Tennessee Volunteer Background Checks: Abuse Registry, TBI & Reporting (2026)
September 12, 2026
Tennessee has no statute requiring every nonprofit to check every volunteer. Checks attach to settings instead, and one duty reaches everyone: any person who suspects child abuse must report it. This video covers which settings require checks, how the Abuse Registry works, and how to get a TBI check.
In this video
- Report always, check by setting: how Tennessee's rules fit together
- The "any person" duty to report child abuse
- The Abuse Registry, where every child counts as a "vulnerable person"
- Direct-contact checks in mental health, substance-abuse, disability and aging services
- Child care, schools, camps, leagues, churches and co-ops
- Anyone who knows of harm to a child that reasonably indicates abuse or neglect must report it immediately, to DCS, the juvenile judge, the sheriff or city police. Knowingly failing to report is a Class A misdemeanor; a second or intentional failure is a Class E felony.
- Entities licensed by a state agency under Titles 33, 37, 52, 68 or 71, and care contractors, must check the Abuse Registry before a prospective volunteer serves. No one listed may volunteer. The registry is public and searchable online.
- Licensed mental health and substance-abuse services and, since July 1, 2024, disability and aging services must complete a criminal background check on volunteers with direct contact before that contact begins.
- In DHS-licensed child care, unpaid substitutes counted toward staffing standards for more than 36 hours a year are fingerprinted. In DCS-licensed agencies, new volunteers expected to serve more than 20 hours a month with significant contact are fingerprinted.
- The TBI charges $29 for a Tennessee-only name check. A volunteer's Tennessee-and-FBI fingerprint check through IdentoGO is $33.15 for qualified organizations.
Key points
Get the free Tennessee guide, "The Volunteer State," with every statute cited:
Tennessee volunteer background check requirements at a glance:
Our free guide to mandated reporting for volunteers:
For Tennessee churches, community leagues, co-ops and exempt camps that set their own standard, VolunteerBadge runs volunteer background checks for $5 each, with free ID and live-selfie verification on applications and no setup fee, contract or per-seat fee. A VolunteerBadge check never replaces a TBI fingerprint check, a DHS or DCS clearance, or the Abuse Registry check where Tennessee law requires one.
This video summarizes our Tennessee guide. Where they differ, the guide and the statutes it cites control. It's general information, not legal advice; confirm your obligations with your licensing agency or an attorney.
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