PPS will now allow long-term contractors to renew their badges without a full fingerprint-based background check, for a lower fee, under very specific rules. 

1. The company/organization must have an active current contract for services with Portland Public Schools.

2. The contractor must not have lived outside of Oregon since their most recent ODE fingerprint-based background check.

   1. Applicants who live in Washington or a different state when they applied and got fingerprinted do not qualify for the fingerprint waiver when renewing. 

      1. Continuous residency is an Oregon Department of Education rule, not a PPS rule and cannot be waived.

3. The applicant must still have a current PPS badge when applying for the renewal.

   1. An applicant cannot request to renew their background check more than 90 days prior to the current expiration date. 

   2. PPS will allow a 15-day grace period from the current expiration date to the new application being submitted.

4. If an applicant is moving from a PPS employee to a contractor, they may qualify for the renewal process. Please reach out backgroundcheck@pps.net to inquire. 

5. If an applicant used a TSPC license when they originally applied, their license must be up-to-date when they renew their background check or an ODE-based fingerprint clearance will be required at the higher fee.

   1. Not all TSPC clearances qualify to be used in place of new fingerprints. Please reach out to backgroundcheck@pps.net to see if your license will be accepted. 

6. Applicants may request to use their previous photo and have the card ready for pick-up instead of scheduling a new photo/badge appointment. 

7. When an applicant who has previously been authorized to have an access card renews their background check, the fee will also cover the cost of a new access card. (no separate second payment will be required)

8. PPS reserves the right to require a new fingerprint-based background check for a renewal if an investigation is inconclusive or Security Services staff have any reason to believe a new one is needed. 

When applying to renew:

Send CHV form and payment receipt to backgroundcheck@pps.net

1. The body of the email should contain the following:

   1. I am applying to renew my current contractor badge with PPS.

   2. I affirm that I am renewing as an employee of a company or organization that has a current contract with PPS that requires me to have a PPS badge.

   3. I affirm that I have not lived outside the state of Oregon since my fingerprint scan for an ODE background check was completed. (this pertains to the background check that was completed only through ODE, no other fingerprint-based background check will qualify)

      1. If an applicant has lived outside of Oregon since their last fingerprint with PPS, they must complete the fingerprint-based background check again per ODE rules. 

2. The applicant must furnish full addresses and move in/out dates for the last 3 years going back to the address used on your previous PPS background check.

• Students currently enrolled in an Oregon middle or high school qualify for a "Student Worker" ID badge if they have been hired by a partner organization working in a PPS school.
• You must currently be enrolled as a student in an Oregon school district and have already been hired to work in a PPS program.
• Students who have graduated from an Oregon School District within 6 weeks of applying for the student badge still qualify for this badge type for summer employment only. Please contact backgroundcheck@pps.net to verify if you are not sure. 
• If you do not meet these criteria, please do not sign up for a badge through this link. 
• If you do qualify for this badge type, sign up here: High School Student Worker Badge Sign Up

Please follow the directions you received from your HR talent acquisition contact, or your department hiring manager. They will submit your application for you. Do not submit directly to Security Services.

These instructions are intended for most paid contractors.

Cab Companies, Teacher Candidates, Interns, and Volunteers have different steps. Please refer to the appropriate tab for those instructions.

Step 1: Submit PPS fees and forms 

Pay PPS background check/fingerprinting fee online

1. 1. Beginning 10.1.2025, the fingerprinting fee will increase to $92. This covers PPS and ODE background check costs.
   2. Payment Portal 
   3. Complete PPS Criminal History Verification Form: CHV FORM
   4. Incomplete forms may be rejected. Please confirm all applicant fields have been filled in. Call 503-916-3000 with questions.
   5. Please give complete addresses when you are able. At minimum, you must enter the city, state and zip code along with the approximate moved into and out of dates for each city of where you have resided in the last 10 years.
2. Email the receipt and a pdf of the criminal history form to: backgroundcheck@pps.net
   1. Subject line of email should include applicant’s name
   2. ONLY 1 APPLICANT PER EMAIL IS ACCEPTED-multiple applicants in the same email will be rejected.
   3. In the body of the email state the name of the company you work for, what PPS department is contracting your work, and any other pertinent information you want us to know.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted

1. We will reply to your submission email with a special Fieldprint code and instructions on how to schedule a fingerprint appointment at any Fieldprint site.
   1. Applicants are required to have completed their fingerprint appointment no more than 60 days after receiving this code.
   2. Our office is no longer an option for fingerprinting.  Please pick any Fieldprint location that is convenient for you.
   3. Fieldprint charges a $12.50 fee when signing up. This is separate from the PPS charge.
   4. Do not schedule a fingerprint appointment if you are volunteering. Your fingerprint application will be voided, and all fees will be forfeited.

