Bottom Line for South Carolina Nonprofits
- ✓All paid employees and caregiver service providers at licensed childcare facilities (§ 63-13-40)
- ✓AmeriCorps and national service volunteers administered by the SC Commission on National and Community Service (§ 23-3-47)
- ✓Volunteers at group homes and child placing agencies if H.B. 1112 provisions are enacted or required by licensing agency
- +1 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
South Carolina Code § 63-13-40 — Childcare Background Checks
S.C. Code Ann. § 63-13-40 (2025)Requires all persons employed by or providing caregiver services at licensed childcare facilities to undergo SLED fingerprint check, FBI fingerprint check, Central Registry abuse/neglect check, and national sex offender registry check. Explicitly exempts volunteers who are always in the presence of an operator, employee, or caregiver during direct care. Provisional employment allowed after favorable SLED name-based check while FBI fingerprint check is pending.
South Carolina Code § 23-3-47 — National and Community Service Background Checks
S.C. Code Ann. § 23-3-47 (2024)Requires persons who volunteer or serve in positions supported, sponsored, or administered by the South Carolina Commission on National and Community Service (AmeriCorps programs) to undergo a SLED fingerprint-based state background check and FBI fingerprint-based national check.
Who Must Be Screened in South Carolina
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •All paid employees and caregiver service providers at licensed childcare facilities (§ 63-13-40)
- •AmeriCorps and national service volunteers administered by the SC Commission on National and Community Service (§ 23-3-47)
- •Volunteers at group homes and child placing agencies if H.B. 1112 provisions are enacted or required by licensing agency
- •Childcare facility volunteers who may be left unsupervised with children (at operator discretion or licensing authority direction)
Types of Background Checks Required in South Carolina
How to Get Background Checks in South Carolina
$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 South Carolina: What You Need to Know
South Carolina's childcare law (§ 63-13-40) is notable for explicitly defining 'volunteer' as someone always supervised by an operator or employee during direct care — a narrower scope than most states. The 2023–2024 bill H.B. 1112 proposed extending mandatory checks to group home and child placing agency volunteers but had not been enacted as of mid-2026. SLED operates the CATCH charitable account program, which allows qualifying nonprofits to run name-based background checks on volunteers at $8 per search — a significant resource for smaller organizations. SC has a large military-connected volunteer community (Fort Jackson, Joint Base Charleston) and a growing rural faith-based service network. No South Carolina FCRA analog exists; federal FCRA governs consumer report-based background checks.
Compliance Tips for South Carolina Nonprofits
- 1
Register for a SLED CATCH charitable account (catch.sled.sc.gov) if your nonprofit regularly screens volunteers — the $8 name-based check fee is substantially lower than commercial vendor costs, and the portal is available 24/7.
- 2
The § 63-13-40 volunteer exemption is conditional on supervision: document your supervision policy in writing. If an operator, employee, or caregiver is always present during any direct care activity, the volunteer exemption likely applies — but one lapse in supervision eliminates the exemption.
- 3
For AmeriCorps hosts, the § 23-3-47 SLED and FBI fingerprint requirements are mandatory before service placement — coordinate with the SC Commission on National and Community Service early to avoid delays.
- 4
Monitor H.B. 1112 (group home and child placing agency volunteer check bill) for potential enactment — affected organizations should build SLED fingerprint check capacity into their volunteer onboarding process proactively.
- 5
Out-of-state volunteers who will work in childcare or child welfare settings must also clear the Central Registry check for each state where they have resided in the previous five years — build extra processing time (4–8 weeks) into your placement timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does South Carolina Code § 63-13-40 — Childcare Background Checks apply to my nonprofit?
South Carolina law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. South Carolina requires background checks for childcare workers under S.
What happens if we skip background checks in South Carolina?
Failing to screen volunteers in South Carolina 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 South Carolina volunteer background check take?
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) — primary agency for all state fingerprint and name-based criminal background checks; SLED CATCH portal (catch.sled.sc.gov) for charitable organization volunteer screening at $8 per name-based check typically processes checks in SLED CATCH name-based: 1–3 business days; SLED + FBI fingerprint: 3–6 weeks. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.