AB 506 / CalVECHS Fingerprinting
AB 506 and CalVECHS Volunteer Fingerprinting in Santa Clarita
If you volunteer, work, or serve in an administrative role at a church, youth sports league, scouting organization, camp, or nonprofit that works with children, California law likely requires you to complete a fingerprint-based background check. We regularly fingerprint volunteers and employees for churches and youth organizations throughout Santa Clarita for exactly this requirement.
This page covers two related things: AB 506, the state law that requires the background check, and CalVECHS (California Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System, also written as VECHS), the DOJ program organizations use to receive the full state and federal results.
What Is AB 506?
AB 506, codified in California Business and Professions Code §18975, requires youth service organizations to fingerprint every administrator, employee, and "regular volunteer" through California's Live Scan system. A regular volunteer is someone 18 or older who has direct contact with or supervision of children for more than 16 hours in a month or more than 32 hours in a year.
Organizations covered by AB 506 must also:
Provide mandated reporter training on identifying and reporting child abuse to every covered administrator, employee, and volunteer
Adopt written child abuse prevention policies, including a clear path to report suspected abuse outside the organization and, to the extent possible, a two-adult supervision policy
Designate a Custodian of Records to securely handle criminal history information
These requirements have applied since January 1, 2022. A separate 2023 change added a federal (FBI) background check requirement on top of the state check, in effect since January 1, 2024.
What Is CalVECHS (VECHS)?
Federal law generally prevents non-governmental organizations, including churches and nonprofits, from receiving FBI-level background check results directly. CalVECHS is the California DOJ program that solves this: it allows qualified organizations to enroll and receive both state and federal results for their volunteers and employees, rather than a state-only response.
CalVECHS regulations were approved by the California Office of Administrative Law on April 3, 2026, and took effect July 1, 2026. Organizations currently receiving federal background check results must enroll in CalVECHS by January 1, 2027 to continue receiving them. Enrollment is free and is handled directly with the DOJ.
For Organizations: What Your Church or Youth Group Needs to Handle
If you administer a church, youth sports program, scouting group, or nonprofit, AB 506 and CalVECHS compliance involves several pieces, and it's worth knowing which ones we handle and which ones are yours to manage:
We handle:
Fingerprinting your administrators, employees, and volunteers using the correct CalVECHS Live Scan form (BCIA 8016VECHS)
Electronic submission of fingerprints to the California DOJ
Your organization is responsible for:
Enrolling in CalVECHS with the DOJ (if you want to receive federal-level results directly)
Collecting the signed CalVECHS Waiver Agreement (BCIA 9018) from each covered individual, recertified annually
Designating and maintaining a Custodian of Records
Providing mandated reporter training
Adopting and distributing written child abuse prevention policies
We are not able to enroll your organization in CalVECHS, collect your waiver forms, or draft your policies. Those are compliance obligations that sit with your organization directly, not with your fingerprinting provider. Your insurer or legal counsel can help confirm your organization is fully covered on all fronts, not just the fingerprinting piece.
For Volunteers and Employees: What to Expect at Your Appointment
If your organization has told you to get fingerprinted for AB 506 or CalVECHS/VECHS compliance, here's what to bring and expect:
Your completed BCIA 8016VECHS form (Request for Live Scan Service, CalVECHS version), provided by your organization, with the correct applicant type marked (Employee or Volunteer)
Valid government-issued photo identification
Any additional waiver or paperwork your organization has asked you to bring
Walk in Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. No appointment is required.
Fees
Government fees for AB 506/CalVECHS background checks for qualified nonprofit youth organizations are currently $0 for the state (DOJ) portion and $15 for the federal (FBI) portion. These fees are set by the state and federal government, not by us, and are separate from our fingerprinting fee. Contact us for our current rolling fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AB 506?
AB 506 is a California law requiring youth service organizations to fingerprint administrators, employees, and regular volunteers through Live Scan, provide mandated reporter training, and adopt written child abuse prevention policies.
What is CalVECHS, and is it the same as VECHS?
CalVECHS (California Volunteer and Employee Criminal History System) and VECHS refer to the same DOJ program. It allows qualified organizations to receive both state and federal background check results for their volunteers and employees, rather than a state-only response.
Do you handle our organization's CalVECHS enrollment or waiver forms?
No. We fingerprint your administrators, employees, and volunteers using the correct form and submit the prints to the DOJ. CalVECHS enrollment, the signed waiver agreement, your Custodian of Records designation, and your written policies are your organization's responsibility, not ours.
Do you receive our volunteers' background check results?
No. Results are sent to your organization as the requesting agency, not to us. We only handle the fingerprinting and electronic submission.
What form do our volunteers need to bring?
The BCIA 8016VECHS, the CalVECHS version of the Request for Live Scan Service form, with the correct applicant type (Employee or Volunteer) marked. Your organization should provide this form.
Do I need an appointment?
No. Walk in Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Mobile Fingerprinting for Groups
For churches and youth organizations fingerprinting multiple volunteers or employees at once, we offer on-site mobile Live Scan fingerprinting at your location. This is typically available for groups of 30 or more and can accommodate large volunteer rosters in a single visit rather than requiring each person to come to us individually.
Mobile service uses the same DOJ-connected Live Scan equipment as our Santa Clarita location, so submissions are processed the same way, whether for standard employment fingerprinting or AB 506/CalVECHS volunteer background checks.
Contact us to schedule mobile fingerprinting for your organization and to confirm group size requirements and availability.
What if our organization hasn't enrolled in CalVECHS yet?
Organizations currently receiving federal background check results must enroll with the DOJ by January 1, 2027 to continue receiving them. Enrollment is free and handled directly with the DOJ, not through us.
Helpful Resources