With few exceptions, an employee in California may not require an applicant or employee to disclose misdemeanor convictions over 7 years old. The simple and quick answer is yes, all criminal convictions (misdemeanors and felonies) could appear in criminal background checks, at least for a while.If you complete your misdemeanor sentence and stay out of trouble, your misdemeanor offense will no longer appear on employer background checks. The Fair Chance Act prohibits employers from inquiring about an applicant's criminal history before making a conditional job offer. If you have a legal entity for your business, you can't represent that entity in California unless you're also a Californialicensed attorney. California law prohibits employers from being able to ask about certain types of criminal information and criminal records. As you noted, you should answer the question truthfully. Shareholder Requirements. You can generally still get a job with a misdemeanor conviction on your record. This means it can be charged as either a felony or a misdemeanor.