Employment Opportunity Act (employer use of consumer credit information)
Colorado Employment Opportunity Act
Employees · Credit reporting
Colorado employers may use consumer credit information for hiring or other employment decisions only when it is substantially related to the job, and may not require consent to a credit report except for banks, legally required reports, or disclosed bona fide job-related purposes. Employees must be told if credit information was the basis of an adverse action.
- Where
- Colorado
- Citation
- C.R.S. 8-2-126
- Status
- In force
- In force since
- 2013-07-01
- Last amended
- 2017-08-09
- Enforced by
- Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Division of Labor Standards and Statistics (8-2-126(6))
- People can sue
- Limited
- Penalties
- Injured persons may file an administrative complaint; the division may award civil penalties up to $2,500 to a prevailing party (8-2-126(5)).
- Applies to
- Employers and prospective employers in Colorado (with specified exceptions in 8-2-126(2)(e)), for employees and applicants
What a privacy notice must say
- If credit information is relied on in whole or part for an adverse action, disclose that fact and the specific information relied on, in writing.C.R.S. 8-2-126(4)
Rights it gives people
- Where credit information is job-related, give the employee a chance to explain unusual or mitigating circumstances.C.R.S. 8-2-126(3)(b)
Practices it requires
- Use consumer credit information for employment purposes only if substantially related to the current or potential job, and do not require consent to a credit report unless an exception applies and the purpose is disclosed in writing.C.R.S. 8-2-126(3)(a)
Sources
- Official text
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 8 (Office of Legislative Legal Services, leg.colorado.gov)
Checked against these sources on 2026-09-25 by research agent (Claude), primary sources.
Research reference, not legal advice.