How often should volunteers be re-screened?

There is no single national rule. Where laws and standards set one, they range from annually (Texas and New York camps, Little League) to every five years (federal child care, Pennsylvania clearances, the Episcopal Church model policy). Start with any rule that binds you, then set tighter intervals for roles with unsupervised access.

Do we need a new FCRA authorization for every re-check?

FTC staff have said one clearly worded disclosure and authorization can cover later reports during the relationship. Many organizations re-authorize each time to be safe, and VolunteerBadge asks for a fresh authorization before every re-check. Check your state’s rules with counsel.

Free guide · 2026 edition · For programs that screened once and now need a re-check schedule

Still Clear?: A re-screening playbook for volunteer programs

Why a background check is only a snapshot, what the rules say about how often to re-check, how to keep authorization current, and what to do between checks.

By the VolunteerBadge research team · Published September 11, 2026

Written for volunteer managers deciding how often to re-check a roster they screened once
Re-check intervals from state laws and national standards, side by side
A re-screening policy checklist and a volunteer notice explaining your schedule
Sources for every interval, from Little League to the Episcopal Church

Who Still Clear? is for

Volunteer managers, executive directors, youth and children’s ministry leaders, camp directors, league administrators and boards — anyone who screened volunteers once and is asking the next question: how often should we check again?

1–5 yrs

is the range of re-check intervals set by state laws and national standards — from annual camp checks to Pennsylvania’s 60 months.

State laws and standards

65%

is the average share of arrests from the past five years with a final outcome recorded in state databases at the end of 2022.

BJS / SEARCH, 2024

per re-check with VolunteerBadge — or $0 to your program when volunteers cover their own.

VolunteerBadge pricing

From the Still Clear? executive summary

Six re-screening decisions to make on purpose

1
Checks go stale.
New arrests, convictions and registry changes happen after you screen.
2
Many rules set a clock.
Annual for some camps and leagues; five years for federal child care, Pennsylvania clearances and the Episcopal Church’s model policy.
3
Pick an interval on purpose.
At least your legal floor, and tighter for roles with more access.
4
Keep authorization current.
Say on the disclosure that it covers later checks, or re-authorize each time.
5
Ask volunteers to tell you.
About new arrests or charges between checks — in writing, in your code of conduct.
6
A new record means the same fair process.
Pre-adverse notice first, even for a long-time volunteer.

Inside Still Clear?, chapter by chapter

01
Why a check starts aging the day it runs
Why checks go stale and how to set an interval, in one page.
02
A background check is a snapshot
What changes after you screen, and why records arrive late.
03
What the law says about how often
Pennsylvania, federal child care, Ohio, Texas and New York.
04
What national standards recommend
USOPC, Little League, Church Mutual and the Episcopal Church.
05
Choosing your interval
Common choices by role, and three questions that settle it.
06
Authorization for repeat checks
Blanket authorization versus a fresh signature each time.
07
Between checks: a duty to tell you
Pennsylvania’s 72-hour rule, SafeSport, and writing your own.
08
Continuous monitoring and FBI Rap Back
How Rap Back works, and how nonprofits in Florida and Virginia reach it.
09
When a re-check finds something new
The FCRA steps for a long-time volunteer, and weighing a new record.
10
Tracking who’s due
The fields to track and the rules that prevent lapses.
11
Making re-screening painless
Six habits volunteers appreciate — and what to say when they ask why.
12
How VolunteerBadge handles re-screening
Your interval, a fresh authorization link, and the check runs itself.
A
Appendix A: Re-screening policy checklist
Draft or audit the re-screening section of your policy.
B
Appendix B: Notice to volunteers
Explain your schedule and self-reporting rule.
C
Appendix C: Clearance trackers, docs and citations
Clearance trackers, support docs and every citation.

Get the free guide

Questions Still Clear? answers

How often should volunteers be re-screened?: There is no single national rule. Where laws and standards set one, they range from annually (Texas and New York camps, Little League) to every five years (federal child care, Pennsylvania clearances, the Episcopal Church model policy). Start with any rule that binds you, then set tighter intervals for roles with unsupervised access.
Do we need a new FCRA authorization for every re-check?: FTC staff have said one clearly worded disclosure and authorization can cover later reports during the relationship. Many organizations re-authorize each time to be safe, and VolunteerBadge asks for a fresh authorization before every re-check. Check your state’s rules with counsel.

Beyond Still Clear?

VolunteerBadge is owned and operated by ScreenForge Labs, LLC, an FCRA-regulated Consumer Reporting Agency that has obtained its FCRA Certificate from the Consumer Data Industry Association (CDIA). This guide is general educational information and is not legal advice. Laws change; this guide's sources were checked as of September 11, 2026.