Admissions: Criminal Record Clearances

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The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania now requires three separate clearances for teachers.

SP4-164, Request for Criminal Record Check, also known as the Act 34 Clearance.
CY 113, PA Child Abuse History Clearance
FBI Criminal History Report

All clearances are required for admission to the College’s teacher education program (regardless of your state of residence) and for accepting a position in a Pennsylvania school. Clearance forms and directions to process the clearances can be picked up in the Education Office, Nicarry 143 or on the rack outside Nicarry 143.

When you receive your clearances, originals should be brought to the Education Office, Nicarry 143. We will make a copy for our records and return the originals to you. Originals should be stored where you can access them while on campus. Most of the local cooperating school districts we use for field placement require the original clearance before a field placement begins, so please keep them in your possession at college.

The Criminal Record Check and the PA Child Abuse clearances have a two-year term. The FBI clearance has a four-year term. There is a possibility that you will be required to have these clearances renewed at a later date, for the purpose of future field placements. For the purpose of Provisional Acceptance, you will be required to obtain the three clearances mentioned above.

At least four weeks are required to process these requests:

To check on the status of your SP4-164 background check, call 717-425-5546 after 4 weeks*.
To check on your CY113 clearance progress, you may call 783-6211 after 3 weeks.
To check on your FBI Criminal History Report call 717-265-8362 or email dwolfgang@state.pa.us.

*There is an alternative option to process the Criminal Record Check (SP4-164) application via online using a Credit Card.

Using a web browser--go to http://epatch.state.pa.us
Click on Submit a New Record Check
Enter Education in REASON FOR REQUEST
Enter Personal Information (Do not include periods, dashes or commas in the address field)
Verify that all information is correct
On Record Check Request Form enter the information regarding who the record check is for. (This should be the same information as the Personal Information page) (Do not include dashes or spaces in the Social Security line.)
Press Enter this Request and then press Finished (No need to enter info again)
Review Record Check Request then press Submit
You will then enter your Credit Card information. (Do not include spaces or dashes in the Credit Card number line.) Be sure to click on Submit
On the Record Check Request Results page you will find your Control Number
Click on the Control Number. Then click on the words Certification Forms (this is a hyper link)
You will now print your Criminal Record Check*. Be sure to have a printer available to print. You can print as many copies as you want.
Bring a copy of the Criminal Record Check to Nicarry 143. You will also keep a copy for your records.
For questions regarding this website call toll-free 1-877-777-3375, press 1

If you have applied for your Criminal Record Check online and cannot locate your Control Number to print additional copies, please call 717-425-5546 press option 2. Reps will help you locate your Control Number.