Bottom Line for Washington Nonprofits
- ✓Volunteers with supervised or unsupervised access to children, elderly (60+), or persons with disabilities at covered organizations
- ✓Healthcare facility volunteers with patient contact
- ✓Volunteers at licensed adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and DSHS-contracted providers
- +2 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
RCW 43.43.830 — Background Checks, Access to Children or Vulnerable Persons (Definitions)
Wash. Rev. Code § 43.43.830Defines 'business or organization,' 'vulnerable adult,' and related terms for background check purposes. Establishes the framework under which businesses and nonprofits may request criminal history information from the WSP for prospective employees and volunteers serving children, elderly (60+), or persons with disabilities.
RCW 43.43.832 — Background Checks, Disclosure of Information
Wash. Rev. Code § 43.43.832Requires WSP to disclose conviction records to businesses and organizations requesting checks for prospective employees or volunteers who may have supervised or unsupervised access to children, elderly, or individuals with disabilities. Also addresses sharing of criminal background information by health care facilities.
RCW 43.43.837 — Conditional Employment Pending Background Check
Wash. Rev. Code § 43.43.837Allows persons to be employed or engaged as volunteers on a conditional basis pending completion of state background investigation. When an FBI national check is required, the individual may also serve conditionally pending national check completion.
HB 1385 (2024) — WSP National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Implementation
RCW 43.43.8325 (as enacted by HB 1385, 2024)Directs WSP to implement the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact, authorizing qualified entities to conduct fingerprint-based state and national criminal history checks for applicants (including volunteers) who provide care for children, elderly (60+), or individuals with disabilities.
Who Must Be Screened in Washington
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •Volunteers with supervised or unsupervised access to children, elderly (60+), or persons with disabilities at covered organizations
- •Healthcare facility volunteers with patient contact
- •Volunteers at licensed adult family homes, assisted living facilities, and DSHS-contracted providers
- •School district volunteers (per district policy, supported by RCW framework)
- •Volunteers in state-funded social service programs
Types of Background Checks Required in Washington
How to Get Background Checks in Washington
$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 Washington: What You Need to Know
Washington has a large outdoor and environmental nonprofit sector (REI, The Mountaineers, conservation corps programs) and a significant tech-sector volunteerism ecosystem (Microsoft, Amazon employee volunteer programs) that increasingly encounter screening requirements. The state's strong data privacy culture has influenced how background check results are handled and shared. Recent HB 1385 modernization of the WSP national compact implementation reflects legislative commitment to improving fingerprint-based check access. Washington's progressive 'ban the box' laws do not restrict volunteer screening, but organizations should be aware of individualized assessment obligations.
Compliance Tips for Washington Nonprofits
- 1
Register with the DSHS Background Check Central Unit (BCCU) if your organization is licensed or contracted with DSHS — BCCU provides centralized background check services with direct access to WSP and FBI records for covered provider volunteers.
- 2
Use the WSP WATCH system for fingerprint-based state criminal history checks — name-only checks miss records associated with alias names or out-of-county convictions, and are insufficient for roles involving unsupervised vulnerable population access.
- 3
Implement a conditional engagement policy compliant with RCW 43.43.837 — document the conditions and notify the volunteer in writing that final engagement is contingent on clean results.
- 4
Search the Washington State Sex Offender Registry (public, searchable online) as an immediate and free first screen before formal check submission, particularly for high-volume volunteer recruitment periods.
- 5
Stay current on HB 1385 implementation timelines — the WSP's rollout of the National Compact fingerprint-based check authority will expand your organization's access to federal criminal history records, which may change your compliance obligations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does RCW 43.43.830 — Background Checks, Access to Children or Vulnerable Persons (Definitions) apply to my nonprofit?
Washington law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Washington state has a well-developed statutory framework for volunteer background checks under RCW Chapter 43.
What happens if we skip background checks in Washington?
Failing to screen volunteers in Washington 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 Washington volunteer background check take?
Washington State Patrol (WSP), Identification and Criminal History Section; Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Background Check Central Unit (BCCU) for licensed providers; Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for school settings typically processes checks in WSP name-based: 2–5 business days; fingerprint-based: 5–15 business days; FBI national: 2–4 weeks. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.