We are appreciative of the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) screening team for conducting a training session specifically for parks and recreation relative to the fingerprinting of coaches. As a result of questions asked during the training, we have followed up with AHCA to clarify a few questions.
**Indicates Information Recently Updated
For questions on The Clearinghouse – email VECHSBGS@ahca.myflorida.com
On July 1 a dedicated phone line will be available – 850-412-4701
Recorded trainings are available at VECHS | Florida Agency for Health Care Administration
For questions on VECHS - email FDLEVECHS@fdle.state.fl.us
Between the hours of 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. EST call 850-410-8161
For parks and recreation professionals - additional training will be offered at the upcoming FRPA Annual Conference. AHCA staff will conduct a training/discussion session on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 8:00-10:00 a.m. at the conference site. Please ensure you have registered as a VECHS user, and have registered as a Clearinghouse Provider. Bring your computer and follow along as a tutorial on using The Clearinghouse portal is provided as part of this training.
For the purposes of this document, when the word "coach" is used, it is encompassing all groups identified in Florida Statute 943.0438(1)(a) - Athletic coach means a person who is authorized by an independent sanctioning authority to work as a coach, assistant coach, manager, or referee, whether for compensation or as a volunteer coach, assistant coach, manager, or referee, for a youth athletic team based in this state; and has direct contact with one or more minors on the youth athletic team.
Is it optional to use The Clearinghouse? Often there are differing opinions/interpretations on language within Florida Statutes. We always recommend having your City/County attorney provide you with guidance in this area as they will be the ones defending your actions should that be necessary. In order to screen your employees/volunteers, there are now two options available – VECHS within FDLE, or The Clearinghouse within AHCA. There are cost savings and increased efficiencies should you move to The Clearinghouse. If you remain with VECHS you are responsible for comparing the criminal history for your screenings against any disqualifying offense you have established for your employees/volunteers as well as those that may be statutorily required (child care settings, summer camp settings, and coaches). If you are in The Clearinghouse that is done for you by the AHCA screening team (this is a huge time savings for you and/or your ISAs/Leagues). With there being over 4.5 million screenings in The Clearinghouse (increasing daily), you can save money by not having to fingerprint someone that might be in The Clearinghouse already.
**Important note on ORI numbers – A City or County may have multiple ORI numbers. You may have one for general employees, one for your screenings under Department of Children and Families, and one for your coaches. When you notify FDLE that you are moving to The Clearinghouse, you will need to have made the decision which populations you are moving – FDLE can inform you which ORI number issued to your City applies to your coaches. That ORI number will be changed to inactive by FDLE because all users of The Clearinghouse are screened for offenses under Florida Statute 435. 04. The offenses listed in 435 may include offenses that would disqualify a coach, but not necessarily what your City/County would disqualify a potential employee.
If I decide to move from VECHS to The Clearinghouse, why must I inform FDLE that I am moving to the Clearinghouse? Prior to being able to utilize the Clearinghouse, AHCA must verify that you have signed up with VECHS (See Step 1 question below). FDLE communicates to AHCA by providing a list of qualified Providers. Until you are on that list, you are not able to participate in the Clearinghouse.
Can I utilize The Clearinghouse to screen my employees or volunteers not serving as athletic coaches? A Qualified Entity, approved as a VECHS entity through FDLE is authorized to screen through the Clearinghouse if they so choose to. If they choose to continue to screen through FDLE VECHS, they may do so as well. The only caveat is an entity cannot screen for the same population through both FDLE VECHS and the Clearinghouse, it is one or the other. For example: You may continue to use VECHS for employees (one population) and move to The Clearinghouse for your coaches (another population). You can not however use VECHS and The Clearinghouse for your coaches (one population).
What is Step 1 of the process? (You cannot register as a Clearinghouse user without being an approved VECHS Entity)
- If you are already a VECHS approved user, then Step 1 for you is that will need to notify FDLE that you will be electing to enter the Clearinghouse for individuals you are processing using your FL9 ORI number. The best way to accomplish this is to email FDLEVECHS@fdle.state.fl.us
- If you are not currently a VECHS approved user, then Step 1 for you will be to register with the FDLE to become an approved VECHS Entity. At the time that you do this, you will need to notify FDLE that you will be electing to enter the Clearinghouse. This process takes some time as there is required training that must be completed.
