Although it is lawful for employers to obtain and use back­ground information on applicants and employees, they must follow several important procedures when obtaining and using these materials. Recent amendments to California law require all employers conducting background checks in California to review and revise their related policies and procedures. The convergence of the Fair Credit Reporting Act with these two California statutes creates a potentially bewildering maze of overlap­ping and inconsistent obligations and rights. However, if employers follow four basic steps, compliance with both federal and state requirements should be relatively simple for those covered by all three statutes.