I have a friend who had already been approved for the PreCheck program and received her KTN (PreCheck by itself is easier to get than GE). Last year she was going to soon begin international travel for work so I suggested she get GE. She told me she had a DUI back in around 2007 (or so). I advised her she might be declined but she wanted to take a chance..I filled out her online application (in her presence) and answered yes to the question about a prior conviction on the application. She was denied for GE the next day.

As it happened the two of us were traveling together on a business trip shortly thereafter and we changed planes at IAH where they have an airside GE office. We stopped in to talk to an agent to see if we could get more info..and he suggested that 10 years was the minimum necessary from the conviction to qualify. He was not firm in his answer and offered no promises that 10 years by itself would magically pave the way, but 10 years clearly means something.