2026
Sources: 5 U.S.C. 9202 and 5 CFR 731.202 (federal jobs); 10 U.S.C. 504 and 32 CFR 66.6 (military); 12 U.S.C. 1829 and 12 CFR 303.227 (banks); 18 U.S.C. 1033 (insurance); 15 U.S.C. 78c(a)(39) and FINRA Rule 9522 (securities); 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7 and HHS-OIG exclusions FAQ (healthcare); 42 U.S.C. 9858f (child care); 49 CFR 383.51 (CDL); 49 CFR 1572.103 and 1515.7 (TWIC and hazmat); 49 CFR 1542.209 (airports); 18 U.S.C. 921 and 922 (firearms); 14 CFR 61.15 (pilots). All read on the primary text October 4, 2026.