Federal Criminal History Record Information (CHRI)

​​Processing and Storage

The applicant’s scanned fingerprints and registration information will be electronically transmitted by IDEMIA via IDEMIA’s approved channeling process directly to the FBI. The fingerprints are run against the FBI database, and the report is sent directly from the FBI back to IDEMIA. Currently, IDEMIA maintains the reports for five years from the date of the report on a secure server (accessible by authorized representatives). After five years, the reports are destroyed. Neither PDE or the FBI or IDEMIA stores an applicant’s fingerprints. If an applicant is required to obtain a new report, the applicant must be fingerprinted again in order to obtain the report.

​​Group Finge​​rprinting Support

If you have a requirement to fingerprint a large group of applicants (300 college education majors, a contractor’s entire staff of 120 employees, 50 bus drivers, etc.) IDEMIA and the fixed site providers will try to accommodate that request. Some fingerprint service sites have the ability to bring portable equipment to your site. If you are in need of Group Fingerprinting Support, visit https://uenroll.identogo.com. Service sites in your area that have mobile equipment will be listed.

NOTE: This mobile service requires the visited site to provide broadband internet access and access through any firewall. The sites that offer mobile services can provide you instructions, in advance of their visit, that would allow fingerprinting to occur at your site. You must however, plan ahead. Requirements for hosting a mobile Livescan operation can be found at https://uenroll.identogo.com.

We encourage you to utilize this service but you must plan ahead. Please do not overwhelm the service by sending large groups of applicants to fixed site locations. If you must send a large group of applicants to a fixed site, please plan for their arrival to occur over days and weeks, not over hours.

Corrections and Resubmissions

In some cases, a classifiable fingerprint record cannot be obtained. Immediately upon indication, IDEMIA will take corrective action to notify the applicant of the need to re-print the applicant at no cost to the applicant. This corrective action will be completed at the earliest possible time that is convenient for the applicant. IDEMIA will contact the applicant directly via email should a re-print be necessary. NOTE: Reprinting can be applied to each applicant one time only.

If the applicant's fingerprints are unable to be transmitted electronically by IDEMIA to the FBI a second time, the applicant will be notified that a "name check" process will be instituted. The name check is a manual review of records completed by the FBI, with the results being sent to IDEMIA. Upon receipt of name check results from the FBI, IDEMIA will send the results via email to the applicant (Please note the link is available for ONE-TIME access only and once accessed will no longer be valid. You should only access this link from a device that will allow you to download, print, or save your results at that time). Administrators will have access to review the results in the PA Safe Check system.  This process takes 4 – 6 weeks; please allow ample time for processing.​

The Act requires that all of the following individuals who will have direct contact with children (as defined in 22 P​a. Code § 8.1) provide to their prospective employer a copy of their Federal Criminal History Record, PA State Police Report and DPW Child Abuse Report that cannot be more than five (5) years old at the time of hire.

• Student teachers (participating in classroom teaching, internships, clinical or field experience),
• Prospective employees of public and private schools, Intermediate Units and Area Vocational-Technical Schools (including, but not limited to: administrators, teachers, substitutes, custodians, cafeteria workers and office employees), and
• Independent contractors and their employees (including, but not limited to: bus drivers, PIAA Sports Officials, and construction workers).

Prospective employees/student teacher candidates/contractors and their employees, hereafter referred to collectively as applicant, are to submit with their employment application State and Federal criminal history reports (for the Federal Criminal History Report the applicant is to submit their Universal Enrollment ID (UEID)) or a copy of the completed form/request. Criminal history reports (results of background checks) shall be no more than five years old at the time of hire.

Administrators shall require each applicant to produce the original criminal history reports prior to employment or follow appropriate procedures to employ applicants on a provisional basis, until the report is received and reviewed. Student teacher candidates are to submit their criminal history reports to the administrator of the educator preparation program prior to participation in any classroom teaching, internship, or clinical or field experience.

