Contractor Fingerprinting is one of many methods to safeguarding our children at school. Most school contractors must submit their employees' fingerprints to the DOJ as set forth in the Education Code. Sections 33192 and 33193 of the Education Code establish the fingerprinting and criminal background clearance guidelines for private schools while sections 45125.1 and 45125.2 govern those for public schools. Schools and Contractors cannot permit any employee to come into contact with pupils until the DOJ has cleared them. There are some exceptions to this rule, but parents should always confirm with schools if the after-school program or other contractors have submitted to the fingerprinting process.

Regardless of any exemptions, in today’s environment, school districts and contractors would be wise to require mandatory fingerprinting for any contractor (supervised or unsupervised) and provide an identification badge that is visible once that clearance is obtained.

We have helped hundreds of contractors apply for authorization with the DOJ for background checks. If your business is quoting a contract or RFP, you should start the process immediately to avoid any delays in beginning the contract.