Clearance Process Guide

Individuals who will be working with minors must obtain clearances for their role. The clearance process through Penn State’s background check vendor DISA has multiple steps and instructions, and this guide is intended to assist individuals through the process for completion for: PA State Police Clearance, FBI Clearance, Child Abuse Clearance and, if required based on your position, the National Sex Offender Registry Clearance. 

It is critical that you complete all portions of these clearance via a computer using Google Chrome or Firefox, and not a mobile device. It is also recommended that all steps below are completed at the same time - please plan on approximately 30 minutes to complete this process. All steps should be completed as promptly as possible to avoid delays in your clearance process.

DISA Consent and PA State Police Clearance

This is the first e-mail you will receive and it has a two-fold purpose: First, it will ask for your consent to begin the clearance process. Second, it will process your PA State Police Clearance. This e-mail will come from our background check vendor DISA Global Solutions with the subject line “Penn State Clearance Check Consent and Request”.

Step 1

  • Please read through the entire e-mail, then submit your consent via the link provided in the message.
  • The PA State Police Clearance will begin processing as soon as you submit your consent.
  • The PA State Police Clearance results will be delivered to Penn State directly.

FBI Clearance

You will receive a separate email from our background check vendor DISA Global Solutions < [email protected]> with the subject line “Penn State – Required PA Fingerprint Questions”

Step 1

Please respond to this email requesting information to schedule your FBI Fingerprint Appointment. It is critical that you respond to this email as promptly as possible upon receipt. If this action is not completed by the required timeframe, additional steps may be needed.

You should be prepared to provide items such as full legal name, phone number, country of citizenship, the type of ID you will provide at your appointment, and appointment time/location preferences.

Step 2

After you work with DISA to schedule your fingerprinting appointment, you will receive a confirmation email from [email protected] containing your appointment information, registration, and security question information to later access your results electronically. 

You will also receive a confirmation from IndentoGO with the subject line “IdentoGO Service Confirmation - XXXXXX- DHS-Employee >=14 Years Contact w/ Children” 

This email will include reminders of: 

  • Your appointment information and any related instructions.
  • Documents you will need to bring with you.
  • A link to IdentoGo to check the details of your appointment.

Step 3

Attend your fingerprinting appointment. 

For out of state employees needing to obtain a PA Fingerprinting Clearance: After your appointment, you will mail in your fingerprinting card to the address indicated on the card.

Step 4

You may receive your fingerprinting (FBI Clearance) results via e-mail, as a hard copy in the mail, or both. 

  1. Email Results: You should receive results shortly after your fingerprints have been taken, typically within 24-48 hours, as long as there is no record. You will receive an email from [email protected] with a link to retrieve your clearance. You will be advised to click on the link within the email and enter the security question and answer. When you do access your result, it is important that you download your FBI Clearance, save it, and print it for future needs. There will be no second access to this electronic result! Please note that after three tries, you lock yourself out of your security question and answer, and your result will be mailed by US Mail.
  2. Mailing Results: You can expect it may take 7-10 business days to receive your fingerprint results in the mail.
  3. As soon as you receive your results, follow the below instructions to turn your clearance in via secure means. Please do NOT email your clearance to us:
    1. New employees/appointees will receive a separate email on how to submit your results to Penn State HR from the Talent Acquisition Recruiting Associate.
    2. Existing employees/appointees renewing your clearances, please submit the results through the WorkLion Portal.

Child Abuse Clearance

Approximately 24 hours after filling out your information on the DISA platform, you will receive a separate email with instructions on how to complete your Child Abuse Clearance. This email will come from DISA Global Solutions “[email protected]” with the subject line “Penn State-Action Needed: Child Abuse Clearance Instructions.” 

Ensure that you complete these steps as soon as possible upon request. If this action is not completed by the required timeframe, additional steps may be needed.

Step 1

Your email will include the following instructions: 

Log on to https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS&nbsp;

  • Select “Create a New Account” as a new user. If you are a returning user, move on to Step B.
  • New users will need to register for a citizen account and obtain a Keystone ID 

Once the above steps are completed, you will receive two emails. Both will come from with the subject line “Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – New account information” 

One email will include your temporary password. The second email will include your Keystone ID. You will need both of these to log back into Compass for the next step.

Step 2

Return to the Compass website: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS&nbsp;

  • Select Login.
  • Select ACCESS MY CLEARANCES.
  • Select Application Purpose: “Individual 14 years of age or older.”
  • Double-check all information to avoid rejection and re-application. Submit Clearance request using the prepaid registration code provided to you via email from [email protected]. Your code has an expiration date assigned to it. Please ensure you take prompt action.
  • DISA will obtain and deliver your results to Penn State directly, but will also be available in your account should you need to reference them. 

Use these step-by-step instructions to complete your clearance application if additional assistance is needed: PA Child Abuse Clearance Guide.

PA National Sex Offender Registry Clearance (NSOR)

Note: required only for individuals interacting with minors in childcare centers operated by Penn State. You will be prompted to complete only if this clearance applies to you. 

Shortly after filling out your information in the DISA platform, if this clearance applies to you, you will receive a separate email with instructions on how to complete your PA NSOR clearance. This email will come from DISA Global Solutions with the subject line “Penn State-Action Needed: NSOR Clearance Instructions.”

Step 1

Under Purpose of Request, select: Individual working for a Regulated Child-Care Provider 

Under the Applicant Demographic Information section, you must fill out all sections: 

  • Full Name (Last, First, Middle Initial)
  • Social Security Number - Applicants who do not possess a social security number must contact a ChildLine supervisor at 877-371-5422. The ChildLine supervisor will assist you on how to apply for the NSOR verification, in the absence of a social security number. All applicants who have a social security number are required to provide it when applying for the NSOR verification. Applications without a social security number will be returned to the applicant unprocessed, unless they have contacted a ChildLine supervisor for assistance.
  • Date of Birth
  • Phone Number
  • Mailing Address - This will be where your results are mailed to, so ensure this information is accurate
  • Email Address 

Print the form and sign and date where indicated. Only handwritten or DocuSign signatures are accepted. Typed signatures will not be accepted by the state agency. 

Return the completed form to DISA as soon as possible by replying using the link provided in the email or by faxing the form to 877-991-9738. DISA will submit the form for processing.

Step 2

Results to your NSOR clearance will be mailed to the address you provided on the NSOR application after approximately 14 days. 

As soon as you receive your results, please forward them to DISA via email ([email protected]) or fax 877-991-9738. DISA will provide your clearance to Penn State as part of the background check process.

For questions, please contact us at [email protected] or 814-865-1473.