Bottom Line for Alaska Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers at DOH or DFCS licensed or funded organizations
- ✓Child care volunteers with potential unsupervised access to children
- ✓Volunteers at foster care, child placement, and runaway shelter agencies
- +2 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
Alaska Background Check Program
Alaska Stat. § 47.05.300 through § 47.05.390 and 7 AAC 10.900–10.990Requires entities licensed, certified, or funded by the Department of Health (DOH) or Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) to conduct fingerprint-based criminal and civil history checks on volunteers who may have unsupervised access to vulnerable populations. Establishes 'barrier crimes' that may permanently or temporarily (5–10 years) disqualify individuals.
National Criminal History Record Checks — Noncriminal Justice Purposes
Alaska Stat. § 12.62.400 (2024)Authorizes agencies and licensed entities, including child placement agencies, foster homes, and runaway shelters, to conduct national criminal history record checks on volunteers for suitability determinations.
Vulnerable Adult Protection — Background Check Authority
Alaska Stat. § 47.24 et seq.Establishes background check authority for organizations working with vulnerable adults, including senior care programs and disability service providers, requiring checks for volunteers with unsupervised access.
Who Must Be Screened in Alaska
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers at DOH or DFCS licensed or funded organizations
- •Child care volunteers with potential unsupervised access to children
- •Volunteers at foster care, child placement, and runaway shelter agencies
- •Elder care and home health volunteers at licensed facilities
- •Medicaid-funded service volunteers with unsupervised access to waiver participants
Types of Background Checks Required in Alaska
How to Get Background Checks in Alaska
$5 per check — includes national criminal database, sex offender registry across all 50 states, SSN trace, and FCRA Certified Compliance Team review.
Start Free Today →Volunteer Screening in Alaska: What You Need to Know
Alaska's remote geography, large indigenous population, and extreme weather create a volunteer sector heavily reliant on search and rescue, disaster response, and community health aide programs in rural communities. Many Alaska Native villages operate health and social service programs that fall under federal and state BCP requirements. Short-term or supervised volunteers may be exempt from full BCP checks, making supervision documentation critical for small rural organizations.
Compliance Tips for Alaska Nonprofits
- 1
Determine whether your organization is 'licensed, certified, or funded' by DOH or DFCS — if yes, BCP compliance is mandatory regardless of volunteer role title.
- 2
Maintain a barrier crimes checklist; some convictions permanently bar volunteers while others impose a 5- or 10-year waiting period — review 7 AAC 10.900 for the specific list.
- 3
For remote organizations, plan for fingerprinting logistics well in advance — some Alaska communities require travel to the nearest law enforcement agency for fingerprinting.
- 4
Supervised or short-term volunteers (e.g., one-time event helpers under direct staff supervision) may qualify for BCP exemption — document the supervision structure in writing.
- 5
Federal programs like AmeriCorps and VISTA operating in Alaska have parallel federal screening requirements that must be coordinated with state BCP compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Alaska Background Check Program apply to my nonprofit?
Alaska law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Alaska has a robust, centralized Background Check Program (BCP) under AS 47.
What happens if we skip background checks in Alaska?
Failing to screen volunteers in Alaska can expose your organization to negligent supervision liability, loss of insurance coverage, and — in sectors with mandatory requirements — regulatory penalties. Under the federal FCRA, running checks without proper procedures also creates compliance risk.
How long does a Alaska volunteer background check take?
Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS) — Background Check Program; Department of Health (DOH) and Department of Family and Community Services (DFCS) for sector-specific oversight typically processes checks in Typically 2–6 weeks; remote location submissions may extend timelines. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.