Bottom Line for Louisiana Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers at licensed early learning centers (child day care centers, Head Start and nonpublic prekindergarten programs): an LDOE child care criminal background check (CCCBC) — Louisiana and FBI fingerprints, the DCFS state central registry, state and national sex offender registries, and other-state checks for anyone who lived elsewhere in the past five years — before being present when children are, repeated at least every five years (R.S. 17:407.42; LAC 28:CLXI §§1803, 1807, 1811)
- ✓Volunteers at DCFS-licensed child-placing agencies (foster care and adoption), maternity homes and residential homes for children: a State Police or FBI fingerprint check at child-placing agencies, an FBI check at maternity and residential homes, and a state central registry clearance before being present or having access to children (R.S. 46:51.2(A)(12); R.S. 46:1414.1; LAC 67:V §§6710, 6961, 7111, 7314); the same fingerprint rule reaches volunteers at juvenile detention facilities (R.S. 46:51.2(F)(1))
- ✓CASA volunteers: no assignment to a child until a comprehensive criminal background check is done (Children’s Code art. 424.1(D)); the court may also request a DCFS central registry search (art. 616(D))
- +4 more required roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
R.S. 17:407.42 and Bulletin 137 — Child care criminal background checks (CCCBC)
La. R.S. 17:407.42; LAC 28:CLXI §§1801–1819Every owner, volunteer, staff member and employee of any kind at a licensed early learning center needs an LDOE eligibility determination based on Louisiana and FBI fingerprints, the DCFS central registry and sex offender registries before being present when children are, renewed at least once every five years. A person with a listed crime or registry record may not volunteer.
R.S. 46:51.2 and 46:1414.1 — DCFS-licensed child-placing agencies, maternity homes and residential homes
La. R.S. 46:51.2(A)(12), (E)–(F); 46:1414.1; LAC 67:VNo person, volunteers included, may be taken on by these providers until fingerprinted and cleared of listed crimes, and anyone on the state central registry as a perpetrator may not work or volunteer there. Licensing rules require FBI fingerprint checks and a registry clearance before a volunteer is present. Other child care provider organizations such as Big Brother/Big Sister and scouting may request checks with consent.
Louisiana Revised Statutes § 15:587.7 — VECHS
La. R.S. 15:587.7 (Acts 2018, No. 376, eff. Jan. 1, 2019; amended 2019, 2024 and by Acts 2026, No. 483, eff. Aug. 1, 2026)Optional. A business or organization that provides care or care placement services to children, the elderly or people with disabilities registers with the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information and may then require employees, volunteers and contractors to be fingerprinted for a state check and, on request, an FBI check. The entity alone decides suitability, is not liable solely for failing to check, and since Aug. 1, 2026 a private entity may not receive expunged records.
R.S. 15:587.3 — Youth-serving organizations and youth coaches
La. R.S. 15:587.3Religious, charitable, educational, athletic and youth-serving organizations may require volunteers who work with children to be fingerprinted for a state and FBI check; a volunteer who refuses must not work with children. A head coach of youth athletes who coaches outside such an organization, and is not a family member, must be fingerprinted.
Children’s Code arts. 603, 609 and 610 — Mandatory reporters
La. Ch.C. arts. 603, 609, 610Mandatory reporters include anyone who teaches, trains or supervises children in a voluntary or professional capacity, CASA volunteers, and administrators, employees and volunteers of day camps, summer camps, youth centers, youth recreation programs and other organizations offering organized activities for children, as well as clergy (except for confidential communications). Reports must be made immediately.
Who Must Be Screened in Louisiana
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers at licensed early learning centers (child day care centers, Head Start and nonpublic prekindergarten programs): an LDOE child care criminal background check (CCCBC) — Louisiana and FBI fingerprints, the DCFS state central registry, state and national sex offender registries, and other-state checks for anyone who lived elsewhere in the past five years — before being present when children are, repeated at least every five years (R.S. 17:407.42; LAC 28:CLXI §§1803, 1807, 1811)
- •Volunteers at DCFS-licensed child-placing agencies (foster care and adoption), maternity homes and residential homes for children: a State Police or FBI fingerprint check at child-placing agencies, an FBI check at maternity and residential homes, and a state central registry clearance before being present or having access to children (R.S. 46:51.2(A)(12); R.S. 46:1414.1; LAC 67:V §§6710, 6961, 7111, 7314); the same fingerprint rule reaches volunteers at juvenile detention facilities (R.S. 46:51.2(F)(1))
- •CASA volunteers: no assignment to a child until a comprehensive criminal background check is done (Children’s Code art. 424.1(D)); the court may also request a DCFS central registry search (art. 616(D))
- •Volunteers and interns at therapeutic group homes licensed by the Louisiana Department of Health: fingerprint criminal check and child abuse registry checks; a person with a listed crime or registry finding may not volunteer (R.S. 15:587.1.2; LAC 48:I.6210)
- •Volunteer school chaplains in public schools: fingerprint-based state and federal check before volunteering; registered sex offenders and child predators barred (R.S. 17:3013)
- •Head coaches of youth athletes who coach outside any religious, charitable, educational, athletic or youth-serving organization and are not a family member of the child: fingerprint check through the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (R.S. 15:587.3(A)(2))