Step 3 Photo and badge pick up (501 N Dixon, Portland 97227)

1. When your PPS prelim background check clears, we will send confirmation and a link to schedule a photo/badge pick-up appointment.
   1. We do not have drop-in hours. Appointments typically take 3–10 minutes, and you get your badge right then.
2. Save the photo/badge appointment for last. You must have already attended your fingerprint appointment to get your badge.

Follow PPS Student Transportation Services instructions before proceeding. You must complete the required class with Student Transportation prior to applying for the background check. 

The guest checkout link for schoolpay is currently restricted and cannot be published. Please email backgroundcheck@pps to get the new link.

Step 1: Submit PPS fees and forms 

1. Pay PPS background check/fingerprinting fee online: Please email backgroundcheck@pps.net for a link to our guest checkout portal.
   1. Fee is $92This covers PPS and ODE background check costs.
   2. Complete PPS Criminal History Verification Form: CHV FORM
   3. Incomplete forms will not be processed. Please give complete addresses when you are able. At minimum, you must enter the city, state and zip code of where you have resided in the last 10 years.
2. Email the receipt and a pdf of the criminal history form to: backgroundcheck@pps.net
   1. Subject line of the email should include the applicant’s name
   2. In the body of the email state the name of the company you work for, that you are contracting with the transportation dept, and any other pertinent information you want us to know.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted

1. We will reply to your submission email with a special Fieldprint code and instructions on how to schedule a fingerprint appointment at any Fieldprint site.
   1. Applicants are required to complete their fingerprint appointment no more than 60 days after receiving this code.
   2. Our office is no longer an option for fingerprinting.  Please pick any Fieldprint location that is convenient for you.
   3. Fieldprint charges a $12.50 fee when signing up. This is separate from the PPS charge.

Step 3: Photo Appointment (501 N Dixon, Portland 97227)

1. When your PPS prelim background check clears, we will send a confirmation and a link to schedule a photo appointment.
   1. We do not have drop in hours. Appointments typically take 3-10 minutes. You will NOT receive your badge at this appointment. Your badge must be sent to the transportation office. Please contact them to get your badge. 
2. Save the photo appointment for last. You must have already attended your fingerprint appointment to get your badge.

Teacher candidates must have first been placed through the Educator Pathways Program.  Once accepted into the program please follow the instructions and deadlines sent by them. 

Check with your school's placement office if you are not sure if you have been issued a placement at a PPS school or are not sure of your next step.

Speech Language Pathology Interns. (SLP)

Because of an odd discord in the state's rules on fingerprinting and the district's admin directives concerning our badging process, we cannot run a full background check on SLP interns, or issue an ID badge for you.

SLP Interns do not qualify for a fingerprint based background check through ODE or TSPC and PPS cannot issue a badge without one of those.

The only option available for SLP interns is our volunteer background check process. Being cleared as a volunteer still qualifies you to work one on one with students and will be accepted by the school in lieu of a badge. Once cleared in the volunteer database, you will use the school's sign in kiosk to print a badge each day. Should school staff have any questions, please direct them to this site to help explain why you were not issued an ID badge with us.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

Contractors

PPS requires a new fingerprint based background be completed every 3 years. 

Please follow the directions from the tab for contractor background checks.  

Please note- if you wish to only give us your address history back to the month and year that your last background check was completed, please be sure to let us know when you submit your forms that this is a renewal.

You may request that we reuse your photo from your previous badge. We do not mail ID badges but you may request that it be sent to a school or held for pick up at the PEC building rather than scheduling a photo/badge pick up appointment. 

Cab Company Recertifications

Type 10 drivers must renew their badge with us every 3 years along with getting recertified with student transportation services. Transportation may cover your fingerprint fee for renewing/ recertifying drivers. Please check during your recertification classes.

Interns and student teachers

Intern badges are issued for only 1 school year. If you do not complete your placement requirements before your badge expires, you may contact backgroundcheck@pps.net to ascertain if you will need to complete a new background check or if we can extend your current clearance. 

• PPS Criminal History Verification Form

  Fingerprinting Fee Payment

• Administrative Directive 5.10.141-AD Employee Contractor and Volunteer Criminal History Verification

  Disqualifying Convictions List

• The Fair Consumer Reporting Act  Know your rights. 
• PPS uses court records services that also offer access to credit reports. PPS will never run a credit report as part of a background check, but we are required to post this notice.
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Volunteers do not complete these forms. Please see our  volunteer page for further additional information.

Volunteer background checks can take up to 4 weeks during peak times of the school year. Only the school office or classroom teacher can request a rush for a background check.