Obtaining PA Background Checks
Pennsylvania laws requiring mandatory background checks require many Scouting volunteers to get two (possibly three) background checks. These clearances must be renewed every five years.
What Clearances Are Needed and What Do They Cost?
- Pennsylvania State Police Response for Criminal Background Check – Free
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance – Free
- FBI Fingerprint-Based Record Check – $22.60
Volunteers who have lived in PA for at least the past ten consecutive years may complete the New Birth of Freedom Council Disclosure Statement Application for Volunteers in place of the FBI Fingerprint-Based Record Check.
How Does a Person Apply for the Clearances?
The Department of Human Services clearances page has all the state information and links needed.
PA State Police
Criminal Background Check (PSP)
Online submission: Apply for PSP clearance online via the Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH) website.
Note: Social Security number is needed for the online application.
Alternative method: Print and mail the SP4 164A form to the indicated address.
Questions: Call (717) 783-9973 or toll-free at (1-888) 783-7972 for assistance with the form.
PA Child Abuse History Clearance
Online submission: Use the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) self-service portal.
Benefits: Automated notification of results, online viewing, and printing.
Requirements: Create an account, provide a list of all residences since 1975, and all individuals lived with.
Alternative method: Print and mail form CY113 to the indicated address.
Questions: Contact the ChildLine Verification Unit at (717) 783-6211 or toll-free at (1-877) 371-5422.
Fingerprint-Based FBI Criminal History Clearance
Estimated cost – $22.60
Fingerprinting: The commonwealth uses IDEMIA (IdentoGo or MorphoTrust) for digital fingerprinting.
Registration and Information: Go to www.identogo.com and use code 1KG6ZJ to start the registration. Visit an IdentoGo site for fingerprinting; this background check is multi-step. The website lists authorized fingerprinting sites and required identification.
Contact Information:
FBI Clearances: ChildLine Verification Unit at (717) 783-6211 or (1-877) 371-5422.
IDEMIA Registration/Processing/Billing: Contact IDEMIA/IdentoGo at (1-844) 321-2101.
Submitting PA Background Checks
Once you get the certifications of the background checks, please be sure to make several copies of each and be sure to retain the originals – so you can make additional copies as needed.
Next, you’ll need to figure out who needs a copy. New Birth of Freedom Council does. Your chartering organization may, and your unit might. Your unit leadership can help you figure that out.
Here are several ways any individual could submit the background check certifications or waivers:
PREFERRED – If you are a current adult volunteer updating a clearance, please use our Clearance Management Portal to upload directly to your profile at https://clearances.newbirthoffreedom.org or by clicking on the button below. Please review our directions for uploading.
Suppose you are a new adult volunteer and wish to submit your clearances electronically. In that case, you must upload your clearance paperwork to the Council (as PDF files or high-quality images) at http://tinyurl.com/qc6fhfm or by clicking the button below. Once you are issued a BSA ID number in our registration system, you can use the Clearance Management Portal for your clearances in the future.
You could mail a copy of the certifications to New Birth of Freedom Council, BSA, Background Checks, 1 Baden Powell Lane, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050.
You could bring a copy of the certifications to the Mechanicsburg Service Center. If you bring the original credentials, we will be glad to copy and give the originals back to you.
You could email a scan or high-quality picture of your clearances to paclearances@newbirthoffreedom.org.
A member of our staff will review your submitted clearances within two business days. You will receive an email message from the Council letting you know if your clearance was approved or if additional information will be needed.
New Birth of Freedom Council will update the key unit leaders on who has submitted their certifications from their unit. Some units may also give specific instructions on submitting the certifications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before reviewing the frequently asked questions, here are some key terms:
- Certifications: The terms background checks, clearances, documents, and certifications are often used interchangeably. In the law and on most websites, “certifications” has replaced the other terms.
- Unit: In Scouting, a unit refers to Cub Scout Packs, Scouts BSA Troops, Venturing Crews, Sea Scout Ships, and Explorer Posts.
