Criminal Background Screening for Healthcare Practitioners
Certain health care practitioners are subject to criminal background screening at initial licensure. Currently, there are three different groups of criminal background screening: statewide, national and level II.
Statewide
Performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The results are reviewed by the applicant’s respective health care board and used to decide whether to grant a license.
Who gets a statewide screening?
- Registered Nurse applying for licensure by examination
National criminal background screenings require electronic fingerprinting by a LiveScan Service Provider (for a list of service providers, visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/LSServiceProviders.html) and are performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The results are reviewed by the applicant’s respective health care board and used to decide whether to grant a license.
Who gets a national screening?
- Chiropractic Physicians
- Medical Doctors
- Nurses
- Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners
- Orthotists and Prosthetists
- Osteopathic Physicians
- Pharmacy Owners
- Podiatric Physicians
- Prescription Department Managers
Level II
Level II criminal background screenings are conducted pursuant to Chapter 435, F.S., and section 408.809, F.S., which require fingerprinting by a LiveScan Service Provider (for a list of service providers, visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/mqa/LSServiceProviders.html), and are performed by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. The results are reviewed for disqualifying offenses in sections 435.04 and 408.809, F.S., by the applicant’s respective health care board and used to determine whether to grant a license and, where deemed appropriate, an exemption.
Who gets a Level II screening?
- Certified Nursing Assistants
Additional Information
Health care practitioners who are screened by AHCA for employment in a health care facility or as a provider in accordance with 408.809, F.S., may have disqualifying offenses. When AHCA identifies a disqualifying offense based on section 435.04, F.S., or section 408.809 F.S., the practitioner may request an exemption from disqualification through the respective licensing board.
Health care practitioners may request an exemption by submitting an Exemption from Disqualification form with the following links:
If the practitioner is not subject to criminal background screening by the licensing board, DOH may obtain a copy of the criminal background screening from AHCA, if available.
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