Background Check FAQ

For whom do I have to run background checks?

You are required to run background checks and submit results for EVERY sponsor/leader/adult 18 years and older at camp with your group.

What kind of background checks have to be done?
  1. NATIONAL criminal background check
  2. NATIONAL sex offender background check
How often do I have to run the background checks?

Both background checks have to be run EVERY YEAR for every person for every name used.

I ran the background checks last summer; are they good for this summer?

Pineywoods will not accept the results from previous summers for the current summer season. Results will be accepted if they were run in the fall for the current school year.

How do I run the background checks?

There are many background search providers available via the internet. You do not have to use a particular service; however, you must be able to SHOW that the results are from national searches. Do not use a source that only checks Texas databases or limit a search to only the states where you think the person has lived.

Can I use the Texas Department of Public Safety (TxDPS) search service?

Both the Criminal History system AND the Public Sex Offender registry provided by TxDPS search only information from Texas agencies. Therefore, the TxDPS service is NOT a national search and does NOT meet our requirements.

What background check results are unacceptable and will prevent a person from attending camp and/or being on campus?

A person is automatically disqualified to serve at camp and to be on campus if they have been convicted of any type of sex-related crime or if they have a violent felony conviction.

What if, when I run a background check, I get search results that say something like “No Results Found” or “No Matching Records?”

Print the page with the no-results-found or no-matching-records statement and the person’s name that you were searching for. It means no records were found based on their name and/or your other search criteria. We need the hard-copy proof that the check was run for that person.

What do I have to turn in to Pineywoods?

You have to turn in a hard copy of the results for both checks. They must include documentation from the search provider confirming the searches were national and not limited by location.

Can Pineywoods run the background checks for my group?

For a $5 per person fee, Pineywoods will run the background checks for your group. To do this, a legible, fully complete and signed Consent for Background Check is required for each person on or before the Paperwork Deadline.

What is the deadline for turning in the required documents to Pineywoods?

The required documents for persons 18 and older must be turned in prior to their assuming responsibilities at camp. For retreats lasting 3 or more nights, the paperwork should be turned in to Pineywoods one week prior to the retreat. For summer camps, the paperwork should be turned in to Pineywoods by the Paperwork Deadline, usually two weeks prior to camp.