Bottom Line for Indiana Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers at licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and child care ministries (IC 12-17.2)
- ✓Volunteer coaches and regular school volunteers with potential unsupervised student access (IC 20-26-5-10 policy requirement)
- ✓Volunteers at any qualified entity serving children, elderly, or disabled individuals (IC 10-13-3-39)
- +1 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
Indiana Code § 10-13-3-39 — Qualified Entity Volunteer Background Checks
IC 10-13-3-39 (2024)Designates the Indiana State Police as the authorized agency to receive and process national criminal history background check requests from qualified entities (any public, private, for-profit, nonprofit, or voluntary organization providing care or care placement services). Qualified entities may — and in many settings must — request fingerprint-based national background checks on volunteers within three months of initial service.
Indiana Code § 20-26-5-10 — School Volunteer Background Check Policy
IC 20-26-5-10 (2024)Requires each school corporation to adopt a criminal history background check and Child Protection Index check policy. Covers all school employees and, by policy adoption, extends to volunteers — particularly volunteer coaches and those with regular unsupervised student access.
Indiana Code § 12-17.2 — Childcare Volunteer Requirements
IC 12-17.2 (as implemented by FSSA rules, updated July 1, 2025)Requires volunteers at licensed childcare facilities to complete the same background check process as paid employees. Background checks must be renewed every three years, with annual updates required for sex offender registry and Child Protection Index. Effective July 1, 2025, supervised high school volunteers age 15+ may participate under exemption.
Who Must Be Screened in Indiana
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers at licensed childcare centers, family childcare homes, and child care ministries (IC 12-17.2)
- •Volunteer coaches and regular school volunteers with potential unsupervised student access (IC 20-26-5-10 policy requirement)
- •Volunteers at any qualified entity serving children, elderly, or disabled individuals (IC 10-13-3-39)
- •Volunteers with unsupervised access in healthcare facilities serving vulnerable adults
Types of Background Checks Required in Indiana
How to Get Background Checks in Indiana
$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 Indiana: What You Need to Know
Indiana updated its childcare background check rules effective July 1, 2025 with new provisions for supervised high school volunteers and revised eligibility, training, and health/safety requirements. Indiana has a strong manufacturing corridor and large faith-based social service network. The IC 10-13-3-39 framework mirrors the federal Volunteers for Children Act and authorizes — but does not universally mandate — fingerprint checks for all volunteer-serving nonprofits. No Indiana-specific FCRA analog exists; federal FCRA applies to any consumer reporting agency check. Indiana's written consent requirement before any background check is strictly enforced.
Compliance Tips for Indiana Nonprofits
- 1
Under IC 12-17.2, childcare volunteers are treated identically to paid staff — do not skip the background check process assuming volunteers are exempt simply because they are unpaid.
- 2
Set a 3-year renewal calendar for each childcare volunteer's full background check, and schedule annual CPI and sex offender registry re-runs between cycles to satisfy FSSA requirements.
- 3
For school volunteer coaches, verify your school corporation has adopted a written background check policy under IC 20-26-5-10 — the policy triggers the mandatory check obligation, and the absence of a written policy creates liability exposure.
- 4
Organizations that qualify as 'qualified entities' under IC 10-13-3-39 must submit fingerprint check requests within three months of a volunteer's first day of service — do not wait for the 90-day window to close before initiating the request.
- 5
Indiana requires written consent from volunteers before conducting any background check — use a standalone consent form, separate from your general volunteer application, to satisfy both state requirements and federal FCRA compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Indiana Code § 10-13-3-39 — Qualified Entity Volunteer Background Checks apply to my nonprofit?
Indiana law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Indiana requires background checks for volunteers in specific sectors: childcare facilities (IC 12-17.
What happens if we skip background checks in Indiana?
Failing to screen volunteers in Indiana 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 Indiana volunteer background check take?
Indiana State Police (ISP) — Central Repository for criminal history; Indiana Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) — Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning for childcare; Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) for school settings typically processes checks in Name-based ISP check: 1–3 business days online; FBI fingerprint check: 2–4 weeks. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.