Authority, Purpose, and Use
Pursuant to SC Code Ann. § 59-25-115, all applicants seeking educator certification in South Carolina must complete a fingerprint-based criminal background review. An applicant’s fingerprints will be used to check the criminal history records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
The South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) uses background reports generated through the fingerprinting process solely for the purpose of determining an applicant’s eligibility for issuance of a South Carolina educator certificate. The State Board of Education (SBE) has the legal authority to revoke or deny issuance or renewal of an educator certificate for crimes enumerated in SC Code Ann. § 59-25-280 and to deny, revoke, or suspend a certificate, or to issue a public reprimand, for the causes outlined in Regulation 43-58.
The review of fingerprint-based criminal history records is conducted in accordance with SBE policy BBCDA, Criteria for Review of Applicants for Initial Educator Certification.
Applicant Privacy Rights
As an applicant whose fingerprints are used for a non-criminal justice purpose to determine eligibility for a South Carolina educator certificate, you have certain privacy rights pursuant to applicable federal statutes and regulations. These rights are available for review through the National Crime Prevention and Privacy Compact Council’s Noncriminal Justice Applicant’s Privacy Rights.
Applicant Rights to Complete or Challenge an Identification Record
An applicant has the right to view, complete, or challenge the accuracy of the information contained in the FBI and/or SLED identification records and must be afforded an opportunity to do so. The SCDE does not disseminate criminal history reports obtained through the fingerprinting process to any party, including the applicant. An applicant has the right to request a copy of personal background reports through the FBI.
If you intend to complete or challenge a criminal history record, you must provide written notification to the SCDE by emailing certification@ed.sc.gov. You will then have sixty days from the date of notification to submit documentation of challenge or correction progress to the SCDE. Any challenge or correction progress conducted beyond the allotted sixty days will only be considered at the discretion of the SCDE on a case-by-case basis. It will be the responsibility of the applicant to keep the SCDE informed of any progress during this process.
The procedures for obtaining a change, correction, or update of an FBI identification record are set forth in Title 28, CFR, 16.34. To complete or challenge the accuracy of a background report, please review FBI information and procedures for submitting a written record challenge request and supporting documentation online or to the following address:
FBI CJIS Division
Attn: Correspondence Group
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, WV 26306
An applicant also has the right to complete or challenge the accuracy of the information contained in the SLED identification record. In order to challenge the accuracy of the information contained in the SLED identification record, please contact:
South Carolina Law Enforcement Division
4306 Broad River Road
Columbia, SC 29210
803-896-7005, ext. 7
Fingerprint Procedures
All applicants for educator certification, including student teaching or clinical experience clearance, must complete the fingerprinting process through the state-authorized vendor. Specific information necessary for completing the fingerprinting and criminal history review is available through My SC Educator Portal only after an individual submits the online application for educator certification. The SCDE does not provide information regarding fingerprinting procedures or the state-authorized vendor prior to submission of an application. At the time of fingerprinting, the applicant must provide a valid photo ID issued by a government agency. Acceptable documentation includes a passport or driver’s license/official identification card issued by a state department of motor vehicles. The SCDE does not accept or retain reports for any individual who does not have an application on file in the educator certification system. Pursuant to state statute, the SCDE cannot accept background reports completed for any other purpose, agency, or jurisdiction.
Applicant Responsibility for Proof of Receipt
The SCDE Office of Educator Services typically receives federal and state background reports within four weeks of an applicant’s completion of the fingerprinting process. It is the responsibility of the applicant to verify that the SCDE has received both background reports. Proof of receipt may be confirmed by reviewing the application checklist in the My SC Educator Portal. If the status of the Professional Practices Review is marked as On File, both reports have been received.
If the applicant does not see that the Professional Practices Review is marked as On File within four weeks of the completion of the fingerprinting process, the applicant should contact certification@ed.sc.gov and notify representatives that the reports are not on file. The email must include:
- the date of fingerprinting,
- a copy of the receipt from the state-approved vendor, and
- the Tracking Control Number (TCN) provided by the vendor.
The FBI only maintains reports for a period of ninety days. If an applicant does not notify the SCDE that reports are not on file within this time period, the applicant must repeat the fingerprinting process and will be solely responsible for the additional cost.
Fingerprint Rejection
An applicant who is notified by the state-authorized vendor that the fingerprint submission has been rejected must repeat the fingerprinting process. In the event of a fingerprint rejection, the state-approved vendor will notify the applicant in writing via the United States Postal Service (USPS) and provide instructions for repeating the process. When scheduling the repeat appointment, you must provide documentation of the rejection notice to avoid paying for the second fingerprinting.
If you receive notification of a second print rejection notification, you must contact the Office of Educator Services at certification@ed.sc.gov and include the Transaction Control Referral (TCR) numbers and dates of both fingerprinting rejections. The Office of Educator Services will then request a name-based check only after an applicant’s second fingerprint rejection.
If you no longer intend to pursue certification in South Carolina, please notify Office of Educator Services at certification@ed.sc.gov.
