Nevada Volunteers Only

You must complete a GSSN background check every three years. If you have questions about when to submit or renew your background check, please contact girlscoutshelp@gssn.org. Have other questions? We’re here to help! Email girlscoutshelp@gssn.org for assistance.

Who needs to submit a background check? toggle arrow

All Girl Scout members who plan to volunteer in the following capacities must follow the steps in the “How do I submit a background check?” section:

Any person who will have direct contact with girls.
Any volunteer with financial responsibility.
All service team members.

Additionally, all persons 18 years or older who reside at a residence where meetings or events occur must have a current GSSN background check prior to the first meeting. Since Girl Scout membership is not required for these individuals, they must email girlscoutshelp@gssn.org to begin their background check process.

Are there any exceptions? Yes, if the person meets all of the requirements of either of these situations:

A one time speaker or presenter who is never left alone with girls and is not counted when considering girl/adult ratio.
A parent or guardian who attends a family function (court of awards or family picnic) and is not counted when considering girl/adult ratio.

How do I submit a background check? toggle arrow

New members who register as a volunteer will receive email information about submitting a background check after completing their online registration.

If you do not select a volunteer role during registration you will not automatically receive an email to complete a background check.

Current members who are new to a volunteer position and current volunteers who must renew their background check will be sent an email with a personalized link and instructions on completing or renewing their background check.

Individuals who do not have a Social Security number must submit a paper background check form. Email girlscoutshelp@gssn.org to request the form in English or Spanish.

What can I expect after I submit a background check? toggle arrow

Background checks submitted online take at least one week to process, depending on many factors outside of GSSN’s control. We are not able to respond to requests for “rush” background checks. Please plan ahead, especially during peak times such as Back-to-School and before Girl Scout Product Sales.

A specially trained GSSN staff member will contact you by email if there are questions about the results of your background check.

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Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada cannot work with an adult who has been convicted of, has pleaded guilty to, has received adjudication for or has pleaded no contest to one of the below listed crimes. Please do not continue with your application and screening if any of the following circumstances apply to you:

Automatic Disqualification:

Any felony offense, regardless of type
Currently arrested or warrant outstanding
Misdemeanor crime against a child or dependent adult
Misdemeanor crime involving child endangerment
Misdemeanor crime involving use of weapons
Misdemeanor crime involving violence or battery
Misdemeanor crime involving theft, robbery, fraud or forgery
Misdemeanor crime involving arson
Misdemeanor crime of public indecency
Misdemeanor DUI, DWI, or possession of controlled substances or drug paraphernalia

Other misdemeanors, as this council may determine, including but not limited to traffic and moving violations or excessive violations, shall be reviewed by the council on a case-by-case basis. The decision whether to allow service shall be within the absolute discretion of the council and factors to be considered include, but are not limited to:

The nature and severity of the criminal conduct
The position for which the person seeks to volunteer
The length of time since the criminal conduct occurred
The number of crimes committed by the prospective volunteer
The circumstances under which the crime was committed
The likelihood that the person will commit the crime again

Unresolved Situations toggle arrow

If there is an open warrant for the arrest of the applicant, or there is a pending charge with no disposition, that application cannot be approved, and the volunteer cannot be placed until the situation has been satisfactorily resolved and the criminal background check report updated. If the applicant has already begun to serve in a volunteer capacity, her or his participation must be suspended pending the disposition of the case or resolution of the open warrant.

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Volunteers and applicants are required to disclose any pending criminal charges. If charges are pending related to any criminal offense other than minor traffic violations and known to the Council, involvement with the Council as a volunteer will be temporarily suspended pending disposition of the case, service (or continued service) with the Council shall be within the absolute and exclusive discretion of the Chief Executive Officer or her/his designee.

“How do I dispute a decision made by Girl Scouts of the Sierra Nevada?” toggle arrow

Any applicant who disputes or desires to contest the information provided by the reporting agency must file a written notice with GSSN within 30 days of being notified that her or his criminal background check for volunteer participation has been determined ineligible and/or restricted. The volunteer will have an opportunity to review the criminal history report provided by the reporting agency. It is the applicant’s responsibility to appeal the report received from the reporting agency with the proper authorities and to arrange for any corrections to be sent to GSSN. You may contact our reporting agency Asurint at https://asurint.com/contact-us or if you are a California resident you may contact the Department of Justice at https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints. GSSN reserves the right to re-screen any volunteer periodically or intermittently as needed. If a person is charged with any misconduct or offense, involvement with GSSN as a volunteer may be temporarily suspended during the disposition or investigation of the occurrence.

Background Check Requirement for CA Volunteers

As an appreciated volunteer, we know you understand the importance of keeping girls safe. A recent California bill (AB 506) was passed which added all Youth Service Organizations to the list of organizations whose volunteers and staff must complete training in child abuse and neglect reporting, become mandated reporters, and undergo Live Scan background checks. Under the law, GSSN must meet these new requirements by October 1, 2023.

Read about AB 506

Assembly Bill AB 506 Youth Service Organizations: Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention

Mandated Reporter

Completing the online training provided by CDSS.CA.GOV

Live Scan Fingerprint

Find the Live Scan site nearest to you

Live Scan Form

You must use the GSSN Live Scan Form to be reimbursed

Mandated Reporter Training

The mandated reporter training may be met by completing the 2 hour online training provided by the Office of Child Abuse Prevention in the State Department of Social Services at this link: https://mandatedreporterca.com/training/volunteers.

We ask that you please complete the mandated reporter training by October 1, 2023.

Mandated Reporter Training Certificates are required to be updated every 3 years.

You may have already completed mandated reporter training for either work or other volunteer services. In the event that you have, we will honor that training if it meets the California state requirements.

Live Scan Fingerprinting

AB 506 also requires all staff and volunteers who have more than 16 hours a month (or 32 hours per year) of contact with a youth to also complete a Live Scan background check (the digital version of inked fingerprinting). To complete this process, you will need to take the GSSN Live Scan Form (below) to a Live Scan site.

Please ensure that you take a valid government issued ID such as a driver’s license, state/government ID card, or passport. It is critical that you use the GSSN Live Scan form, as it includes our billing number as well as the routing information for the results of your background check. GSSN will automatically be billed for the Department of Justice and FBI fees (approximately $50); however, each individual must pay a fingerprint rolling fee (generally $25 or less) to the Live Scan service provider. Please retain your receipt. You may either be reimbursed by your Troop or Service Unit for this fee. In the event that this presents a financial hardship, please contact Customer Care for reimbursement within 90 days. To find the Live Scan site nearest to you, click on this link for a list https://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/finger_cert.

The Legislation

Even if you already have a background check, you must complete a new one.

CA Volunteers only

Due to the change in legislation, all background checks previously conducted through Asurint Background Screening no longer comply with the new mandates of AB 506. This means that all staff and volunteers will have to complete the new Live Scan background check process. With the introduction of Live Scan background checks, all volunteers will only have to complete their Live Scan background check once. The Council will receive subsequent notifications of any future background check items, so it will not be necessary to complete background checks every three years as has been required in the past.

We recognize that as a Girl Scout Volunteer you dedicate many hours to serving our girls each month, and we appreciate your assistance in completing these new requirements of the California Law. Our commitment is to provide as much support as possible to ensure our volunteers are not severely impacted with time/travel issues. We will continue to update you on this process but want to make you all aware of the upcoming requirements.

We thank you for your cooperation and assistance in completing your Live Scan at a third party provider until that time.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Customer Care at (775) 322-0642 or girlscoutshelp@gssn.org

Thank you for all that you do to ensure we have a safe community where we build girls of courage, confidence and character!