Recreation leagues
Community baseball, softball, basketball, soccer, football, and other local youth leagues.
Florida youth sports · Screening & requirementsFlorida youth sports
Florida youth sports
screening & compliance.
Getting ready for coaches and volunteers? Tell us the adult roles, screening history and season dates. We’ll discuss background checks, any separate fingerprint requirements and the records your organization needs to keep.
Website chat:Privacy policySMS terms
Compliance
The short answer · Reviewed October 11, 2026
What is required for Florida youth sports screening?
Section 943.0438 addresses Level 2 screening for covered Florida coaching roles. Confirm your organization's structure, each person's duties, and the appropriate screening route.
Florida SenateOrganizations & roles
Start with your type of program
Whether you run one team or several, start with who operates the program and the rules it follows. Those details help identify which screening requirements to review.
Travel and competitive clubs
Multi-team organizations, tournament programs, and clubs adding coaches across age groups.
Cheer and gymnastics programs
Owners and administrators organizing staff and volunteers around minors, facilities, and competition schedules.
Sports academies and clinics
Independent coaching businesses, skills programs and seasonal clinics preparing a screening request.
Volunteer-led associations
Boards coordinating new volunteers, returning coaches, managers, and referee assignments.
Programs at municipal facilities
Organizations preparing records for their own operations and the conditions of a facility agreement.
School-affiliated and government-operated programs should identify their applicable screening framework separately. A business category alone does not establish which law applies.
Three distinct responsibilities
Understand the separate steps
Background checks, agency eligibility and roster administration each have a different job. Plan them separately so you know what still needs attention.
Background screening
Define the role, screening purpose, authorized sources, and agreed report scope. Commercial background checks and registry searches can support a program, but do not replace a fingerprint-based Level 2 process when that process is required.
Florida SenateLiveScan fingerprint capture
LiveScan captures fingerprints electronically. For the Clearinghouse route, use a compatible provider and the request generated for the applicant. Bring the request form and photo identification; keep the transaction control number for follow-up.
Availability on requestFlorida Agency for Health Care AdministrationProgram administration
Assign who maintains the roster, follows up on missing steps, records decisions, handles deadlines, and keeps supporting documents. This page explains that planning work. A managed PlayVerified program is planned separately; platform access and ongoing monitoring are not included in a screening request.
Managed program plannedRequirements checklist
Your Florida screening checklist
Use the source links to check the current law and agency instructions against your program. This is a planning summary, not an individual eligibility decision.
Confirm the organization and roles
The law covers qualifying private, nongovernmental organizers of Florida youth teams, excluding private-school-affiliated teams. Coaching roles include assistants, managers, and referees with direct contact with minors.
Florida SenateComplete screening before authorization
The independent sanctioning authority remains responsible for required Level 2 screening before authorizing covered coaches. It cannot delegate that duty to an individual team.
Florida SenateEvaluate exceptions carefully
A conditional exception concerns people under 18 and referees, with Level 1 screening and direct supervision. Confirm its application before relying on it.
Florida SenateRecord notices and retain evidence
Disqualification notices are due within seven business days after screening. Keep screening results and disqualification notices for at least five years.
Florida SenateKeep Clearinghouse affiliations current
For participating organizations, initial affiliation entries and status changes must be reported within five business days.
Florida SenateKeep athlete safety policies separate
The law also addresses concussion education, annual parent consent, removal from activity, and medical clearance for return.
Florida SenateYour starting point
Where is your organization starting?
Identify the organization and contacts
Gather the legal entity name, operating location, program description, and proposed account contacts. FDLE reviews VECHS applications; its enrollment process includes organization documents, a designated security contact, and required training.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Discuss your first rosterConfirm the route before making changes
FDLE's August 2026 guide describes qualified entities electing to use the Clearinghouse. An independent sanctioning authority using it still maintains VECHS qualification and related obligations. Confirm the appropriate route and identifiers with FDLE and AHCA before changing your instructions.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement Review your current screening setupReview earlier screening before reordering
The Clearinghouse profile distinguishes shareable screenings, retained-print status, and available review actions. An authorized user should check the current record and the requirements of the new role before deciding whether agency review, renewal, resubmission, or new capture is appropriate.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration Describe your screening historyResponsibility & ownership
Who handles what
Make sure everyone knows who handles each task, which records to keep and where questions should go. Agree on these responsibilities when setting up the service.
| Who | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Your organization | Name the program owner, maintain authorized users, identify covered roles, approve participation, and keep the required records. The qualified entity must maintain the appropriate signed waiver and administer access to criminal history information.Florida Senate |
| The screening authority | On the Clearinghouse path, AHCA reviews screening results and determines eligibility under the applicable standards. Questions about a disputed record, exemption, or agency determination follow the relevant official process.Florida Department of Law Enforcement Florida Senate |
| CBEOF | Talk through your background screening needs, explain the checks available and confirm fingerprinting options. Any other help needs separate agreement and authorization. A future managed program is separate. |
| Each coach or volunteer | Provide accurate information, complete the applicable consent steps, attend any required appointment, and respond to requests for missing or corrected information. |
From planning to follow-up
Plan the work before the season
These steps help you prepare before the season. Your proposal explains the work CBEOF will handle and the responsibilities that stay with your organization or agency.
- 01
Describe your program
Tell us the sport, location, governing affiliations, season start, approximate roster size, and whether you already use a screening provider.