- •AmeriCorps members and others in national service covered positions: the federal National Service Criminal History Check; the Volunteer Louisiana Commission and AmeriCorps grantees may obtain Louisiana State Police records, and the Commission FBI records, for it (45 CFR part 2540; R.S. 15:587(H))
Optional — no Louisiana statute we found requires a check
- ◦any organization that provides care, supervision, instruction or recreation to children, the elderly or people with disabilities may register with the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information as a VECHS qualified entity and require state and FBI fingerprint checks of volunteers; since Aug. 1, 2026 private entities may not receive expunged records (R.S. 15:587.7)
- ◦religious, charitable, educational, athletic and youth-serving organizations, including youth sports leagues, may require volunteers who work with children to be fingerprinted for a state and FBI check, and must keep a volunteer who refuses away from children (R.S. 15:587.3(A)(1), (C))
- ◦Big Brother/Big Sister, scouting and other child care provider organizations may request state criminal history on volunteers with supervisory or disciplinary authority over children, with the volunteer’s written consent (R.S. 46:51.2(E)–(F)(3)); read literally, R.S. 46:51.2(A)(12) could make this a requirement, so ask counsel
- ◦school volunteers other than chaplains — Louisiana’s school check law covers employees and contractor staff, so volunteer checks depend on district policy (R.S. 17:15)
- ◦camp volunteers — camps are exempt from child care licensing and we found no camp screening statute (R.S. 17:407.33(1), 17:407.35(A))
- ◦volunteers at nursing facilities, home health, hospice, adult day and other LDH-licensed adult care providers — the mandatory check covers paid nonlicensed staff only (R.S. 40:1203.1(6), 40:1203.2)
Types of Background Checks Required in Louisiana
How to Get Background Checks in Louisiana
$5 per check — a national criminal database search, sex offender registries in all 50 states and an SSN trace, with human FCRA review when a record needs it. It never replaces a check Louisiana law requires.
Start Free Today →Volunteer Screening in Louisiana: What You Need to Know
Louisiana names volunteers directly in its child abuse reporting law: volunteers of day camps, summer camps, youth centers, youth recreation programs and any organization that provides organized activities for children are mandatory reporters, and reports are due immediately (Ch.C. arts. 603, 610). Clergy are mandatory reporters too, except for confidential communications their church requires them to keep, and must then encourage the person to report. Screening outside licensed settings is voluntary: VECHS and the youth-serving organization law let nonprofits require state and FBI fingerprint checks, but neither requires them. Since Aug. 1, 2026 private VECHS users may not receive expunged records (Acts 2026, No. 483), and an expunged record is confidential and need not be disclosed to most organizations (C.Cr.P. art. 973). Registration with the Attorney General is needed only by charities that use a paid professional solicitor (LAC 16:III.515).
Compliance Tips for Louisiana Nonprofits
- 1
VECHS is optional: register your organization with the Louisiana Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information first, then decide which volunteers must be fingerprinted and whether to request the FBI check; the suitability decision is yours alone (R.S. 15:587.7(B)–(C)).
- 2
If you run a licensed early learning center, every volunteer needs an LDOE CCCBC eligibility determination on your roster before being at the center when children are present, and a new one at least every five years; only escorted visitors, parents who only drop off or attend a supervised event, and CASA volunteers with a signed order of assignment are excused (LAC 28:CLXI §§1807, 1811).
- 3
If you ask a volunteer to be fingerprinted under the youth-serving organization law and the volunteer refuses, keep that person away from children (R.S. 15:587.3(C)).
- 4
Train every volunteer who works with children as a mandatory reporter: Louisiana names camp, youth center and youth recreation volunteers, and anyone who teaches or supervises children as a volunteer, and requires an immediate report to DCFS or law enforcement depending on who the suspected abuser is (Ch.C. arts. 603, 610).
- 5
Do not ask volunteers to disclose expunged records, and use a national search for anyone who has lived outside Louisiana: an expunged Louisiana record is confidential and need not be disclosed to most organizations (C.Cr.P. art. 973), and a VECHS FBI check is run only when you request it (R.S. 15:587.7(B)(3)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Louisiana require background checks for my nonprofit’s volunteers?
Only for volunteers in specific roles or settings; no Louisiana rule covers every nonprofit. Louisiana has no general volunteer background check mandate. Checks are required for volunteers at licensed early learning centers (an LDOE child care criminal background check under R.S. 17:407.42), at DCFS-licensed child-placing agencies, maternity homes and residential homes (R.S. 46:51.2), at LDH-licensed therapeutic group homes (R.S. 15:587.1.2), for CASA volunteers (Children’s Code article 424.1), for volunteer school chaplains (R.S. 17:3013) and for independent youth head coaches who are not family members (R.S. 15:587.3(A)(2)).
How long does a Louisiana volunteer background check take?
Timing varies by check type. VolunteerBadge's national criminal and sex offender registry searches return most results in minutes; a record that needs human FCRA review can take up to about 72 hours. For current fingerprint-check timing, contact: Louisiana Department of Education (licenses early learning centers and runs the child care criminal background check, CCCBC); Department of Children and Family Services (state central registry and CANS clearances; licenses child-placing agencies, maternity homes and residential homes); Louisiana State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification and Information (fingerprint criminal history, VECHS, Right to Review); Louisiana Department of Health (therapeutic group homes and adult care providers).