National Service Criminal History Checks (NSCHC) is a baseline screening requirement established by law to protect the beneficiaries of national service.
NSCHC is required under the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended by the Serve America Act (SAA). The statutory requirement at 42 U.S.C. § 12645g is supplemented by regulatory requirements at 45 CFR §2540.200 through §2540.207 as well as the terms and conditions of AmeriCorps grants.
Quick Links
- Learn about current Truescreen and Fieldprint changes!
- NSCHC Federal Regulations
- Required Annual NSCHC eCourse Training & NSCHC Learning Path in Litmos
- New staff start here! Getting Started with NSCHC Resources (Updated 11/18/2024)
- Common Findings of NSCHC Noncompliance (Updated 9/26/2024)
- Email AmeriCorps to request a waiver to NSCHC provisions
- Truescreen: AmeriCorps’ approved vendor for NSOPW, State, and FBI checks
- Sign up for a Truescreen Account or login to MyTruescreen Account
- Need help with Truescreen? Email AmeriCorpsSupport@truescreen.com or call Customer Service: 800-803-9042
- Need help with Truescreen? Email AmeriCorpsSupport@truescreen.com or call Customer Service: 800-803-9042
- Sign up for a Truescreen Account or login to MyTruescreen Account
- Fieldprint: AmeriCorps’ approved vendor for FBI checks until Nov. 30, 2024
- Login to MyFieldprint Account Login
- Need help with Fieldprint?
- For assistance with grant recipient account-related issues, email the Account Management Team at customerservice@myfieldprint.com or call 888-472-8918 x 2440
- For assistance with fingerprint scheduling and appointments, email the Applicant Call Center at customerservice@fieldprint.com or call 877-614-4364
- For assistance with grant recipient account-related issues, email the Account Management Team at customerservice@myfieldprint.com or call 888-472-8918 x 2440
- Need help with Fieldprint?
- Login to MyFieldprint Account Login
NSCHC Rule Quick Summary
Please refer to the NSCHC Manual for complete information on NSCHC and its compliance requirements.
What grants are required to comply with NSCHC?
Organizations that receive one of the following grants, as a recipient or subrecipient, must conduct NSCHCs:
- Operational grants provided by AmeriCorps State and National
- Foster Grandparent Program Grants
- Retired and Senior Volunteer Program Grants
- Senior Companion Program Grants
- Senior Demonstration Program Grants that receive funding from CNCS
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Grants
- September 11th Day of Service Grants
- Social Innovation Fund Grants
- Volunteer Generation Fund Grants
- AmeriCorps VISTA Program Grants
- AmeriCorps VISTA Support Grants
What individuals are required to comply with NSCHC?
The following individuals who work/serve on a grant specified above must comply with NSCHC:
- AmeriCorps members serving in State and National programs
- AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers serving in the Foster Grandparent program who receive a stipend;
- AmeriCorps Seniors Volunteers serving in the Senior Companion who receive a stipend; or
- If staff, individuals in positions in which they will receive a salary, directly or reflected as match, under a cost reimbursement grant.
NSCHC is not required for individuals who are under the age of 18 on the first day of work or service and for individuals whose activity is entirely included in the grant recipient's indirect cost rate or cost allocation plan.
AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving in the RSVP program and AmeriCorps members serving in the VISTA program are not required to comply with NSCHC. AmeriCorps members serving in the VISTA program will undergo a separate criminal history check process managed by the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Grant recipients may choose to conduct criminal history checks on AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serving in the RSVP program.
Who is ineligible to serve/work?
For AmeriCorps grant awards that require NSCHC, please refer to 45 CFR § 2540.202 for the list of individuals who shall be ineligible to serve or work.
What checks are required?
Three checks are required for individuals required to comply with NSCHC:
- National Sex Offender Public Website nationwide check;
- state of residence and state of service criminal history check(s); and
- FBI fingerprint-based check.
When must NSCHC be completed?
All three checks must be conducted, reviewed, and an eligibility determination made by the grant recipient or subrecipient no later than the day before a person begins to work or serve on an NSCHC-required grant.
How can the checks be conducted?
