Bottom Line for Maryland Nonprofits
- ✓All volunteers at licensed childcare facilities with direct child contact
- ✓School volunteers with regular direct student contact (per local school board policy)
- ✓Volunteers at licensed nursing homes, assisted living, and adult day care facilities
- +2 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
Childcare Criminal History Records Check
Md. Code, Family Law § 5-561 et seq.Requires criminal history records checks for operators, employees, and volunteers at childcare facilities; checks must include the state sex offender registry, state child abuse and neglect registry, and National Sex Offender Registry, plus FBI fingerprint check.
School Personnel Background Check
Md. Code, Education Article § 6-113Requires criminal background checks for all school employees; local school boards extend requirements to volunteers with regular direct student contact. Fingerprint-based checks through the Maryland State Police and FBI are required.
Healthcare Personnel Background Check
Md. Code, Health-General Article § 19-1901 et seq.Requires background checks for personnel — including in some settings volunteers — at licensed healthcare facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.
Maryland COMAR Childcare Background Check Regulations
COMAR 10.16.06.21 (effective through July 5, 2025; updated 2025)COMAR regulations implementing the Family Law background check requirements for childcare; updated in 2025 to require digital fingerprinting and expanded federal database searches. New version effective July 5, 2025.
Who Must Be Screened in Maryland
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •All volunteers at licensed childcare facilities with direct child contact
- •School volunteers with regular direct student contact (per local school board policy)
- •Volunteers at licensed nursing homes, assisted living, and adult day care facilities
- •Volunteers with access to patient care at licensed healthcare facilities
- •Mentors registered with the Maryland Mentoring Partnership (fee-waived checks)
Types of Background Checks Required in Maryland
How to Get Background Checks in Maryland
$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 Maryland: What You Need to Know
Maryland's proximity to Washington, D.C. creates a large federal-contractor nonprofit ecosystem where background check standards are often set by federal grant requirements rather than state law alone. The Maryland Mentoring Partnership provides fee waivers for mentor background checks — a unique state-supported subsidy. COMAR 10.16.06.21 was updated in 2025 to require digital fingerprinting, phasing out paper fingerprint cards for childcare sector checks effective July 5, 2025. Maryland Nonprofits (state association) offers a member background screening portal through Coeus Global.
Compliance Tips for Maryland Nonprofits
- 1
Childcare nonprofits must transition to digital fingerprinting under the updated COMAR 10.16.06.21 effective July 5, 2025 — contact DPSCS or the Division of Early Childhood now to update your submission process.
- 2
Checks must be renewed every 5 years for childcare volunteers; create calendar reminders tied to each volunteer's original clearance date rather than waiting for licensing renewal.
- 3
If your nonprofit mentors youth through a registered program with the Maryland Mentoring Partnership, volunteers do not pay background check fees — register with the Partnership to unlock this benefit.
- 4
Apply Maryland's FCRA-equivalent protections under Md. Code, Labor and Employment Article § 3-711 (ban the box) before making adverse decisions based on criminal records — even for volunteers if your organization treats them similarly to employees.
- 5
Maryland Nonprofits members should use the Coeus Global screening portal for non-licensed-setting volunteers; this provides FCRA-compliant checks and volume discounts for association members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Childcare Criminal History Records Check apply to my nonprofit?
Maryland law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Maryland requires comprehensive fingerprint-based background checks for volunteers in licensed childcare facilities, public and private schools, and licensed healthcare/senior care settings.
What happens if we skip background checks in Maryland?
Failing to screen volunteers in Maryland 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 Maryland volunteer background check take?
Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) — Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS); Maryland State Police for fingerprint processing; Division of Early Childhood for childcare-specific checks typically processes checks in DPSCS CJIS check: 5–10 business days; FBI fingerprint check adds 5–15 business days; CANTS registry: 5–7 business days. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.