Office of Clinical Studies

Criminal Background Clearances

All students taking an eligible course with a field placement must have a valid DE State and Federal criminal fingerprinting background clearance (CBC) on file in the Office of Clinical Studies by the first day of the semester. CBC’s are only valid for two consecutive semester (see table below). If you do not have a valid CBC on file with the Office of Clinical Studies by the first day of the semester, you will be instructed to drop your course(s) with a field placement.

The CBC should be completed before you leave campus in the semester prior to taking a course with a field placement (e.g., complete the check by May for the Fall semester and by December for the Spring semester).

Which Courses Require A Criminal Background Clearance?

Click here for the list of educator preparation courses that require a criminal background clearance.

Will A Background Clearance For An Employer Clear Me?

A background clearance for an employer will not clear you for field experiences. Most places of employment, even those that work with children and youth (e.g., the Early Learning Center), do not require the level of clearance necessary for a field placement or student teaching.

Are There Special Clearances Needed for Early Childhood Education Majors?

If you are an ECE major, you will be placed at the Lab School and/or the ELC. Therefore, you need to take the ELC (Early Childhood Education) and Lab School forms when getting fingerprinted. Please email clinialstudies@udel.edu for the code, as it is password protected.

If you currently or have been a resident in a state other than Delaware at any time during the past five years, you are required to complete out-of-state clearances.

Has My Criminal Background Clearance Expired?

Students in teacher education programs can log into the Office of Clinical Studies DRF in Taskstream to access the date of their most recent criminal background clearance (CBC). Then, use the table below to determine if your CBC is valid for the courses you are planning to take. You should keep a copy of your CBC, giving you a record of the date of your last check.

ALL CLEARANCES COMPLETED BEFORE April 1, 2022 ARE NO LONGER VALID for the fall 2023 semester.

My last criminal background clearance was completed:	These are the semesters/sessions through which my clearance is valid:
July 1, 2022 or later	Summer Session I 2023
August 1, 2022 or later	Summer Session II 2023
November 1, 2022 or later	Fall 2023
February 1, 2023 or later	Winter 2024
April 1, 2023 or later	Spring 2024

How Do I Obtain The Delaware State and Federal Criminal Fingerprinting Background Clearances (CBC)?

NEW PROCESS FOR FINGERPRINTING: Starting September 11, 2023, Identogo will be processing the Delaware State and Federal Criminal Fingerprinting Background Clearance. In order to be cleared for any type of field placement, you will need to complete the following steps:

Register for your appointment by going to: https://uenroll.identogo.com/
Provide Service Code 27S2HF
Choose Schedule or Manage Appointment
Complete Required Prompts
Choose a Location:
- Locations for Fingerprinting
Submit Registration
- You will receive a confirmation email of your appointment
- You may edit your appointment by going to: https://uenroll.identogo.com/

Items To Take To Your Appointment

You will need to take the following items to your appointment.

Form of photo identification that you registered with Identogo.
Payment of $38 in the form of credit/debit card, money order.

After your Appointment

You will be given a verification receipt which indicates that you have been fingerprinted and that the SBI and FBI are processing your requests for your criminal history (which may take up to four weeks before University of Delaware receives them). Keep this verification receipt as proof.

You will receive a copy of your two-page criminal background history in the mail. PLEASE KEEP THIS COPY FOR YOUR RECORDS. DO NOT SEND OR SUBMIT THESE RESULTS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE. The University of Delaware will be sent a copy of your results directly from the Delaware State Police and FBI.

Copies

Safely keep the copy of your criminal background clearance. However, if you lose this copy, you can request a copy from the Office of Clinical Studies by coming to our office. You must appear in person and present a photo ID to pick up the copy at the Office of Clinical Studies at 200 Academy Street, Suite 103. Office hours are 8:00 – 4:30, Monday thru Friday. Please send an email to the Office of Clinical Studies clinicalstudies@udel.edu.

If you are requesting a copy of your background clearance for employment with a DE school district, ask the district office for “DE Inter-District Request to Forward Original of Criminal Background Check” form. Complete the form and email to clinicalstudies@udel.edu.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact the Office of Clinical Studies at clinicalstudies@udel.edu and type “fingerprinting” in the subject line if you have any questions.