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CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS
Summary of Clearance Requirements:
The district requires appropriate state criminal background checks as outlined in law on any individual recommended to be employed in a paid position. Act 114 - 24 requires applicants to public and private schools to obtain three reports: the PA State Police criminal history report, the FBI criminal history report, and the State Department of Public Welfare (DPW) Child Abuse report.
1. Criminal Record
Applicants may apply online through PATCH and obtain their report online, or *Applicants may also use Form SP-164, Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Record Check and mail a money order to the PA State Police with the application. The form may also be downloaded at the above site.
What is contained in the PA State Police criminal history report?
The information provided by the requestor will be checked against the criminal history database maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police Central Repository only, and does not preclude the existence of criminal records which might be contained in the repositories of other local, state, or federal criminal justice agencies.
2. Child Abuse Report
Electronic Submission
Child Abuse History Clearance Online: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS
Creating an account and submitting your clearance application online will give you immediate access to your results or the status of your results if your results cannot be processed immediately.
Organizations who want to set up business accounts must first register for a Business Partner User account using the “Organization Account Access” link on the Child Welfare Portal. Organization accounts will allow businesses and organizations to purchase child abuse history clearance payment codes and distribute those codes to applicants. When an applicant uses a code given to them by an organization, the organization will have access to the applicant’s child abuse history clearance results once those results are processed.
Paper Submission
Paper submissions of the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance application will still be accepted for anyone who may not have access to the internet. Submit paper applications to:
ChildLine and Abuse Registry
Pennsylvania Department of Human Services
PO Box 8170
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8170
The instructions for how to complete the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance application are now included on the last page of the application and can be printed for easy reference when completing the application. Failure to comply with the instructions that are attached to the application will cause considerable delay in processing the results.
Applicants can now type their information directly onto the application or the information can be hand written onto the application.
If the information is typed directly onto the application, the information will NOT be able to be saved on a computer unless the computer has a licensed version of the acrobat adobe software. Therefore, please be sure to print the completed application before closing the document so that the information typed on the application is not lost.
If you have trouble accessing the application you may need to download the latest version of Adobe Reader, which is available free on the internet.
NOTE: ALL information that has been entered directly onto the application will be lost if you close the application prior to printing it (if your computer does not have a licensed version of the Acrobat Adobe software).
Once the application is received in the ChildLine and Abuse Registry’s Verification Unit, the results of the Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance will be mailed to the applicant’s address that was noted on the application within 14 days from the date that the application is received in the ChildLine Verification Unit.
3. FBI Fingerprinting
Effective February 2, 2015, the fee charged for Federal (FBI) Criminal History Background checks was reduced to $27.00. (The new fee includes an automatic mailed unofficial copy of the results directly to each applicant.)
Where can I get fingerprinted?
Fingerprinting Hours are by APPOINTMENT ONLY
If you are late for your scheduled appointment you may be asked to reschedule.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Registration Information:
Please use Public School Service Code: 1KG6XN
Everyone must register and schedule an appointment in order to be fingerprinted at our site.
Online Registration: https://www.identogo.com/services/live-scan-fingerprinting
Phone Registration: 844-321-2101 or 855-845-7434
Holiday Fingerprinting Hours
December 22 9:00 am - 11:40 pm
December 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29 CLOSED
January 1 CLOSED
January 2 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
If you have any questions about registering for fingerprinting please call IdentoGo at 855-845-7434.
What am I required to bring to the fingerprint site?
You must be registered prior to proceeding to a fingerprint site. At the fingerprint site you will be asked to produce a qualified State or Federal photo ID before processing may begin (i.e. driver’s license, passport, military ID). See "What to bring" for a list of approved ID types at https://www.identogo.com/services/live-scan-fingerprinting. Applicants will not be processed if they cannot produce acceptable identification.
When will I receive a copy of my report?
Typically, the applicant can expect the federal CHRI report (FBI Report) to be available to the School Administrator within two days of being fingerprinted.
Effective February 1, 2012 all applicants will receive an unofficial paper copy of the report at no additional cost to the applicant. Applicants will receive their copy, via U.S. Mail, from 3M Cogent within two weeks of the fingerprint date. The report will be mailed to the address used by the applicant for registration.
The paper copy will be printed on 8.5” X 11” paper with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania logo imbedded on the paper. This document does not constitute the official record – it is considered the “unofficial copy”, the official CHRI report is online.
I still have additional questions; who should I call?
The fingerprint sites cannot answer questions except those involving times and locations of fingerprinting sites. All additional information regarding the process and print locations please call IDEMIA, toll-free at (844) 321-2101 with any questions.. Policy questions should be addressed to RA-PDE-SchoolService@pa.gov, or by phone at (717)783-3750.
4. PDE 6004
Availability of new PDE Form for Employees to Report Section 111(e) Offenses to School Administrators.
A new law includes an important mechanism to help ensure that current school employees, who may not have been subject to a previous background check, are now required to provide assurances that they have not been previously arrested or convicted of Section 111(e) offense. Accordingly, under Act 24, all current school employees are required to complete and return to their school administrator or other person responsible for school employment decisions (the School Administrator) a form developed by PDE to report prior arrests or convictions for any offense listed in Section 111(e). This form (PDE-6004) is now available on this page (link for PDF Arrest or Conviction Report)
For additional information, please contact:
Denise Wolfgang | Administrative Assistant
Pennsylvania Department of Education - School Services Office
333 Market Street | Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333
Phone: 717.783.3750