- 02
Build a role-based roster
Separate coaches, assistants, managers, referees, and other workers. Flag new, returning, and departing people so each next step has a named owner.
- 03
Confirm the screening route
Resolve the applicable organization account, approvals, role, and identifiers. For Clearinghouse screening, the authorized organization initiates the request before the fingerprint appointment.
Florida Agency for Health Care Administration - 04
Complete consent and screening steps
Provide required applicant notices and collect the applicable signed documents. FDLE places responsibility for these documents with the qualified entity, including secure retention; that responsibility does not transfer to the fingerprint provider.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement - 05
Record results and unresolved items
Record the source, review date, decision owner, and next action. Keep an appointment receipt, a completed screening, and authorization to participate as separate milestones.
- 06
Plan for roster changes
Assign a person to review joins, departures, expiration dates, missing evidence, and agency notices. Put the next review date on the calendar before the season becomes busy.
Getting started
What to have ready for the first call
Organization details
Legal and operating names, Florida locations, program type, governing affiliations, and the person who can approve service.
Roster summary
Approximate headcount by role, employee or volunteer status, age group where relevant, and season dates. An estimated count is enough for the first discussion.
Existing screening setup
Current provider, account owner, enrollment stage, and whether earlier screening evidence exists. Have identifiers available for a later authorized review.
Current documents
Application and agreement records, account contacts, applicant waivers, FBI privacy materials, and your internal screening policy.
Florida Department of Law EnforcementThe work you want help with
Tell us whether you need background checks, fingerprinting options, help reviewing your starting point or a discussion about future administrative support.
You can start with your organization and the question you need answered. We’ll explain which records are needed next. Leave Social Security numbers, criminal history reports and ID images out of the public contact form, email or text.
Frequently asked questions
Florida youth sports: common questions.
Screening, records, prior evidence, and ongoing responsibilities.
Ask another questionDo volunteer coaches need background screening?
Unpaid status does not itself remove a covered coaching role from the law. Identify the actual role and contact with minors when planning the screening requirement.
Florida SenateIs a name-based background check the same as Level 2 screening?
No. Florida's Level 2 standard includes fingerprint-based state and national criminal history checks and other specified checks. A commercial name search alone does not establish that the required process has been completed.
Florida SenateDoes every organization need to move to the Clearinghouse?
Do not assume one transition path for every organization. Current FDLE guidance describes an election for qualified entities. Confirm your organization's statutory framework, current enrollment, and agency instructions before changing the route.
Florida Department of Law EnforcementCan an existing screening be used for a new team or organization?
Possibly. Reuse depends on the record, screening purpose, agency review, and current status. Have an authorized user review the existing profile; a screenshot or an old completion email should not be treated as a current participation decision.
Florida Agency for Health Care AdministrationAre renewal and resubmission the same thing?
No. Clearinghouse fingerprint retention has a five-year renewal cycle. A break in service exceeding 90 days can trigger a national rescreening while the statutory national rap-back exception remains unmet. Confirm the current profile and applicable agency instructions before scheduling new capture.
Florida SenateDoes screening replace training, certifications, or facility requirements?
No. Treat screening, training, conduct policies, and facility conditions as separate parts of your program. Identify each requirement, its owner, its evidence, and its review date rather than using one completed check to represent the entire program.
Who can receive or review criminal history information?
Access and disclosure depend on the screening route, legal authority, and authorized user. Do not assume a service provider, team manager, or facility operator may receive the underlying report. Confirm the permitted process before sharing records.
Florida SenateHow much will screening and fingerprinting cost?
Request a quote for the services and roster you need. The scope should distinguish CBEOF service charges, applicable government screening fees, and fingerprint-provider charges. Existing eligible records may change which transactions are needed.
How far ahead of the season should we start?
Start the planning discussion as soon as your dates and likely roster are known. Account approval, applicant response, fingerprint quality, and agency review can affect completion. Share your deadline so the proposed scope can identify dependencies without promising an unverified turnaround.
Can CBEOF take over our full compliance program?
CBEOF can discuss your screening and fingerprinting needs. A broader managed compliance program is planned under PlayVerified and is not included in the services offered on this page. Tell us your future administrative needs so they can be discussed separately.
Official reference points
Read the current source.
Sources reviewed October 11, 2026. Requirements depend on the organization and role. Confirm individual legal questions with counsel and screening-route instructions with the appropriate agency.
- Florida Statutes § 943.0438 — Athletic coaches for independent sanctioning authorities
- Florida Statutes § 435.04 — Level 2 screening standards
- Florida Statutes § 435.12 — Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse
- Florida Statutes § 943.0542 — Qualified entity access and responsibilities
- FDLE VECHS Eligibility Guide — effective August 2026
- Becoming a participant in the VECHS Program
- VECHS Process and Forms
- Florida Clearinghouse — Background Screening
- Florida Clearinghouse — Fingerprinting
- Clearinghouse Results Website Instruction Guide
Looking for ongoing program administration?
PlayVerified is the planned managed youth sports compliance program. Its scope and availability will be announced separately. Today's CBEOF request is for screening and fingerprinting needs; you can also tell us if you are interested in future managed support.
Let’s talk
What does your next season need?
Tell us the program, approximate headcount, Florida locations and season dates. Include the screening instructions you follow and any questions you want help sorting out.
Build your request
Scope, availability and price confirmed before work begins.