Effective April 18, 2026, New York State employers will be restricted from obtaining or using a “consumer credit history” for hiring and personnel decisions, just as New York City employers have been for a number of years. The state-wide changes are a result of S03072, which New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed on December 19, 2025, amending New York State’s Fair Credit Reporting Act.
Under the amendment, unless the employer (or the position being filled) falls within one of a few very narrow exceptions, an employer may not obtain or use an individual’s “consumer credit history.” As defined, that phrase includes: (1) a consumer credit report; (2) credit score; or (3) information an employer obtains directly from the individual regarding (a) details about credit accounts, including the individual’s number of credit accounts, late or missed payments, charged-off debts, items in collections, credit limit or prior credit report inquiries; or (b) bankruptcies, judgments or liens.
The amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act mirrors New York City’s Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act (SCDEA) and places New York among a growing group of states and municipalities that restrict employer use of credit information. The amended statute makes New York the 11th state to enact such consumer credit-history restrictions.
See the chart below summarizing jurisdictions with laws similar to New York’s statute.
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