Grantees can use the following sources:
- NSOPW checks: NSOPW.gov or AmeriCorps approved vendor Truescreen
- State checks: AmeriCorps identified state repository or AmeriCorps approved vendor Truescreen
- FBI fingerprint checks: AmeriCorps identified state repository or AmeriCorps approved vendor Truescreen
NSCHC Guidance
- NSCHC Rule Summary
- NSCHC Manual (Updated 11/18/24) (This manual describes the requirements of the NSCHC rule)
- Previous NSCHC Change Logs (Updated 11/18/2024)
- Recommendations for Effective NSCHC Policies and Procedure (Updated 1/26/22) (This resource from the Office of Monitoring provides a checklist to assist grant recipients in developing effective NSCHC policy)
- NSCHC Steps Table (Updated 9/26/2024)
- NFF/Truescreen Waiver Table (Updated 9/26/24) (This table lists the required checks if grant recipients use the "Use of Truescreen for NSOPW and/or State Checks" and "National Fingerprint File States" Pre-Approved Waivers)
- Challenging A Not Cleared Recommendation (Updated 1/31/23)
- NSCHC Enforcement Tools (Refer to the NSCHC Manual for enforcement guidance)
- Awardee Guide to NSCHC Enforcement of Cost-Based Disallowance (Updated 4/10/2024)
- NSCHC Disallowance Summary-Cost Reimbursement Grants (Updated 4/10/2024)
- NSCHC Disallowance Summary-Fixed Cost Grants (Updated 4/10/2024)
- NSCHC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (Updated 11/30/23)
- NSCHC Learning Path in Litmos (Access the required annual eCourse and additional NSCHC trainings)
How to Conduct NSCHC
- Using AmeriCorps Approved Vendor Truescreen Manual (Created 9/26/2024)
- Truescreen AmeriCorps Applicant FAQs (Created 9/4/2024)
- Truescreen AmeriCorps User Guides in Litmos (Updated 9/4/2024)
- Truescreen “How to” Videos in Litmos (Created 11/15/24)
- Truescreen Prices and Average Turnaround Time (TAT) by State (Updated 11/4/2024)
- These states do not allow certain forms of identification to be uploaded into Truescreen; instead of uploaded copies of identification, please use one of the following forms: Maine identification form and Wisconsin identification form
- Using AmeriCorps Approved Vendors Truescreen and Fieldprint Manual (Updated 9/28/23, will be archived in 2025)
- Using NSOPW and State Repositories Manual (Updated 11/30/2023)
GovDelivery Communication Center
2024
- NSCHC General and Vendor Updates: Updated resources; 2025 training events; Fieldprint deadline (Nov. 20, 2024)
- NSCHC Vendor and Resource Updates: Truescreen Adjudication Notice; New Truescreen Manual; Updated Resources (Sept. 26, 2024)
- NSCHC Vendor Updates: FBI Checks Now in Truescreen; Truescreen Changes and Resources; Fieldprint Deadlines (Sept. 4, 2024)
- NSCHC Vendor and Training Updates: Single Vendor Truescreen Transition; Training Opportunities (July 29, 2024)
- National Sex Offender Public Website Outages in California and Delaware (June 27, 2024)
- NSCHC Vendor Update: Truescreen Single Vendor Timeline (June 20, 2024)
- National Sex Offender Public Website Outages in California and Delaware (May 10, 2024)
- NSCHC Update: Reporting Subrecipient Disallowance (April 10, 2024)
- NSCHC Training and Vendor Updates: Fieldprint Scheduling Site; Upcoming Training (March 6, 2024)
- Rescheduled NSCHC Training Opportunity: Reporting Subrecipient Cost-Based Disallowance (Feb. 22, 2024)
- NSCHC Training Opportunity: Reporting Subrecipient Cost-Based Disallowance (Feb. 15, 2024)
- NSCHC General and Vendor Updates: Review 2023 Notices; Offset Disallowed Subrecipient Costs; New Single Vendor Contract; Upcoming Training (Jan. 22, 2024)
2023
- NSCHC General and Vendor Updates: Compliance Reminders; Single Vendor; New Trainings (Nov. 30, 2023)
- NSCHC Update: Offset Disallowed Subrecipient Costs (Nov. 13, 2023)
- NSCHC Training and Resources Survey (Sept. 13, 2023)
- NSCHC Resources: Two New Resources; Fieldprint Adjudication; Vendor Records (Sept. 28, 2023)
- NSCHC Truescreen Vendor Update-Records Access; Name Documentation (August 9, 2023)
- NSCHC Resources: Reporting Disallowance, Vendor Mapping (June 27, 2023)
- NSCHC Truescreen Vendor Updates (Feb. 24, 2023)
- NSCHC FAQ Update (Jan. 31, 2023)
Looking for previous NSCHC GovDelivery messages? See the Archive below for all past messages.
NSCHC Archive
NSCHC Archive Materials (Archived zip files of guidance materials and resources dated after the May 1, 2021 NSCHC Rule)
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 11/18/2024
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 9/26/2024
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 7/26/24
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 4/19/2024
- Criminal History Enforcement Tools, archived 4/10/2024
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 11/30/23
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 9/28/23
- Criminal History Enforcement Tools, archived 6/23/23
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 1/31/23
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 11/23/22
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 6/20/2024
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 11/18/22
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 5/13/22
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 4/1/22
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 1/26/22
- Criminal History Guidance, archived 11/1/21
Pre-May 1, 2021 NSCHC Archive Materials (Archived zip files of guidance materials and resources predating the May 1, 2021 NSCHC Rule)