Bottom Line for Wyoming Nonprofits
- ✓All licensed child care facility volunteers, substitutes, and household members over 18
- ✓Adult Medicaid waiver program volunteers with unsupervised access
- ✓Volunteers in youth-serving organizations (Big Brothers Big Sisters, domestic violence safe houses)
- +1 more covered roles below
State Laws That Apply to Volunteer Background Checks
State or National Criminal History Record Information
Wyo. Stat. § 7-19-201 (2024)Authorizes state and national criminal history record information requests for volunteers in youth-serving organizations and domestic violence safe houses. Volunteer checks for youth programs (Big Brothers Big Sisters model) are available at a reduced fee of $10 for state-only checks.
Child Care Licensing Background Check Rules
Wyoming Administrative Code 048-47, Chapter 47, § 47-17Requires a full national fingerprint-based criminal background check and Wyoming Central Registry check for all child care providers, directors, staff, volunteers, substitutes, and household members over 18 in licensed child care facilities. Disqualifying offenses include felony abuse, sexual offenses, violence, and drug convictions, as well as violent misdemeanors within the last five years.
Medicaid Waiver Volunteer Background Check
Wyoming Administrative Code 048-34, Chapter 34, § 34-10Requires all adult volunteers with potential unsupervised access to Medicaid waiver participants to complete a background screening. Volunteers convicted of a sexual offense are categorically barred. Minor volunteers must be under direct supervision of a screened provider.
Who Must Be Screened in Wyoming
!Legally Required to Be Screened
- •All licensed child care facility volunteers, substitutes, and household members over 18
- •Adult Medicaid waiver program volunteers with unsupervised access
- •Volunteers in youth-serving organizations (Big Brothers Big Sisters, domestic violence safe houses)
- •Volunteer fire district members (fingerprinting for state and national check)
Types of Background Checks Required in Wyoming
How to Get Background Checks in Wyoming
$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 Wyoming: What You Need to Know
Wyoming has the smallest population of any U.S. state and a strong ranching, energy, and outdoor recreation culture. Volunteer sectors include search and rescue, wildfire response, and rural community health outreach. The state's volunteer fire department network is one of the most extensive per capita in the West. Volunteer background check fees are among the lowest nationally ($10 for state check for qualifying youth-serving volunteers), reflecting a state policy to encourage volunteerism in rural communities.
Compliance Tips for Wyoming Nonprofits
- 1
Child care volunteers must complete background checks before starting service — Wyoming's licensing rules do not permit provisional placement with unsupervised child access for uncleared volunteers.
- 2
Take advantage of the $10 reduced fee for youth-serving volunteer checks under W.S. § 7-19-201 — ensure your organization formally qualifies by documenting your youth-service mission.
- 3
For Medicaid waiver volunteers, maintain records of check completion and perform re-checks when a volunteer has a gap in service of more than 12 months.
- 4
Volunteer fire companies should now comply with fingerprint background check requirements — work with the local fire district to coordinate DCI submissions.
- 5
Wyoming has no ban-the-box law, so criminal history questions on volunteer applications are permissible — but consult your insurance carrier's requirements before making individualized decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does State or National Criminal History Record Information apply to my nonprofit?
Wyoming law applies to nonprofits with volunteers working in covered roles — typically involving direct, unsupervised contact with children, elderly individuals, or vulnerable adults. Wyoming conditionally requires background checks for volunteers in licensed child care facilities (including full national fingerprint checks), Medicaid waiver programs, and youth-serving organizations.
What happens if we skip background checks in Wyoming?
Failing to screen volunteers in Wyoming 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 Wyoming volunteer background check take?
Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) — Office of the Attorney General; Wyoming Department of Family Services (DFS) for child care sector typically processes checks in Approximately 2 weeks standard; can extend to 5–6 weeks during high-volume periods. VolunteerBadge's national criminal database search returns results instantly for most volunteers.