A Guide to Clearances for Volunteers in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania law requires background clearances for volunteers who work unsupervised with children or vulnerable adults. The requirements can be confusing, so here is a practical breakdown. THE THREE CLEARANCES For most volunteer roles involving children in Pennsylvania, three clearances are required: 1. PA State Police Criminal Record Check (PATCH) — checks for PA criminal history. Free for volunteers. Available online at epatch.pa.gov. 2. PA Child Abuse History Clearance — checks the ChildLine abuse registry. $13 for employees, free for volunteers with an approved volunteer organization. Available at compass.state.pa.us. 3. FBI Criminal History (Fingerprinting) — nationwide fingerprint-based criminal check. Required for newer residents (in PA for less than 10 years) and some specific roles. Costs approximately $27. Requires scheduling at an approved site. WHO NEEDS CLEARANCES Under Act 153 (2014, amended 2015 and 2019), clearances are required for any person who works in a child-care setting, school, or youth-serving organization and has direct contact with children. This includes volunteers who are not supervised by a cleared staff member at all times. WHAT FREE FOR VOLUNTEERS MEANS Many clearances are free for volunteer applicants — but you must apply as a volunteer, not as an employee. Ask the organization you are volunteering with if they have a volunteer organization code before you apply. HOW LONG DO CLEARANCES TAKE The PATCH and Child Abuse clearances are often available within a few business days online. The FBI fingerprint clearance can take 2-6 weeks if mailed. Plan ahead if you need clearances by a specific start date. HOW LONG ARE CLEARANCES VALID Clearances are generally valid for 60 months (5 years) for the same position and organization. You will need to renew them if you change organizations or if the 5-year period expires.