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The major source of concern is that you had both a DUI some time ago, which isn't necessarily a reflection of your current lifestyle and habits, AND a more recent one, which absolutely may reflect upon your current habits and situation and your supervisors may believe will be reflected in your work performance. And two DUI's is getting over into the land where nothing is funny. It hints at a problem here beyond simply choosing not to drive after drinking.

If you have in any way discussed what has happened in the last year with any of your co workers, you can just about rest assured that it will come up if you apply for and are in line to receive a promotion. If you have spent any time away from work with co workers and they know you to be a hard partying individual, this may come up. Your supervisors likely already know some things. Unless you have significant life changes to report to them at this point other than you're worried about the MVR check, I'd wait until the issue comes up, if it does, since you didn't inform anyone all those months ago.

Check your company's policies regarding your responsibility to inform them if you have any brushes with the legal system. Some have this detailed in their handbook. You could very well be terminated, without illegality or even much potential for unemployment insurance if you did not inform them and you were supposed to, and they discover it through a check at this point.

No, you have no legal recourse if the company doesn't give you a promotion based on your MVR because I am sure there are other candidates for the promotion. They will not likely be dumb enough to tell you why you were not the chosen candidate, they have no responsibility to tell you specifically why you not given a promotion, and there's no law protecting you as a person with DUI's As far as a termination, you'd have to wait until it happened, and then look at the specific reason why you were terminated. Above all, do not make it because you engaged in a battle with them over whether or not they can discriminate against you or not promote you because of the MVR. You will not win that one.
Thanks for the advice!

No one in my professional life knows about either DUI. And along with that, no one who knows me would consider me to be a "hard partier" although your point about the two DUIs being a symptom of a deeper issue is a valid one that I have been addressing through counseling. Im not sure if making an effort to stop drinking while getting counseling over the past year counts as "significant changes" but thats about all that I am equipped with.

What makes the issue a little more murky is that the company conducted rounds of interviews with other people (including me) and I was offered (and subsequently accepted) the position, and my bosses have gone as far as to tell certain people that I already have the gig. So it makes me consider what Taxing Matters said when it comes to the Fair Chance Act in California. It makes me wonder if the same rules apply to an external candidate as they would for someone like me who is already there.

It is my understanding that if they ARE subject to the Fair Chance Act then they are legally obligated to tell me why they didn't hire me for the position, along with an explanation as to why the convictions would prevent me from doing the job at a satisfactory level. Consider the 3 criteria:

1. The nature and gravity of the crimes (2 misdemeanor DUIs with no crashes or injuries)

2. Time passed since conviction (Conviction was just 7 months ago so I might have that working against me?)

3. The nature of the job being sought (its a middle management office position. In theory they could try to justify it in saying "How can this person manage people when he has issues managing his own life"). But id wonder if telling them my efforts to stay sober and seek counseling (coupled with the fact that my job performance has never once taken a dip) would help me on this front.

I kind of figured that I had little legal recourse if they chose to fire me from my current position (mostly because California is an at-will state). BUT, if the Fair Chance Act rules apply, am I subject to the same protections as an outside employee who has been offered a job and is simply awaiting a pre-emplyment MVR and background check? So thats probably the short version of what Im asking.