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 to you the originals. Originals should be stored where you can access them. Some 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 783-9144 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 the internet 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 may 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
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.)
You will be given the option to print your Criminal Record Check as long as you do not have a record. Be sure to have a printer available to print.
Bring the Criminal Record Check to Nicarry 143 so a copy can be made for your file. You will keep the original.
For questions regarding this website call toll-free 1-877-777-3375, press 1