Provided all conditions listed in the Law are met, when the applicant provides a copy of the completed UE form to the administrator, the administrator may employ applicants on a provisional basis for a single period not to exceed 90 days (see the PROVISIONAL HIRE section)

An administrator or other person responsible for employment decisions in a school or other institution under this section who willfully fails to comply with the provisions of this section commits a violation of this Act and shall be subject to civil penalty. A civil penalty shall not exceed $2,500. Procedures that will be followed by staff of the School Services Unit when investigating alleged violations of 24 PS 1-1​11 are contained in Basic Education Circular 24 PS 1-111 Violations of Background Checks.

More information regarding fingerprinting locations and the process for obtaining an FBI fingerprint based background check report may be found at: https://uenroll.identogo.com.

Applicants and schools with policy questions may contact PDE at (717) 783-3750 or RA-PDE-SchoolService@pa.gov.

Fingerprint Services Customer Service Call Center: 1-844-321-2101.

Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania.

The electronic system contains only FBI Criminal History Record Information (CHRI) reports for applicants who were fingerprinted through PDE under Act 114 of 2006. Effective April 1, 2007, the Act requires that all employees and prospective employees of schools and their contractors as well as student teacher candidates obtain the federal background check report prior to employment in which they will have contact with children. Only Pennsylvania public and private schools and higher education institutions with an approved teacher preparation program will be authorized to access the reports in the secure online system.

DHS-licensed agencies, such as daycare facilities are not permitted to access the Department of Education’s online system for their employees. These agencies’ employees are required to obtain background check reports under the Child Protective Services Law (CPSL). This Act requires applicants to register and be fingerprinted under a system administered by the Department of Human Services (DHS) to obtain results for their employers.

In some cases, DHS-licensed agencies send employees into schools. These applicants may submit a DHS report to a school as an acceptable clearance so that an additional FBI clearance through PDE is not required. Although DHS contracts with IDEMIA to obtain the FBI fingerprint-based background check reports, PDE may not access reports in the DHS system, and DHS may not access the PDE online system. Please see the Q & A’s regarding PDE and DHS report issues on our website for more information on this topic.

It is important for applicants to register and be fingerprinted under the system where the applicant will be employed (DHS or PDE). In order to avoid confusion and the need to register and be fingerprinted a second time, applicants should check with their prospective employer prior to registering and being fingerprinted. Further questions on DHS requirements should be addressed to the DHS office, reachable by phone at 717-783-6211.

Entities such as Alternative Education for Disruptive Youth (AEDY) providers, tutoring agencies, and staffing agencies are considered independent contractors and are not permitted to access the official reports online. Applicants to these entities will provide their UEID to their prospective employer. The agency is then responsible to provide the applicant’s UEID and other reports to the school entity that is contracting for the services. The school entity associated with the services will review the official CHRI through the online database to make a determination as to the fitness of the applicant to work in a position in which they will have contact with children.

Head Start, Behavioral Health agencies, and other child care facilities, please review the Q & A’s on our website regarding PDE and DHS report issues for guidance and clarification on procedures.

Only higher education institutions with an approved teacher preparation program will be granted access to reports. Other post-secondary programs that do not train educators through a field experience/student teaching program are not provided access to the online system. Applicants within a higher education facility that fall under Act 114 are student teachers or others in educator preparation programs. All other applicants in a college or university that need to obtain fingerprinting (such as nursing students completing clinical rotations) must apply through the DHS system under the requirements of the CPSL.

The Act permits, but does not require school entities to employ applicants on a provisional basis for a single period not to exceed ninety (90) days, except during a lawful strike proceeding under the provisions of the act of July 23, 1970, known as the “Public Employee Relations Act”, provided that all of the following conditions are met:

• The applicant has applied for the information required under subsection (b) and where applicable, under subsection (c) or (c.1) and the applicant provides a copy of the appropriate completed request forms to the Administrator.
• The Administrator has no knowledge of information pertaining to the applicant which would disqualify them from employment pursuant to subsection (e)
• The applicant swears or affirms in writing that they are not disqualified from employment pursuant to subsection (e)
• If the information obtained pursuant to subsection (b), (c), or (c1) reveals that the applicant is disqualified from employment pursuant to subsection (e), the applicant shall be suspended and subject to termination proceedings as provided for by law.
• The Administrator requires that the applicant not be permitted to work alone with children and that the applicant work in the vicinity of a permanent employee.