- Chartered Organization: This community organization partners with the New Birth of Freedom Council to deliver Scouting programs. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, consider it a “sponsor.”
These additional certifications enhance Scouting America’s Youth Protection Program, providing extra layers of protection for our Scouts. While it requires some additional time and effort to understand and comply with these requirements, it is the law. The New Birth of Freedom Council is committed to assisting our volunteers through every step of the process.
Who in my unit is required to have clearances?
All registered volunteers, regardless of position, are required to obtain and submit all state-mandated clearances. New volunteers must complete their clearances to submit along with their BSA application before volunteer service begins.
Non-registered volunteers over the age of 18, which includes, for example, parents, relatives, and friends, who provide care, supervision, training, or control of a youth member in lieu of parental control and/or have regular and repeated contact (routine interaction) with youth members that is integral to the volunteer activities are required to submit the clearances, as well.
What are some examples of non-registered volunteers who are required to have clearances and some who are not?
Here are a few useful examples:
- Lion and Tiger Adult Partners are participants in the BSA program as a parent so they aren’t considered to be volunteers and clearances are not required of them.
- Adults who stay occasionally at a meeting to help out, but it isn’t a regular weekly occurrence are not required to provide clearances.
- An adult who is recruited by the unit to transport youth members to camp and/or events is required to obtain the state-mandated clearances.
- A parent helping youth members with fundraisers (such as the Popcorn Show n’ Sells), where the parent could be responsible for a child other than their own, is required to provide clearances.
- Clearances are not required for community volunteers serving on Eagle Boards of Review.
Are merit badge counselors required to have clearances?
Yes, whether parents are present or not.
Do I have to redo my clearances every year?
No – the clearances are good for 60 months.
How long does It take to obtain clearances?
The online application process depends on several factors but could take an hour or more in total.
How long does it take to for the clearance results to come in?
Some of the clearances may come back within a few minutes but others may take as long as four weeks. This is why it’s very important to start the process well in advance of when you’d like to begin volunteering.
If l already completed the three state-required clearances for work or another organization where I volunteer, do I have to do them again for Scouting?
No, as long as they are current. You should retain the originals of all your clearances and provide copies to the Council. The one exception is if you’re providing the Volunteer Disclosure (FBI waiver), then it must be the Council’s version since it has language specific to the Council.
Does the Disclosure Statement Application for Volunteers (FBI Waiver) have to be notarized?
No, but your signature must be witnessed by another adult and both pages of the form must be provided to the Council.
Do I have to request a copy of the FBI Fingerprint-Based Clearance results?
Yes, you must request a copy of the results, which will be called “unofficial results.” The Council cannot accept just a copy of the fingerprint registration.
When I process my PA State Police Criminal History Clearance on-line, will a certificate showing the results be created automatically?
No – you’ll need to follow the prompts to create and print the certificate, which will have a watermark on it. (There will be a page with “Certification Form” in blue that you’ll click on, which will then be followed by a question requiring you to click “OK” and then the certificate will open up for you to print.
Do I need to have all three of my clearances before I submit them to the Council?
If you are a new leader, it is best if all of the documents are submitted together along with the BSA Adult Leader Application. You can attach copies of your clearances to that form and submit the entire “package” at one time.
Our new clearances portal will identify each individual clearance needing to be renewed and send an email to that volunteer specifically about that individual clearance.
If you have other valid clearances you wish to submit at that time (even if not yet due to expire) you can certainly upload those as well.
Do I need to use a specific web browser to access the PA clearances portal?
No, any contemporary web browser should work without issues.
Whose responsibility is it to ensure background check clearances are obtained?
At the unit level, is the responsibility of the unit committee chair and chartered organization representative to ensure that compliance is handled before the volunteer service begins. At the district level, it is the responsibility of the district chair and district executive. At the council level, it is the responsibility of the council president and the Scout executive. Moreover, a new volunteer will not be registered until the council has evidence of compliance.