New law. New standards. Are you ready?
Florida’s updated background check law (Statute 943.0438) requires Level 2 fingerprinting-based screening for all adults involved in youth athletic programs, including coaches, referees, volunteers, and team managers. Beyond that, organizations must retain screening records for at least five years.
Fingerprinting Alone Won’t Protect Your Organization
Real protection goes beyond check-the-box compliance.
It starts with comprehensive screenings like Level 2 Checks.
What are Level 2 Checks?
Level 2 Checks include fingerprinting, national criminal history searches, and FDLE database access, but fingerprinting alone can miss:
- Final outcomes and disposition information
- Civil litigation
- Non-fingerprint-based records
Check-the-box Compliance ≠ Safety
Fingerprinting is a start, but it is not an absolute safeguard.
Robust protection includes:
National sex offender registry checks
Alias and address history search
Reference verification
Ongoing monitoring
Fingerprinting Alone Offers
- Criminal History: Fingerprints are run through databases maintained by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the FBI, revealing arrests, charges, convictions, and incarcerations at both state and federal levels.
- Disqualifying Offenses: For regulated professions, the results are checked against lists of offenses that may disqualify someone from employment or licensure.
- Fingerprint Retention: In many cases, fingerprints are retained for future checks or updates.
What You Get With Comprehensive Screening with Protect Youth Sports + Fingerprinting
National Criminal Database Search: The National Criminal Database search has the potential to identify certain crimes that may have occurred outside any addresses found on the SSN search. The national search is not recommended as a stand-alone service, and for some states, it is not available as a standalone service due to the limitations of the data being queried.
Re-verification of Criminal Records: Prior to sending national background results to our clients, we verify the accuracy of the background screening information by thoroughly reviewing every positive “hit” returned from the national criminal & sex offender database.
SSN Verification and Address History: The SSN search determines if there is a relationship in the database between the SSN provided and the name of the applicant. The address history search is used as a pointer file if there are associated addresses not disclosed by the applicant.
Alias Names Search: Including aliases in your background screening process helps to provide a more comprehensive background check, which can help mitigate risk and enhance the trust and safety of your ministry.
Nationwide Sex Offender Search: The sex offender search identifies if an applicant is listed on a particular sex offender registry. The sex offender search is critical to identifying prior sex offenses requiring registration. All hits found onthe national database and sex offender registries are re-verified for accuracy in compliance with the FCRA.
County or Statewide Criminal Court Search: The criminal court search is a name check for criminal history (felony and misdemeanors where available), at the county or state level. At minimum, a county or statewide criminal search should be ordered based on the applicant’s current address, or the address with the longest residence within the past 7 years.
Your Partner in Screening, Compliance, and Peace of Mind
Protect Youth Sports offers:
- Comprehensive background screening packages
- Fingerprinting logistics and VECHS resources
- Easy-to-use platform with audit-ready documentation
- Support for volunteers, staff, and seasonal hires
Don't Wait to Protect Your Organization
Incomplete screening puts you at risk:
- Legal liability for negligent hiring
- Loss of trust from parents and community
- Potential insurance and funding risks
We'll help you meet Florida's new screening requirement.
Start building your risk management plan now. We’ll help you meet Florida’s new law standards and go beyond them.
Talk to a Screening Specialist