Obtaining Clearances
Effective July 25, 2015, the cost of each of the clearances is:
· Pennsylvania State Police Clearance for volunteers (free)
· Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance for volunteers (free)
· Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report – PDE ($27)
MAA does not want the cost of the clearances to discourage someone from volunteering for our organization. If you need support in covering these fees, please contact anyone on the board.
The length of time it takes to receive your clearances is contingent upon the method you use to apply for the clearances. Applying online will typically result in a faster turnaround time. It is also important to note that all potential volunteers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will be applying for clearances as well. We encourage prospective volunteers to begin applying for their clearances as soon as possible.
Act 153/Act 15 stipulates that clearances are good for 60 months from the effective date. You can submit your current clearances as long as they are less than five years old. Note that the volunteer database will send an automatic reminder to individuals when their clearances are 90 days from expiring.
According to Act 153, as of July 1, 2015 the following clearances are required for volunteers. Please click on the links below to go directly to the appropriate website.
Potential volunteers must present clearances/exception statement to a MAA representative. It is highly recommended that potential volunteers also bring an additional copy of their clearances as this will expedite the process. Please complete the Volunteer Clearances Checklist and submit with your materials.
- Pennsylvania State Police Clearance
*If completing online, the Record Check Status Detail is NOT the actual clearance. Applicants must click on the words “Certification Form” on the middle of the screen in order to view and print the actual clearance certificate. The actual Criminal Record Check clearance should have the seal as a watermark on this form.
- Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance
- Signed “Volunteer Clearance Exception” statement
If the individual has
NOT been a continuous resident of Pennsylvania for the past 10 years, the following four items are needed:
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) report-PDE
- Click here to register online. After you register online, you will need to visit a Cogent fingerprint facility. The Cogent website includes a map noting where these facilities are located throughout Pennsylvania.
Click here for more information and FAQ