Texas Criminal Background Checks/Abuse and Neglect Registry
Home Studies which Require Criminal / Perpetrator Record Checks
Texas requires criminal background checks for the following home studies:
- Foster Care
- Relative Care
- Adoption
- Parent
Criminal Background Screening
The following methods are used to capture fingerprints to conduct criminal records checks:
- Live Scan or other computerized technology
Criminal background checks/screening via Live Scan or other computerized technology are offered at the following levels:
State or Local Criminal Record Checks Requirements/Process:
-
The department shall obtain criminal history and central registry (abuse/neglect history) checks for all persons who are 14 years of age or older to provide in-home or foster care for children in the care of the department and other persons living in the residence in which the child will reside.
-
Fingerprint-based criminal history background checks must be completed on all prospective foster parents and the members of their households who are age 14 or older and not in the legal conservatorship of the department.
Applicant will not be approved if the person has committed any of the following misdemeanor or felony offenses:
-
Offenses against the person or family
-
Robbery
-
Public indecency
-
Stalking
-
Criminal solicitation of a minor
-
Failure to stop or report aggravated sexual assault of a child
-
A violation of the Texas Controlled Substances Act
-
Making a firearm accessible to a child
-
Intoxication and alcoholic beverage offenses
-
Any other felony under the Texas Penal Code or any like offense under the law of another State or Federal law that the person committed within the past 10 years
-
Deferred adjudications covering an offense listed above if the person has not completed the probation successfully.
Types of Checks (Crim. & Abuse Neglect Registry)
Texas requires the following types of criminal background and perpetrator checks (Federal (F), State (S), Local (L), Abuse and Neglect Registry (ANR), Not Required (NR)):
|
Federal |
State |
Local |
ANR |
NR |
| Parent |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Relative |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Foster Care |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
| Adoption |
y |
y |
|
y |
|
Texas provides Abuse and Neglect searches:
Wait Time for Criminal Records Results
Wait time for fingerprint results are:
Live Scan or other technology
- State: 8-14 days
- Local/County: Not Offered
Manually - Fingerprint Card
- State: 15-30 days
- Local/County: 15-30 days
Verification of Criminal Records Results
- Actual results/information contained in the Criminal Background
- Signature verifying background check completed
Period of Time the Checks are Valid
