Bottom Line for Arkansas Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers at licensed childcare centers and family day care homes
- ✓School volunteers with significant unsupervised student access (per district policy)
- ✓Volunteers at Arkansas Department of Human Services youth services programs
- +1 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
Criminal History for Volunteers Act
Ark. Code Ann. §§ 12-12-1601 to 12-12-1607Authorizes any volunteer organization to request state and FBI criminal background checks on current or prospective volunteers through the Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau. Requires 3-year retention of check request records.
School Personnel Background Checks
Ark. Code Ann. § 6-17-414Requires criminal records checks as a condition for initial employment of nonlicensed school personnel; applies to volunteers with significant school access under district policy.
Child Care Criminal History Check
Ark. Code Ann. § 20-78-201 et seq.; Act 659 of 2023Requires fingerprint-based criminal background checks for childcare facility staff and volunteers; administered through the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Early Childhood office. Act 659 of 2023 updated criminal disqualification criteria.
Who Must Be Screened in Arkansas
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers at licensed childcare centers and family day care homes
- •School volunteers with significant unsupervised student access (per district policy)
- •Volunteers at Arkansas Department of Human Services youth services programs
- •Any volunteer organization may voluntarily use the state system for any volunteer role
Types of Background Checks Required in Arkansas
How to Get Background Checks in Arkansas
$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 Arkansas: What You Need to Know
Arkansas is one of the few states with a dedicated volunteers-only background check statute separate from employment law. The faith community and youth sports sectors are large volunteer bases. Act 659 of 2023 tightened childcare disqualification standards. Arkansas does not have a state FCRA analog — the federal FCRA applies to third-party screening vendors but the state system operates outside FCRA as a direct government function.
Compliance Tips for Arkansas Nonprofits
- 1
Register your nonprofit with the Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau under the Criminal History for Volunteers Act to gain access to both state (ACIC) and FBI checks — registration is required before you can submit requests.
- 2
For childcare programs, use the DESE Electronic Background Check portal rather than the State Police volunteer portal; the two systems have different disqualification standards and fees.
- 3
Retain all background check request documentation for at least 3 years as required by § 12-12-1607 — this applies even if the volunteer was cleared.
- 4
Always include a sex offender registry check in every ACIC query; it is included by default in state checks but verify the output explicitly before onboarding a volunteer.
- 5
If your program serves youth across county lines or partners with schools, confirm with each school district whether their board policy requires volunteers to use the school-district fingerprinting process rather than the ACIC volunteer portal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Criminal History for Volunteers Act apply to my nonprofit?
Arkansas law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Arkansas enacted the Criminal History for Volunteers Act (Ark.
What happens if we skip background checks in Arkansas?
Failing to screen volunteers in Arkansas 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 Arkansas volunteer background check take?
Timing varies by check type. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database and sex offender registry checks return results instantly. Fingerprint-based checks through Arkansas State Police Identification Bureau (ACIC); DESE Office of Early Childhood for childcare typically take 3–10 business days.