Pennsylvania Background Check Information

Pennsylvania has unique requirements regarding background checks for volunteers. These requirements impact Joni and Friends adult volunteers (18 or older) serving at Pennsylvania events.

Answer the questions below to understand which requirements specifically apply to you.

If you have additional questions, please email [email protected].

Will you be 18 or older by the time of the event?

Go to the next question.

You are not required to complete the Pennsylvania background checks.

Have you completed any of the following volunteer requirements for another organization? Child Abuse Background Check, PA Criminal Background Check, FBI Fingerprint Clearance?

If you have gotten any of these clearances through another organization within the last five years, please send in a copy of those clearances to [email protected] as soon as possible. Clearances should be received 2 months prior to your event date or you run the risk of not being able to serve.

If you have some but not all of these clearances from another organization, submit the ones you do have to [email protected] and select "no" above in order to complete the remaining clearances you’re missing.

If you have some but not all of these clearances from another organization, submit the ones you do have to [email protected] and go to the next question in order to complete the remaining clearances you’re missing.

Have you lived in Pennsylvania for the last 10 years consecutively?

Fill out and sign the attached affidavit if you have lived in Pennsylvania for 10 or more consecutive years. Submit to the Pennsylvania office [email protected].

Here are the steps for the background checks that you will need to complete.

Complete FBI Fingerprint Clearance

Steps to complete:

  1. Follow this link to register online for your digital fingerprinting: https://uenroll.identogo.com/
  2. Enter the volunteer service code: 1KG6ZJ
  3. Click Schedule or Manage Appointment and fill out the form.
  4. Follow the instructions and get fingerprinted at your fingerprint location.
  5. Once you receive the results for your clearance either digitally or in the mail, please email a copy to the Pennsylvania office [email protected]. For a hard copy you can either scan or take a photo to email it.

Here are the steps for the other background checks that you will need to complete.

Go to the next question.

You are not required to complete the Pennsylvania background check.

Steps to Complete:

  1. Follow this link to the Child Abuse Background Check:
    https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home
  2. Click “Create Individual Account”.
  3. Click “Next” and complete all required fields on the following page.
  4. When you follow through the steps on the next page(s), an email will be sent to
    you with a temporary password.
  5. Once you have a temporary password, go back to the home page and click “individual
    login”.
  6. Log in using the temporary password, and then you’ll be prompted to create your
    permanent password. Be sure to remember this ID and password as you’ll be able to
    use the same login info to access your background check at any point and to
    reapply for it in five years when it expires.
  7. After this permanent password is set, you’ll go to the home page one last time,
    select “individual login”, “access my clearances”, and follow the prompts until
    you can enter your ID and finalized password.
  8. Once logged in, fill in the required info.
  9. Select the option for volunteers. If you do not choose the option for volunteers,
    you will be charged for this background check.
  10. You can opt to receive a hard copy of this background check in the mail as well as
    a PDF that will be sent to your email.
  11. Email a copy, to the Pennsylvania office after you receive it ([email protected]).
  12. If at any point you would like to check on your Child Abuse Check, call the
    Department of Human Services at (877) 371-5422. Tell them you are a volunteer and
    they should be able to give you more information on your clearance.

Steps to Complete:

  1. Follow this link to the PA Criminal Background Check:
    https://epatch.pa.gov/home
  2. Click the button that says “New Volunteer Record Check”. Be sure not to select
    another option or you will be charged for the background check.
  3. Scroll down and check the box at the bottom, click accept, and then fill out the
    info on the next page.
  4. Shortly after submitting, you will receive a confirmation email with a control
    number which you will use that to access the completed check.
  5. Download a copy as a PDF and email it to the Pennsylvania office ([email protected]).
  6. NOTE: You cannot use the Safari web browser to complete this background check.