Once you are an approved VECHS user what is the next step? You will now register with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to be a Clearinghouse user. Once approved you are considered a “Provider” for purpose of using the website portal. The approval of access you will receive through AHCA via email contains the link for a provider to log into crw.flclearinghouse.com. If you have issues gaining access, contact AHCA at 850-412-4701 after July 1, 2026.
Once I am an approved Clearinghouse Provider what is the next step? Your next step will be to begin creating profiles on your coaches, initiate screenings, provide direction to your coaches on being fingerprinted, check your statuses/approvals, etc. Information on how to create profiles and utilize the Clearinghouse website portal, can be found in the AHCA Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse AHCA Clearinghouse Results Website Instruction Guide. The Instruction Guide and other valuable trainings can be found at https://ahca.myflorida.com/health-quality-assurance/bureau-of-central-services/background-screening/clearinghouse/instruction-guides.html
If my City/County runs multiple Leagues/Teams throughout the year, will we create a “Provider” for each League/Team, or is there one Provider listed for any given city? That depends how the city is registered with FDLE. If they are the sole provider on the list, the city will only be able to delineate one roster in the Clearinghouse.
When I inform FDLE that I wish to move to the Clearinghouse what happens to my ORI#? Your FL9 ORI# will be deactivated. Once you complete your registration as a Clearinghouse user, you will be assigned an ORI# that will be used for all coaches’ fingerprinting (your agency will not be given a unique ORI#). While your FL9 ORI# will be deactivated, your FALCON credentials (if you currently subscribe to that system) will remain active. HOWEVER, in order to avoid duplicative charges you will want to delete records of individuals that are no longer coaching for you or coaches that you have moved into the Clearinghouse.
Can an individual coach initiate a screening through The Clearinghouse? At this time, no. This is an issue being researched for feasibility and process by AHCA, but it is not available now. Individuals must be linked to all Providers that they are coaching for or working with, otherwise they will not populate on your list of coaches.
How do I screen an instructor who may be holding classes, or providing instruction/skills development for children, in a sport for my agency? Technically, Florida Statute 943.0438 uses the phrase “on the youth athletic team” in the definition of coach/assistant coach/manager/referee. An individual serving in the above capacity is not operating a “team”, but you still may wish to screen these individuals as they have contact with youth athletes. You can utilize The Clearinghouse for screening for these purposes, as long as they are listed under your Provider name.
Once screened, if an individual is arrested will I receive notification of the arrest?
- If the individual is arrested in the State of Florida, yes you will receive a notification of the arrest No additional fees will be charged for Arrest Hit notifications. This is included as part of the fingerprint retention.
- If the individual is arrested outside the State of Florida, you will not receive a notification. However, if you suspect someone has been arrested outside the State of Florida, you can always run a “Resubmission” and that information will be provided.
While the Clearinghouse has been approved for National Rap Back, the technical requirements and current implementation priorities are such that no firm timeline is set at this moment. Per Florida Statute 435.05(2) F.S., Every employee must attest, subject to penalty of perjury, to meeting the requirements for qualifying for employment pursuant to this chapter and agreeing to inform the employer immediately if arrested for any of the disqualifying offenses while employed by the employer.
What are the efficiencies and benefits derived from using The Clearinghouse? The Clearinghouse concept was intended to serve as a single, centralized database for Level 2 background screening results. It allows fingerprint-based criminal history checks to be securely shared across multiple state agencies, saving time and money for providers and applicants.
We realize that initially entering The Clearinghouse and entering information on all your coaches may be time consuming, however, The Clearinghouse solves several challenges including:
- there are over 4.5 million screenings in The Clearinghouse. If an individual has already been screened through The Clearinghouse, they will not incur the cost of being printed again. As a Provider you will simply conduct a FREE Agency Review, and then select them for your roster, and they remain there until you remove them from service as a coach.
- long term, there is a cost savings. Once someone is initially printed through The Clearinghouse they are not required to be re-printed. They will pay a greatly reduced rate to be renewed upon expiration of their 5 year retention period.
