Bottom Line for Kentucky Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers with one-on-one direct contact with patients, residents, or clients in long-term care, nursing facilities, or home health settings (906 KAR 1:190 / KARES)
- ✓Volunteers in adult day health care programs and home health agencies (KRS §§ 216.712, 216.787)
- ✓School volunteers at district discretion under KRS § 160.151 policy frameworks
- +1 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
906 KAR 1:190 — KARES Program Regulation
906 KAR 1:190 (adopted 2013, Interim Joint Committee on Health and Welfare)Establishes the Kentucky Applicant Registry and Employment Screening (KARES) program, requiring fingerprint-based background checks for employees and qualifying volunteers in long-term care facilities. Volunteers with duties equivalent to a direct-service employee involving one-on-one patient/resident contact must be screened.
Kentucky Revised Statutes §§ 216.533, 216.712(2), 216.787, 216.789
KRS §§ 216.533, 216.712(2), 216.787, 216.789Statutory foundation requiring name-based, state-only criminal background checks in nursing facilities, adult day health care programs, home health agencies, and other licensed healthcare settings — applicable to employees and covered volunteers.
KRS § 160.151 — Education Background Checks
KRS § 160.151 (2024)Requires criminal background checks and clear child abuse/neglect (CA/N) registry checks for certified employees in schools, with policy authority extending to volunteer screening in school settings at district discretion.
Who Must Be Screened in Kentucky
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers with one-on-one direct contact with patients, residents, or clients in long-term care, nursing facilities, or home health settings (906 KAR 1:190 / KARES)
- •Volunteers in adult day health care programs and home health agencies (KRS §§ 216.712, 216.787)
- •School volunteers at district discretion under KRS § 160.151 policy frameworks
- •Volunteers in childcare programs regulated by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services
Types of Background Checks Required in Kentucky
How to Get Background Checks in Kentucky
$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 Kentucky: What You Need to Know
Kentucky pursued mandatory national background checks for long-term care workers through the federal National Background Check Program (NBCP) grant — KARES was built on that grant and remains the primary enhanced screening tool for healthcare volunteers. The state has a significant elderly care nonprofit sector, particularly in Appalachian eastern Kentucky where faith-based in-home care volunteers are common. Volunteers from community-based or faith-based organizations providing only supervised, group volunteer services (e.g., holiday meals at a nursing home with staff present) are explicitly exempt. No state FCRA analog; federal FCRA applies. KRS § 43.032 (eff. March 27, 2025) adds background check requirements for persons with access to federal tax information.
Compliance Tips for Kentucky Nonprofits
- 1
Register with the KARES portal through the CHFS Office of Inspector General before attempting to submit any volunteer for a fingerprint-based check — KARES is opt-in for covered facilities and the registration step is mandatory.
- 2
The key test for whether a volunteer must be screened under KARES: does their role involve one-on-one, unsupervised contact with a patient, resident, or client equivalent to a direct-service employee? Document your analysis of each volunteer role in writing.
- 3
Even if a facility elects not to participate in KARES, the name-based checks required under KRS §§ 216.533 and 216.787 still apply to all qualifying personnel including covered volunteers — KARES participation does not replace statutory name-based obligations.
- 4
For school volunteer programs, check whether your district has a written policy under KRS § 160.151 authority; while not state-mandated for all volunteers, absence of a written policy creates insurance and accreditation exposure.
- 5
Faith-based organizations providing only supervised group services in long-term care facilities should document the supervision structure in their volunteer agreement to clearly establish the exemption — an unannounced visit where a volunteer is left alone with a resident could trigger coverage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 906 KAR 1:190 — KARES Program Regulation apply to my nonprofit?
Kentucky law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Kentucky requires background checks for volunteers whose duties are equivalent to direct-service employees with one-on-one contact with patients, residents, or clients in licensed healthcare and long-term care settings.
What happens if we skip background checks in Kentucky?
Failing to screen volunteers in Kentucky 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 Kentucky volunteer background check take?
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) — Office of Inspector General administers KARES; Kentucky State Police (KSP) processes fingerprint-based criminal history records typically processes checks in KARES fingerprint-based: 2–6 weeks; KSP name-based: 3–5 business days. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.