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Required:

Child Abuse History Clearance (CY113)

The Pennsylvania Child Abuse History clearance can be submitted and paid for online through the Child Welfare Information Solution (CWIS) self-service portal. Submitting an application online allows individual applicants to receive their results through an automated system that will notify them once their results have been processed. Applicants will be able to view and print their results online.

Pennsylvania State Police (PSP)
Criminal History Clearance

The Pennsylvania State Police have established a web-based computer application called "Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History (PATCH)". Results are often received immediately when applied for online. If results are not immediately received, please note the following:

    • If you provide your e-mail address in the application, PATCH will send messages stating: 
        1. That the clearance request was received; and 
        2. When your clearance results are completed and ready to be reviewed and printed.  
    • If you do not provide an e-mail address, then please document the control number so that you may log back into the PATCH system to obtain the clearance results when they are completed.

 

If Needed:

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Criminal History Clearance

Cost

  • $23.85 — Employees, Foster/Adoptive Parents
  • $22.60 — Volunteers

 

Fingerprinting Process

You can register for an appointment to be fingerprinted two ways:

When you, your employee or volunteer register, please be ready to provide a service code. If you need assistance in determining the appropriate service code, please contact the Office of Children, Youth, and Families at RA-PWCPSLQuestions@pa.gov. Once the appropriate service code is obtained, provide the code to the volunteer or employee so they can register. Please note that the DHS Volunteer service code would include all volunteer services. It is titled "DHS" because it is a Department of Human Services Child Protective Services Law (CPSL) requirement.

All applicants will also need to refer to the list of acceptable identification documents. Applicants must present one of the identification documents at the Idemia fingerprinting locationOpens In A New Window.

Appointments are not required when you register, you may walk‐in during a location's posted hours of operation, but scheduling an appointment may lead to lesser/no wait times. In order to preregister for a FBI background check and/or find a fingerprinting location, applicants should access the IDEMIA websiteOpens In A New Window. It is strongly encouraged that the employee or volunteer contact the site prior to going there as the information on the IDEMIA website may differ from actual hours of operation.