- volunteer administered Leagues currently bear responsibility for reviewing all criminal history screenings against the 64 offenses that can disqualify an individual from coaching. This is a time consuming task. The Clearinghouse will relieve League administrators from this task as that “screening” is accomplished by highly trained AHCA staff.
- security risks are apparent when volunteer administrators have access to criminal history information and screenings, and that information may be stored in a residential dwelling that is not secure. Also, as league administrators change, criminal history information can be lost, misplaced or disposed of in a non-secure manner. The Clearinghouse relieves administrators from these time consuming tasks and the cost of those tasks.
If my athletic program has disqualifying offenses beyond the 64 listed in FS 435.04(2) can I add those to my Provider profile so they are screened along with the 64? No, though your organization may enforce stricter than statutory disqualifying standards for the purposes of hiring.
HELPFUL HINTS
Keep in mind that words have a variety of meanings, and context is always an important factor in determining the meaning of words. We always encourage asking as many questions as it takes to be clear on what a word means when used for the purposes of the law. For example: Employee – for most parks and recreation professionals an employee is commonly defined as someone paid by your agency for working a specific amount of hours. For the purposes of The Clearinghouse, an employee is a coach who is paid – regardless of the number of hours.
When entering an individual into your Clearinghouse information –
- if the individual is being paid – they should be entered as an employee (even though your definition of employee may mean something different).
- if the individual is not being paid – they should be entered as a volunteer (even though your definition of a volunteer may mean something different).
Clearinghouse Passwords – It is very difficult to change a password once an account is created. Be mindful of this when setting your password and ensure secure storage of your Provider Name and Password is recorded within your agency.
UNDERSTANDING THE TERMINOLOGY
AHCA (Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration) – Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration has been statutorily authorized to operate The Clearinghouse.
FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) – Among other responsibilities, The FDLE maintains Florida's central repository for crime data, criminal histories, biometrics, and wanted persons. It also provides background screening services and manages the state's technology infrastructure for law enforcement networks.
Clearinghouse – The State of Florida has one Clearinghouse (formally identified as the Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse) and it rests with AHCA. The Clearinghouse is the repository of fingerprint results that are then screened for qualifications linked to a user’s ORI#. Currently the Clearinghouse has over 4.5 million individual profiles including child care providers, health care professionals, the state education system, and others who interact with vulnerable populations.
ORI# - organizations are issued ORI numbers for a variety of reasons. This number is the indicator of where fingerprint results are sent, and for what purposes the screening is being conducted. If you are currently utilizing DCF for your child care licensing screenings, you will have an ORI# but it will begin with letters other than FL9. You will not want to deactivate that number – only your FL9 ORI#.
Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System (VECHS)
VECHS (pronounced "vecks") is an acronym for the Volunteer & Employee Criminal History System at the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The VECHS program was implemented in 1999 and is authorized by the National Child Protection Act (NCPA) (1993), as amended, and Florida Statute 943.0542 (1999). The mission of the VECHS Program is to protect children, the elderly, and the disabled.
Through the VECHS program, FDLE and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) provide state and national criminal history record information on applicants, employees, and volunteers to qualified organizations (not individuals) in Florida. With this criminal history information, the organizations can more effectively screen out current and prospective volunteers and employees who are not suitable for contact with children, the elderly, or the disabled.
To be qualified to participate in the VECHS program, an organization (public, private, profit, or non-profit) or particular program facilitated by the organization must offer "care" or "care placement services," specifically to children, the elderly, or the disabled, as defined in Florida Statute 943.0542.
Renewal – a renewal through The Clearinghouse occurs once an individual is in the Clearinghouse as a coach under your Provider name, and their 5 year period is expiring – you will RENEW them as a coach included under your Provider name.
Resubmission – A Resubmission is required when there is a break of 90 days or more of employment status with the employer. A Resubmission is submitted through the Clearinghouse Results Website. You may choose to conduct a resubmission at anytime if you want to receive the most current up to date state and national record if you have reason to suspect activity out-of-state. Any arrests that occur within the state of Florida will immediately notify the employer via an Arrest Hit Notification.