Administrators of approved school entities will have access to review the official report of the applicant online through a secure website. Approved school entities are public schools including school districts, intermediate units, Career and Technology Centers and Charter Schools; and private schools including Approved Private Schools, PRRIs, licensed private academic schools and non-public schools. Teacher Training Institutions (higher education institutions) are also considered approved school entities to access CHRI reports for prospective student teachers.

Each school entity is provided with one general administrative login and password from PDE. Account information is issued via email to the chief school administrator at each approved entity (e.g. Superintendent, Director, CEO, etc.).

The general administrative login and password will allow each chief school administrator to create “school user” logins and passwords so that school staff can have access to the secure website. The school administrator is responsible for maintaining the list of personnel who will have access to the system. Any changes to the added user accounts will be managed by the administrative account. This includes adding additional school user accounts, unlocking accounts and/or modifying the password, and disabling accounts for staff who should no longer have access to FBI reports.

Administrative accounts are managed by PDE. PDE can assist school entities, using the following functions:

• Add new administrative accounts for new schools that have not yet registered with IDEMIA. (NOTE: Access is only for schools.)
• Provide the username and password to school administrators if account information has been misplaced.
• Unlock the account and reset the password if necessary (due to 3 unsuccessful login attempts).
• Update the administrator name and email address associated with the account/school.
• Disable the administrative account when a school is closed.

Questions or requests regarding any of the above issues with administrative accounts can be directed to RA-PDE-SchoolService@pa.gov.

To allow the school to review an applicant’s CHRI report, the applicant must provide the UEID). To access a record, the school user will go to a secure website specific to the online access of CHRI reports for PDE. At this screen, the school user will log in with their personal username and password and PA SafeCheck Token. After the number is entered, the CHRI report will appear in a separate window for the user to review. The CHRI that is available for review online constitutes the official record.

The administrator of the school entity is required to review the CHRI to make a determination as to the fitness of the applicant to work in a position in which they will have contact with children. If the applicant is hired, the school administrator must print out a copy and retain it in the employee’s file. If the applicant is not hired, the administrator is prohibited from printing a copy and retaining it in a file.

Access to the online review system is limited to authorized users for approved school entities and is not permitted for independent contractors or other schools. School entities should work with their contractors to establish a process for the contractor to provide the UEID to the school, in order for the school to access the CHRI online. In the case of a contractor’s employee, the school is to review the CHRI and transmit the fitness determination to the contractor. If the applicant is hired by the school entity or contractor, the school will make a copy of the CHRI for the employee’s file. If the contractor wishes to maintain their own file copy, it is suggested that contractors provide the unofficial copy to the contractor.

Contractors, including school bus drivers and others who perform work for the school entity under contract are required to obtain their clearances. Results are made available electronically for schools to review. Access to the database is not permitted for independent contractors.​​​

​Public and private schools will need a listing of their contractors’ prospective employees and their UEID’s. Schools should work with their contractors to establish a process for the contractor to provide the UEID to the school. The schools will then be responsible for going online to review the prospective employees’ CHRI records to make a determination of the fitness of the individual to perform work that places the individual in contact with children. The law has required the school to make this fitness determination; this does not reflect a policy change and does not change the status of the employee as an employee of the contractor. The school administrator is to transmit that fitness determination to the contractor. Once hired, a copy of the contracted employees’ official CHRI is to be maintained by the school. An official copy will not be provided to the applicant or to the contractor. For contractors that wish to see a copy, a suggested solution is that contractors require their employees or prospective employees to provide the unofficial copy to the contractor. The paper copy will not be regarded as the official report; but, it will provide an applicant with a copy of the information that the school will see when the report is reviewed.

Prospective student teachers are to provide their UEID to the administrator of their educator preparation program. Under Act 114, the higher education administrator is required to review the CHRI and make the determination of the fitness of the applicant to perform work that places the individual in contact with children. If the individual is approved for a field experience and student teaching, the administrator is required under the Act to make a copy of the CHRI report and maintain a file which includes that report throughout the individual’s enrollment in the educator preparation program.