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Feb. 13, 2026

Employee Background Checks

Dear cannabis license holder,

We are writing to inform you of an update to the employee background check requirements.

As you may know, prospective employees of licensed cannabis businesses are required to complete background checks before employment. Starting March 1, cannabis business license holders must submit the prospective employee's full set of fingerprints and written consent to the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for them to conduct a state and national criminal history check. Background checks must be requested through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. 

Previously, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) was working with the FBI to obtain approval to provide fingerprint criminal history checks for prospective employees of cannabis businesses as required in Minnesota Statutes, section 342.151. To prevent delays to cannabis businesses setting up operations while DPS and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s (BCA) process was awaiting the FBI’s review and approval, OCM worked with the Legislature to obtain authorization for cannabis businesses to use third-party consumer reporting agencies or background screening companies (Minnesota Session Law chapter 121, article 2, section 149) in the interim. With FBI approval now secured, the process must transition to the BCA. Effective March 1, 2026, cannabis businesses and their prospective employees who have not yet completed a background check must do so through the BCA process. Background checks completed by a third-party before March 1 remain compliant. Cannabis businesses are encouraged to transition to the BCA process before March 1, 2026, as able.

For more information, please visit our Background Checks for Employees webpage.

Office of Cannabis Management