Company dispute guide
How to dispute your record with Sterling (now First Advantage)
Sterling (now First Advantage) is a employment background check company that may still hold your criminal or arrest data even after the court clears it. This page explains the dispute route, the evidence to send, and the FCRA rights that force a response.
Recommended channel
That is the primary route we would default to for this company.
Investigation window
30 days
The FCRA sets the response clock once the company receives your dispute.
Network size
164+
This company is only one node in a larger private-record ecosystem.
This guide explains how the law works in general terms. Whether you qualify depends on your specific record, and a judge makes the final call. If your situation is complicated — multiple convictions, charges in multiple states, or a previous denial — consulting a lawyer who handles expungement is worth the cost of a consultation.
What this company does
Why Sterling (now First Advantage) matters
Employment consumer reporting agencies compile background-check reports that employers use in hiring decisions. Under the FCRA, they must keep data accurate and investigate disputes within 30 days.
Company note
Sterling merged with First Advantage. Disputes accepted at sterlingcheck.com portal or via email. Largest combined market share in employment screening.
Contact workflow
Dispute contact information
To dispute your record with Sterling (now First Advantage), you need the verified address or dispute channel, the right department, and language that points to your court order cleanly.
Contact details are packaged inside the generated dispute letters
Record Sweep prepares the dispute letter to Sterling (now First Advantage) with the verified routing details, the right legal framing, and your company-specific package so you do not have to research channels manually.
Process
How to file an FCRA dispute with Sterling (now First Advantage)
The core process is always evidence, a written dispute, a documented submission, and tight follow-up on the investigation deadline.
Gather your court order, a government-issued photo ID, and any case-disposition paperwork that proves the record was expunged, sealed, dismissed, or set aside.
Request a copy of your consumer report from Sterling (now First Advantage) so you can identify the exact item being reported and preserve a clean record of what they are showing to employers or landlords.
Write a dispute that identifies the record, explains why it should no longer appear, and asks Sterling (now First Advantage) to correct or delete it. Include your full name, date of birth, and current address so the file can be located.
Send the dispute to Sterling (now First Advantage) by email and consider mailing a certified copy as well. Email is convenient, but certified mail gives you stronger proof if the company fails to comply.
Track the 30-day investigation window. If the company cannot verify the item, it must delete it. If it does not respond or refuses to correct the file, escalate to the CFPB or a consumer-protection attorney.
Legal rights
Your rights under the FCRA
The Fair Credit Reporting Act is what gives you leverage with Sterling (now First Advantage). These rights are enforceable, not optional.
Sterling (now First Advantage) must investigate within 30 days once it receives your dispute.
If it cannot verify the disputed item, it must delete or correct it.
It must notify you of the outcome after the investigation closes.
If it keeps reporting inaccurate information, you may have grounds for an FCRA claim.
Bigger picture
Sterling (now First Advantage) is one of 164+ companies
Cleaning one file helps, but your record may still sit with other companies in the same network.
Company-by-company cleanup
Fixing Sterling (now First Advantage) does not automatically fix the other databases that copied the same record.
DIY is possible
The hard part is not the law. It is the repetition: research, drafting, tracking, and follow-up across the whole network.
Record Sweep exists for the repetition
One purchase generates the company-specific dispute package for this company and the rest of the tracked network.
Related companies
Other Employment Background Check Companies
If your record appears with Sterling (now First Advantage), it may also appear with other companies in the same category.
Full sweep
Skip the manual work for Sterling (now First Advantage) and the other 163 companies.
Record Sweep generates the personalized dispute letters, the routing details, and the company-by-company paperwork so you do not have to build the whole cleanup stack yourself.
One purchase · Personalized company letters · 30-day dispute framework